Like all good-ish little Indian girls, I was raised by a severely well-meaning community to believe that I have no control over my life, and no right to do what I want, simply because, well, simply because.
If I put my faith in my elders and the Gods, I will become the noble best and fulfil everyones dream. I dont blame them, this teaching has been handed down for generations, and its strength is literally overpowering. By the time I realized this is a crock, I was already set, I was impressed when I was most impressionable, and nothing to be done without years of undoing, years I am not willing to give.
The worst of the traits I developed was asking permission, till date I cannot do a damn thing I want without asking the permission of a whole disinterested spectrum of people, pets and furniture.
So today, I have decided to create my own Yes-Man (Not God, thank you,
here is my opinion of God). I will call him Richard the Great.
Dear Richard the Great,
I am about to embark on a long lonely journey today, ignoring my work, all my pressing chores and earth-bound commitments, ignoring all the people I love and who love me, and would love to spend more time with me, whom I would love to spend more time with.
It will be a difficult, pointless task with no reward, no foreseeable end, and no benefit to anyone but me. It is something im doing because I want to. What do you think?
And Richard The Great's response
Dear Madhuri, You own your life, you have carte blanche to do whatever the hell you want with it.