This is about a young bride, who moved to Kuwait in the year 1976, and her journey since then. Soon after her marriage to Manjeet Singh Sabharwal, who was a successful entrepreneur, she had left her country to move to Kuwait with him. It was all very new to her, the life style in the Gulf, a life away from her hometown and it was just a beginning of new phase in life.
As she enjoyed her new life, she was also blessed with two children in 1979 and 1980. The life was at its best for her with new additions to the family, but it all came to a shattering halt when in 1982 her husband passed away in a car accident, leaving her behind with two kids.
A young girl with two kids was now all alone in the Gulf. She had always been a protected kid, sister and a wife and now, she was the one who had to take on full responsibility for herself and her kids. She had two options before her, either to move back to India and ask her family to support her in settling, or take on head a challenge with life and decide to stay back in Kuwait and bring up her kids in the Gulf. Though the first option seemed the most convenient, Harminder decided to stay back and start afresh.
She found a baby sitter for her kids and took up a job as an administrator in one of the General Trading companies. As her kids moved to schooling, she also tried her hands on some small business ventures. Life was not perfect and was challenging but she did not give up. As the time passed by, the 90s brought in the Gulf war and she found herself again at a crossroad. When most people preferred to return back to their homeland, she decided to stay back and make it through this tough period.
Kuwait had given her a lot in terms of experience, life, memories and the country had become home to her. She and her still young kids lived through the months of the war period. At times, they had to carry buckets of water from other areas and buildings to their apartment, and as there was no electricity at times they also stored candles and stocked food as anything could happen from one day to another. A couple of months later, they woke up to the good news that Kuwait had been liberated on 26th Feb 1991. She and her kids spent most of the day celebrating and enjoying the liberation.
With this good news also came an opportunity to start life afresh. The first was to find schooling for her kids and a job for herself. Few months down the line she took up a receptionist job at an architect office and by this time an Indian school had reopened where she got her kids admitted. Some weeks into her new job, she heard that the Embassy of India was hiring for a receptionist. Taking a half day leave from her work, she went to the Embassy of India for an interview in 1991 and was offered a job within a few days. This was one of the best things that happened to her. Embassy of India Kuwait, brought her stability, routine, reputation and lots of learning experience. As she continued to work, and her kids graduated from school, it was time for them to go for further studies. Harminder stayed back in Kuwait and sent her kids to study abroad.
From 1991 till December 2017, she spent her time at the Embassy of India Kuwait. During these 26 years, she got a chance to serve the Indian Community in Kuwait and also looked after her kids’ education and their upbringing. Today her kids are grown up and settled in different countries. She has made a place for herself among the Indian Community and in the hearts of many people in Kuwait, thanks to her life with the Embassy of India Kuwait. On 31st December 2017 she retired from her services at the Embassy and has started a new chapter of her life. She is still zestful and is welcoming this new phase of life with new energy. She is currently the Vice President of Indians in GCC and is continuing to serve the community and its people in her best possible way.
It has been a long journey since 1976. It has’s been 42 years, and still counting
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