Darshita Patel

I attribute my success to my dreams and my ability to see beyond my immediate circumstances. I've always been someone who dreams big. I watch movies, anime, and read newspapers, and I used to see pictures of actresses wearing beautiful gowns and think about how that life could be, how people go outside and work. That vision gave me the drive to pursue something different. I also saw my mother being very detail-oriented and a perfectionist, and I thought that if I could be a perfectionist in my own way, I could achieve something and get my dream. Even though I came from a village where I was never allowed to go outside my home, never been to a cafe, always within walls, I used to write poems about myself and dream of a life where I'm doing something on my own. I dreamed of being a creative person wearing classy, top-notch dresses and going to a job or even running a business. I haven't reached there yet, but I feel that I've at least taken some steps.

Don't think about others, just be yourself, and you have to uplift yourself all the time. You don't need anyone to help you, you can uplift yourself. I want young women to know that you can do anything on your own, you don't need any other people's opinions or permission. I've seen so many girls in my village who are so pretty and their minds work very well, they are very sharp, but I feel that it's just going to waste because they only think about getting married, having kids, and taking care of their husband's parents. I just want to change those things. In my culture, women don't think about themselves and they think that they are nothing without men or without support. But I want to let people know that you don't need anyone, whether it's a man or even a woman who is dominating you. If I'm doing something good, I hope I can help my sisters and other girls do what they want to do.