Introduction

She had always led a carefree but sheltered life. Easily swayed by the opinions of those around her, instincts, intelligence and self reliance weren’t muscles that ever got an opportunity to be flexed, however needed they may have been. An ordinary life, devoid of ambition and pride, wasn’t something to fret about as there was never a dearth of creature comforts, something that she was not only accustomed to but also assumed was just a way of life. This is not to say that her life was perfect, something out of a story book or what dreams are made of. If she didn’t have ambitions or dreams, it never meant that she was living a life in the clouds, completely out of touch from reality. She was just satisfied, satisfied with life, satisfied with circumstances, satisfied with the status quo of life.

As a child, her parents gave her a modest but comfortable life. They didn’t grant her every wish but made sure she always had everything she needed and occasionally, some things that she wanted even though she didn’t need them. They gave her everything a child could ever want. They were her best friends when she needed one, they were her parents when she needed them to be, they comforted her, they cared for her and they also scared the daylights out of her when she tried pushing boundaries. Her parents kept her protected, shielded from the harsh realities of life all the while trying to instill simple values of life. Occasionally, there would be tiffs, frustrations and even hurtful exchanges when academic achievements weren’t up to expectations. As Indian households are quite accustomed to, academic achievements are not just something to aspire for, they are a necessity today. But, outside of that, the three of them were such a tight knit unit, that she never felt the need to grow up, mature, think for herself and decide what kind of life she wanted outside of this unit. Naively, she assumed that everything would continue as is, until end of life. Sure, as is the tradition of society, she would grow up, get a simple job, get married, have children, settle down all the while staying tight with her now expanded unit, but it was all just a natural part of life, something that would just happen with the flow of time.

Maya Angelou once said – Most people don’t grow up. Most people age. They find parking spaces, honor their credit cards, get married, have children, and call that maturity. What that is, is aging.

That’s exactly what our story’s leading lady did, she aged, staying under the protective umbrella of her status quo. She aged through her childhood, her teenage years and into her twenties, right until a few months before her 25th birthday. Then, it was time to grow up!