She was the first patient to have contracted the contagion and also the first to recover from it — Surat’s Rita Bachkaniwala has not only conquered the dreaded disease but also the criticism she received.
The 22-year-old who had contracted Covid-19 enroute home while returning from England said, “You grow through what you go through and nothing could be more truer for me. Everything happens for a reason and whatever is destined finds its way into your life.”
Rita had always dreamt of opening a bakery of her own and having interned at the Maitre Choux in England, she was waiting for the right moment. Along with Corona came fame overnight, and her social media handle now has more than 22,000 followers .
“I began ‘Palmier- by Rita’, from my home kitchen to conjure up baked delicacies and also began posting a comical series on my Instagram, which youngsters could well relate to. Most of it is banter from around my home which my brother and I throw around the house regarding growing up which is relatable for tweens, teens and twenties — hence popular,” she explained.
Even after a year, Rita is often asked, “Tamey pela Coronawala ben cho ne ?” (Aren’t you the first Corona girl?). But the gutsy female has learnt to laugh it off and take jibes in her stride now.
The initial months were tough because even as she was recuperating, there was an invasion on the family’s privacy and rumours were rife. “People made up their own stories about me, posted fake pictures and even got false news published that I had thrown a party for a 100 people – all of which were bogus. I would get ridiculous hate messages by strangers on social media but I strengthened my mind to handle them,” said Rita, who is grateful for the immense emotional support provided by her friends, doctors and her educators from the University in England all of whom formed a support system. “At a time when one is isolated from kin – a support group via communication is extremely important and should be provided to each patient,” she recalls.
Pursuing her final year in International Business from Brunel University, London, the Bharatnatyam visharadh has returned home once again, as the course is online.
Rita feels everyone should act responsibly to tackle the pandemic. “Earlier, the ignorance had triggered fears, now that we are better informed we should follow the regulations responsibly to contain the virus,” she added.