Kriti's encounter with her free being

Contributor: YA Team

“In a world where every person is busy competing, I found that fellow humans were comrades.”

Kriti Nangia, a recent graduate from Hindu College with a degree in B.Com found ONUS a tremendously different experience. She sums up her time at ONUS as a series of majestic experiences. Be it the welcoming sharing circle which relentlessly motivated her or the visit to the enriching community of the Transgenders. All the things that happened to her at ONUS were a class apart from the daily nuances of her routine life. The program opened her up to the world and nagged at her curiosities. She was exposed to a group of people willing to work not only as a team but as a family. People were there for each other, cared about each other and shared a deep understanding. The most striking part about ONUS for Kriti was that no one in the cohort was judgmental at all. This made her reveal her innermost self to the group, bringing to light her deepest strengths and weaknesses.

Reminiscing the memories from the first residential of ONUS, Kriti says how she found it exhilarating when within a matter of hours, 13 absolute strangers transformed into confidants to each other, connected through an unwavering bond of trust. She attributes this beautiful transformation to the atmosphere created by the mentors and the peaceful sessions full of depth. This bond was seen again during the launch of the campaign, ‘Five Days of Dignity’ against menstrual taboos by the team. Every person contributed selflessly and tirelessly, respecting the team spirit and not fearing the workload. Group projects in school were just to fetch marks but the true spirit of team work was something Kriti learned only as a part of ONUS.

Kriti learned lessons for a lifetime from every person she met during the program. She lovingly recalls how she learned from some, how to tirelessly work and from some, how to follow one’s dreams and to risk everything for the voice of one’s heart. What she has enjoyed most at ONUS is being part of people’s journeys, watching them grow and learning to grow with them. Kriti was always admired by the cohort for sharing her personal life the way it was, without any inhibitions or fear of judgments while she herself was glad to have found a place where she could do so.

Now she is at peace with herself and prepared for her future. She will always carry ONUS in her heart as a reminder of her free being. And at last she lovingly says, “The people I encountered here are my treasure.”