Unspoken Words. Unaddressed Emotions: The Inner Story of Sneha Daftardar (Part 1)
Sneha Daftardar, Founder & CEO of SD Cosmetics Pvt. Ltd., was flying back from France to Mumbai.
She had just won the prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year award at the Indo-French Business Summit — a recognition for industry trailblazers creating global impact.
Her company, which she started 12 years ago from a tiny rented office in Pune, had grown into a ₹1,500 crore powerhouse with 25% EBITDA and a YoY growth rate of 35%. A bootstrapped success that every business journal would want to write about.
The Pilot of the flight was her cousin, Capt. Dipti Daftardar. Just before takeoff, Dipti announced Sneha’s award and requested the passengers to join her in applauding her sister’s incredible achievement.
The cabin clapped. Sneha smiled faintly. Thanked everyone. Returned to her seat.
But something inside her stayed quiet. Numb. There was no sparkle in her eyes. No pride. No tears of joy.
Sitting next to her was a stranger. But not just any stranger.
“Congratulations, Ms. Daftardar. Achieving such a feat at a young age is admirable. I’m Lancy Furtado,” said the man beside her.
“Wait… Are you the Dr. Lancy Furtado, the renowned Ayurvedic expert?” she asked, surprised.
He chuckled gently.“Well, not sure about the famous part — but yes, I am a doctor of Ayurvedic medicine.”
Sneha lit up. “This is such a coincidence! My team swears by your books. We even tried getting in touch with you, but your secretary never responded!”
“I had asked her to screen business requests,” he said. “I now only work with individuals who are willing to go inward — to reconnect with their core selves, not just solve surface-level problems.”
She smiled, intrigued. “That’s rare.”
Lancy looked at her for a moment.
“You didn’t seem happy during the announcement. May I ask — is everything alright?”
Sneha looked out the window. Her smile faded.
“Doctor, you’re observant. I’m grateful, of course. But somehow… it doesn’t feel like it matters. The applause, the award — I’m not feeling any of it.”
Lancy nodded gently.
“Authenticity is not just about expressing your truth. It’s also about hearing it. What’s been left unspoken, Sneha? What part of you hasn’t been acknowledged — even by you?”
And just like that, her defenses cracked. A tear escaped her left eye. Then another. She didn’t speak for a few moments.
When she finally did, her voice trembled.
“No one’s ever asked me that question. Not even me.”
The Truth Behind the Success
Sneha’s success hadn’t come easy. Born into a family where emotional nourishment was scarce, Sneha grew up with a mother who rarely offered words of encouragement and a younger sister who often distanced herself. Her father had no say and would remain a silent spectator within the family. Since then, Sneha had learned to fend for herself. She buried herself in books, topped her classes, earned an MBA, and built her empire brick by brick.
But that little girl—who once stood in a silent living room waiting to be seen—still lived inside her.
“I haven’t been able to build strong emotional bonds with my mother or sister,” she confessed. “They don’t acknowledge my wins. When I shared this award on our family group, the response was ice-cold. But they’ll post glowing reviews about my products online. It hurts more than I admit.”
Then came another layer: her leadership style.
“I am an overachiever and a perfectionist ,and I ensure my team gives their 100% no matter what. I drive my team hard. I demand perfection. I’ve even fired 15 people this year for underperforming. I know I’ve been tough, sometimes harsh. And yet, my ratings as a CEO are the lowest they’ve ever been.”
Her health mirrored her internal storm: high blood pressure, painful skin breakouts and rashes, and lower back pain.
“I’m not just tired,” she said. “I’m worn thin. And I don’t know what for anymore. I need to fix myself, Dr. Lancy!”
The Real Diagnosis
Dr. Lancy gently listened, letting her truth rise to the surface. Then he spoke with compassion and clarity.
“You are not broken, Sneha. You don’t need fixing. You need to reconnect. The tension between you and your family—those unsaid expectations, that emotional hunger—has created an unresolved wound. And you’ve been carrying it into your leadership.”
He paused.
“Your hypertension and skin disorders? That’s not just biology. Your blood pressure is tied to your blood relationships. Your skin—the barrier between you and the world—holds emotional residue. And your lower back pain? It often signals a burden of emotional load, particularly when there’s a lack of support.”
Your body is screaming what your voice has kept buried: ‘I’m hurting. See me. Acknowledge me.”
Sneha listened silently.
“Your perfectionism is a cry for validation. Your tyranny as a leader? A shield you’ve built to protect the little girl inside you who still longs to be loved, acknowledged, and seen. But the more you suppress her, the louder the symptoms become.”
The First Step to Reconnection
Dr. Lancy didn’t suggest an elaborate ritual or a business seminar. Instead, he offered something simple—but transformational.
“I want you to step away for a while. Go on a 7-day retreat—no meetings, no strategy calls, no ‘CEO mode.’ Just Sneha. Do things that bring you joy. Reflect. Write. Walk barefoot. Swim. Sleep. Nurture yourself. Then, when you return, we’ll begin our journey.”
Sneha hesitated for just a moment. And then… “Yes, Doctor. Yes. I want to do this—not to fix, but to reconnect.”
And so began the first step in Sneha’s journey of reclaiming herself. (To Be Continued…)
What’s Your KAHAANI?
What pain are you hiding behind your achievements?
What words remain unspoken, even to yourself?
This is the beginning of Sneha’s real transformation—not as a CEO, but as a human being learning to live from the inside out.
Are you living your story — or hiding behind it?
Would you like help uncovering the narrative you’re living by? Let’s talk. A Discovery Call might just be the beginning of your real story.
DM “KAHAANI” to begin. (Stay tuned for Part 2).
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