Hello ILLUMINATION!

Introducing myself to this exciting community of writers

Taking the recommendation of Dr Mehmet Yildiz to heart, here I am with my introduction. I hesitated before writing this thinking what is the best way I can present myself to a bunch of strangers? Do what I know best, write a story about it. So here is my story told from my eyes for you all to gauge.

Jayanti is lawyer, hailing from a small-town in India. From where she comes, working women were mythological creatures. The idea of a woman was to grow up and get married, most probably to a guy she has never met or talked to before. Jayanti was born into this reality and she never thought or confronted the ridiculousness of it. Jayanti had two older brothers. Both of them were brilliant in academics, the eldest was top football player and the elder was undisputed champ in his literary classes. Jayanti on the other hand, was pretty average. Not bad, but she never topped classes, nor did she write award-winning stories while still in school. But she was okay with it. Average was not bad. Ordinary is not a curse.

The only thing Jayanti excelled, and she really excelled in, was talking. She could talk out of sticky situations (jam fell on the floor, but not my fault!). She could persuade and convince her folks to get her education at par with her brothers. In fact, she even dared to tell them she wanted to go to college as like her brothers. Her mother was aghast, she had never heard of a girl leaving home and going to college. Her father though, was inclined. He had been noticing this aspect of his girl’s personality and actually thought it would be a good idea. He talked to Jayanti about what she wants to do. Jayanti was stumped! Nobody had ever asked her what she wanted to do until the age of 16. She thought about it for days and weeks and months. Thankfully, the age of internet had arrived so she went to her friend’s place which had a PC (those big burly white things) to research. Finally, she decided. She wanted to be a lawyer.

That’s what started a chain of events that led to tumult and uproar in Jayanti’s life. Her father had told her one thing- if she intended to swim against the current, be very strong. So she did. She fought with her mother and extended family. She got into a second tier Law University in her country. She was told the year she graduated, she would be married because it’s already too late (she would be 21 when she graduated, oh the shame!). Jayanti used her persuasive skills to convince her father that if she emerged in top 3 at the end of University, she would be given 2 more years to make a career before marriage. Reluctantly, her father agreed. Fast forward 5 years, Jayanti’s legal education got over and she was not in top three. Her family started looking for a groom, she started scrounging for a job. This time, even her father couldn’t keep his patience. He told her to come back home and get ‘settled’. It is time.

Well, it wasn’t for her. Jayanti got working with a small law-firm. She refused taking calls from home because they kept insisting for her to come back. They had found a decent guy with a decent living-it’s time for marriage. She took a loan from her friend, started living alone in Delhi, the country’s capital city, started earning a measly income, working 12–14 hours a day. She doubted herself time and again, won’t marrying a rich guy actually be great. All this struggle seemed futile as there seemed no way out of the chain. But she had come too far. She had tasted independence, self-reliance. Getting caged now was not an option.

It took her 3 years but she managed to break-through. A leading MNC hired her as an in-house counsel. Money flooded her bank account and all of a sudden, she was rich. Like really rich. She established contact with her father, told him about the life-update, also giving him news that she is in love with a guy who she wants to marry (yes, parallel to struggling, Jayanti also fell in love with her school buddy). She expected a backlash but she should have known better. Her father had realized by then his daughter would not be tamed.

This is the shortest version of me. I am happily married now, pursuing a career I chose for myself.

I don’t say it much, but I am extremely proud of myself.

All through this journey, I just had one solace. Writing. I have been keeping a journal ever since I was 13. When I flip back those page, I read a version of me that is long gone but so amazing. Writing is my therapy. That’s why I am here on Medium.

I have been here barely a week. The topics closest to my heart are mental health, positive energy, my deepest love for plants, the power of true love amongst others. I am truly grateful that Illumination accepted me as a writer for them. Can’t wait to read all the wonderful stuff here and add my bit to it.

Love and Hugs,

Jayanti