Mumbai, June 20: Neera, the mother of Miss India 2009 and actress Pooja Chopra, shared the challenges she faced after her daughter’s birth. In an emotional conversation on the reality show “Tum Ho Na – Ghar Ki Superstar,” Neera recounted her journey of raising two daughters against all odds.
Reflecting on her early years of marriage, Neera stated, “Initially, my in-laws were supportive. We were a middle-class family. When my first daughter was born, the atmosphere was fine. However, when she turned one and a half, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with cancer. I would bathe her and ask, ‘Mom, will everything be okay?’ She replied, ‘If you have a son, the atmosphere will improve.'”
Years later, when Pooja was born, Neera described a painful turning point that shattered her. “When my elder daughter was seven, I had my second daughter, and the environment around me deteriorated. For three days in the hospital, no one came to see me, and I had no clothes for my baby. The nurse yelled that the baby had soiled herself. Another officer’s wife, who had a son, gave her child’s clothes to the nurse for my baby.”
Neera continued, “Ten days later, my husband came to take us home. There was no joy; he didn’t even pick up the baby to see her. Once home, I started working from the eleventh day.”
The most poignant moment came when Neera revealed the pressure she faced after Pooja’s birth. “After twenty days, they told me every day to either end it or leave her at an orphanage… How could I do that as a mother?”
Determined to protect her child, she made a life-altering decision. “I left home with my 21-day-old baby. I took only 81 rupees in my purse and left.”
Arriving in Mumbai with her two daughters, Neera recalled, “I held my seven-year-old’s hand and carried my 21-day-old baby. I had 81 rupees and, forgive me, I traveled without a ticket.”
Reflecting on those tough days, Neera shared how she desperately searched for a job at a five-star hotel, unsure of where else to go. “I was so desperate for work. I approached Mrs. Mona Chawla, who had a great personality. I didn’t even know what her role was. I simply asked, ‘Ma’am, please give me a job. I need a job.'”
She also remembered an unusual test she faced before being hired, where she was asked, “What is wrong in my cabin?” She replied, “Ma’am, the AC is noisy, and the carpet is dirty.” Impressed by her honesty, Mrs. Chawla offered her a job and asked her to start the next day.
Neera recalled, “At that time, my salary was 900 rupees. I told my mother I would give her all the money, keeping just a little for my children’s milk.”
Years of hard work eventually transformed her life. “I managed to survive for six years like this. Then I got a job in Goa, moving from 900 to 6000 rupees, and life got back on track.”
Speaking about her daughters, Neera’s voice filled with pride and emotion. “Honestly, if I were to be reborn, I would ask the universe to give me these two daughters again.”
Recalling the day she left home, Neera shared a promise she made to herself. “I looked back and told them, ‘You are pushing me out for this daughter, but one day she will make me proud.’ And believe me, today my daughter has made me proud.”
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