REVOLUTIONIZING CONVENTIONAL TIMELINE

Ishita Madaan

When we look around, along with positive stories of women thriving, we also encounter stories of women circumstantially trapped to live a meaningless life, robbed of dreams. Often embodying selfless sacrifices, they do not even complain about it; they associate the meaning of their lives to the betterment of their loved ones and make fulfillment of the dreams of those they care about as their own. Yes, it is the choice they make and we respect that. But, think about it, what are the other options?
From centuries, mortal women are expected to make sacrifices and manage everything in Godly fashion, which not only led to the oppression by the society but also self-submission by women. Appreciation of sacrifices led to acceptance and then the rights became privileges and hence became limited. Journey of Ishita Madaan, subtly but noticeably answers many questions, beats several excuses we women make and breaks several prevailing stereotypes. Read on to learn about what we are talking about.

Born to Lt Shivpal Sood and Daisy Sood, Ishita wanted to be a doctor while growing up; more specifically she wanted to be an independent woman. That dream could not be fulfilled because she was married off even before she turned twenty, because her father was in critical condition and wished to see her as a bride and perform her ‘Kanyadaan’.
Ishita has been married for fourteen years now with two kids; a son (13) and a daughter (5). She pursued graduation through distance learning mode after marriage and never stepped out for any academic or professional purposes after getting hitched. She was a home-maker and took pride in it. “We had no working women in my family ever, so being at home came naturally to me,” explains Ishita.
Sounds like story of every other women. Doesn’t it? But two years ago, circumstances changed for Ishita; or more appropriately, she changed her circumstances. It all started with a thought to be a better version of herself.
Ishita had gained weight postnatal, especially after the birth of her second child, as a result of which she had to deal with a lot of health issues. This, like it would in case of any other woman not only led to dwindling confidence but also induced restlessness.
Rather than resorting to being disappointed in herself or pitying herself, Ishita decided to work upon it. She started working-out, eating properly and making constant efforts to stay optimistic. She shares, “I lost around 45 Kgs and that didn’t happen overnight. It took around a year to achieve desirable results and another year to tone down further.”
It is obvious that the transition from sedentary lifestyle with various health issues to hitting gym in the morning and zumba in the evening, from eating thoughtlessly to eating thoughtfully, was not easy and transformation like these breaks you before they make you.
The shift in lifestyle and the results thereafter, speaks a lot about Ishita’s resolve. “It was not just about losing weight but achieving confidence and mental peace,” says Ishita.
But this story is not merely about her incredible weigh loss journey, it is about what came after. After staying at home for 13 years and lacking any sort of professional experience, almost a year ago, Ishita on being encouraged by her husband Narinder Singh, decided to carry on a venture in foods and restaurants. And hence ‘Bobby 74’ came into existence.
Expressing her gratitude for her husband’s support Inshita expresses, “To be honest it was my husband’s idea and I was immensely apprehensive about getting into a professional setup after all these years, especially in challenging entrepreneurial field. Today, I am glad I did.”
She further adds, “Yes, it is challenging but it makes you feel vivacious. I had never imagined to be a working woman; never thought that I would be planning for my business to promote its growth and expansion. It still feels like a dream.”
For almost a year now, a regular day in Ishita’s life includes getting up and prepping her kids for school and taking care of other chores, which is followed by hitting the gym. After which she goes to her eatery and manages everything there. She usually tries to be back by the time her children would be back home from school and after sending them off to tuitions, she gets back to the restaurant. She tries to take out time for Zumba in the evening and gets back home late in the evening after wrapping up her business.
According to Ishita, her enterprise is like another child to her and she believes in being as loyal to it as she is to her family. She expresses, “Like a child, the enterprise you are starting, needs not only monetary but mental investment as well. You need to keep in mind the constant need to explore and expand, along with cutting yourself a niche.”
She further elaborates, “We wanted it to be accessible to all and carter the needs of today’s fast lifestyle and so we decided to facilitate with take-away food counter on ground floor and fine-dining at the first floor. Also, we decided to deal in both cooked and raw non-vegetarian items. After our initial phase we expanded into catering as well.”
Ishita is incorporating her practices and beliefs as a home-maker into her venture. “I believe in keeping the kitchen of my eatery as clean and hygienic as I would keep it at home. It is predominately a non-vegetarian let-out but I ensure the segregation of cooking vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. We believe in serving what we eat.”
All of it speaks volumes about Ishita’s dedication and passion towards her business. The appreciation amplifies many folds considering that she had no previous experience and her life was in completely different direction just two years ago.
Talking about scenario of women in the state, Ishita speaks, “It is a pleasure to see women thriving in different fields. I feel thrilled to come across other female entrepreneurs. But, being in the field, I am also aware about how many people in the society try to make things inconvenient for you, especially because you are woman and that’s unfortunate.”
Sharing her own experience, Ishita explains, “Just because I had to handle the business till 11 at night, until we wrap up, often I encounter customers who would subtly try to make me uncomfortable. Now, I am accustomed to it and have learnt to be fearless in such scenarios.”
She further adds, “On the contrary, I have many female customers as well. It is not a usual practice for women to go out to buy raw non-vegetarian items or take their kids out on their own, in the evening, but I see it happening here every day now.”
Now, Ishita is looking forward to further expand her enterprise and establish more prominently in the market. To the women out there, Ishita’s words are “Start looking out for yourself, pursue your dreams, take chances, achieve your inner contentment and peace; this life is yours first. You must believe in yourself; you can do more than you think. Dare to be ambitious, don’t settle. And don’t let anyone define your worth.”