It’s a story as old as time... or at least as old as the age-old expectations placed on Indian women. In her witty, poignant words, Shefali has managed to highlight in her social media post not just the guilt, but the societal and self-imposed dilemmas that make simple decisions feel monumental for women.
The Struggle to Justify 'Me Time'
In her post, Shefali narrates how a carefully planned family trip to Rishikesh quickly unravelled. Coordinating dates, negotiating destinations and fielding the whims of her husband and children eventually led to a unanimous “Let’s chill at home together.” The irony? Togetherness was already an endangered species in her household, reserved for moments like Diwali photographs. Frustrated but determined, Shefali made the rare decision to go solo.
But, as she writes, that decision didn’t come without its own share of moral hurdles. The guilt of spending money on herself, the weight of societal norms that suggest a woman’s happiness is tied exclusively to her family’s, and the ever-present internal voice whispering, “What will people think?” these are struggles that so many women in India know all too well. Shefali’s post captures the bittersweet reality of Indian womanhood: a life lived in constant service to others, where the act of prioritizing oneself feels like a rebellion.
Shefali’s candid reflection on her “middle-class values” is another layer of this story. For generations, these values have been held up as a badge of honour, teaching resilience, humility, and gratitude. But as Shefali points out, they also come with an invisible price tag, especially for women.