EMBODYING UNSTIRRED PERSEVERANCE

Khushboo Mattoo Bhardwaj

In this edition of ‘We The Women’, we have brought for you the journey and vision of another stimulating young lady from the state—one who believes in hustle, in equality, in growth and in peace. Read on to learn more about Khushboo Mattoo Bhardwaj, the programming head for Radio Mirchi 98.3 in the state.

Born to P N Mattoo and Vijay Bhatt in Srinagar, Khushboo was brought up here in Jammu and that, according to her, made her a J&K woman in true essence. Khushboo holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics Engineering and before switching to the Radio, was working in various capacities such as Website Designer, Digital Marketer, Search Engine Optimizer till 2015, when she moved back to Jammu with her husband and six-month-old daughter.

Talking about her professional shift into Radio, Khushboo shares, “I feel that there is a power in Radio that no other medium has. While the outreach of the other Medias has increased in recent past, there is not discounting the fact that the Radio is a friend for many, whereas other Medias are mere source of entertainment or information.”

Sharing about her routine Khushboo says, “I am always running throughout the day and so is my grey matter. I have to think of ideas, opinions and guide the RJs, constantly. I also have to take out time for my daughter too, who helps me refresh the CPU of my ‘upper-storey’ regularly.”

She adds on, “It takes patience, a wide vision and constant connect with people of the state to be a good PH. It also takes good sense of the latest music in the market and you also have to keep an eye out for the current consumption of the youth in the state.”

Khushboo shares that she landed in the interview room for Radio Mirchi by chance and it became her identity and her passion, post that day. “I eat, breathe and sleep Mirchi. I see stories everywhere. More appropriately, I hear stories everywhere.”

Khushboo has observed that her vision of the world has expanded ever since she stepped in world of Radio. “I hear more; I feel more, and I am more empathetic than before. I was just hard working before. Now I am hard working with passion.”

She further adds, “My ears are as alert as ever and in these times when no one actually listens to you, in relationships, in family, in friends, I have developed an ear to hear. And I am honing and adoring the virtue these days.”

But is it easy and as charming as it seems for mother of a 4-year-old girl?
Khushboo shares, “My daughter is my sunshine and my snow, not an anchor to hold me down. I have faced a lot of criticism from a lot of people who cannot see a mom working, who cannot take instructions or even suggestions from women. But I had everything to prove to myself and nothing to those who live to see others suffer.”

Khushboo states that sharing stage space with several people whom she has idolized since her childhood is an achievement in itself and hence odds are worth going against.
Perseverance is what Khushboo swears by. She elaborates, “Perseverance for me is patience when the tide is high, and gratitude when the times are good.”

She also points out that becoming a mother is a beautiful experience. She shares, “I have given birth to a beautiful daughter and not only I am raising her up, she is raising me with all the simple and crystal clear logics of the world.”

Khushboo describes herself as “100% sarcastic- 0% Bhakt”; Yet considers that she is still trying to figure out who she is, while striving to shorten the gap between the rich and the poor, the fortunate and the unfortunate, between two genders, between different communities and amongst the old and the young.

She shares, “I must have been fourteen when I saw an old man sharing his bread with a hungry dog and that influenced me; taught me that sharing and love is the greatest reflector as well as shield of humanity. It is what defines us; it is what will continue to define us.”

To unwind her, Khushboo not only likes to watch engaging shows on Netflix but also loves to write, especially poetry. She shares, “Along with poetry, whenever I get time I spill some ink on motivation sometimes. I have vivid dreams and even more marvelous is the motivation that comes along with it.”

Continuing, she says, “My next big dream is to see peace in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, because I believe that blood is blood – no matter whose is it, it still is blood. I am looking for a peaceful future. That’s what everyone wants; Don’t they?”

Khushboo sees women at Marina Trench, Mount Everest and everywhere in between. To the women out there, her words of motivation are, “Always stand your ground and believe in what you see in the mirror. Beauty is relative and so is success. So do what you have to do so that you depart this world happily and not like a sad soul.”