A saga of courage

By Shabry

THE word handicap invokes a lot of reactions, the foremost being pity. All this changes, however, when one meets Neena Sachdeva of Shimla. Any local resident would recognise Neena as the girl with deformed legs who is often seen on the Mall with a pair of crutches. What people do not know is that among her hobbies are driving and trekking. After spending just a few minutes with her, the feeling of pity vanishes. What emerges is admiration and respect.

As soon as you enter her house in Vikas Nagar you see the motto of her life in the form of a poster, which says "Never, never, never, give up". As Neena throws open the door leading to the balcony, sunlight streams in and the sound of chirping birds fills the room. Neena feeds these birds before she leaves for work and it seems almost as if they are welcoming her home. Their chirping fills the otherwise quiet and lonely house. It is in this atmosphere that Neena exclaims, "I love life. It is so beautiful that I would like to live a hundred years to enjoy it."

Twentyeight-year-old Neena Sachdeva is the victim of a bone disease. As a child, Neena fractured her limbs many times and gradually the deadly disease which she inherited from her mother, took its toll. Today her legs are badly deformed and she can move only with a pair of wooden crutches. Still Neena stands heads and shoulders above a lot others, for she has in her something fast disappearing from the world — faith. This gives her the will to live. Neena does not hire any help to do her daily chores.

Life has not been easy for this bright, vivacious girl. She comes from a very poor family from Oachghat village in Solan district, where her mother ran a dhaba. But Neena had a desire to study, and despite all odds she completed her tenth in the village school. "It was only my desire and my mother’s unfailing and unconditional support that kept me going", she says. Neena finally obtained a postgraduate degree in English from Himachal Pradesh University. During this period, Neena actively participated in debates, declamation contest, plays and even fashion shows.

Today, working in the Excise and Taxation Department, she looks back at her university days. Her memories, however, are not all pleasant, for that was one of the most difficult periods of her life. She would suffer from frequent bouts of depression. "I was suffering from so many complexes at that time", Neena recalls. However, soon her inherent strength and unconquerable faith asserted itself and Neena came out of all complexes — stronger, mature and mellower. She began to understand herself and came to accept life as it was. "Earlier when people pitied me, I got angry and irritated. But today it does not matter because I know I am not handicapped in any way."

Neena is perfectly right. After meeting her it seems that handicap is nothing but a state of mind which she has successfully transcended. Neena is full of life. "I’d like to do everything," she chirps. Not that she’s left much undone. Among her hobbies are photography, travelling, gardening, driving, trekking. Yes, Neena has a four-wheeled scooter and an indomitable will which takes her wherever she wants to go. She has gone on three trekking expeditions and loved each moment.

For the millions of people trapped in a situation like hers, she has just one message: "Have the courage to believe that whatever God does, is for your own good. Whatever the circumstances, don’t ever give up on life".

Neena’s is the story of the invincible human spirit, and a saga of courage, perseverance, pride, humility and dignity.