By the third day, something had changed. The air itself felt different. The girls no longer walked to the ground hesitantly, they rushed in, eyes bright, eager to know what we would be learning next.
Some of them giggled as they showed me their sore arms and legs, proof of the previous day’s practice. “It hurts to sit, Didi!” one said dramatically, holding her thigh. Another chimed in, “My hands are aching too — but we still came, because we didn’t want to miss today.”
Their complaints, half real and half playful, carried a sweetness that made me smile. What had started as reluctant attendance was now turning into a commitment.
That day, beyond the kicks and blocks, we introduced something different — a conversation about the Indian Penal Code. At first, they listened in silence, heads tilted, as if the very idea of discussing “the law” felt unusual inside their school ground. But soon, questions began to rise. “What happens if…?” “What should we do when…?” The ground, usually filled with drills and laughter, now buzzed with curiosity of another kind. They were beginning to see that self-defence was not just about the body — it was also about knowledge, about rights, about understanding the law that was meant to protect them.
When the session ended, the girls began to gather their bags, still chatting among themselves. Most left quickly, but one lingered. She hesitated, then walked toward me, her expression carrying both nervousness and determination.
She began softly, almost as if confessing:
To be honest, when I first heard about this self-defence training, I thought it was such a waste of time. This is my Class 12 year, the most important year of my school life. I only came for the first class because all my friends were coming. The whole time, I was already planning in my head how to make up for the ‘lost time’ and even thought of excuses for not coming the next day.”
She paused, and I could see the shift in her eyes, a spark, small but certain.
“But then something changed. The very first day, when I learnt how to stand tall, how to block, how to defend myself — I felt something different. By the second day, I was laughing with my friends during the drills. Between the kicks and the blocks, I actually started enjoying it. And now, after just three days, I feel so much better. I feel more confident walking home. I don’t shrink when people stare at me. What I thought was a waste of time has turned into one of the most valuable lessons of my life. For the first time, I feel strong.”
Her words lingered in the air long after she left, heavier than any punch or block we had practiced.
In that moment, I realised — this was no longer just a training program.
This was transformation.