Suicide is not the Only Option: Komal Ganatra Story

My name is Komal Ganatra, Savarkundla in the Amreli district of Gujarat is my place. My father is a teacher by profession.

Keeping all the discrimination against women in my village, my father always used to encourage me to study hard. Being a teacher by profession, he used to discuss studies always even in the home.

Maybe that’s the reason I always stood top in every subject. After completing my 10th and Intermediate in Gujarat Medium School, I have completed a Diploma in Rajkot Govt Polytechnic College.

From there I pursued BA Literature in Sanskrit, Hindi, and English languages from three different Universities and I got my Primary Teacher certificate. By that time, I have already completed 25 years.

My relatives and neighbors started questioning my parents regarding my marriage. By ignoring their words, I started concentrating on my Civils. During this time, the marriage bureau got a match from Rajkot, who is the only son in their family and well-settled in New Zealand.

My father felt proud thinking that his daughter would settle in a foreign. Even I felt happy imagining my beautiful life with him in New Zealand. With plenty of dreams, I entered my In-Law’s home.

Soon I entered they started demanding more dowry like cars, money, bike, etc. They used to beat me when I said that my father couldn’t give more dowry as he gets a very low salary.

They tortured me a lot. Since I didn’t obey their demands, they planned to leave me. One day they asked me to sleep outside of the house and when I was in sleep, my husband locked the house and traveled back to New Zealand along with his parents.

He needs to be punished

I had no choice left other than to go home. It’s been only 15 days of my marriage, Since I came alone, my parents thought I got homesick. Once they heard the truth, they were all broken and my mother got sick.

I used to sit in front of my In-Law’s house thinking that my husband might come by changing his mind. I tried so hard but failed to find his details in New Zealand. I never got mad at him for leaving me because of dowry, but couldn’t digest the fact that he cheated on me.

I promised myself that I would find him anyway and reached the marriage bureau for his details but they refused to give them.

I thought of filing a case against him in a nearby police station but my mother was scared of losing our pride in society, so I filed a case in the New Zealand police station and mailed them on the same but there was no response from anyone.

I wrote a letter to the Governor-General and they replied saying that they would find my husband’s details but they didn’t take any action.

It’s been six months since this incident, and all these days I spent my life with no food and no sleep. I used to boost up myself and started my studies. I only concentrated on my studies but god has no stone left unturned to make my life hell.

Even though my parents thought to take my responsibilities on their head my brother’s wife used to say words against me. I had no patience to bear those words and I felt it was not right to stay in my home by killing my self-respect.

Far away from everyone

I got the courage in me and started searching for teaching jobs, and soon I got a contract teacher post for 5000 salary in Bhavnagar which is 50 km away from my village.

Since I am a single woman no one showed interest to rent me a room, but somehow one of my student’s parents understood my past and allowed me to stay in their house for rent.

Apart from doing my job, I concentrated on Civils preparations but since it is a small village there is no facility for the internet, or smartphones. One day I got to know about the Sardar Patel Academy in Ahmedabad which gives free training for Civils on weekends.

Soon I joined that academy and used to travel 170 km by changing 4 buses from Bhavnagar. As usual, people used to mock my backside because I used to come at midnight to complete my training.

Even though I am tired of people mocks and my tight schedule. I never skipped any day at my job as well as my training.

Four Hard Trails

For the first time in 2009, I attended the UPSC entrance exam. I was not expecting any good rank because all these days I used to travel for my training sessions and my job. As expected I was not qualified in the exam.

I gave a second trial with full dedication but couldn’t make it through. It was quite sad, and people used to say that it’s not such an easy thing. However, I never left my hope and gave the third trial in 2011. Even this time, it’s a repeated fate.

Day by day my hopes got reduced but still, I managed to get some courage and gave my fourth trial in 2012. I prepared even more effectively, Maybe god was also tired of my failures so this time I qualified with the 591st rank.

I couldn’t believe it for some time and it was the happiest moment in my life.

After these hard 5 years of my life, I went back to my home proudly. People who used to mock me have appreciated me for my success. Everything has been changed for good.

Later I was appointed as an Administrative Officer in DRDO (Defense Research and Development Organization) in Delhi.

Also, I came to know that my In-laws are back from New Zealand. So I went to them and I felt my success again seeing them feel so regretful. I gave divorce to my husband.

And 4 years back from now a well-settled person came forward to marry me. We have 2 years girl child now and we are a happy family.

People think of committing suicide for small bad phases in life, to those people, all I want to say is that suicide is not only an option. Who have those thoughts please remember my story. Myself Komal Ganatra.

Point to think:

Komal Ganatra said: Suicide is not only an option for one’s problems. Instead, one should always need to get the courage to live on.

Moral:

1: To look down on women’s

2: Don’t believe in NRI matches easily

3: Don’t get disappointed by failures, keep trying

4: People always try to degrade us, and never care about those people.

Final Thoughts: 

One well-known person whose contributions have had a big influence on her field is Komal Ganatra. Her work serves as an example of commitment and creativity, encouraging others to pursue similar careers.