International Women's Day 2026
It’s Women’s Day, and for the past few months, this absolutely amazing childhood influence of mine has been coming to my mind again and again. She reminds me of so many things. There is so much admiration, awe, and so many beautiful memories associated with her.
I was reminded of her so suddenly and so many times that I actually searched her social media profile. I realised, of course, she would never be on social media. I guess because I had searched her , my YouTube gave an old video suggestion of hers on my feed. Serendipity? Well.. The techie in me says Seredipity supported by the algorithm. Even if it's just algorithm , I love when such things happen organically. I remember watching that video and crying like a small child who meets her mother after a long time, hugging and crying with so many emotions at once.
I remember meeting her for the first time when I was about eight years old. My mother had taken me to SVM for admission to the 4th standard. We were speaking with Mr. Ashwath Narayan, the rector of the school, in the principal’s room.
As we were talking to him, a very very beautiful young woman walked in. She must have been in her late twenties back then. I remember that moment so vividly. She had a neat bob cut with a part of her hair clipped up gracefully. She was wearing a leaf green cotton saree with a red border and a simple cotton blouse. She greeted Mr. Ashwath Narayan, her father, with a warm smile.
To my young eyes, she looked like a goddess.
I remember being completely awestruck by her presence. As she took her seat, Mr. Ashwath Narayan introduced my mother to her and explained the purpose of our meeting. She greeted my mother warmly. Her father then introduced her as Hemaa Narayan, the Principal of SVM.
After a conversation with my mother, she then turned toward me and began speaking to me. I was so awestruck by her presence that I don’t even remember what exactly I said, but I do remember saying something innocent enough to make her laugh.
Of course, I got the admission.
From the 4th standard to the 10th, she remained a constant source of awe for me. She was always someone I quietly aspired to be like. The confidence with which she spoke, the depth in her communication, her empathy, her grace, her rootedness in our culture, her leadership and her grounded nature made her seem almost unattainable to me. Every time I stood in her presence, I would go completely blank.
That level of awe was unmanageable for my young mind, I'm sure 😃
In high school, my achievements were quite visible and my name eventually registered in her mind. In the 10th standard, the year my batch was graduating, she and I had several one on one conversations. Each time we spoke, she expressed immense confidence in how well I would do in life.
She adored my voice back then and gave me the title Nightingale of SVM, which she announced on our graduation day.
For a young girl born to ambitious and high-achieving parents, and someone who was trying hard to build an identity outside the shadow of her parents’ achievements, this kind of encouragement had a profound impact.
This incredible woman, whom I admired almost like a living goddess, believed in me mattered more than I acknowledged.
A large part of my sense of who I am today and what I remember as my core today carries the influence of this amazing woman and my teachers. With my teachers, I have stayed in touch and met them many times over the years. But I suddenly realized that this one person, despite her impact, is someone I have never really spoken about.
This Women’s Day, I simply feel grateful for the woman she has been, always leading by example, living a simple life and yet carrying such grace and impact in the way she influenced people.
When I graduated from school, she was probably in her mid to late 30s. Looking back at those memories through the lens of a woman now, my respect for her only deepens ❤️ She has always been someone ahead of times ❤️
One of these days, I will go and meet her again. ❤️🥹
Here's a glimpse of who she is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p40myb_CxJ0