I am a woman.

I often debated in my mind the privileges of being born a woman. Dashami, 17th October, 2010 perhaps had the answer in store for me. My vermillion smeared forehead and Pranab looking at me with his pregnant eyes made me realise quite a few things in life: A woman indeed is powerful and the power lies not in denying herself the little pleasures in life but in living the little moments and its little pleasures. I am a woman and my power lies in living my life on my own terms but once in a while living the way the society would want me to. And in no time, you will have conquered all! I have often confused my sex with my privileges or rather the lack of them but no sooner did I realise that I am a woman because I have had the privilege to be born a girl to my mother. Flouting the simple pleasures because I refuse to be typecast is silly. In fact, living the simple pleasures just as our mothers and grandmothers have had, makes you rejoice your life as a woman. And yes! The vermilion smeared forehead revealed to me a million unspoken words that day, which Pranab never could have spoken.