"But what's wrong with this?! " I asked pointing at my hooded dress
The dress that goes way below my knees and covers all of my body
"You cannot be wearing that, we are expecting guests and they're brahmins"
"So what?! I'm going out with my friends! " I said
"Like this?!" My brother laughed
"You look like a rag picker" said my dad
"Rag picker?! Dad! She looks like a beggar" My brother snickered
"But what's wrong with this?! It doesn't show my skin.. "
My mom who thought she was being kind all the while laughing at their *jokes* said to me
"But dear, they don't get your style.. "
I went and stood in front of the mirror while my brother went on with his bickering
"Didi, don't think rebelling at everything is cool"
I looked at myself wearing the dress I waited to buy for a year. It looked awful.
It looked awful because I bet, their words had an effect.
I changed into a kurti, now it looked like all of the universe celebrated me!
The guests came and went..
Later in the evening I was told that the guests had appreciated me for being a well mannered girl!
I was happy!
For the first time I realized that I felt happy at conforming to something stupid.
But on the inside I knew, if it wasn't for my kurti, even with the same pleasantries, the guests would have formed an *image* of me!
It was then I realized
That the conformists are not stupid!
They just lack courage
And guess what? The society rewards cowardice
Status quo is everything..
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