Asha Bery Bhatia was born 60 hours before India got her freedom at midnight in 1947 at the prestigious Lady Willingdon Nursing Home in New Delhi. The hospital was sans doctors and nursing staff and the small but sprightly baby girl was delivered by her maternal Aunt and a motley crew of untrained staff.

After primary schooling, Asha was sent to The Lawrence School Sanawar to complete her secondary education and ‘A’ levels. Her initial dislike of boarding school changed over the years, and she completed her tenure with flying colours in both academics, debating and in the sports arena where swimming became her passion. 

Returning to live in Delhi and at home, she pursued a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in English Literature at Miranda House Delhi University. It was at college that she showed her aptitude and passion for social work and charity whether it was collecting donations, foods and clothing for the Bihar Relief Fund or building shelters for animals, particularly dogs, under the auspices of ‘Animal Friends’ of which she was a founder member. Her mother often remarked that her days in University were largely spent at the back of a truck shouting ‘give or don’t give but don’t say you can’t give’.

Post University, Asha moved to Germany and studied the German language at the Goethe Institute in Brannenburg, a small municipality in the district of Rosenheim in Bavaria on the German-Austrian border where she mastered the language and went on to work with Siemens A.G. in Erlangen. Life took its own course thereafter, marriage intervened and future plans were shelved. After her marriage, Asha lived in London, Bombay and eventually Dubai where she spent over 35 years.

Now Asha divides her time between Muscat in Oman, Dubai in the UAE and her home in New Delhi, India where her children and grandchildren reside. In Delhi, she is rarely seen without Sania, her beautiful, golden Himalayan Sheepdog, who is her best friend and soul mate.