Common Woman Archives

Live-in in Love: Juggling Tradition and Modernity in Small-Town India

Guest Author08/12/20240134 views

A few years ago, at a family gathering my aunt casually dropped a comment that left everyone momentarily stunned. She proclaimed, “I’ll ask my daughter to live with the guy she wants to marry before they tie the knot. Just to be sure.” It was a bold statement, especially in a family where traditions have often guided major life choices, even though daily life is governed by a fairly progressive mindset. To my shock, my grandmother nodded in agreement and said, “Yes, that makes sense. Times are different now.”

The Vermilion Tales

Parika Singh08/12/2024041 views

“Roli di! Roli di!” Roli fell off her armchair as an urgent cry startled her out of her reverie. Once again Roli had drifted off while imagining her scenarios in distant lands. She was sitting on the verandah of her house, reading a book and sipping warm milk from her favorite mug. But reading about her ferocious, independent female protagonists invariably lead her to thoughts of her own future and the kind of life she wants to lead. These days such thoughts had been plaguing her all day, refusing to let her sleep. She often found herself dozing off during the day while flitting from one possible situation to another.

“I Think My Marriage is Ending”

Guest Author08/12/2024037 views

When Arjuna went to the battlefield and realized that he must fight his loved ones, he no longer wanted to fight. His fingers trembled as his bow fell from his hand. He was depressed.

“To Be Or Not To Be A Mother- I Had To Decide”

Guest Author08/12/2024045 views

I had conceived, as a single unmarried girl in an act of love. I was with a person I had fallen in love with and it happened. In the moment, he decided he wanted to be a father, though we hadn’t discussed it before. Let me confine to my side of the story without getting into the details that will necessarily include elaborating on his view.

THE COMMON WOMAN: “Hey, So How’s Your Day Looking Today?”

Guest Author08/12/2024024 views

We chat for about ten-fifteen minutes before he takes his pre-workout snack and rushes off to the gym. Sometimes, I go with him to the gym, but more often than not, I avoid it. I know he feels disappointed when I don’t end my exhausting workday with a challenging workout. I do too. But it’s hard for me to explain that by the time the clock strikes four or five or especially six in the evening, I am somewhat of a mess.

The Common Woman: “I Had SEX, A Lot of It”

Guest Author08/12/2024024 views

As yet another body is discovered drenched in blood, the society pleads with me to consider, “What if she was your sister or mother”? Her virtues are listed, her values enshrined. Her very person-hood, cruelly dismissed in life, is placed on an unimpeachable pedestal in death. She is hailed as the embodiment of pristine femininity while simultaneously detached from their own reality. A week later, she transitions into a cold statistic. It is quickly forgotten that she was a real woman who led a real life which happened to include a real trauma. And so am I.