"I did not have the luxury of wallowing in self-pity after such a profound loss"

"In March 2020, I lost my husband to a heart attack. Riddhi, my then 8-year-old daughter, lost her father. He was her go-to person for everything, and his sudden absence was confusing and traumatic for her. My husband left Riddhi and me unprepared to cope with the sudden loss. I struggled on, but Riddhi lost interest in her studies and became aloof. Despite appointing tutors and trying extra-curricular activities, Riddhi's lack of interest persisted, and her grades suffered.

I did not have the luxury of wallowing in self-pity or sitting back and grieving after such a profound loss. Riddhi and I had to get back on our feet and move forward with our lives. We could not stay in that house any longer, as every nook and corner held memories of the time, we spent with Riddhi's father. We moved in with my parents, who live in a joint family. In a way, it was a blessing to have people around us, but sometimes more people can make you feel more alone. The fact that I did not share my grief with anyone and took ownership of my husband's business in no time made me very irritable, resulting in not having a heart-to-heart connection with my daughter, which I should have had.

In 2020, I enrolled Riddhi in a new school - Acharya Tulsi Academy Orchids International School, Newtown (in Kolkata). In hindsight, it turned out to be one of the best decisions I took as a single parent.

Back then, I was determined to be financially independent and run my husband's business successfully. I was consumed with this round the clock. Now I see that it was not the best thing to do as a single mother. But balancing the responsibilities of raising a child and providing for their basic needs as a single parent can be challenging. I struggled with limited income and often felt isolated and overwhelmed. However, I used to read about many single mothers who showed incredible resilience and determination to create a better life for themselves and their children. Inspired, I set about achieving financial independence, which has given me a sense of pride and accomplishment as it involves taking control of my future and providing the best for my child. For me, it offered a sense of security and stability in today's world. By demonstrating the value of hard work and perseverance, I wanted to be a positive role model for my daughter, my family, and my community.And, of course, it has shown wonderful results in our lives. I reconnected with my daughter, and now she is back to being an involved student in school. As a mother-daughter duo, we are recovering and growing amidst challenging situations, hoping for a better future for both of us. Today we are happy. I would like to tell all the women out there, please be financially independent, even if your father or husband is a millionaire, life is very unpredictable, we should be prepared to face and deal with all kinds of situations."

- By Shilpi Parsan