The forgotten taste of fourteen.

Context: I typed this on my phone after returning home on Saraswati Puja’2018.

It is always special to go back to school and meet all those people whom you first met at the age of four. These are the bullies turned friends, friends turned acquaintances and let’s say, young mess turned older mess. Some encounters were exciting while some were a little dimmed but at the end of it, the warmth of childhood touched all of us with its sweet innocent hands. We all captured these moments of reunion with smiling faces and an extraordinary amount of trial selfies to get the perfect instagram worthy shot and moved on.

In the midst of these awkwardly fulfilling encounters, I noticed a few stories around me. Stories young girls dressed in heavy clothing told me, stories of teens falling in- what they call-love, stories of those lost school days the alumni narrated over and over again.

Before I share all these stories (Kabhi aur), I would like to rewind back to last week when I met my friends from school and somehow ended up talking about how girls plan their outfit from weeks ahead of the event while most boys manage to roll out of their bed and are set to hit the floor.The amount of pressure young ladies put themselves through in order to look delicate and demure is quite extraordinary. We sounded like we were ranting, which we probably were but the discussion highlighted the inherent issues of gender bias around the cloud of fashion.

While I was walking around my school, I found it quite interesting to see how most girls dressed alike. However, there were some who stood out with their simplicity or their over-the-top efforts. There was one girl in particular, who looked straight out of a Bollywood movie and no, it isn’t as impressive as mainstream media portrays it to be. I don’t blame her for over sexualizing her body but probably all those internet posts, buzzfeed mantras and spicy Indian dance numbers people seem to enjoy. It was disappointing to later find out there were more girls like her. It was as if they lost their childhood before they hardly turned fifteen.

As I stood there, I wanted to yell at everyone who made them feel they were less beautiful in their natural hair and comfortable outfits. I now wish I could time travel and tell my fourteen year old self, who probably could relate with the rush to look a certain way,all that matters is how you treat people around you. In fact, ahead in your journey, you will meet better people who appreciate you for who you are. I just wish I had the power to pursue all young women to not waste their time in picking the perfect outfit, slipping into pokey footwear, blending the lighter tone but instead, enjoy their time as beautiful acne riddled teens. I truly believe that everyday women are becoming more aware about their potential and it is just a matter of time, fashion will be about being comfortable in our own skin and embracing it. 

Until then, love yo-self!