In a society where people often doubt the multitasking capability of a woman, there are officers like Capt Shalini Singh, proving strength and determination are not gender specific. From being a grieving widow to a pioneering army officer & then banging the Mrs India title, her remarkable journey has been testimony to her spirit.
Shalini was just 18 and doing her graduation when an Indian Army officer, Major Avinash Singh Bhadauria, came down to their home with a marriage proposal. That was the first meeting between them. Their life together was to last for a few years when at Doda, Kashmir, Major Avinash of 29 years cut a radiant figure fighting terrorists; life took him away. Shalini was left alone in the world at 23, taking care of her two-year-old son, Dhruv.
While her husband was dead as a martyr, Shalini was at the crossroads. She understood well that she had to be strong in the name of Dhruv and carry on the commendable task of avenging the sacrifice of Avinash. At one stage, some of Avinash’s colleagues tried to persuade her to join the Army. Shalini was met with skepticism, as many questioned her endurance in the arduous tasks required of her, with a young Dhruv dependently awaiting. But she was determined, nonetheless. My son would be my strength, not my weakness,” she announced.
Three months after losing her husband, Shalini decided to leave post-graduation studies and sat for an interview. She would need to go to Allahabad, since the interview would last for a week there. It was the most emotional period for her; every day challenges would be there, and every night was crying time as she would miss her son. When the results came, she burst with joy as she had made it. She rushed home to share with her family and small Dhruv.
She began her hardcore training at the Officers Training Academy, Chennai, in March 2002. Moving from the comfort of saris to army boots was no mean feat, to say the least. “The training was pretty tough, though”. “But the emotional pain she had suffered made her even stronger. In an interview she had said “I had to fight back for us, for Avinash.”
It was on September 7, 2002, nearly a year after her husband’s death, Shalini was commissioned as an officer in the Indian Army. It was indeed a day to be proud not just for herself but all women in uniform. Well, in her olive green uniform, she received her late husband’s Kirti Chakra from former President APJ Abdul Kalam that gave her one of the most proud moments in life.
Shalini served for five years with dedication, working through a largely male-dominated environment, also as a single mother. However, life had other plans when she married again in 2008 to maintain companionship and a secure future both for herself and her son, Dhruv. The marriage, however, was quite turbulent. A disastrous road accident in 2009 left Shalini bedridden with a total of 17 fractures and, worse, faced the disintegration of her marriage.
Determined not to be defeated, she worked hard in the quest to regain her strength. A year down the line, she had regained the ability to run marathons, proving to the world that setbacks cannot define one’s journey. When in the recovery period, she also faced the truth about her second marriage; never would she know that her son was being kept from her.
Shalini’s story is not just a victory of an individual but a testament to the strength of a woman who balances her life together between motherhood, career, and self-challenges with an undying will. Today, Capt Shalini Singh personifies resilience. She breaks before adversity, redefines the limits, and challenges others to do so. Her life stands as a powerful reminder that women can multitask, conquer challenges, and emerge stronger than ever.