Girl with Four Legs
Things aren’t the same after the COVID-19 pandemic. The world has changed completely. But for a nation like India with a population of 1.3 billion, it’s an entirely different world. In India, the gap between rich and poor is massive. Being poor is a curse, but for people with hope and dedication, who will do any job that comes their way, then being poor or rich doesn’t matter.
Today, I want to share a story of a girl from the Indian state of Bihar, who carried her father 1200km on a bicycle in seven days. This is a story of hope and inspiration, which motivated me to not hang my head because of the challenges we face in our lives. Sometimes, in reality, the problems are opportunities.
Jyoti Kumari, a 15-year-old girl, was dedicated to taking her ill father home amid a total lockdown. With no options for trains or busses, she opted to ride a bicycle rigorously for seven days. For most of us, the thought of doing something like this is scary and not feasible. But in life, when you don’t have a lot of choices, you’re not in a position to complain. Instead, you can only grab every opportunity that falls into your bag.
Returning home on a bicycle was a bizarre and absurd thought, even for her father. But she was firm in her decision. So, after her father arranged to acquire a bicycle, she began pedaling the bike toward their hometown, with a huge luggage bag resting on her father’s lap.
Knowing there was no aid available from the government, Jyoti rode day and night with minimum food and water, and only one goal in mind: to get her ailing father home. She rode the bicycle as if the wheels were her feet—the machine became part of her body.
On the seventh day, Jyoti and her father arrived home and created history. She became the cyclist sensation of India and started receiving calls from all over. The story of her journey even reached the White House, and Ivanka Trump applauded her for her brave decision.
The Cycling Federation of India wants her to attend a trial in June, and if she passes the test, who knows? In a few years, the world could see her breaking cycling records.
When opportunities knock, you should open the door. But in the case of Jyoti Kumari, she didn’t even have a door, so she created her opportunities, despite all the trouble and difficulties she faced. She has become a new hope for the depressed, heartbroken, and lost in life. Her story of courage and dedication will inspire people for generations to come.
From now on, every time I see a bicycle, it will remind me of courage, hope, and bravery. For me, she is A Bicycle of Hope.
