Dr Anita Singh – A Life of Resilience, Motherhood, and Wildlife Photography

When life threw a curveball at her, Anita Singh learnt to hit it. She turned difficulties into learning opportunities and continued to march forward. Now, after passing all the hurdles that came her way, she lives a fulfilling life following her passion. This article is a journey through her remarkable life.

Childhood in Lucknow

Anita Singh was born in Barabanki. Her family moved to Lucknow when Anita was just 1 year old. Ever since then she has been a Lucknowite. Anita grew up in the household of an accomplished wildlife photographer, her father. Naturally, she developed a deep interest in photography. However, after growing up, she chose pathology as her career. She completed her diploma in Lucknow and secured a job. Soon, she got married. Together, she and her husband welcomed a son.

A bolt from the blue

At 29, Dr Anita Singh was rising as a promising young pathologist with a happy family. Everything seemed perfect until a seismic event irrevocably changed her life. She lost her husband! Emotionally, and financially too, it left her shattered. The anxiety about the future and juggling between work and home – like this, the challenges in front of her were many. However, Anita knew worrying about her problem wouldn’t get her anywhere. Instead, she decided to take up the challenges in front of her head-on. 

Pushing forward with grit

“It was a big, long struggle… from finance to everything, I had to build bit by bit.”

Anita faced her challenges with a steely resolve. At first, she realised that building a career and raising her son were her priorities. This led her to take the bold decision not to remarry! Thereon, she forged a highly structured and disciplined life. She began her day at 4:30 AM to complete the chores and left to work by 8 AM. After a busy and hectic day, she would return home to be with her son, the apple of her eye. 

Finding a Friend in son

Despite having a demanding job, Anita made sure she spent enough time with him. Whenever her colleagues invited her for a late-night party or gathering, she usually skipped it. Instead, she chose to devote those hours to her son’s upbringing. She would play, talk and read stories to him. From the very beginning, Anita was very conscious about not being that ‘strict’ parent who would instil fear in the child’s heart. She was like a friend to her son. Of course, as he grew up, there were conflicts. But Anita dealt with them with empathy instead of being punitive. She invested more time in understanding her son and supported him in his decisions. Result? His son recently graduated from Harvard University with flying colours! 

Transitioning from Microscope Lens to Camera Lens

For decades Dr Anita Singh explored the microscopic world as a pathologist. But in 2018 she traded her microscope for a camera to pursue wildlife photography. As a daughter of a wildlife photographer, her inner calling for photography was always alive. After retirement, she found the time to pursue it. From Botswana to Sri Lanka, Anita Singh has now travelled to different corners of the world, capturing the raw beauty of animals in their natural habitat. It gives a profound sense of peace to Anita when she is amidst nature clicking pictures. Reflecting on it, Anita says,

“If you leave me in nature, handing me a camera and a book, I will not return to civilization.” 

A day in Anita Singh’s Life

“People see more of my life now, and they think, oh God, I’ve got such a grand life, but they have not seen the journey.”

She spends her morning editing the photos she captured with her camera. In the afternoon, she immerses herself in reading novels. As an active member of the Marzi Book Club, she engages in talks and discussions about books. In the evenings, she hits the gyms. Finally, she ends her day by watching Television for 1 hour. After bravely overcoming the obstacles in her path, Anita now leads a life at her own pace and choice.