Anu:- byeee...aaram se jaana

Devika :- Haan haan theek haiiiii...

And saying this Devika disappeared.

Anu took her mug to the kitchen and went to her room to get ready for the interview.

She wore a grey pant suit with na -vy blue top under it and paired it with black stiletto pumps. She applied a little bit of kohl in her eyes and nude shade lipstick on her lips with no makeup. She looked simple yet beautiful and elegant. She was about to tie her hair in a high pony tail but then a voice of someone familiar echoed in her head .....

Rehne do na..........khule baal tum par ache lgte hai...

She brushed off the thoughts and decided to let her hair open.

She looked at herself in the mirror when some of her insecurities started to creep in.

Life in college has not been easy. She had to face many challenges when she first started college, the biggest being able to communicate and build a relationship with her classmates who were almost half her age. She knew before she started her college she would have to face various obstacles and thought the best way to deal with those would be removing the ones she can see coming. So she started reading the books from her graduation to brush up her knowledge about the subjects she would be studying in MBA and took a few classes online to learn the new things that were added in the new curriculum since she completed her graduation almost 23 years ago.

She had a lot to cover before she started college and Devika has always been by her side supporting her, encouraging her when she felt low and guiding her with new updates and terms in the world of business. It was Devika who guided Anupama when she was faced with the dilemma of wearing formal pant suits to her MBA college. Anupama, who spend all her life in traditional attires, was worried when she came to know that her dress code in college is formal. It was way out of her comfort zone. She wore mostly salwar and kurtas before she got married and after marriage Baa never allowed her to wear anything other than saree. It was not that she never wanted to try something else or something modern but she never got the chance. Its just that before marriage her mother never allowed her to wear anything modern because of the constant fear of "log kya kahenge". After marriage, strict rules of Baa and the constant body and age shaming by her husband with each passing time broke her self confidence to the extent that forget about trying something new, she stopped feeling beautiful in her own skin. So when she came to know about the dress code, she was worried when Devika helped her out.

Anu and Devika were sitting in the balcony enjoying the beautiful sunset. It was their daily routine since Anu moved in with Devika. They sit in the balcony every evening after work chit chatting over their favourite masala chai about their day, work, etc.

Devika:- Anu kha khoyi hai...chai thandi ho rii teri....

Anu :- Kuch nhi wo to bss aise hi....

Anu picks up the cup and takes a sip.

Devika:- Kabse dekh rhi hoo.....jabse tu college se wapas aayi hai tere chehra utara hua h.....

Anu:- Aisi koi baat nhi hai Devu...tu kuch zada hi soch rhi hai..

Devika:- Ooo bete plzz....mai tujhe bahut acche se janti hoo....chal bata kya hua?....Admission me koi problem hui kya?

Anu :- Nhi admission me koi problem nhi hui....lekin wo....

Devika :- Lekin kya.....kya hua bata to shi....?

Anu :- Wo college me jaake pata chla ki wha ka dress code formal hai aur mostly sab wha pant suit ya firr formal shirt and skirt me the aur tu to janti hai ki mai in sab kapdo me acchi nhi lagti aur yeh mere comfort zone ke kaafi bahar hai....

Devika, while sipping on to her tea, thinks for a bit before speaking.

Devika:- Anuuuu......tujhe kisne kha ki tu formals me acchi nhi lgti..?

Anu (thinks for a bit):- Bas mujhe pata hai.....

Devika:- kaise pata hai.....kya tune kabhi pant suit ya skirt pehna h...kabhi try kiya hai...?

Anu :- Nhi.....lekin....

Devika :- Lekin wekin kuch nahi anuu.....jo cheez tune kabhi try nhi ki....pehni nhi...tu use bina try kiye kaise decide kar sakti hai ki tu usme acchi nhi lgegi ?...dekh jha tak mai tujhe janti hoo...teri aisi soch to bilkul nhi hai ki tu logo ko unke kapdo ke basis pe judge kare...ya fir yeh soche modern dresses, crop tops ya skirt pehnne wali ladkiya besharam hoti hai ya fir characterless hoti hai.....to anuuu jab tu dusro ko unke kapdo ke basis pe judge nhi karti......to khud ko kyu kar rhi hai...?

