“Log Kya Kahenge?”

Maybe she married a doctor instead of becoming one, because of these three words. Maybe she wanted to adopt a child but had to give birth to one, because of these three words.

These three words have ensured that the society calls all the shots. How to dress or not. How to talk or not. How to live or not.

It has taken me long enough to rid myself of the strings of the society and stop being a puppet to them.

Have you ever had the chance to peek into the invisible list or handbook that the society has created for women must follow to be the ‘good’ woman?

(A photo story by Pixel Amalgam)

Don’t have ambitions. NOT.

We have been taught, there is only so much a woman can achieve in life. Glass ceilings are meant to serve as a check on you and not to be broken.

  But guess what? We alpha females don’t settle for less. We are meant to break bones and barriers both, and climb atop the highest mountains. We are meant to shatter (ceilings) and not settle (down)!

Don’t laugh out loud. NOT.

Laughing out loud being a woman? No matter how funny the joke is! How un-lady like is that? Nobody likes a loud woman. That’s just not ‘pretty’ enough.

Well, tch tch! We women wouldn’t just laugh out loud and embarrass the hell out of you, but also make jokes at our own expense.  And yes, we don’t want to be called just ‘pretty’ enough. We are much more than that.

Don’t have opinions. NOT.

Opinions, wait, what! A domain solely dominated by the ‘stronger’ sex and entry to the ‘weaker’ sex is banned. Voicing your opinions lends you a sense of power and power to a woman is oxymoronic.

But, we are rebels. We wouldn’t just voice our opinions, we will make sure we execute whatever we say and get to where we belong.

Don’t indulge in ‘skin-show’. NOT.

“Oh, she is asking for it!”

Shorter hemlines, deeper necklines and a woman is labelled as ‘characterless’. What if I say these baseless opinions make you characterless.

Oh no, you are simply planting it in your head because of your one-track thinking. I don’t give anyone the right to decide what hemline is ‘decent’ enough, or how much cleavage or lack of it crosses the threshold of ‘dignity’.

Get Married at the perfect age. NOT.

“Get married at the perfect age, or you will be alone forever.” said Sharma Aunty. But Sharma Aunty, who are you to decide the perfect marriageable age for me?

Sharma Aunty, the only perfect marriageable age is when I wish to get married and feel ready for the same with all my heart. Not when you think so. And look at the male:female ratio, no way I will be alone!

Learn to Compromise. NOT. 

Compromises inevitably are synonymous only with women, I wonder why! Oh you are the girl in the relationship, obviously you will be the one adjusting. I wonder why, I question why!

Compromising doesn’t have to be a practice of the women clan only. Balance is the key. 1:1.

Don’t shave off your head. NOT.

I still remember the day I shaved off my head and the kind of reactions I was met with. “Your hair is like your ornament and you just lost some precious jewels”, said someone. “Don’t hang out with me anymore, you look like a man”, said another. “Oh dear, do you have some incurable illness, or are you just coming out of the rehab? said another ‘concerned’ soul. “Have you lost your mind?” said person Z.

Honestly, my hair has never defined my feminity or the lack of it. Shaving off my head was a personal choice and trust you me, I have never felt this liberated in life. And definitely never felt this feminine either. And just to relieve you, no terminal diseases that I have been diagnosed with either. Phew! And the only drug I am addicted to is my stance.

Another thing I learned right there, people will judge you and form opinions about you, possibly without even knowing you, to complete a certain void in their lives.

A solid piece of advice: Don’t react and let it pass. It will kill them, without making them any stronger!

(Pictures by Pixel Amalgam)

Being a borderline rebel and and an outright strong-head hasn’t been easy but the journey has sure been worth it!

This Women’s Day, I vouch to let not the society control me with its handbook for Women. I feel all the more empowered to shatter ceilings, talk back, voice my opinions and not let the leash of my life be in someone else’s hands.

Wish you all a very #HappyWomensDay everyday and not just today.

What are your thoughts? What makes you an empowered woman?

Do let me know in the comments below?

Until Next Time.

Lots of Love,

Srishti