"I was 5 when Dad sat me down and said, 'Your brother came from Amma's tummy but you came from my heart.' He told me I was adopted when I was 3 months old; I was too young to understand. I had learning disabilities as a kid, so Amma would help me study. But as I grew older, she was disappointed that my grades weren't improving. In class 9, I failed most subjects. In anger, Amma said, 'I brought you home only because of Dad-I never wanted you.' After that whenever we had a fight, Amma would taunt, 'If you were my own daughter, you wouldn't be like this.' I'd cry all the time.
I realized I didn't fit into my family; even my relatives would say, 'She looks so different', 'She looks Chinese.' In my weakest moments, I'd want to find my biological parents, but Dad would say, 'They abandoned you, why look for them?' Even in school, I was bullied-they called me ugly; I couldn't perform in exams.
So I'd immerse myself in rehearsals. After 12th, I took up theatre and worked hard. I'd go for rehearsals in the morning, attend classes and in the evenings, I'd practice my dialogues. I began getting modelling offers. I even bagged short films-I made enough to get my portfolio clicked. Finally, in my 3rd year, I was offered a part in a movie! I was on cloud nine, but when I told Maa, she howled, 'How ungrateful are you? We've done so much for you and you want to ruin our reputation by acting in movies?' I snapped. I'd had enough-'Just because you've adopted me doesn't mean that I owe you my dreams!'
With Rs.700 in hand, I left my parents' home forever-my friends lent me Rs.15,000; I rented a room. Luckily, the next day, I signed a new project-I was able to return their money immediately. My parents said, 'You'll never be able to manage on your own', but I didn't budge.
Humans of Bombay, Fb
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