17 Signs To Know, “Girl, You Are A Woman”

• When the shopkeeper addresses you as ‘Madam’, and not ‘Little lady’ or ‘Kiddo’.
• When people start asking you if you’re ready for marriage.
• When you find a pile of wedding invitations in your mail box from your classmates.
• When your relatives insist that you wear sarees instead of churidars, since it will bring out your feminine charm.
• When your father/mother receives requests for your hand in marriage.
• When your Mom’s friends ask you when you’re getting married.
• When you relatives ask you if you have a steady boyfriend.
• When people ask you where you’re working and your salary package.
• When people probe you about your occupational objectives.
• When people ask you if you can cook well.
• When little kids start addressing you as ‘Aunty’ and not ‘Didi’.
• When old people ask you about adult stuff which you don’t know yet.
• When the elderly ask you when you plan to have kids.
• When the elderly ‘subtly’ mention about their amazing, single, engineer of a grandson in a normal conversation.
• When random people start explaining the importance of marriage to you.
• When people start advising you on how many kids to have.
• When older relatives involve you in their conversation.

After I graduated from college, between the ages of 20 to 21, I have had strange conversations about the above topics, and I realised, I am no longer a girl. People don’t view me as a girl anymore, but a woman ready to tie the knot. Nobody wanted to know if I wanted to study further, or whether I have something else in mind. I feel like I entered the market and I’m fresh for sale. I felt like I was 1000 years old and not 21. I was uncomfortable with many conversations, and tried to avoid them.