Radhika Ajay Singh Pawar represents all the middle-class women, who strive every day to make their life better, with all their might. Radhika works as a beautician with Urban Clap, however, her journey here is interesting. What is even more amusing is her will and perseverance. Her story is of love, passion, determination, and just everything nice even during the dire situations of everyday life even when things are not. She is a beautiful and chirpy soul at heart, read this endearing conversation with her.

Q. Tell us about your journey. How did you start?

Ans. I started out in 2005 as a small-time teacher. I was paid just Rs. 500 then. Afterward, I sold sarees for a brief time. I also tried to set up a tiffin center, but it was not profitable. Then, my sister-in-law suggested, I do a beautician course by an NGO. So, a government-aided NGO was teaching people skills, and I did it. After that, I got into a parlor. However, I was unpaid for the first 3 months. My job was limited to just dusting in the parlor. Later, I was promoted and I started earning around a thousand rupees. With time I shifted parlors and from 1000 went up to 8k. I joined Urban Clap on the advice of my sister-in-law and now I earn around 60k to 70k, every good month. But, that was not all for Radhika, she keeps on moving ahead for the better. There is no stopping for her. While we ask her, why she does what she does, she attributes it to her family.

Q. You are a homemaker as well. How do you manage both?

Ans. My family has always supported me. I only started working, after three years of my marriage. It was my husband who motivated me to do something. He said, there is no benefit in sitting at home and I should do things that I like. That is when I took up the job as a teacher. If it were not for my husband, I won’t be here. Especially, in our community, women follow serious purdah. They are not even allowed to remove the ghoonghat. But, my husband pushed me to.
While we keep romanticizing idealistic relationships every day, Radhika’s story is one of those realistic ones rooted in the heartland. A reflection of how a couple stands for each other with just being together and no extravagant gestures. A goal, we all should set for ourselves in relationships. It was not only Radhika’s husband who stood by her, she also helped her husband with his work.

Q. What does your husband do? Tell us about your family.

Ans. My husband has a street Chinese food stall. With his hard work, he managed to give a good life to our kids. I never looked down upon any kind of work. Earlier, I also used to help him with the shop, it is called ‘Shalini Chinese Center’, she says with a chuckle. My kids, both of them scored great in their board examinations and are now currently in good tier colleges. All I want is, we provide them with everything for them to do well, and they make us proud.
Radhika represents every mother out there. Whatever she wants, revolves entirely around her children. Her love for her kids is more than everything she wants in her life.

Q. How do you manage to manage the household chores and your work together?

Ans. I plan my time accordingly. If there’s a client I need to attend in the morning, I make sure that I’m done with all my chores earlier. And, my family supports me too. My son comes to drop me at the client’s place if it’s too far. Thus, it’s all because of that.

Q. What is something you like about your job? And, aren’t you scared while you meet different clients?

Ans. I love doing facials. Because with facial I help people glow up their face and that instantly brings a smile to their face. That makes me happy. I was scared earlier, where I used to go as part of parlors. But, now that I am part of Urban Clap, I feel secure.
Also, it would be nice if clients treat us in a good way. We are there to provide them with service.

Q. What would you like to tell all the women out there?

To the women, I just would want to say, there is nothing to be scared of. Apne pairon pe khade ho. Daro nahi, age badhte raho. We can do anything and everything. Bachcha aapka kuch bhi kar sakta hai, sabki tarah. Bas kaam karte raho.
(Make yourself self-reliant. You need not be afraid of anything, but just move ahead. Your kids can do everything and even become the prime minister of the country. Just keep working.)

Q. Any message to society, that you would like to give with this medium?

Ans. What I want to tell you is people assume that we do some illegal/bad work at salons. When we say, I work at parlors, people think I am doing something wrong inside. But, that is not the case. We are here to provide you with services. Even about our food center, people think that the food is not hygienic. But, we make everything in their presence and maintain the utmost cleanliness. So, people should respect that.
Radhika is one of the many women out there, who are equal breadwinners of the family just like their male counterparts. In these little worlds of theirs, they are pioneering change with hard work. While stories that inspire are everywhere, we just need to pay attention to them.