28 April,2026 12:17 PM IST | Mumbai | Tarun Verma
Komal Gaikwad with her daughter, Tejaswi. PIC/TARUN VERMA
In a world where many surrender to minor inconveniences, a 25-year-old woman from Kalyan is quietly rewriting the meaning of resilience. Meet Komal Dyandew Gaikwad - a single mother, an autorickshaw driver, and above all, a symbol of unbreakable determination.
Komal Gaikwad with her 3-year-old daughter Tejaswi. (Pic/Tarun Verma)
Gaikwad's story is not just about survival - it is about courage shaped by sacrifice in extremely difficult circumstances. Married at the age of 18, Gaikwad became a mother by 22 in 2023. The next year, her life took a harsh turn when her husband left her and returned to his hometown in Parbhani, never to come back. Left alone with her one-year-old daughter Tejaswi, Komal found herself staring at an uncertain future - empty pockets, unpaid bills, and days that sometimes passed without food.
"I told myself - this should not happen to my daughter," Gaikwad recalls, her voice steady yet heavy with emotion.
The same year, she made a life-changing decision. With no prior professional experience and very little support, Gaikwad rented an autorickshaw.
Komal (25) pays Rs 6,500 EMI for her new auto. (Pic/Tarun Verma)
"My husband had taught me how to drive a rickshaw, but it wasn't to earn a living out of it," she stated.
"He taught me how to drive so that I could take my daughter to school when he was not around. However, I didn't know at the time that one day, this skill would be my only source of earning a living," Gaikwad said.
To get things started, Gaikwad got a rickshaw on rent and earn a living.
"I rented a rickshaw not because I wanted to drive, but because no one was willing to hire me as a domestic help because my daughter was only a year old then. So driving a rickshaw became my only option," said Gaikwad.
However, her biggest challenge wasn't driving through the bustling lanes of Kalyan, Dombivli, and Thakurli; it was juggling motherhood alongside work.
With no one to look after Tejaswi, Gaikwad, within a few months, took out a loan and got herself a new auto, designed to accommodate her daughter by her side. "Within months, through sheer grit, I managed to save enough to pay a down payment of Rs 60,000 and bought a new rickshaw so that I could take care of my daughter even while working," Gaikwad said. The vehicle has a small, dedicated, and "comfortable" seat beside the driver's seat.
Komal installed a dedicated seat in her autorickshaw that accommodates her 3-year-old daughter (Pic/Tarun Verma)
With no one else to look after her, one-and-a-half-year-old Tejaswi needed to be close to her mother. That is when Gaikwad came up with a solution that reflects both a mother's love and a survivor's instinct.
In a few months, she took a loan and got herself a new rickshaw, designed to accommodate her daughter by her side.
"Within months, through sheer grit, I managed to save enough to pay a down payment of Rs 60,000 and bought a new rickshaw so that I could take care of my daughter even when I'm working," Gaikwad stated.
The vehicle now has a small, dedicated, and "comfortable" seat right beside her in the rickshaw. Today, as Gaikwad navigates through traffic, her daughter rides along - safe, close, and always within her sight. Her day begins at 6.30 am, with Tejaswi's breakfast packed and placed on that very seat.
Komal drives between Kalyan and Thane with her daughter aside (Pic/Tarun Verma)
Gaikwad drives until the afternoon, returns home to cook, and then heads back on the road by 4 pm, working tirelessly until 10 pm. There are no weekends, no breaks: just an endless cycle of responsibility driven out of responsibilities driven by duties that cannot be overlooked at any cost.
Despite working nearly 16 hours a day, Gaikwad manages to earn only around Rs 400-500 every day, which is barely enough to cover the Rs 2,500 rent of her modest home in Kalyan East and a Rs 6,500 monthly EMI for her rickshaw.
Despite these adversities, the Parbhani-born woman does not complain. All she wants is for her daughter to get the best education.
When asked if she ever feels exhausted, Gaikwad's voice trembles a little, but her resolve remains firm: "If I don't work even for a single day, there won't be food on our table the next day."
Dealing with her life's trials and tribulations, Gaikwad continues to push forward every day - not for herself, but for her daughter's future. Recently, she enrolled Tejaswi in a local school, taking yet another step towards a dream she holds close to her heart.
"My dream is to see my daughter become an IPS officer," she says, her eyes reflecting both hope and determination.
In the chaotic rhythm of city life, Gaikwad's rickshaw is more than just a vehicle - it is a moving testament to a mother's love, a woman's strength, and a dream that refuses to slow down.
Her journey reminds us that true inspiration doesn't come from comfort: it rises from courage, determination, and the will that move us ahead even during the toughest times.
>> Day begins at 6.30 am
>> Drives until noon, then returns home to cook
>> Heads back onto the road by 4 pm
>> Works till 10 pm
>> Doesn't take weekend breaks
>> Manages to earn Rs 400-Rs 500 daily
>> Pays Rs 2500 in monthly rent for accommodation in Kalyan East
>> Pays Rs 6500 as EMI for rickshaw
