"You should have been a boy," my grandfather often told me when I was a child. I never really understood the weight of those words. My parents raised my siblings and me with love, never drawing lines between what a boy could do and what a girl couldn't. To me, male and female were just genders—nothing more, nothing less. But as I stepped out into the world, beyond the warmth of my home, I began to see what he meant. Society had its own rules, its own expectations. And slowly, I realized that in its eyes, being a girl came with limitations—ones I never knew existed until I had to fight against them.
Today is Women’s Day, and I struggled to find the right words. Nothing felt right—until I chose to share my journey. The struggles, the strength, the fire that shaped me into the rebellious woman I am today. So, let me introduce myself from a difference lense you never knew before.
I come from a tiny village so small, you won’t even find it on a map of India. Nestled in a forgotten corner of Vidarbha—a region known more for farmers' deaths in the news every now and then. From that village to a metro city, supporting my sibling, and tackling every challenge life threw my way—it’s been a journey.
My village a place with no access to information—no newspaper, no television, no radio—yet I found my way into the world of information technology. I studied the darkest corners of psychology to understand people, explored religion, war and world social fabric, ran my own small business, and took control of my own path. I learned MMA for solo travel, became a certified scuba diver, conquered over 100 treks, and embraced every adventure sport I could find. Yoga and meditation helped me battle stress, and in time, then I began helping others on their fitness journeys too. Passion made me money too.
It looks good on paper, doesn’t it? Like I’ve achieved something. But success hits different when no one believed in you—or your family.
Moving to Pune was a bold leap of faith—no family, no community, no safety net. But I’ve always been stubborn, and honestly, I had no choice. My family needed me, and that was all that mattered. There was no time to dwell on fears—I had to survive.
Marriage seemed the easy way out—at least, that’s what my relatives believed. But I chose ambition over convention, hustle over expectation. When a woman puts herself first, society hates it, they see it as rebellion.
"Why study? Why work? Why travel? You’ll end up cooking, cleaning, and raising children anyway." I didn't have problem with that, but I was just not content with being just someone's daughter, someone's wife and someone's mother. My heart craved for my own different identity that belongs to me not linked with that "Someone's something". So, I dealt with remarks and learned to rise above it.
Let me tell you everything is conditioning. Even those who say such things are trapped in it. I don’t hate them, nor do I get angry anymore. They just don’t know what it means to be free from all conditioning. In Budha's language they are yet to Awaken.
My first job was in sales—I couldn’t afford to wait for better opportunities. My family was barely making ends meet, so I took what came first. My salary was ₹3,000, and my hostel rent alone was ₹2,000—thankfully, it included food. That left me with just ₹1,000 to manage everything else.
One day, there was an office function, and we were instructed to wear knee-length skirts. I didn’t own one, nor did I have the money to buy one. I had no friends in the city to borrow from, so I showed up in my salwar kameez.
I noticed the whispers, the smirks, the subtle jabs. Some girls laughed, made remarks—perhaps out of jealousy. Being a top performer had earned me my fair share of envy. But that day, something shifted within me. It wasn’t just about clothes; it was about how I saw myself. That moment ignited a transformation so profound that even I barely recognize my old self.
I guess I was always this way. When my parents told me they couldn’t afford my education, I earned a scholarship. When a teacher mocked my English instead of teaching me, I made it my mental language—so much so that now I struggle with Marathi and Hindi. When I was ridiculed for my clothes, I transformed my style. Today, I get compliments on my dressing, my confidence, and the way I carry myself.
Through it all, I learned one thing about mindset—if you tell yourself you can’t, you won’t. If you let others condition you into believing you can’t, you never will. So, why not make a choice? Tell yourself "I won’t let anyone, or anything stop me." Anyone is in mood throw stones at me. Say "Darling for providing me raw materials to build something amazing, I have habit of turning obstacles into opportunities." Now, after all this I have problem taking moral and ethical lessons from someone who's moral and ethics I find questionable. When you feel you watching me, don't forget I am watching you too.
You’d be surprised how quickly people typecast you based on your first job, your degree, your clothes, your looks, things you own, your locality, religion, and your caste too—as if that’s all you’re ever capable of. Breaking free from that cycle was another battle, another circus, and with it I encountered a whole new set of conditioned mindsets people whom I had to face without anyone guiding how to.
But when you walk through life as an observer, it’s fascinating to see these patterns. I fought my way out, though it felt like walking through hell. And in the end, I succeeded.
Now, if anyone dares to tell me to tone down my personality, dictate how I should walk, talk, eat, or dress, I simply say:
This is one part of my life, and I am proud to wear it like a badge of Honor. To all the resilient women who refuse to shrink themselves into societal and religious conditioning just to make others comfortable—I salute you! Stay bold, stay unapologetic.
I hope you had a fantabulous Women’s Day. And if not, go treat yourself! Make every day your own kind of Women’s Day. Forget any conditioning—embrace your womanhood and let the celebration begin! 💜✨
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