All of us Indian girls could write a book on the dos and don’ts for “good”/ “decent” girls that parents and others around us have been trying to instil in us since childhood. According to society, these are the hallmarks of being a “good Indian girl”. We’ve come to the horrifying conclusion that we’re just not. And if this is what it takes, why should we be?!
1. Good girls don’t come home in the middle of the night.
Sunset spells doom, and you ain’t Cinderella.
2. Decent girls sit with their legs together.
Demurely, with downcast eyes and folded hands. Only
3. Good girls don’t use the F*** word.
Or any other cuss words. No matter how frustrated they are.
4. Good girls don’t show skin.
Moral policing begins at home.
5. Good girls never hang out with boys.
They will corrupt us, you see.
6. Good girls are seen and not heard.
Voicing your opinion makes you a rebellious girl. Rebels are bad.
7. Good girls learn to cook proper meals.
Why else will someone marry you? (Regular girls, however, tend to learn how to cook in order to keep themselves fed.)
8. Good girls don’t go to nightclubs.
Because there will be boys, booze and dancing, and we should stay away from all of that. Chhee!
9. Good girls don’t argue with their parents, or the rest of their extended family.
They don’t argue with anyone at all.
10. Good girls always sit in the first row in class.
Back-benchers are the worst and will always remain faaltu.
11. Good girls marry the boy their parents choose.
They know best, no? (We’re not against arranged marriages. Just the idea that we don’t get to make an informed choice!)
12. Good girls always respect their elders and always touch their feet for blessings.
Parampara, beti, parampara.
13. Good girls don’t smoke, drink, have premarital sex or get tattoos.
Tauba tauba! Most regular girls are kinda “character-less” by this particular metric.
14. Good girls never make the first move when it comes to dating.
We’re demure angels after all.
16. Actually, good girls don’t date at all.
Our parents will choose for us. So what is the point?
17. Good girls know their manners well.
Fine, this one we can get behind. A little namaste, please and shukriya never hurt anyone. 🙂
18. Good girls know how to do pooja paath properly.
And they visit the temple/church/mosque once a week at least.
19. Good girls don’t work after marriage.
They’re only allowed to work in the kitchen. And areas of the house that need safaai.
20. Good girls don’t sleep till noon.
They rise early because sleeping in is proof of slovenliness. Regular girls get up early to tackle the day with gusto.
21. Good girls take care of their children.
So that their husbands are free to further their careers. (Regular girls also take care of their kids, but because they want to be good moms.)
21. Good girls obey their fathers, brothers and husbands in everything.
Men are always right.
If you’ve ticked off all the points on this list, rest assured that you are a certified “good Indian girl”. And if you haven’t, if you’re just a regular girl, then, congratulations, you’re just like us – which is all kinds of awesome. 🙂
GIFs source: reddit.com, tumblr.com, giphy.com, india-forums.com
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