I am often confused for a feminist or whatever is the man-hating equivalent of misogyny is. Today I would like to tell you a story about a 26 year old girl Angel, a brilliant girl who eventually ended up living her life on her own terms and who never followed stereotype rules for life.
I grew up watching and admiring Angel, who
grew up chasing crows and doing little endurance test such as putting her palm
in the jaws of street dog or trying to kick start an Enfield bike by merely
stomping at the red hot silencer in her chappals. As a kid she never fared well
in class exams but no one could foresee that one day she would teach a
never forgetting lesson to us.
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I was always thrilled to see her nonchalant
behaviour in midst of excessively etiquetted people with borrowed
mannerisms and wondered why is she not bothered about her surrounding or tries
to clear the air about her being well for the lack of words "not refined"
and why grades were not so important for her.
Angel had her own way of educating people, one
day the naive me went up to her and told her I have a crush on a guy and
he drives a car. With a 'oh my dear' look she conveyed an amusing piece of
advice which I could never forget till date - "A rich man will never give
his jacket when you are cold, he will simply ask you to get inside his Merc
because it has the best heater" . It took me years to understand what she
really meant.
One day Angel fell ill and had to go through
strenuous cycle of treatment but that did not diminish her determination even
by a single bit, she was just a tiny-miny force and some grit short of taking
over the world at least that's what she believed in and hoped all
girls would think the same.
Angel passed away in her prime. When I
look back.. She lived and how!! Her life unfailingly taught me.. be
that adorable, gorgeous, feisty, funny, sweet idiot, be a giver, be
that non-judgmental person whom you seek, don't waste
your time thinking about that man-shaped hole in your life. It's okay
to be irritatingly stubborn, but do not lose your humility which
is your biggest virtue and never judge someone by his or hers failures because there is so much to human potential which we fail to recognize.
She shaped my life to a huge extent. In my
conversation with Angel.. yes the imaginary ones which I wish I had.. She
tells me "You are a brave brave girl!". The little girl in me
replies "I know, I got it from you".
I'm usually the funny girl as opposed to the
pretty one and I’m pro-woman out of self-interest. Imperfection is
individuality, isn't it.
