The New Woman That I Am

Born to a fabulous set of parents who have always treated me like an equal, there was no differentiation in my household vis a vis a girl or a boy. Happy and cheerful, my childhood was beautiful and filled with fond memories. I inculcated the love for writing and passion for reading from my dad, whom I fondly call ‘POPS’. He used to smirk and smile when he caught me reading a novel instead of preparing for my exams. He’s the one who would encourage me to write and fondly take my handwritten sheets and beam proudly amongst friends and colleagues. Those days, when people were not so accustomed to the use of mail and there was no social media, he got my poems and writings printed in his office magazine and also submitted them to various magazines via post mail. He has still treasured them and kept them safe, where my tiny contributions were printed. He’s the one who’s made me “The New Woman That I Am”. 

My mom has been a friend more than a mother. Growing up, she was the one who made me embrace myself for what and who I am. She taught me to accept my flaws and work on my strengths. One thing she always says, “We can’t have it all, so let’s make do with what we’ve been given and make life beautiful with it”. This is my go-to mantra in life and I literally follow it to a “T”. She taught me that menstruating, giving birth and standing up for your own self and achieving your goals and dreams is all possible. She’s one of the nicest and generous people who believe in letting ‘karma’ do its work. Humanity, responsibility and facing the repercussions of our actions is what she swears by and has made me and my sis proud and independent women with all her values and beliefs. She’s the one who’s made me “The Woman That I Am”.

My sister, who is younger to me by mere 2 years, acts the other way round and is actually my guardian angel, my advisor, my proofreader, and lawyer all in one. She’s the one who teaches me to take life a bit more seriously and to grow up, which I never do ;-). She’s taught me how to be happy in my own company without the need or want to impress others. She’s the most confident introvert I’ve ever seen and the best part is she loves it that way. From reading books together under a blanket holding a torch to dancing crazy on ‘Salman’ and ‘Govinda’ songs, we’ve been movie partners and dates for each other at resto’s and functions. “Been there done that”, would be an understatement with her. She keeps me practically sane, my harshest critic and my strongest supporter; I call her my first child. She’s the one who’s made me “The New Woman That I Am”.

Well what do I say about the man I married? No marriage is perfect and we both are living proof to that. He’s the chalk to my cheese, the sun to my moon, the day to my night and so on and so forth, I’m sure you get the gist, but what you don’t know is that he’s been my biggest supporter and best friend when I needed it the most. He’s the one who’s given me wings to fly. He’s the one who loves his daughter’s and he’s also the one who pampers and spoils them to bits. An absolute introvert, he’s accompanied me to all the places I love and that he simply detests, discos and cinema hall being part of them. I’m a water lover and he shit scared of the sea, knowing he couldn’t be a part of my wish list; he packs me off for a scuba diving course and diligently takes care of our girls, not worrying about what people will say. Returning from my trip after having had the most wonderful experience, seeing the three most beautiful faces welcoming me with loving hugs, I literally had tears of joy. My love for this man is mostly unsaid, as I prefer writing them and he hates to read. He’s the absolute example of what a man should be, caring, nurturing, responsible, understanding and full of love. He treats me at par with himself and all the decisions in our home we take together as a team. He’s the one who’s made me “The New Woman That I Am”.

My children are my lifeline. Probably my greatest treasure, fear and pride all combined. The girls have surely made me more patient and calm, I must say. A hug and a kiss from them at the end of the day make all the troubles worth it. They are my shopping buddies, my movie partners (I am a regular at all Disney, Marvel and DC movies), my stylists, my ranting buddies and most importantly my armour against my hubby, albeit with a lot of bribes. Seeing them is like reliving my own childhood and I truly appreciate my parents even more now. I hope to raise them the way I was and would love them to be strong and confident women, who live for their dreams and passions and achieve happiness and success in whatever they do. They made me experience the joys and trials of motherhood and I wouldn’t trade that for anything in the world. They are the ones who’ve made me “The New Woman That I Am”.

We as WOMEN, have sailed in smooth waters and encountered rough seas, but that only made us more strong and capable sailors. I believe each woman is complete by herself, without the need and approval of anything or anyone. All we need to do is stand up for our own self, encourage and appreciate our fellow humans (man, woman both) and show the world, “The New Woman That We Are”.

(PS: For all those who think my life's a fairy tale, I can't even put to words the miseries and tragedies I've faced. I've chosen to write only about the stuff I'm grateful for and about all those lovely people in my life who've picked up my pieces and made me whole again. Life's "kabhi khushi, kabhi gham", so let's live and let live)