Pooja Sharma, former civil engineer, and Gaurabh Chakraborty, former software engineer, are a live-in couple. Their love blossomed out of a desire to silence those who body-shamed them.
When Pooja was in her tenth grade, she was ridiculed as being overweight. Bullies used to call her “moti” or “golu molu” (Hindi terms for ‘fat girl’). She was advised against wearing Western clothes, as they felt it wouldn’t compliment her body well. She remembers her bullies saying, “Don’t run. The earth will shake”. Around the same time, Gaurabh was being mocked at for being lean and short.
“People used to laugh at me because I was made to stand first in the line during assembly prayer every morning”, he says. While Pooja was asked to “eat less” to lose weight, Gaurabh was advised to “eat more” to gain weight and increase his height. All of this shattered their self-confidence and self-worth.
The two studied in the same school in Bengaluru but hadn’t communicated with each other. In a twist of fate, they met two years later at an engineering college and fell in love. They were referred to as the “ugly couple”. Together, they embarked on a journey to become a “poster couple of fitness”.
“A relationship should help you grow, ours is beautiful. We should support and motivate each other. Many come to me to help them lose weight because their spouse asked them to; and not for themselves. I think it’s wrong,” rues Pooja.
Taunts came everyday but they turned them to fuel and kept the ambition burning. “The reason that you have haters is proof that you’re growing,” says Gaurav. They worked tirelessly to address the problem. The couple started following a strict balanced diet and trained every day. Pooja, a vegetarian, says she loves home food. She made sure that she ate everything homemade, but in smaller portions. The couple reduced eating junk.
“It’s not possible to cook at home every time so you end up eating outside; you need to figure out a way that’s best suited for your body as sustainability is important,” says Pooja.
No rules apply, though, on one day every week, a “cheat day”, dedicated to give in to cravings. Soon, the two quit their respective jobs to completely shift focus on fitness and to take it up professionally.
In 2016, Pooja went on to become Miss South India Fitness and Miss Bengaluru Fitness. She was also among the top 10 finalists in the Miss Bengaluru Beauty contest. Meanwhile, Gaurabh broke the Limca Records for most number or pull-ups, a record he still holds. He has also won the title of Musclemania Physique in 2014 and 2015, and Mr Bangalore and Mr South India in 2016. He will soon leave for Sydney, Australia, to represent India in a World Beauty Fitness and Fashion event.
The bullies have started to appreciate their efforts. “Their perspective has changed; they now agree that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes,” says Pooja.