How many of you believe that following your passion is not possible after marriage? Of course, it takes time and patience to do as you wish, but if it is something you love doing, the universe will lead you to your path! Some of us are so occupied with our families that we lose out on great opportunities that come our way! Then again, life and destiny have their own ways of showering you with some beautiful surprises, don’t they? Like they say, “If it has to happen, it will happen, anyway”. This is exactly what a friend of mine experienced lately. She ultimately went on to win an international title in Thailand on Children’s Day.

Having been born and brought up in Bangalore, India, this Sindhi girl – Kajol Bhatia (born as Sapna Nagpal) knows the city inside out. She can drive you from the North to the South without the help of Google Maps. She is vivacious and always high on energy. Anyone close to her will know how great a multi-tasker she is, too. She can dress up to attend an important event and plan a surprise party while simultaneously packing for a trip the next day. She has also been an enthusiastic participant in various athletic and talent competitions, in the past, out of which she has been a winner at many.

Kajol married into a joint family, 23 years ago, and has been efficiently juggling her responsibilities at home and social circles since then. She is a fashion designer by profession but a happy homemaker by choice. She chose to keep her career on hold and devoted all her time to her loving husband and adorable sons.

A few months ago, this extremely busy friend of mine suddenly tells me that she had enrolled herself for the Mrs India Karnataka contest this year. I was shocked because I had partly enrolled too, but, considering the amount of time required to stay away from my tiny children and home, I did not complete the registration. I wondered about how she would do it, all the time knowing that she would, of course, give it her best. After all, she is determined, disciplined and dedicated to whatever she does.

In life, there are people who want to and will pull you back, making sure you do not get what you want to achieve. Surrounded by negativity, Kajol first needed to prove to herself that she was capable of accomplishing her dreams. Don’t we all? Despite being classy, confident and compassionate according to others, Kajol wanted to take part in this state competition in order to boost her own self-confidence and believe that she could substantiate her potentiality. She worked hard and allotted many hours to getting herself ready for victory. With the support of her pillars of strength, especially her husband and her family, Kajol was ready to explore a whole new world out there.

After winning the State title of ‘Mrs India Karnataka 2018’ in March, Kajol was over the moon. For a few seconds, she was unable to digest her triumph. But, once she gathered herself, she was elated. Her hard work had finally paid off. She scored the highest for her simple but rousing answer. On being asked why she thought that this competition was arranged for the married women, she said what she believed, “The purpose of a lady, or a leader, is to empower others, and Mrs Pratibha ma’am, the beautiful soul that she is; her purpose was to elevate the other women and to bring out their confidence, and give them a platform where they could discover themselves and feel more beautiful from inside and outside.” She also bagged the title of ‘Mrs India Karnataka DIVA 2018’ a couple of days prior, at the smaller competitions connected to this.

Kajol doesn’t stop at one thing. Besides being a mother to two boys, a wife and daughter-in-law, she is also a grooming consultant and event manager. Kajol has also been an integral part of Ladies Circle India, where she gained the experience, of public speaking, at numerous occasions. During the sixteen years as a member of this organization, she took up more than a few head board posts and has always been inclined towards social service. The association has empowered 5 million children all over the world while Kajol has personally adopted two orphanages and an acid victim, too.

Then, in July, after months of preparing for the National competition through trips, chores and other commitments, she won the title of ‘Classic Mrs India 2018‘ in Chennai. Her elation had no bounds. The amount of time and effort she put into her outfit for the ethnic round alone was no joke.

On asking her about her glamorous outfit, she said, “With a background of a fashion designer, I did put in a lot of effort to make this complete attire myself – piece by piece. I first picked up red and yellow silk fabrics as well as the silk borders after searching for tons of images for ideas on Google. I spent time with the printer and got the Mysore Palace n elephants printed (depicting a Dusshera procession which is a huge festival in Karnataka). Then, when I couldn’t find anyone to paint the dupatta, I sat down and did it myself before a friend helped me complete it. After getting the outfit stitched, I added coloured stones to highlight the dress. Finally, I stitched LED lights on the dupatta for the Mysore Palace to be lit up.” Watch the video here and give us your feedback!

Now, Kajol was happy as well as stressed. She was extremely overjoyed that she won the title and she knew there was no turning back. She had to put in more time and even more effort in order to be ready for the International contest in Thailand. In the midst of family functions, household chores, social commitments and motherhood, she managed to spend a few hours a day preparing for the ultimate competition. She wasn’t sure how she would manage all of the publicity and obligations vital for her last contest. But she decided to take it one step at a time. Time was of the essence but finally, many hardships later, Kajol managed to calmly walk away with the International subtitle of ‘Mrs Charming Asia International 2018‘ this November.

This is Kajol Bhatia for you, a simple, creative and kind-hearted woman who followed her dreams and made it a reality. Besides having these titles to add value to her upcoming designer label ‘KAJOL BHATIA’, she aims at setting a good example to her children and being an inspiration to other women around the globe.

In her own words, Kajol says, “I want to show women that if you believe in yourself and if you are dedicated, you can surely achieve your dreams. Of course, I got lucky with my supportive family and also with the two women – Mrs Deepali Phadnis and Mrs Pratibha Saunshimath – who were my inspiration and mentors and who gave me the platform to achieve my dreams. But all of it first starts with you. Make up your mind and go for it.”

Are you following your dreams too? Do you need an inspiration? Tell us about it in the comments below.