The dignity of being a woman, a queen .....

Yesterday I spent a large part of my day with myself .....I do that a lot these days! Reading, listening, reflecting ..... connects me to my soul, I guess and brings about a kind of peace of mind.

 Yesterday, I also did 2 other things that led to this post - 

  • I watched again the recent Hindi movie, Queen
  • I watched a cultural program narrating the story of Draupadi
Both led me to think long and deep about the 2 central characters - both women.

Rani or "Queen" - starts off as a woman you would pass by on the streets of Delhi and not even notice her at all. A non-entity almost, whose life was shaped by everyone around her. And then there is her poignant journey wherein Rani discovers the "queen" in herself, where she blossoms into a person that learns to walk with pride that shines through, to hold her head high with newly acquired dignity... 

Draupadi - my favorite character in Mahabharata, the woman who was born from Fire, lived a fiery life as a Queen with fluctuating fortunes but always with her head held high, almost to the point of being arrogant, allowing nothing - not even war, death, destruction -  to affect her dignity.....

And I realized once again that all women have a "queen" within us - deep in our souls, in our beings. And that brings with it a certain dignity - almost intangible - but there for sure, amidst all of us. 

Some of us like Draupadi, are born with that spark brighter than others - we celebrate our womanhood at every opportunity; some of us are called "feminists" - even snidely at times, but who cares? We know who we are.... and we wouldn't want to be anyone else.

Some of us like Rani, need a catastrophe to shake us to discover our inner selves, our inherent strengths; these are slow starters but they soon catch up and can match anyone else, stride by stride, once the shackles are stripped off.

I know of many such "queens" around me - those that are obvious and those that are not - that have held on to their dignity despite the world dishing them a lot of crap, that have retaliated by illuminating their worlds with a newly found sparkle, that have shown the world how strong a woman.....and only a woman, can be.

I salute that spirit within us. 

I am proud to be a woman, a queen in my own right - I wait for no one to treat me like one, I do it myself....and so should we all. Irrespective of where we stand in life or in society, we should acknowledge we are "queens" in our own rights and demand to be treated as one; we should also treat each other accordingly.

Today, we talk a lot about wrongs against women - unfortunately, history has demonstrated that these "wrongs" have always been there ..... does that mean they will always remain? Possibly yes! Especially in cultures like ours that have still not opened their eyes .... and this is all the more reason we, Indian women, will need to don this inherent dignity of ours like an armor.

Hail to the "queen" that lives within each and every one of us!

“There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.” 



And for those of us that raise princesses, I pray .... may we always reinstate this dignity in them, may we always teach them to hold their heads high, irrespective what life throws their way, to combat all wrongs courageously, to fight fiercely for what's right, to soften the evils around with their love and nurturing nature but never to allow anyone to take advantage of that softer side. 




<3 always 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Those lazy, hazy days of summer

Image
Today marks the end of my summer of 2024. Not because it's any special day in the calendar but simply because I have marked it so. ( These days, I mostly do as I please! )  Today I do nothing but simply look back.... I am not a fan of summers normally - especially given that I have been based in a sandpit for the last 20 odd years. Like most of us expats who live here in the Middle East, I have always found summers a good time to escape - either travel  back to India or to visit other countries that have, or used to have, cooler temperatures.  This year, I stayed put, mostly :) And it was different.  Yes, it was very hot and one had to stay indoors almost all the time but there was a sense of quiet and peace in and around Dubai that I quite enjoyed. Over the last 2 months, almost every expat had left the country, there were less cars, less traffic, less noise, empty malls and restaurants and generally a sense of slowing down every where. Even less socializing! So one...
Read more

About drawing lines

Image
As the years pass by, I realize, more and more, the importance of drawing lines. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The world is divisive enough on its own - some may say do we really need more boundaries between us?  The answer to this question could be debated. Yet, I have always been a fan of personal spaces - a concept alien to most Asians, definitely Indians! For me, it's linked to giving another human being the respect he/she deserves and ensuring that I have the same - the space to breathe free, to think without any pressures, to decide on my own. I tend to feel claustrophobic and uncomfortable, otherwise.  However, growing up - especially in my twenties and thirties, I did prioritize on "belonging" - to many groups and communities, for both personal and professional reasons. My circles grew so large that by the time I was in my mid forties, I again felt the need to set some controls once again - ...
Read more

I hope you are doing fine, Ma!

Image
Ma, It's been a while since I have heard from you .... You have gone too far, I guess. Life has taken over, generally, pulling me along with its usual ups and downs. Truth be said, I am not really sad - you lived a full life and I have let go... But I still think of you a lot, almost every day. I think of you and your opinions on all that is going on in my life - and I know a lot of those opinions may have even been disapproving....yet, I miss them - sorely. I wonder how you are doing....  How is this place you have gone too?  Is it as peaceful as they say it should be.... have you found "eternal peace'? Have you met those who had left before you? Has there been some kind of a happy reunion of sorts up there? Knowing you, are you settling scores? Are you ruffling feathers there as you often did here? Do you miss me? Do you miss my daughter? Can you see us? Do you sometimes feel like coming back just to say one more thing, hug us one more time? Or even repr...
Read more