Four writers reveal how they learned to love themselves.
DEEP WATERS
MANJU KAPUR ON TAKING BACK CONTROL OF HER BODY
The only sport I took to in all my bookish youth was swimming. Unfortunately swimming involved swimsuits, and swimsuits involved my mother.
My first experience with a swimsuit marked the uneasy relationship I would have with them for the rest of my life. It was got on one of my father’s trips abroad, a white one-piece with small aquamarine flowers and thin straps that tied at the neck. I ran into the bathroom to try it on: It fitted perfectly. It was a little low in front, but hey, it was a swimsuit wasn’t it?
My mother looked at it and said nothing. The next day I found the slight dip in the swimsuit covered with a thick piece of white cloth that arched coyly towards the neck. I was outraged. How dare she stitch pieces of cloth onto my swimsuit, and that too without asking? It was my swimsuit, and though the thought was too daring for me to articulate, it was my body.
Impasse. She would not let me go swimming in something she thought revealing, and I would not wear anything that drew such embarrassing attention to my pubescent chest. Instead, I would sit in the house, in the heat, and suffer, right in front of her eyes.
Eventually, she trimmed the white lace to more discrete proportions. But every time I wore it, I felt unhappy. I was a walking, swimming advertisement of both modesty and my mother. It was not that I wanted to be an exhibitionist, I didn’t, but I wanted to feel free to make my own choices, and that freedom, my mother was telling me, I did not have.
Owning the body of a girl starts so early in her life. This demand that I cover myself lasted until I left my parents’ home. “You can do what you like after you marry,” said my mother at the end of every argument. I even believed her.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 2017 من Harper's Bazaar India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 2017 من Harper's Bazaar India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Unyielding And Unmatched
In an industry where every move is scrutinised, Kareena Kapoor Khan lives passionately, loves her job, and understands that there’s more to her than just box-office numbers.
SEEN AND HEARD
Female authors explore how crucial it is that women write about their personal experiences.
INTO THE WORLD OF JUDY CHICAGO
What makes the feminist trailblazer an icon?
'THE LEGACY OF A SINGER WILL ALWAYS STAY INTACT'
AR Rahman believes AI can be used without compromising on the artistic essence.
THROUGH HER EYES
Indian supermodels remember legendary photographer Prabuddha Dasgupta ahead of his 68th birth anniversary.
THE SHAPE-SHIFTERS
From adorning your body to your mantle piece, jewellery designers are turning to homeware.
WEARABLE ART
Three limited-edition timepieces, inspired by Gaston-Louis Vuitton's love for artistry, is an ode to the Maison's legacy of craftsmanship.
AS LONG AS TIME
Bazaar India delves into the ethos of watch brands.
MILANO MAKEOVER
Sabato De Sarno's reimagination of this classic Gucci bag is is an ode to his Milanese becoming.
A LOVE LETTER TO JAIPUR
Designer Surily Goel reveals the making of her latest collection.