I’ve had difficulty with numbers ever since I can remember. While to some people, it seemed to come effortlessly, I felt as though I’d been asked to go into a roomful of unknown people and make conversation with them - it made me anxious, on edge, and was inexplicably frightening. I felt threatened by the numbers, as if they were monsters that were going to leap out of the page.

Fortunately, my parents were quick to recognize the signs, and I had to undergo a psycho-educational evaluative assessment, which revealed that it was nothing but a learning disability: dyscalculia. Their timely intervention led me to Orkids, a special education centre, where I was a student for four years. Under the able tutelage of the teachers, I started being less apprehensive and tried my best to be more receptive to difficult math problems that were prescribed in the textbook. Ultimately, though, I had to drop Math in Class X because I found it too incomprehensible and stressful - and needless to say, this did have a negative influence on my self-worth - but I’m glad I took that step of learning to recognize what was not working for me. I was relieved to be rid of Math; it was like a toxic relationship that I had to sever ties with in order to focus on myself and what was really important. Of course, it is never easy to overcome challenges...but that is where the reward lies.

I will always be grateful to Dr. Geet Oberoi, whose gentleness and warmth shaped a significant part of my personality into what it is today.