Meeting With a Senior
As I enter the posh apartment in a multi-story building with a breath taking view in Gurgaon, I am filled with curiosity. Not only am I meeting a vivacious senior from my school but also a girl from a royal lineage, who can be best described as an achiever at her age. As we get comfortable on the sofa set, the conversation starts to flow in the greatest of form. Meeting Medhjaa Kumari Jamwal is a big, big pleasure.
I start reminiscing of her mother, Baiji Raj Trivikrama Kumari of Udaipur – Mewar, who also happens to be my teacher and a relative, which I came to know much later from my own mother. Her mother, despite being a princess, has adapted to a modern life in Gurgaon and chosen academics as her profession, which is highly admirable. The transition seems to be comfortable and it transcends to the next generation as well.
I start the interview with the thoughts of a regular teenager who loves being independent; she is the girl next door who loves her family and friends dearly.
It is interesting to know from Medhjaa that her mother, who is the most influential person in her life, has raised her to be a self – reliant and respectful young lady, well aware of the realities of life. She says, “I do my dishes on my own and clean my room, the most important thing for me is to be completely independent.”
The confused and exploring side of Medhjaa ventured into news reporting internship and media activation programs. Her mantra is to stand up with integrity, dedication and passion and make her family proud. She is currently pursuing her bachelors degree in Sociology from Jesus and Mary College, Delhi University.
In between sips of fresh mint soda, a recipe derived from her paternal grandmother we dissect the genre of today’s life and challenges. The 19-year-old Medhjaa describes and recalls her fondest memory of Udaipur and Jammu, both being her maternal and paternal homes. She recalls how her Nana (Maharana Saheb Mahendra Singh Udaipur – Mewar) had this bed, which had a little space above, where Medhjaa and her cousins used to do somersaults and back flips from, and fall onto her Nana’s lap. She adds that she and her Dada (Thakur Divakar Singh) used to go and feed the chickens and the cows and make friends in their village in Jammu. The conversation continues with Medhjaa recalling how her grandparent’s narrated stories of historical importance with such ease, each of them staying with her even today.
She adds, “school will always remain my second home. It is the one place that taught me to be myself, find my individuality and also discover world cultures, beside my own.”
She vehemently endorses that she always respects her roots. During her visits, she likes to absorb the beautiful surroundings of her maternal and paternal homes. An avid traveler, she often ends up travelling to close by places and discovering newer worlds.
She talks of a career to pursue, a life to live in modern India, with a constant link to her rich culture and part. I instantly know that wherever she goes and whatever she does, a bit of Udaipur and Jammu will be with her forever.