Thursday, May 30, 2013

Wedding Blues


My name is Amina and I'm getting married.

This is how I started introducing myself to people - even those who already knew me. Getting married to my childhood friend was so unexpectedly blissful that I couldn't have dreamt of it. But after rejecting so many potential grooms, Ashish came as fresh air to my dreary existence. He kind of understood.

Back at school for a large part of my life I have been what most people call a 'tomboy'. It was a hassle to wear a different T shirt everyday. Accessories are something I'd leave for my girl-friends. I'd hang out mostly with guys, some or the other guy would like me; I would have my on set of infatuations. Life was simple, until...

My marriage got fixed. Suddenly everyone is concerned about my weight. I can never seem to get my hair right or buy the right clothes. Am I expected to put-on make-up now? My well wishers don't let me go out without being covered from head to toe. The pollution would get to me otherwise they say. I didn't even have so many well wishers when I had a plaster on my hand for forty days. But now all my family and friends take care of me in terms of what when and how I eat, practically how I live.

What is this obsession with fair skin and slim body? It seems to be a rampant disease that marriage spreads to the families of the groom and bride. This is where all education comes to a halt- phrases like beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder are proved to be nothing but a set of words. Every moment as I pick up the latest make-up or restrain myself from not eating my favorite pie, I supposedly become more beautiful to the people I don't know and I don't care about but am trying to impress. Yet with every passing event I feel more fake and less myself; I lose my inner beauty I once took pride in.

My name is Amina and I'm getting married.

No comments:

Post a Comment