Theres a special relationship between a father and a daughter thats hard to explain. And when it comes to being there for one another, theres no relationship quite like it, especially for this father daughter duo.
When Paswan was injured in an accident at work he didn’t know what to do, so he did the only thing that he could. He hobbled back to his apartment where his 15 year-old daughter Jyoti was waiting to tell her the news that he had lost his job and was badly hurt.
His daughter Jyoti had already dropped out of school due to financial troubles with the family and her father had previously been injured in a work accident earlier in the year, so this was one more thing to add on top of the families troubles.
The first thing that Jyoti suggested was that they return home to their village. Paswan was shocked at his daughters idea.
“Look daughter, it’s not four or five kilometers that you will drag me from here, its 12 to 13 hundred kilometers. How will we go?” Paswan asked his daughter. Thats when Jyoti suggested that they make the journey by bike.
With the last twenty dollars in their pocket, the father and daughter purchased a bike. In their home village Jyoti had biked almost everywhere, and she tried to assure her father that they would make it back home safely. So while Jyoti pedaled, her father rode on the seat with his heavy bag of belongings.
Though Jyoti had insisted they could do it, it was not an easy journey. The two found themselves sleeping at gas stations, having very little to eat, and often relying on the generosity of strangers they met along they way. Some of which would loan them a cell phone to call Jyoti’s worried mother. “Don’t worry, I’ll get Papa home good.”
And that’s exactly what she did. Though they traveled almost 100 miles a day, the father and daughter made it back to their village in one piece days later. Not only were they home safe, by Jyoti was dubbed a hero and called ‘Jyoti the lionhearted’ by media outlets in India. Her story has inspired everyone from migrant workers affected by COVID to families reading her story across the country.
Even more amazing is that she captured the attention of Onkar Singh, the chairman of the Cycling Federation of India. Though Jyoti is just a young girl, Singh has encouraged her to try out for their national team. He has plans to bring her back to New Delhi (in something a little more comfortable than a bike of course) and has said in interviews “She has guts.” when asked about her ability to carry a grown man and his luggage.
Young Jyoti certainly does have guts, but she also knows the importance of family, caring, and strength, which is something that some people twice her age don’t even understand. This girl deserves all the praise and recognition she is earning for this amazing feat, and everyone who reads about her knows it.
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