Hello everyone !

Today, let’s talk about an encounter that made me re-think and re-write my definition of ‘beauty‘.

Yes, this silly frolicsome girl is indeed going to talk about those aspects of beauty that were unnecessary to her for most of her life; but first let me tell you a bit about myself .

I am rather simple girl, who has never really cared about how she looks, or what she wears and how she chooses to style pieces from her wardrobe.

On a regular day , you will find me wearing the first pair of baggy jeans out from the cupboard and a t-shirt that just does not go with it. A face, that has absolutely no makeup on, no not even a smudged kajal or whatever; and a messed-up ponytail.

Trust me, what you get to see here and on Instagram, is the most dressed up version of me. You won’t find me looking like that on any regular college day.

‘Dress up’ must be every girl’s favorite game ever, but I stopped playing it long ago.

I have always been taught that people are beautiful from the inside and the looks don’t really matter, and that’s what I have grown up believing in.

In a world where everyone is influenced by beauty and fashion magazines, I thought I was looking up at the right sort of inspiration.

My bubble bursted, when I happened to meet someone who made me look at superficial beauty in a completely different light.

This is how it goes…

One fine day, I was out with friends, we were clicking pictures and having fun; when I saw this old lady sitting on the ground and looking at us with sparkly eyes.

She was like any other rural Indian woman; beautiful brown skin, a bright Saree draped on her, some silver looking jewellery and rubber slippers to go with the ensemble. She carried a typical 3 layered ‘tiffin Dabba’ and a plastic bottle in a tote bag or at she called it – a ‘jhola’.

There was nothing unusual about her except that she was bald.

At first I thought it was due to some medical condition because Indian women love their Hair a little too much to part with it (by choice). We started talking and after just a few minutes I gestured to the scalp and asked where did her hair go?

Those few seconds of utter silence right after the question made me instantly regret asking.

I wasn’t completely unknown to this tradition of sacrifice, but coming from a much more blessed part of society, it was hard for me to guess and understand.

It had been years since her husband passed away, and even after all this time, she was not supposed to look beautiful. The hair that adorned her and made her confident, were ruthelessly shaved off and then never allowed to grow back. The glass bangles which were so dear to her were all taken away and it was a miracle that she was still wearing a bright saree.

Well, who am I to raise any questions against the traditions and society, but it left me wondering – wasn’t one loss enough ?

There is so much I could have said, and so much more that I can write; but I am choosing not to question any religious practices until I know everything there is to know about it.

There is something else that occupied my mind ever since I met her. She gave up all that made her look and feel beautiful, either by a concious choice or maybe out of societal pressure.

However, we millennials, we don’t believe in such practices, but we unconciously practice it ourselves.

Ask yourself girls and boys, how many times have you put in that extra effort in getting ready when you know that your crush is going to be at the party ?

Oh, I have done that a couple of times too. Guilty !

Getting a little dressed up for your special someone, is one of the sweetest things you can do; but

why has this become the one and only reason for you to look beautiful ?

Why is it that you even need a reason to dress up?

Why does some one else start to matter so much ?

Why is it that once you break up, you loose all your desire to get dressed ?

Listen sweetheart, I know; when you lose someone you love, you don’t even bother to think about how you look.

But once you are back to life, you still deserve to look and feel beautiful just for yourself. This is what she taught me in just a few minutes.

So, this is why you ‘need’ to look and feel beautiful –

Because no matter how beautiful someone else makes you feel, you need to do it for yourself first.

Because it makes you confident.

Beacause you can’t let anybody’s presence or absence be the only reason for how you look.

Because you love yourself.

Because if you are stepping out to please your crush, you need to make sure that the person in the mirror feels beautiful too.

Because you deserve to.

Until next time-

A silly frolicsome girl

Picture credits – thecanongirl