Nisha didn’t like the way Savita Aunty commented “Oh! Parul is so fair, she looks like a foreigner. Nobody would say that she is your daughter”. This was not new for Nisha……………. Ever since Parul was born, Nisha would face similar comments from her friends, relatives, strangers the list continued. Parul had light skin and all thanks to Mohit her husband whose complexion was envious.
But never in her direst dreams she had expected, that she would be pitied against her beloved daughter one day. The moment Nisha took Parul in her arms for the very first time, she was filled with joy. It was the most amazing experience and she had been eagerly waiting for the same.
But all her happiness went for a toss when she overheard Mohit’s mom whispering to his Dad………. “Thank God, I was so worried, what if she had taken her Mom’s complexion?” Nisha was heartbroken. “How can she be so rude? she herself is a mother” Tears started rolling down her eyes, as she held Parul close to her heart.
Nisha was not new to her flak. She never liked Nisha and has always been vocal about her preference for fair skin. When Nisha met her Mom in law for the first time, she could feel the anguish. “Why do you have to settle down with a girl of such a dark skin type, don’t you have the ability to foresee the future…………. generation to generation this color will be passed” this was the piece of advice that Nisha’s mother in law was trying to give to her son.
Alas, Mother Son duo ended up having a huge fight and finally Mrs. Gupta chose to stand by her only son’s choice. But somewhere the hatred that had germinated then, has only grown over time. Despite Nisha’s repeated effort, she has not been able to bridge the gap. Nisha adored her daughter. She was internally happy that Parul was just like Mohit, as she remembered her Mom’s words that it’s good for daughters to resemble their fathers.
But whenever she would accompany her, she would receive such type of belittling comments. Nisha didn’t like our society’s inclination towards fair skin. There was a time in her life when she didn’t lovingly embrace her dark skin either. She too was of the opinion that lighter meant better and more powerful. She would regularly apply saffron paste given by her Mom and would avoid going out in the sun, with the fear of getting tanned.
Not only that she had come across people who would repeatedly ask her to go for light shaded dresses, as they felt dark colored ones would make her look still darker. Nisha loved black but couldn’t sport it for a long time, because of this confusion. From school annual functions to community stage shows she would always be on the receiving end owing to her skin tone. However, as she grew older, she realized that one’s skin color is secondary and it hardly defines a person.
Beauty is internal and it would be wrong to make it synonymous with a particular skin type. Though she is way more confident and level headed today, still she can’ take it when comparisons are drawn between her and her beloved daughter. “A five-year-old who is oblivious to all this is consciously dragged into such nasty stuff” …………. wondered Nisha.
Nisha dots on her daughter and can only pray for her happiness and wellbeing. Parul is her
angel with whom she shares this special bond. Their skin color may be different but their
hearts are tangled with warmth and affection. May be when Parul grows up, she will
understand how biased our society is.
She didn’t want her daughter to pass through any confusion, which would shake her confidence and self-pride in the long run. Nisha knew that her skin was brown and she had no control over that, however she definitely has the insight to prepare herself for any such ugly realities that can occur. When things revolve around her daughter, then she has the capacity to confront many such Savita Aunties whose only work is to vilify others.
