Be A Rebel!

I just saw a tweet on Twitter aka X, by a 20 year old girl, where she says, she still has to take permission before stepping out of her house, even after considering herself and independent woman. Another 30 yo seconded this! This made me ponder... What about me?

Honestly, my parents never agree to any of my plans. Even today! When I am 37! But, the only difference is, their 'permission' does not matter to me, they know it too, and I achieved this position only because I stayed a rebel all through my younger days. 

I come from a typical South Indian middle class famil, where women are considered inferior to men. My father is a patriarch, and is respected by everyone we know. And as a child, I used to dread him, for his short temper. However, I had also maintained that little brat image, which continued even during adolescence. 

Once I got puberty, my father because even stricter, restricting me for various things. I have never had a sleep over at a friend's or a movie night with family. Everything needed permission and he would always say no. And to be honest, I wasn't even accustomed to that kind of a culture, so I obliged. On top of that, I was obviously financially dependent on my parents. 

But, during college days, I started thinking differently. I befriended boys, I started hanging out with them, so on and so forth. My rebellious nature grew multifold and my temper hit the roof. Because, for me, all of that was quite normal! So, eventually, I stopped asking permission. I chose informing my parents that I'd be stepping out, and even when they said no, I'd just take the scooty and leave. 

This led to many fights and arguments and home was never a happy place. I just wanted to escape this mess, and I did, after college. But, whenever I am home, I continued being the person I always used to be. 

Cut to 2024. My parents have eventually changed. Thanks to them understanding that women aren't inferior afterall, and I want to take credit for getting that idea into their heads. They still say no to some of my plans, which is mostly solo trips, everything else is sorted now. 😅 I just make plans and tell them before leaving, and also give them a heads up about when I'd be home. Late nights are still a no-no, but I think I can live without it. 

So yeah, took me more than a decade to reach here, but ultimately, all of us are at peace now. We get what we want. And everyone is happy. The end. Hahaha