Some lives unfold slowly and gently. Some others burn and rebuild themselves in the fires of their lives. Geetanjali Pradhan’s story is one of the latter - choosing dignity and joy when the world takes everything else away. Ever-smiling and ever determined, Geetanjali carries within her the kind of strength that reveals itself in the darkest hours.
Born in Kandhamal to hard-working parents, her early childhood was simple and content. However, the reassuring rhythm of rural life was shattered when her mother passed away, leaving Geetanjali and her sister with an intense sense of loss. Geetanjali was heartbroken, but she clung closer to what was left – her sister and her schoolbooks. However, life again took a turn as their father remarried and a stepmother stepped into their lives. Childhood, as she knew it, was over.
Geetanjali managed to hold on; she completed her schooling and became adept at farming and kitchen gardening. Soon, she got married and started a new life with her husband in a nearby village, hopeful about the future. They were happy at first but slowly their relationship started eroding when Geetanjali gave birth to one daughter after another. Her husband longed for a son and that desire led to constant tussles at home. When Geetanjali was pregnant for the fourth time, she prayed desperately for a son, she knew a male heir would make life better for her. But life had other plans.
It was 2008; the fateful year when Kandhamal erupted in violence. Riots tore through communities and localities. Houses were torched and people killed. Geetanjali fled to the jungle nearby with her family. After days of trudging across the forest, hiding from assailants, they managed to find their way to Bhubaneswar. They were safe but completely uprooted from all that they knew. All roads to their home in Kandhamal had been closed and they knew they would have to rebuild their life from scratch in this new city. They began again.
Her husband got a job, and Geetanjali looked after her home and kids as best as she could in the unfamiliar city. her fourth child was born – another daughter! Her husband’s rejection became complete. He abandoned her to remarry. Geetanjali was devastated. She had no idea how to fend for herself and her daughters in this city that did not know even her name! She pleaded with him to come back but only received physical assaults in return.
Finally, one day, when her husband kicked her down from her bicycle, she decided that act of humiliation was enough. She would no longer beg him to return but would try to be financially independent herself. She moved into a slum in Bhubaneswar with her four daughters. No savings. No protection. No certainty about tomorrow. All she had was an unshakeable will to hold her head high.
She went searching for work in neighbouring homes. She cleaned floors, washed utensils, scrubbed bathrooms and dried clothes. She worked as hard as she could, often carrying her newborn daughter, and laying the baby down in the courtyard of these bungalows. There were days she had to skip meals so her daughters could eat. But she refused to shed tears or accept defeat.
She held on to her daughters like a tigress, waiting for time to change again, this time in her favour. Over time, she joined self-help groups (SHGs). Her income stabilized. She got her two older daughters admitted to a residential missionary school in Jharsuguda, and enrolled the younger two in a missionary school in Bhubaneswar. Education became her rebellion.
Years passed. Her three older daughters graduated from school with flying colours, pursued higher studies in the best colleges of the city and excelled in sports and academics. They got jobs of their choice. The daughters once considered disappointments became her greatest victories.
Meanwhile, Geetanjali graduated to becoming a cook and working in one of the top cafes in Bhubaneswar. She also forayed into multi-level marketing. With her family earnings multiplying, she invested in houses and plots. Today, she is the proud owner of two houses and two plots in Bhubaneswar and now harbours dreams of setting up her own business in the city. From fleeing flames in Kandhamal to holding property papers in her own name - the arc of her journey is nothing short of extraordinary.
Gitanjali is now a grandmother. Her daughters are independent and thriving. Yet Geetanjali is not finished dreaming. She wants to start her own business. Because for her, life is not about what was taken. It is about what can still be created.
Geetanjali is an inspiration to many women like her. She is not defined by abandonment, violence, or displacement. She is defined by choice - the choice to stand up, to work, to educate her daughters, to invest, to smile, and to continue moving forward.