I Was A Daughter Then, I am a Daughter Now

“Tu beti nahi, beta hai (you are not a daughter, but a son)”. Nothing gets my goat more than this statement. Now I get to hear it evermore after my dad’s passing.

They say I am a son. Nothing irks me more.
I am no different than what I was when young.
I was a daughter then, I am a daughter now

I was a daughter when my father was mocked as the only brother to have one.
I was a daughter when they questioned about investing in my education.
I was a daughter when I launched my company and made it grow.
I was a daughter when the same naysayers took pride in my achievements.
I was a daughter then, I am a daughter now.

I was a daughter when the doctors insisted on talking to a man.
You would not be able to take the news, they said.
I was a daughter when I researched the procedures.
I was a daughter when I cleaned my father’s stitches.
I was a daughter when the sight of blood did not make me queasy.
I was a daughter then, I am a daughter now.

I was a daughter when I was stopped from touching my father’s ashes.
Daughters aren’t allowed to do that, he said.
I was a daughter when I made the arrangements.
I was a daughter when I handled the paperwork.
I was a daughter then, I am a daughter now.

I was always a daughter, the apple of my parents’ eyes.
I am a daughter, my brother’s partner in crime.
I was never weak, but a girl is all everyone saw.
Please do not undermine me by calling me a son.
I am a daughter, and shall always be a daughter.

First published here.

Image via Pexels

Ritu Bindra

I am an entrepreneur, a design professional, an avid reader, and a complete foodie. Books

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