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Overcoming personal and cultural battles with Willpower


In the dark times, when there seems no way to succeed or be happy, it is then that a human being is tested, cut and polished into an enlightened being. Only a woman can ensure that she raises her children, care for her family and be a perfect wife while fighting towards her success in those dark times.

Maya Bohra

Such a strong and inspiring woman of substance is 49-year-old psychologist Maya Bohra, who is saving lives of many children and motivating people to live life to the fullest.
Starting from her childhood, Maya said, “I grew up in a traditional Marwari family, where educating girls was a taboo that no one would dare overcome.” While she knew that studying was a battle, her skills did not help her either.
“I have learning disability, so I always struggled to learn or score marks, I mean the highest I have scored is 58 per cent,” Maya confessed. While she worked hard and passed class tenth board with 42 per cent with hopes to become a doctor, her parents had plans to keep her home and prepare her to be a perfect bride.
“Somehow, I convinced my teachers and even got biology, but could not clear the examination and ended up sitting at home for eight months as my education was stopped,” Maya said. Taking her friend’s advice, she studied privately.
“I cajoled my parents and indirectly found ways to convince them, as we could not talk directly to our father and graduated in arts,” Maya said. While her parents felt that she was overqualified by graduating, she wanted to study further and learn about various subjects.
“My parents kept three conditions for me to study further, 1. I had to take up all household responsibilities, 2. Study privately and, 3. I had to marry as and when my parents find the right groom,” Maya shared. She accepted all conditions as education was her only ray of hope.

Shikha, Ravindra, Maya and Prachi Bohra



On one morning before her final semester of masters in English Literature, she was told about her engagement. “A kid woke me up and told me that I am engaged as my dad had exchanged a coconut with a gentleman!” Maya said.
Her shock did not fail and she was forced to accept her marriage. “I spoke to my husband about giving my final examination from Dec 19, as I got married to him on Dec 16,” Maya said.
Though her husband had agreed to her idea, things did not pan out the same way. “My mother-in-law quoted, ‘You can make round chapattis and that is all the education a girl ever needs’,” Maya shared.
Broken-hearted, she became traditional homemaker covered with a veil and not allowed to get out her house without being chaperoned. “I cannot explain in words the life that I lived for ten years, where I felt suffocated every day,” Maya said.
As her daughters grew up, she found a window to her life. “My daughter went to preschool and I felt drawn to art,” Maya said.
Sneaking away and fighting her family bonds, she did a diploma in textile designing during her daughter’s school timings. “I started teaching sketching and drawing at home to little kids after those two years,” Maya said.
While teaching children, she noticed that most parents are forcing kids to learn art. “Trying to understand those parents, I found psychology,” Maya said.
From then on, her life took pretty turns and she slowly with lots of bumps in the road became a qualified and certified psychologist.


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