Characterless

 Simran was shaking hands with some of her friends after the class when her brother gets annoyed seeing this and become intolerant. He didn't utter a word there but after reaching home he scolded Simran " Simran it's good to have friends but how did you dare to shake your hands with boys. I didn't get it. Don't you feel that you are influenced by them or are you interested in them." Simran was speechless as she never thought that there is something wrong in that, she was with those whom she knew well and otherwise she never talk much to other boys. 

She assured her brother that I will take care of this next time. Next day she started be folding her hands in front of her friends and said "Namastey" everyone their made fun of this and started mocking her. She realized that what if she shakes her hands randomly otherwise no one her friend remain for long. So only a few times she shakes her hands otherwise she tries her best to keep quiet in front of her friends. She had fear if she would tell her friends they may doubt the perception of her in front of her family and start ignoring her. She was helpless in front of her brother because she loves him a lot. 

One fine day when she shakes her hand and was sitting in the college lawn with some of her friends her brother noticed her laughing loud in the campus. Yeah, this is the obvious thing in friendship to have laughs and giggles but her family was taking it otherwise. Every time she wants to go out with her friends she by any means tries to avoid outings so the family may understand that she is giving her heart and priority to her family.

But it was not enough to keep quiet, made fun off or live her life in complexities. She was in deep thoughts that if she was right or what she is carrying in her family. The sudden moment of aggression of her parents pinched that how simply having some boys in her friends and shaking her hands made her characterless. Every single now and then she was told by her parents that she doesn't carry a strong character and she admitted that it's the reality indeed as her parents can never lie to her.

Time changed but the wounds of words were getting worse. She lost a bit of her self-confidence and self-conscious too as she was so much influenced by what others will think. She stopped conversing with her friends and go out for getting together as she knew it better that she will lose her respect if her pictures of gathering will be posted on social media. She knew she will be judged always so she never dared to put her point of view in front of her parents. She too had the logic but don't want to hurt the feelings of her family at any cost.

Somewhere deep in her heart and soul, she knew to please everyone in her life she is losing her worth, her self-esteem and most importantly herself. But when there is the dark, light gloom to make everything crystal clear.  After completing her graduation she got a job in the bank. Every day she meets a lot of customers and again got her confidence back, but the fears remained somewhere deep in her heart.

It was the rainy day when she stuck into the office so her colleague gave her lift along with some other female staff. After leaving other of her friends Avinash dropped her in front of her house when her father noticed where Simran is again misunderstood. Along with evening tea, her parents and brother again started discussing how low character she carries. That was the day she realized that it was not the mistake of her parents who interpreted her wrong but she is responsible as she never defended her character, and finally she broke up,

“What if I travel with a person who dropped me and other girls considering our safety, what if I shake my hands with boys, I never hugged them, what if I laugh with my friends, what if I love to have outings and get-togethers, what if I like someone, does all this make me characterless, then yes, I am characterless not because I know my limitations but I never defended my worth in front of those who really mattered a lot to me. I always tried to justify what I am but until today you never trusted me, this is the reason my past matters for you, not me. I know you all love me but u can never really me and now I have to accept it otherwise I will never grow. I always punished me, had grudges but sorry not every time I can prove what I am. I must know my character, I must recognize my worth, otherwise one day I will die of regrets only which I was carrying from last few years.”

It’s not every time what you see or percept is true, sometimes you need to see the other side of the coin to understand the sacrifices. The people will say but what really matters for a child is family support, not the past interceptions to judge the future of the child. It’s equally important despite the gender. Sometimes our wrong judgments not only break the trust but also weaken the bonds of relations. Whatever the situation be in any relation, try to figure out the whole story. The wound of words never heal and stays forever.