Archana Sharda is a mother of 2 children, Anshu and Ayush. They’ve always been very close to their mother. While Ayush loves going on evening walks with her, Anshu enjoys movie marathon sessions with her mom.
But a month back, Archana was called by authorities to serve as a medical officer with the police at the barrier between Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
When she told her family, the whole house filled with tension. Ayush tried to stay calm and helped her pack, but Anshu couldn’t stop crying. She was too scared for her mom. But eventually, she wiped off her tears and said, “I am so proud of you”.
The family had their last dinner together and the next morning, Archana left to fulfil her duty.
It’s been over 40 days since she left. She lives in a rented room near the barrier. She is responsible for screening people passing through the barrier and works closely with police officers. She has screened over 2,500 people, among whom a few have been positive cases.
Archana’s children pray every day that their mom will be home soon. “Every time mom calls, we hope it’s to inform us that she’s coming home”. Her children miss her every second of the day but are inspired by her perseverance at work.
Archana is on call 24/7 and can be asked to report to duty even in the odd hours of the night. When she is on duty, she doesn’t even have access to a bathroom and must wait till she gets back to the hotel room.
When her children hear such stories, they are touched by how selfless their mother is. The family tries to speak 2-3 times a day and every time Archana tells them – “I’ll be home very soon”.
Even though she is far away, she constantly makes sure her children aren’t feeling down. She asks for pictures of what they’ve cooked or sends funny selfies of herself to make them laugh. Every day, she prays for the days all this will be over, and she’d be able to hug her kids again, make them their favourite meals, and put them to sleep every night.
This Mother’s Day, we celebrate the challenger spirit of women and mothers like Archana, who are selflessly performing their duties to help all of us stay safe.
We salute you!
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