At the age of four, Arati accompanied her uncle to the Champatala Ghat for a bath, where she learned to swim. Noticing her interest in swimming, her father gained her admission to the Hatkhola Swimming Club. Within a year, Arati had won the gold in the 110-yard freestyle at the Shailendra Memorial Swimming Competition. She was just five years old.

Over the next ten years, she participated in several competitions, primarily competing in 100 meter freestyle, 100 meter breaststroke, and 200 meter breaststroke. But her crowning achievement came at the age of 19, when she became the first Asian woman to swim across the English Channel.