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She never got a chance to create a bucket list! The struggle of surviving a divorce, a judgmental society and a not-so-supportive mother while raising two lives alone— took away her everything!
Growing up, she was never loved or cared for as she should have been, yet she had a love for everyone. She grew up to be one of the most caring and helpful people you’d meet.
She never had too much makeup on, yet she looked beautiful and had a captivating and contagious smile.
Her thick, long and wavy hair just added to her beauty. She was kind and selfless, too selfless for her good. She was seen as the “perfect” daughter by society. But nobody knew how she felt.
She was married off when 23. Nobody cared if she wanted to or not. Nobody cared about her choices. She had dreams she wanted to fulfil, they weren’t too much, but she was passionate about them, but who was asking?
They all wanted her to be married. She never cared about what others felt about her, but she cared about what her mother wanted. She could never hurt her mother. So when her mother wanted her to get married, she said yes.
After a few rejected grooms, they found one that they deemed perfect for her. A little older and bigger than her, but it was okay. Or so they thought.
A few days into the marriage, she realized she had been lied to. After another few days, she realized he was controlling. Within some time, she realized he was abusive as well.
What could she do? She had no support. She was told that her fate has been sealed, and she has to live with him. All her life.
Two years later, she gave birth to a beautiful, lovely boy. His eyes, his smile, and his heartbeat immediately stole her heart. Within a year, she was pregnant with another baby.
And the abuse continued through it all. She stayed strong through it all. But one day, when she realized he was a threat to her child’s life, she decided to leave him.
Again started the struggle of surviving a divorce, a judgmental society and a not-so-supportive mother while raising two lives alone— took away her every moment. She worked hard and did beyond her capabilities to make ends meet. All through this, she never forgot to be kind and keep smiling.
A few years later, she had two mischievous yet smart and loving teenage boys when she fell in love with another man. But alas! There too, her luck was not in her favour! She never married him, but she was bearing his child.
But the child was, unfortunately, a girl, and he refused to accept her. She decided to raise the child as her own.
Thus began another phase of her life which was filled with struggles, hardships and loneliness, but she stood strong! She never gave up. She did her best to give her kids the best life.
Unfortunately, though, in all this, her dreams were crushed, and her health kept deteriorating.
Today, she’s 58 and her boys have grown into hard-working and talented men, her baby girl has grown into a teenager. But her dreams and her bucket list remain incomplete.
And she sometimes thinks, would things be different had she taken a stand for herself.
Image source: Still from FilterCopy | Signs Romance Has No Age Limit | Ft. Lovleen Mishra & Ivan Rodrigues
Enigma is a teenager who has been born and brought up in Mumbai. A child who was naïve and timid has grown to be a strong, independent and determined woman. With a passion to read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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