Anu was speechless. She knew Devika was right and wanted to agree with her but her years of conditioning and insecurities kept reminding her that she won't look good in those outfits.

Anu :- Devika lekin tu dekh to shi ki mai kitni moti hoo....mere pe tight shirts and pant suits kitne ajeeb lgenge....?

Devika :- Anu jitni tu moti hai na.....utni mai bhi hoo...infact humari age ki auratein mostly aisi hi hoti hai.....aur isme koi buri baat nhi hai Anuu.....iska mtlb yeh nhi h ki hm wo cheeze na pehne jo hme acchi lgti hai ya hm jisme comfort mehsoos krte hai....just because society ko accha nhi lagta...Anuu mardo ke upar sirf apne job ki aur apni responsibility hoti hai...lekin aurton par apne job ki, apne ghar ki, husband ki, baccho ki sabki responsibility hoti hai aur aise me hme apne upar dhyan dene ka mauka nhi milta....bacche hone ke baad ek aurat ki body kitne changes se guzarti hai koi soch bhi nhi sakta...aur sari zimmedariyon ke beech hme apne bare me sochne ka mauka nhi milta....iska mtlb yeh nhi hai ki hm khoobsurat nhi hai......hm khubsoorat hai...bas hme apne apko apni nazro se dekhne ki zruart hai na ki society ki...samjhi?

Anu :- Tu shi keh rhi hai devika...shayad mujhe is bare me sochna chaiye....waise ek baat bta...tu kabse 5 panno ka bhasan dene lgi...?😂😂

Devika :- Kya kar skte hai....aab teri sangat me rhoongi to bigdungi hi na😂😂...waise...on a serious note Anu....tujhe kya pehnna hai yeh sirf tu decide karegi aur koi nhi...aurr rhi baat formals ki to formals me sirf pant suit ya skirt nhi aata balki plain sarees and kurtas bhi aate hai to tu wo bhi pehan sakti hai....jisme tu comfortable ho wo pehan...bas mai itna kahungi ki ek baar pant suit bhi try kriyo...kya pta tujhe wo saree se zada comfortable lge....?

Anu :- Theek hai tu kehti hai to pakka try kroongi....waise kal dance academy ki chutti hai to shopping chale....?

Devika :- Done....

Both of them smiled and continued with their chit chat.

Next day both of them went shopping and bought some formal pant suits, solid plain kurtas and sareess for Anu's college. Devika insisted on buying a pencil skirt for Anu but she refused as she was not comfortable with it. Anu started her college by wearing a pant suit on her first day but soon switched to kurtas and legging combination. It wasn't that she was not comfortable in the pant suits....she was as comfortable in them as she was in a saree or a kurta...she just decided to wear those for some important presentations or interviews in college.

Anu was looking at herself in the mirror debating over whether she should put more makeup to hide the wrinkles. Afterall it was an important interview and she wanted to look presentable but wearing makeup made her uncomfortable as she wasn't used to it and she didn't want to risk it today.

She remembered what Devika said on the first day of her college when she was worried about how she looked....

[Devika :- Anu khud ko aaiyne me khud ki nazro se dekh....logo ki nhi...fir tujhe pta chlega ki tu kitni khoobsurat hai meri jaan....yeh wrinkles jinke upr tu itna obsess ho rhi hai wo teri kami nhi balki teri taakat hai....inme teri zindagi ka tajoorba dikhta hai....Remember Anu...never forget what you are,the rest of the world will not. Wear it like an armour and it can never be used to hurt you....]

Anu looked back into the mirror and saw how far she has come from sacrificing her dreams for her family who betrayed her to starting her own dance academy after divorce and now finally she is about to complete her studies. She saw in the mirror the changes in her, the journey she has been through,the lost self confidence she has restored and realised it has been a long journey and this is not the time to stop.

Anu (to herself) :- Come on Anupama.....it's not the time to doubt yourself...you can do it..

Saying this to herself, she folded her hands before the small murti of kanhaji in the living room and left for her interview.......

That's it for this part.

I know this part might be a little boring for some people but I really want to show Anu's professional journey and how she overcomes her insecurities along with her personal life.

Anuj will soon enter the story.

The next part will be updated soon.

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Constructive crticism is always welcome.

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