ndore: Once she couldn’t pay Rs 10 school fee, now her daughter studies in US

Kavita was 16 years old when she first learnt the importance of money in life. In Class 11 then, she had to deposit Rs 10 as her school fee, but her father, a vegetable seller, didn’t have even that much. Her classmates pooled money to pay the fee.

That day she vowed to work hard and ensure such a situation didn’t recur in her life. Now 50, Kavita is a successful businesswoman – she runs clothing boutiques in the city, lives in a penthouse on Manik Bagh road, and has sent her daughter to the US for a medical course.

“It was 1981, and our financial condition was not good. My father used to sell potatoes and onions on a handcart. I still remember how my classmates pooled 25 paise each and paid the school fee on my behalf,” she told HT. Kavita started giving tuitions to children after that episode, and continued it through the college until she landed a job. “Life was a struggle. I gave tuitions during the day and studied at night. On most days, I had to study in candlelight as our landlord used to cut the electricity supply at 12 midnight,” she recounts.

“After my father’s death, I was the sole bread earner of the family. I had to also ensure that my younger sisters and brother got decent education,” she says.

After completing her BSc from Holkar Science College, Indore, in 1984, she worked odd jobs for a few years before becoming a professionally qualified desktop publishing (DTP) operator. “I was the first woman DTP operator in Indore as it was a new occupation then.”

Kavita started her boutiques after working for many years as a DTP professional, and established herself as a businesswoman. She also ensured that all her siblings were settled before she got married.

“I got my younger sister married before launching my own DTP business in 1994. My business of printing cards and other articles took off, and I bought a flat for my family,” she says.

In 1996, Kavita decided to tie the knot. “I made it clear to my husband (who is also a businessman) that I will continue to support my family even after the marriage,” she says.

Kavita once used to share a one-room rented house with her parents and three siblings; today she is a millionaire and lives in a penthouse. She has two children – her 18-year-old daughter is a medical student in a US college, while her son who studies in class 9 lives with her.