Superwoman To Woman

Sudden tearing pain in the head gripped and brought her to tears, she groaned with pain and before she could complete her sentence, she collapsed on the table in front of her. Parinita lay there in a subconscious state much to the horror and disbelief of her colleagues who were in the conference room attending the meeting with her. Parinita could faintly hear the pandemonium that followed with frantic calls being to charter the next course of action. She could hear some familiar voices checking on her and calling out her name to keep her conscious but the pain was unbearable. She was oscillating between the two states of consciousness and there was no coherence in the instructions and finally slipped into an unconscious state.

When Parinita gained consciousness, she could not connect the dots as she was in the ICU with doctors and nurses hovering around her and her husband Ritwick was in a conversation with them. His worried expression with the creases on his forehead was evidence that all was not well. She batted her heavy eyelids and mumbled trying to get Ritwick’s attention. He saw her gaining consciousness and rushed to be by her side and held her hand in reassurance. He tried really hard to fake a smile, but could not hide the tears that welled up. She sensed the looming danger but being feeble, she slipped back into sleep only to be awakened by the sound of the MRI machine. She felt claustrophobic inside and wanted to scream with pain but held on to her nerves. She was stretchered back to the ICU with Ritwick walking by her side. Finally, on her insistence, Ritwick revealed that the MRI had diagnosed a hemorrhage in the brain and the cerebral fluid was filled with blood causing intense pain.

Parinita was shocked and could not believe her ears. She had no lifestyle diseases like hypertension or diabetes and also had not had a physical injury, then what could have caused a hemorrhage. She looked at Ritwick seeking answers but he was equally in shock. The doctors informed that this was a result of cumulative stress leading to the rupturing of the blood vessel. Parinita realized that she had brought this onto herself, she had taken on the mantle of a Superwoman and loaded herself with unreasonable expectations both at work and at home. She had not been able to refuse the additional responsibilities piled on to her at work, just because she was an old employee and knew the process and systems like the back of her hand. She had worked beyond work hours and the call of duty to ensure that all timelines were met as per expectation. Her diligent efforts in completing additional tasks were neither appreciated nor acknowledged, but that did not deter her. She often missed breakfast or lunch to accommodate someone or something at work and compromised on her sleep time to make things perfect for her family comprising her husband and two daughters. She was always there for her team members, her friends, and family and no one ever was turned away.

Parinita was often referred to as Supermom, Super mentor and Super Woman and she has pushed herself to the edge in trying to live up to these unrealistic expectations. She has compromised on her physical and mental well-being without realizing the serious and almost fatal implications. She was to undergo brain surgery to implant a stent to salvage the ruptured blood vessel. The doctor had informed me it was going to be a long and complicated surgery with only thirty percent chance of complete recovery. It had taken an almost fatal blow for Parinita to realize her folly. 

Parinita slowly opened her eyes to see the happy smiling faces of her husband, daughters, sister, and friends. The surgeon said ‘Parinita, you are indeed lucky to have the prayers and blessing of so many well-wishers. The surgery was successful and you can go home in a few days. You have been blessed with a new lease of life, please respect it and remember you need to go easy with yourself.’ Parinita thanked the surgeon and all those who had prayed for wellbeing and made a silent promise to herself that she was complete as a woman and did not need the mantle of Superwoman.

Stack away your capes and free yourself from the unrealistic expectations of being a Super Mom or Super Woman. You need to love and respect yourself and remember you are complete with your imperfections. Being a Woman is your Superpower, You need no more.