A Story of Resilience

For Every ‘Why Her,’ I say ‘Try Me.’

By admin Last updated Apr 20, 2023

When Arpita left her home on April 22, 2006 for Kolkata, little did she know that a road accident would change her life forever.

The Fateful Evening

Arpita was on a bike when a truck struck from behind. She fell off and could see the truck pass over her legs. Next what remembers is a pool of blood and an unbearable pain. She was taken to a hospital nearby and was given the necessary attention but due to further delay in treatment, 80 percent of her body got affected with gangrene. She was shifted to another nursing home where her legs were amputated.

“The pain was tremendous but the trauma of amputation did not hit me hard at the beginning because I was under the impression that after getting my artificial limbs, I would be able walk normally.”

“The reality was however different. The real challenge began after I got my limbs – the challenge of learning to walk with my new limbs. Here, I want to state that the cost of artificial limbs is exorbitant and almost impossible to bear. Normal manual artificial limbs are a more viable option.”

Learning to Move On

“While I was adapting to the multiple new changes and challenges with the support of my family, sympathy and pity from all around had started pouring in. Some people would even express their remorse by saying how I would be a lifetime burden. This is what hit me really hard.”

“People don’t empathise, they sympathise and that’s what hurts the most.”

“I did not want to see myself in a deep dark hole and be called disabled throughout my life. I had to take charge of my life from here. My family, especially my brother, had been my support throughout. I did not want them to suffer in any way.”

Discovering the Path to Yoga

“While I was still in the process of figuring out from where to start picking up the pieces of my life and putting them together for good, I was told by the doctors that one of the biggest needs with prosthetics is to keep the weight in check or else there would be discomfort.”

“I started with body weight training as it could be done without any equipment. Meanwhile I also took up a job at a call center for financial independence. With exercise and a balanced diet, I was able maintain an ideal body weight.

“Going a step further, I started with yoga and slowly realised that Yoga is a lot more than poses and exercises. It simultaneously works on the mind, body and soul. The healing and strengthening properties of Yoga are absolutely magical.”

“Initially, it was tough. My body was not flexible enough and mobility was also a big issue. But I was confident that I could do it because I wanted to. I started slow with easy asanas, but eventually with the use of props and with constant practice, I was able to achieve 200 hours, followed by 300 and then 500 hours of Yoga.”

Today Arpita is a certified international Yoga teacher and is pursuing advance level courses in Yoga. She has also trained in Accessible Yoga and conducts yoga sessions for abled and specially-abled people.

She is also a certified guided mediation teacher.

“I don’t like to hear the terms like disabled or disability because we do everything same as normal people, just in a different way. We are differently-abled, and in no way disabled.”

“For every doubt on my abilities and when people say ‘Why Her?’ I say ‘Try Me.’ ”

An incident like this would have shaken any one to the core and same happened with Arpita. But she put her entire focus on ways to transform her weaknesses into strength. She fought with her inner inhibitions and her physical limitations to prove that there is no limit to what a person can do and achieve if he/she is determined to.