Living On Her Own Terms

It was by choice. Being an only girl child, Ruchi Sharma decided to take care of her parents, instead of embarking on a married life. She was unsure about her partner or husband’s support when it came to taking care of her parents and fulfilling her duties. She does not have any remorse for her decision. “It was purely out of love. My close ones tried to convince me but I wasn’t ready to leave my parents alone,” says Ruchi, who works as a fashion designer in New Delhi. She confesses that all her finances were taken care of by her father but last year she lost him in Covid complications. Ruchi is in her late 40s and just has one more decade of work before she is formally retired. She has knitted plans to enjoy life but is unsure if the finances will support her dreams. Also, if it is too late. Just a few kilometres away, Rashmi Khandelwal is a single mother of a...