If you grew up watching Disney movies in the 90s, life was supposed to be as simple as falling in love and getting married to that love of your life. Only later, did you discovered that the first frog you kissed didn’t turn into a prince neither did the several others that followed. Unlike those princesses in the movies, you were not saved or protected by a chivalrous male figure but eventually had to man up, take charge and start paying your own bills.
If you’re such a woman you know how you’ve worked smarter and harder than any fellow man out there. You’re successful, powerful and independent. Sadly, you’re still an anomaly for the masses and often face the following impediments:
1. No matter how old or successful, they make you sit at the kids table
It’s funny how formal gatherings are divided between children and married couples. Somehow you’re the only 26 year old surrounded by teenage girls itching to ask, “Baji apki shaadi kaab hogi”.Source: arynews.t
2. All life skills fail in the kitchen
Some of you grew up studying real hard. Even summer vacations were spent interning one place or another. Cooking never appealed to you and so you never bothered. It’s not fair to judge one’s life skills by their inability to make good food.Source: Khabees Orat
3. Career choices sometimes don’t make you the ideal rishta material
Unless you’re a doctor they would tell you, “beta masters main admission lay lo because it’s hard to explain rishta people what you do.”
Source: The Life of a Bengali Girl
This is ridiculous because not all doctors end up practicing. Also, most women often enroll for masters because the right rishta hasn’t come along. Why are women who thrive in other careers are often made to doubt their career choices even when they add value to the economy?
4. All heads turn to you every time an eligible bachelor walks into the room
As if finding ‘the one’ is your goal in life.
Source: Giphy
Embarrassing, to say the least.
5. You believe in savings so you invest in clothes and shoes
Sometimes we make bad financial calls. We know portion of our money should be locked away for future but retail therapy is a real thing.
Source: Giphy
Some may even call it an addiction.
6. Your best friend getting married next month is hell-bent to fix you up with a friend of her “hubby”
She loves you to bits and is afraid to leave you alone. Honestly even you can’t see life without them.
Source: Tumblr
So you actually consider the options she lines up. Talk about peer pressure!
7. All that confidence vanishes when your parents ask you to speak to a potential husband
Somehow you can make a kick-ass sales pitch in sleep but can’t put together a decent sentence when speaking to a potential guy.
Source: Tumblr
Simply because your rational mind refuses to accept the notion that this specific meeting where two strangers exchange brief sentences will decide the rest of your future.
8. For parents, practical life starts only after marriage
You lead and inspire a team of exceptional individuals, flawlessly handle the most difficult clients and are known to settle the most intense conflicts. However, for your parents, it is all fun and games for practical and real life will only start after you are married.
9. They keep guessing which guy friend you’re actually secretly in love with
It’s not unusual for people around you like college mates, coworkers and even neighbors to regularly scan your social media to decipher, which guy friend are you secretly in love with.
Source: Tumblr
Because man and a woman can’t just be friends.
10. They still don’t trust you to have an innocent crush
“Beta bata do if you like someone”, something parents will eventually ask you nicely. This is a trap, don’t fall for it. Even if you are secretly crushing on someone, don’t tell your parents unless the guy has proposed. Otherwise from that point onward, anything and everything you do around him comes under scrutiny.
11. Those awkward family weddings are your worst nightmare
Chances are that you’ve been to several weddings where the groom’s parents meet you with less enthusiasm than before because you refused to marry their son. And your own parents will drag you to these weddings to make a statement. To let the guy and his family know that you’re happy for them.
Meanwhile the entire extended family keeps implying, “This could have been you today”.
12. You can’t ever express when you like someone
You are a complete Jon Snow at this. Even if you like someone, approaching them will turn your insides upside down. Eventually, you would just walk away blushing.
Source: imgur
13. If his mother has spoken to your mom, staring becomes an acceptable form of flirting
Sometimes you end up at a wedding where this annoying guy keeps staring at you. It’s not until an auntie asks what you think about him that you realize what it’s all about.
Source: Buzzfee
14. Wanderlust shall have to wait… until you’re married or run away from the family
Remember that time when a younger you would dream of all the things that you’d do with your own money ? Well now you can afford to travel around the world. But you must wait till you get married and go wherever you want with husband. Or wherever he wants, if you end up with a typical desi boy.
Source: btchflcks
Good luck trying to explain to your parents the difference between honeymoon and a backpacking trip through Europe with your besties.
15. You will constantly hear people make absurd assumptions about the reason behind your single-hood
You are not on a mission to dominate the world by defeating your male counterparts. Neither are you heart broken or commitment phobic.
You just don’t want to get married for the sake of it. It’s important to be with someone who buys into your idea of a happy life and you are ready to wait for such a person. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
In life, nothing good comes without challenges and none of the above topples your inner peace for making it against all odds. Being independent is a bliss and you wouldn’t exchange it for anything. You do you, gurrrl.
