Once upon a time, in a far away land, there lived a little girl. Happy, excited, loving , beautiful, were the words to describe her. The twinkle in her eyes could cheer up an entire room in seconds. Her smile would make the saddest person trying to lighten up.
Being an only child, she was the apple of her parents' eyes. Whatever she wished for, she got. She believed in the goodness of people all around. Her mother taught her to be kind and compassionate to all people and things around, alike. Her father cared for her every need. She had this picture that world was full of happy people and believed in goodness of heart. From an early age, the girl showed signs of excellence in all she did. Her parents knew she was born to achieve greater things in life and they told her that the world is her oyster, she can be and she can do whatever her heart desires and she believed them.
However, all was not always rosy and pink in her world always. There came a day when she became a young woman and decided to leave her parents' home and discover the world on its own. Her mother said, "Go on my child, there is nothing for you to fear. You are a complete person. It's time for you to live your life. You have all my blessings. Be you, always, be you." She hugged her mother and went out the door. Her father was standing there with the wagon to take her off to the real world. Her father told her, "You are my brave daughter and always remember you are enough. Be you, always be you." She took his advice and hugged him and sat in the wagon, off she went.
While sitting in the wagon, she could only think of one thing, 'Be you, always, be you. My parents told me and that's what I am gonna be.' She was happy and nervous, all at once. She never knew what was waiting for her out there, but her heart knew she has waited to meet the world for a longtime and this was her time. Now. She could feel it in her heart.
After travelling for quite a time, she reached. She stepped off the wagon and started looking all around. "Wooow", she thought to herself. "So this is something, I can't wait to explore more of this place.", her zeal was infectious. She greeted everyone she met, even the homeless sitting in the corners of the street. It was not easy for her to contain herself. Her father has given her the address of a relative who lived there, so she went to her place. It was her aunt, whom she was meeting after a long time. While looking for her place, she thought of the times when her aunt would come to her place, so happy, cheerful, accepting, how she would make everyone laugh and the stories her aunt would tell of the real world. She reached her aunt's place and knocked the door. A sad figure opened the door. She couldn't believe that it was the same aunt. To her surprise her aunt just left the door open and without saying a word turned her back. The young woman felt a little embarrassed but still she went in. There she saw her uncle and cousin sitting and talking about some "real worldly things". So her aunt told her that dinner was ready and she should wash up for dinner. At the dinner table her aunt told the young woman that she couldn't live with her as her boy is growing up and it could lead to awkward or unwanted situations to have a growing girl around her boy. she also told the young woman that she is a grown up and she should find a job and a place of her own. Shocked as she was, the young woman tried not to get disheartened and gracefully agreed with her aunt. This was the first shock of the real world, however the young woman took it sportingly.
So next day, she thanked her aunt and went on to find a new place for herself. She went to agencies who helped people in renting houses but to her amazement they all told her the same thing, "It is difficult for a single girl to get a place for herself as people are not trusting of them." A little disappointed she was with this, when suddenly she remembered a friend of hers has moved to the real world a few years back. She established contact with him and he agreed to give her a place to live for as long as she wanted. She was ecstatic that all people haven't turned to sad people in the real world. She went to his place and told her all about what happened at her aunt's place and he seemed a little too much comforting. But the young woman thought this is the way of the real world.
Next day, the young woman went off to find a job for her. Luckily, as she was well-qualified she found a good job. Her boss, a little older man seemed to be very impressed by her qualifications and took her to his liking from the very starting. After the first day of work, she thought of celebrating with her friend for her new job and also a way of thanking him for being generous and accommodating towards her. She cooked dinner for him and when he came he seemed happy for her too. The boy put on music and started putting his hands first on the young woman's shoulders and then her waist. Hesitant, she said, "What are you doing?". To which boy replied, "Come on, I knew you liked me or why else would you come to me, After all, you are a woman and I am a man and these things tend to happen.". "But you are my friend,", said she. "Yeah and we can be much more", he tried to pull her closer. With all her force the young woman threw the boy off her and collected her things and ran off. She thought to herself that the real world is not turning into what she imagined it to be. Suddenly she came across a women's hostel and got a room there. "There.", she thought to herself and fell to sleep.
She went on doing her job, weary and tired, and after some months her boss called her to his office. He told her she has done a very good job and could get a promotion only on the terms if she does as he says. He went on telling her how he hired her for her beauty and how she is not enough for the position he has given her in his office. The young woman said, "But you told me my qualifications are what made you hire me." To which her boss replied, "Yeah, you are qualified in more than one way. You are a smart woman, I thought you understood the terms when I hired you. After all you are a woman and I am a man and deny all you want to but that is the preceding factor here. And you can never do better than this. I hope and want you to accept my terms " The young woman realized she is not young anymore, she has become a complete woman and if she has to survive in real world, she has to go by the terms of the real world. She told her boss that she was agreeing to all his terms and he told her that he would come and pick her for dinner that night.
A little upset, she started getting ready for the dinner with her boss. She thought how she has worked so hard to reach this place and it meant a lot to her, to just let it go. She also thought she was just a woman and she couldn't do better than this, so she thought it's better to settle now rather than later when there wouldn't be much options. Someone told her, her boss was there to pick her up. She started to go down the stairs, she thought of her aunt, her house - hunt and her friend who all taught her that real world wasn't as rosy as she had pictured. As she reached the last of the stairs, she saw a man old enough to be her father, looking at her with such hungry eyes that sent chills down her spine. Her thought went back to her parents and she remembered her father telling her 'you are enough'. Those words started to spin in her head. "Yes, I am enough, Be me, always, be me", she said to herself. "Sorry, I can't go with you.", she told to her boss. "What?? are you out of your mind? You know I don't like these kinds of joke and I can fire you for doing this.", angrily, her boss asked.
"I don't care if you fire me. You cannot make me feel less of myself. I am enough. I can be whatever I want and I don't want to be this. In fact, I resign. I cannot continue with this.", she said, affirmatively. "Alright if that is what you decide, I am telling you, you won't be able to get job anywhere in the city. You have scorned my self-respect and you will have to pay the price.", said the boss.
"You cannot make me pay for something, I am not responsible for. If you had self-respect you wouldn't stoop so low. Go on, say whatever you want. I believe in me and my family does and I will find my way. Goodbye.", she turned back and ran up the stairs to her room.
The woman realized what it meant to be a woman in the real world and she realized it's not so bad being one in real world. All she has to do is set her priorities straight. The first priority being her and her self-respect. She knew now that she is enough, all she has to do is believe in herself and never let anyone bring her down. She knew now that her power is limitless. She knew now, she doesn't need to be scared of being alone but make it her strength. She knew now she can roar and fly whatever she wants all she has to do is let go of fear of being a woman. She realized now that in all the sense of the word she has become, 'the woman'.
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