I grew up on the outskirts of Brij, and did my schooling in my hometown, Aligarh—a place that taught me to notice life in its quieter, more honest forms. Growing up around rural communities meant seeing both simplicity and struggle up close, long before I had the language to name it.

I have always been someone who cares deeply about people—this inclination found clear direction during my undergraduate years at Delhi University, I volunteered with an initiative teaching children from underprivileged communities. It was the middle of the pandemic—everything uncertain, everything online.

One day, I logged in to google meet to take a class, unaware that there had been a power cut in the area due to heavy rain. On my screen, I saw children sitting in dim, leaking rooms, their faces barely visible under mobile flashlights—still waiting, still ready to learn. That moment stayed with me longer than I expected.

It made something very clear—that the desire to learn exists, even where the system fails to support it. What was always there, finally found direction. It was this journey that eventually led me to the Teach For India, where I now work closely with students, supporting their learning and growth in ways that go beyond the classroom.

Beyond this, Art, in all its forms, feels like home to me—whether it is poetry, storytelling, stone art, pottery, or paintings. Anything that carries a piece of someone’s truth.

Somewhere between all of this—
the places I come from, the things I love, and the life I imagine—
is the kind of person I am still becoming.