Reared in an urban town, when I entered the threshold of adolescence, few choices and decisions made by me invited a wide range of criticism from an orthodox, judgmental community. An aspect about parental upbringing that continue to baffle me is that on one hand they do everything in their capacity to promote individuality and on the other hand they try to suppress deviants with an iron hand. What they seem to forget is that it is only the live fish that swims against the current. This observation brings me to my next point that has nagged me for decades. What does the society normally regard as ‘success’? How does society perceive success in a woman’s life when compared to a man’s life? Does being a man’s wife, a mother of few children and being in a profession make a woman successful? Or even though divorced, remains self-sufficient and stands for her convictions amidst trials and tribulations while being a single parent whether financially sound or not and feeling elated and liberated having broken the shackles of servitude make a woman successful? The society’s leanings are towards the former than the latter.
Significant changes over the years have transformed the pattern of thinking of the afore-mentioned orthodox society which is now ‘not-so-orthodox’ and women are asserting themselves in different walks of life challenging stereotypes, preferring career over marriage and willing to go to any extent to achieve success in their goals. They do not complain about inequity in their relationship with their male counterparts any more; they demand it silently through their efficiency and where there is inequity despite their accomplishments, they do not allow such stifling relationships to blossom and opt out of it as quickly as possible as nothing can mar their confidence in themselves. And I am proud to declare that I am one of the self-sufficient women who do not tolerate inequity and have put an end to an absurd symbiotic relationship that was unprogressive and unproductive irrespective of the fact whether society regards me as successful or not. And I can sincerely vouch that I have not once regretted my decision to sever an association that curtailed my sense of freedom and independence.
A Writer's Exposé 