Miss Grand International runner-up wants to set right precedent

New Delhi, Oct 29 : Haryana girl Meenakshi Chaudhary, the runner-up at the Miss Grand International 2018 pageant, says her crown comes with lot of responsibilites as several young girls will now look up to her for inspiration.

"I have always dreamt of becoming Miss India and looked up to all the winners since childhood. And since I have made it now (as a beauty queen), I know there are young girls looking up to me as well. I don’t want them to have a wrong notion about what it is like to look at somebody who is not that person. I always want to showcase to the world who I am," Meenakshi told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

The 22-year-old is currently pursuing her Bachelors in dental surgery.

"Becoming a doctor and model have been my goals since chilhood. And I am fortunate enough that my dreams are getting fulfilled. It requires a lot of balancing and time planning to manage my studies and modelling work. I am focused for both the fields," she added.

For Meenakshi, her father is her inspiration.

"My inspiration is always in my house… I am grateful to my father. Whatever I have achieved in my life is because of his constant love and support. I know the struggles and hardships he had gone through. I am blessed to be born in a family where there are so many inspirational people."

While talking about her family, Meenakshi said she could not wait to go back home and dig into "ghar ka khaana (homemade food)".

"After going through intense training for the pageant and travelling abroad, the thing which I miss the most is ‘ghar ka khaana’. I want to go back home. Be it my family members or food, I miss everything," she added.

Meenakshi also gave a piece of advice for the aspiring models.

"It is very important to know what you want in life. Know your passion and work hard for it. Hard work is the main key for success. And in the path of fulfilling your dreams, don’t lose yourself and avoid to be misguided. Be true to yourself."