“At 14, I ran away from home. I somehow managed to complete my studies in the day, became a dishwasher in the evening, and worked at a call centre at night,” yes this is the story of Manya Singh, the newly crowned VLCC Femina Miss India 2020 – runner-up. 

Daughter of a rickshaw driver, Manya says that her family had to face a lot of hardship before she started modelling and now she is ready to take over the world with her inspirational story. 

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The official Instagram handle of Femina Miss India shared her story in December 2020 in which the young beauty queen shared how she spent numerous days without food and sleep.

“I’ve spent numerous nights without food and sleep. I’ve spent many afternoons walking for miles on end. My blood, sweat, and tears have amalgamated into the courage to pursue my dreams. Being a rickshaw driver’s daughter, I never had the opportunity to attend school as I had to start working in my teens. All the clothes I had were hand-me-downs. I yearned for books, but luck wasn’t in my favour.”

“Eventually, my parents mortgaged whatever little jewellery my mother had to ensure that I paid my exam fees in order to earn a degree. My mother has suffered a lot to provide for me. At 14, I ran away from home. I somehow managed to complete my studies in the day, became a dishwasher in the evening and worked at a call centre at night. I’ve walked hours to reach places so I could save the rickshaw fare. I am here today at the VLCC Femina Miss India 2020 stage to uplift my father, my mother, and my young brother and to show the world that all is possible if you are committed to yourself and your dreams,” said the post.

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Miss India 2020 was judged by acclaimed designers Falguni Shane Peacock, Neha Dhupia, Chitrangada Singh and Pulkit Samrat.