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> Sometimes the things we don’t say — are the things that shape us the most.

> Today, I want to tell you something very personal. Something I’ve carried from my childhood to now. It’s not just about my teeth… it’s about everything behind my smile.

> When my parents found out I was differently abled, I was still a baby. I started walking when I was around one and a half years old — a little later than most children. I don’t remember much from that time, but I do know something serious happened.

> I went into a coma as a child… and I was diagnosed with **epilepsy (eclepsia)**. My days became full of medicines, hospitals, and doctors. I was too young to understand what was happening to me, but I could feel it — the heaviness, the difference.

> Later, when I started taking Ayurvedic medicines, I developed **severe asthma**. It wasn’t just mild — it was scary. My breath would catch. I would faint often because of the epilepsy, and my asthma only made it worse.

> Slowly, my teeth started to shift — they opened wider, further — maybe because of all those episodes, maybe because of the medication or constant health stress. Whatever the reason, I noticed. And so did other kids.

> **In school, I got bullied**. They made fun of my teeth, of how I looked, how I walked. But I fought back — not just with words, but with strength. I didn’t let them break me. But the truth is, **inside, I was hurting**.

> By 12th standard, **my close friendships broke**. It felt like everything I thought was stable — wasn’t. But around that time, something else happened. Something hopeful.

> I was **recovering from epilepsy**. Slowly, my seizures became less. And I got **braces** — it may sound small to some, but to me, it felt like a step toward healing. A step toward reclaiming my body, my confidence, my smile.

> And today… Touchwood, I’m okay.

> I breathe. I walk. I smile. I live.

> And I look back at the girl who almost gave up — and I thank her for holding on.

> There were so many moments where I felt like no one truly saw me.

> Even at home — my parents, they love me, I know that.

> But sometimes, they would say, “You’re not doing anything… What are you doing with your life?”

> And those words — they stayed with me.

> Not because they were cruel — but because they came from the people I wanted to understand me the most.

> But here’s what they didn’t know —

> I never told anyone about the bullying.

> I never talked about the shame I carried, the anger, the pain.

> I kept it all inside… until now.

> So this episode — is not just for me.

> It’s for you — the overthinkers, the soft-hearted fighters, the ones who feel “less enough.”

> The ones who smile through trauma.

> The ones who survived things no one clapped for.

> Don’t give up.

> You may not see it yet, but your story is building something powerful.

> The same way mine built me.

> Thank you for listening.

> And if today’s episode touched even one heart — then all of this was worth it.

> Until next time, take care… and don’t forget to smile — especially when it’s hard.

**\[Outro music fades out]**