From Sweeping Floors to Owning Dreams

Meera woke up every morning before the sun was up. She would walk through the streets with a small steel bucket and an old broom. The city was still sleeping,. Meeras day had already started.

Meera was sixteen years old. She worked as a maid in five houses. Her father was not alive anymore. Her mother was very sick. She could not work. So Meera had to take care of her brother, Aarav.

People did not really notice Meera. They would throw their clothes at her without even looking at her face. Some people would shout at her if a cup was not clean. Others would talk about their vacations. Meera would wonder if she could even buy vegetables for dinner.

Every night after finishing her work Meera would sit under a streetlight outside her small home. She would study from books that she found in the garbage.

One evening Meera was cleaning a familys house. She touched a laptop that was on the table. She quickly pulled her hand back because she was scared.

The owners daughter started laughing. She said "You think maids can use computers?"

Those words hurt Meeras heart. That night Meera cried quietly so her mother would not hear her.

Those words did not break Meera. They made her stronger. The day Meera asked a man who owned a cyber café if she could clean his shop. She wanted to learn how to use computers in return.

The man agreed. So Meera worked hard. She cleaned houses during the day. Learned computers at night. Her hands became rough. Her eyes became tired.. Meera did not give up on her dream.

Meera learned about freelancing after some time. She started making posters and typing documents for small clients. At first she did not earn money.

Meera did not stop. She kept working. Her work got better. Months turned into years. Meera saved all the money she could. She bought a second-hand laptop. Then she started her small digital design business from her tiny room.

Meera got more clients. Her work became famous in cities. Big companies started contacting her. People liked her work. Said she was very disciplined.

One day Meera did something she had always dreamed of. She bought a house for her mother. The house was nice and clean. It did not have a leaking roof or broken walls. Meeras mother was very happy. She cried when she saw the house keys.

She said to Meera "You suffered much for us". Meera. Said "All those hard days were worth it".

Years later Meera became the owner of a design company in the city. She employed workers, especially poor women who needed a second chance. Meera never forgot where she came from.

She kept her broom in her office. When people asked her why she would say "This broom did not make me weak. It taught me how to be strong".

Every night before sleeping Meera would thank the little girl who used to study under a streetlight with tired eyes but a strong heart. She was thankful, for Meera, the girl who was her.