“The Status Olympics: Marriage, Kids, Career – Why Are South Asian Women Ranked Like This?”
Vidya’s POV:
It had been years since I’d last seen Ishpreet, and yet, standing in front of me, she looked so much different. The young girl with the long, coconut-oiled hair and the traditional Punjabi suits had vanished. In her place stood a confident woman with a sleek chocolate brown bob, wearing casual clothes, her style completely transformed.
I was taken aback for a moment, but then, the familiar feeling of her presence washed over me. Our shared childhood memories rushed back, and I couldn’t stop the tears from welling up in my eyes. This was my best friend, the girl who had been by my side through it all.
“Oh my god, you did marry each other after all!” I joked, glancing at my husband, Raghav. The playful words felt like a reminder of our teenage crushes, the ones we’d shared when we were young and naïve.
Ishpreet smiled faintly, but something in her eyes told me she wasn’t the same person I once knew. There was pain behind her gaze that I couldn’t ignore.
I stepped closer, sensing the heaviness she carried. “What’s this?” I asked, noticing her hands covered by long sleeves. “What’s on your hands?”
She hesitated for a long moment before answering. “Nothing. Just my bangles. They don’t fit me anymore.”
I knew she was lying. I could tell, just like I always could. So, I pressed her further, my voice soft and understanding. “Come on, Ishpreet. You can tell me. I know you.”
And then, she finally opened up.
Ishpreet’s POV:
It was hard to look at Vidya without thinking of everything I had left behind. Growing up, she was the one who had it all—marriage, children, the perfect family. It was everything my parents had always expected of me. But I couldn’t be that person. I couldn’t let myself be defined by their rigid expectations.
When I left my ex-husband Rajeev, it was like I had lost everything in their eyes. My parents, Harpreet and Parminder, didn’t want to hear from me anymore. My brothers, Jatinder and Gurdeep, treated me like I was a failure. They couldn’t understand why I didn’t stick to the path they had laid out for me. They thought I was just running away from my responsibilities.
But Vidya never judged me. She was my rock, and seeing her now, standing in front of me, it felt like a piece of my heart had returned.
“Vidya, I’ve been through a lot,” I said, feeling the weight of the truth in my chest. “My family… my ex-husband… it was all too much. They never accepted me after I left Rajeev. I had to leave, and I had to change.”
I looked down at my hands, the memories flooding back. “My family… they just gave up on me. I wasn’t who they wanted me to be. I was the girl who didn’t fit the mold. I couldn’t stay with Rajeev. It was toxic. And I couldn’t live with the constant judgment.”
I saw the sadness in Vidya’s eyes, and I knew she understood. She had always been the one person who did.
We both paused for a moment before I chuckled, wiping away a tear. “Remember the time we sneaked out at midnight to see the advance screening of Kyun Ki when it first came out? Our parents never knew,” I said, a mischievous glint in my eye.
Vidya laughed, and for a moment, I could see our younger selves standing there. The carefree girls who didn’t have a care in the world, just living for the thrill of being together.
Vidya’s eyes welled up with emotion as she embraced me. “I missed you, Ishpreet. I missed us.”
In that moment, I realized that no matter how much I had changed, Vidya would always be a part of me. The pain of the past could never take away the bond we had.
Arjun’s POV:
Ishpreet had come so far. I had met her at a time when she was at her lowest. But what amazed me about her was her strength. She had rebuilt herself from the ground up. She had been through so much, and yet, she stood here now, a woman who had reclaimed her life.
I saw the pain in her eyes when we first met, but I also saw the resilience. I never pushed her to talk about her past, but when she did, I knew it was a moment of healing for her. And as I stood beside her, watching her reconnect with Vidya, I couldn’t help but feel proud of how far she had come.
“Ishpreet is stronger than she knows,” I said, my voice full of admiration. “She’s been through more than anyone should, but she’s still standing. That’s something not many people can say.”
Vidya’s Husband, Raghav’s POV:
I had always known that Ishpreet was different from the other people in our circle. When Vidya and I first met her, she was like a breath of fresh air—someone unafraid to challenge the status quo. I had always admired her independence.
But now, seeing her standing there, sharing her story with Vidya, I was struck by how much she had grown. She had been through hell, and yet, she was standing tall, living life on her own terms. I couldn’t help but feel a deep respect for her.
“Vidya, she’s really something, isn’t she?” I said quietly. “She’s been through so much, but look at her now. She’s an inspiration.”
Ishpreet’s Ex-Husband Rajeev’s POV:
I heard about Ishpreet’s success, but I never thought she would amount to anything. I always thought she was weak. She couldn’t handle the pressures of marriage and life. She was never good enough for my family, and she certainly wasn’t good enough for me.
I don’t know if it was pride or something else, but seeing her move on without me, seeing her stand on her own two feet, it was a bitter pill to swallow. But now, when I saw her with Arjun, I realized something. Maybe she had always been stronger than I had given her credit for.
I still didn’t understand her decision to leave, but maybe, just maybe, she had been right all along.
Vidya’s Kids’ POV (Ved, Raman, and Kajal):
“Mom, who’s that lady?” Ved asked as he watched Ishpreet talk to Vidya.
“She’s an old friend of mine,” Vidya replied with a smile. “Her name is Ishpreet. She used to be like an aunt to you guys when you were little.”
Raman and Kajal were curious but didn’t fully understand the gravity of the reunion. They had only heard stories about Ishpreet, but seeing her now, they could tell she was someone special.
Vidya’s Closing Thoughts:
As I looked at Ishpreet, I realized how much I had taken for granted. My life had been planned out for me—marriage, children, a traditional family. But Ishpreet had made a different choice. She had taken the road less traveled, and although it was hard, she had come out stronger. I was proud of her. I was proud of us both for walking our own paths, even when the world didn’t understand.
Ishpreet’s Closing Thoughts:
I had spent so many years hiding from my past, but seeing Vidya again, hearing her words, I finally realized something. I was no longer the girl who let others define her. I had moved on. I had built my own life. And now, with Arjun by my side, I knew that I was ready for whatever came next. The past didn’t define me. My future did.