“Just look at her !, there she goes again”, said a lady to the other trying to hide her judgmental smile. “She is so obsessed with herself, all the time clicking selfies!”, said the other and together they giggled and laughed. I am sure all of us would have faced a situation like this in life where either we were a part of a group which judged the others or being the other half who were unfortunately being judged.

Whereas in reality it is not in the opinions of others that a person’s true worth is found. Each one’s journey is one’s own to live, to experience, to grow through and evolve.

A hot pink lipstick, eyelashes extension, hair colour, a short dress or an old saree, an antique watch or no matter what it might be in other’s possession and appearance that we cannot make sense of, what we need to accept and understand is that it is important and essential to their own life journey. And everyone is entitled to live a life which makes sense to themselves first before it makes to anybody else, to live a journey which is worthwhile, fulfilling, memorable and joyful for them to look back and cherish.

Sharing a poetry written by me based on the same thoughts, hope you can relate to it and like it. Cheers to living and letting live!

SELFIE QUEEN

She looked for glimpses of perfection

in her not so perfect life,

every time she clicked a picture

and on her lips she wore a smile.

The filters did the trick

to refine the appearance and colours,

and in her personal space of memories,

her captured moments she treasured.

The smile she adorned in her selfies

were her source of confidence,

every time she glanced through them in a moment of despair

it gave her hope and gave her strength.

They called her selfie queen on her face,

but many mocked her behind her back,

little did they know about her life’s journey,

in which her smiling selfies inspired her

to never look back.

No scars of the domestic violence she faced,

no taunts she heard for not delivering a boy child,

her perfectly captured smiles in the selfies

diluted the intensity of her pain

to being negligibly mild !

Many years of her life she had spent

fitting in and pleasing others,

it had taken a lot of courage for her

to break through the stereotypical troubles.

She knew now too just like before

she was being watched, being judged and labelled,

But she had decided to be the queen of her own life,

To live it for herself instead of her relatives and neighbours..!

– Sonali Bakshi

01/04/2022