17 Signs To Know, “Girl, You Are A Woman”

Posted: June 28, 2015

Here are 17 sure-shot signs to know that you are a young adult and no more the kid next door!

I was a teenager about two years ago. Being a young adult is slightly different, because of the way you’re seen as a young woman. You may believe that you’re still a girl, but the world sees you differently.

These are the various changes I noticed, while I still believed that I was a girl.

When the shopkeeper addresses you as ‘Madam’, and not ‘Little lady’ or ‘Kiddo’.
When people start asking you if you’re ready for marriage.
When you find a pile of wedding invitations in your mail box from your classmates.
When your relatives insist that you wear sarees instead of churidars, since it will bring out your feminine charm.
When your father/mother receives requests for your hand in marriage.
When your Mom’s friends ask you when you’re getting married.
When you relatives ask you if you have a steady boyfriend.
When people ask you where you’re working and your salary package.
When people probe you about your occupational objectives.
When people ask you if you can cook well.
When little kids start addressing you as ‘Aunty’ and not ‘Didi’.
When old people ask you about adult stuff which you don’t know yet.
When the elderly ask you when you plan to have kids.
When the elderly ‘subtly’ mention about their amazing, single, engineer of a grandson in a normal conversation.
When random people start explaining the importance of marriage to you.
When people start advising you on how many kids to have.
When older relatives involve you in their conversation.

After I graduated from college, between the ages of 20 to 21, I have had strange conversations about the above topics, and I realised, I am no longer a girl. People don’t view me as a girl anymore, but a woman ready to tie the knot. Nobody wanted to know if I wanted to study further, or whether I have something else in mind. I feel like I entered the market and I’m fresh for sale. I felt like I was 1000 years old and not 21. I was uncomfortable with many conversations, and tried to avoid them.

Many times, I wanted to tell people to mind their own business, but decided against it, since I found comical ways to evade such conversations.

I have realised something though. I’m not a kid anymore, and being an adult is a lot harder than it looks.

Young Indian Woman photo via Shutterstock