Etihad crew member from Rajasthan is first woman from her village to work abroad

Not willing to give up on her dreams, she used YouTube and lessons from friends to get better at English and groom herself. Finally, in July 2018, she got a job as a cabin crew.

"Excited, I called home, but they didn’t care. In fact, as news spread in my village, everyone said, ‘Naak kata degi (She'll bring dishonour).’ My family cut me off completely."

But things took a turn for the worse when she did not have a passport and lost her job. "There were times when I’d go days without food. I felt lost and depressed. I missed my family. So one night in 2019, I gathered all the courage, called Maa, and said ‘I’ll die alone and you won’t know.’ She cried and said, ‘Come home!' So I went. I’m not sure what changed, but I guess they realized that I’m not giving up on my dreams. In fact, Papa even said, ‘Tu kar jo karna hai (Do what you want to do).’

With her family's support, Choudhury returned stronger, took up some modeling gigs, and acted as a body double. Then she landed another job as a cabin crew member for domestic flights. In 2022, she got another offer for the same position in Abu Dhabi.

"I became the first woman from my village to work abroad. My parents were so proud of me. Papa hugged me and said, ‘Shabash (Well done)!’ It’s been a year now, and ever since, I’ve traveled to 23 countries and bought my dad a car," Choudhary said.

Now, she also gets invited to speak at girls' schools and colleges in Rajasthan. "Once I was visiting my family, when a girl said, ‘Didi, aap humari prerna ho (You are our inspiration).’ It was at that moment when I thought, all that struggle, all those tears and lonely nights were worth it. And I’d do it over and over again if it means becoming the beacon of change for other Mamtas like me.”

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