#UnlearnToRise - Ektara Maheshwari

This World Inclusion Day, we bring you #UnlearnToRise, a series continuing our conversations around unconscious bias. Through real stories from across Mahindra, we explore the assumptions we make about people and the beliefs we need to unlearn.

“Did I ever truly live if I were to die today?”

The pandemic left me questioning whether I was truly living or simply pretending to be someone I wasn’t. I knew I could no longer live that way.

In 2021, I came out to my family as a woman of trans experience. My father’s response brought me a sense of relief I had carried for years. He told me not to worry, because they would now think of themselves as having two daughters.

My journey of transition was deeply personal and demanding. From hormone therapy and surgery to the exhausting process of changing my legal documents, every step called for courage and persistence. There were moments when the journey felt overwhelming, but I knew I had to keep going.

The acceptance I received from my family, including the warm welcome from my extended family, gave me strength. And when it came to society, I made a choice: if I could face the challenges of my own journey, I would not let the expectations of others stop me from living authentically.

I have learnt that I don’t need to fit a label created by others. I deserve the freedom to live as myself.

I chose to stop pretending and start living on my own terms. This is how I #UnlearnToRise.