.. are not for self alone. Girls like us, have to be very careful what we do. We carry the baton, not just for our own race, but also for the race of the others who come after us. One false step, and the baton that was to relay them out becomes the Cross that bears their corpse.
Girls like us, are born to families where girls are meant to study only as much as makes them marriageable. Where their primary job is to learn how to keep the home , the husband and in laws happy. Where girls are not meant for ambition, or love, or a wish of their own. Girls like us, are born to a social set up that sees nothing wrong with dowry, chauvinism and mental abuse. Sometimes, even physical abuse.
Every girl who gets out, and carves her "independence", carries on her shoulders, the burden of all the girls to come after her. Every girl after her who wants to study, have ambition, or get out of the vicious cycle, uses her as an "example". "Look what she did." - like ants crawling out of a flooded anthill, we ride on the shoulders of those who are safe, and then carry the others out on our shoulders.
One false step, and "Look what she did" becomes "Remember what happened with her?" The baton becomes the Cross, on which all such girls are crucified together. Girls like us, are not for self alone. We carry the burdens of many, many others, on our shoulders.
Girls like us, are born to families where girls are meant to study only as much as makes them marriageable. Where their primary job is to learn how to keep the home , the husband and in laws happy. Where girls are not meant for ambition, or love, or a wish of their own. Girls like us, are born to a social set up that sees nothing wrong with dowry, chauvinism and mental abuse. Sometimes, even physical abuse.
Every girl who gets out, and carves her "independence", carries on her shoulders, the burden of all the girls to come after her. Every girl after her who wants to study, have ambition, or get out of the vicious cycle, uses her as an "example". "Look what she did." - like ants crawling out of a flooded anthill, we ride on the shoulders of those who are safe, and then carry the others out on our shoulders.
One false step, and "Look what she did" becomes "Remember what happened with her?" The baton becomes the Cross, on which all such girls are crucified together. Girls like us, are not for self alone. We carry the burdens of many, many others, on our shoulders.
9 comments:
yeah..
girls like us
..need to be more behaved.
..need to be cool-headed.
..need to suppress their own wilder sentiments.
..and what not they need to do.
the girls like us!!
Hi! Been on your blog before, first time leaving a comment tho'.
Fantastic post. So so true, that we carry that cross for so many others. I think that thought often, when I see a young woman crossing generation-old stereotypes and traditions...I applaud her and thank her in my heart, because she's making it easier for the less brave women, for the next generations, for my daughter and future d-i-l too, to also break the mould.
fantastic post...nicely framed....
Its poetry in prose form. So true, too. Agree completely with everything Starry (above) says.
Us too.
*sigh*
Could not agree with you more.Very well written post
and remember? girls like us are like that quintessential IIT entrance exam, aint we?
Tough to crack, but then...
I dont know, the comment is not very relevant, but then somehow it came back to me. I know you would understand.
Very thought-provoking. Beautifully written in lyrical style.
That was absolutely fantastic!! Glad to have stumbled across your blog!
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