Disclaimer*: The articles shared under 'Your Voice' section are sent to us by contributors and we neither confirm nor deny the authenticity of any facts stated below. Parhlo PInk will not be liable for any false, inaccurate, inappropriate or incomplete information presented on the website. Read our disclaimer.
I will forever be thankful to my parents for always giving me the best and raising me as their son, my parents spent more than anything on my education while people were saying “Larki ko parha k kya karoge” these were the people who spent on their daughter’s wedding but not on their careers.
I was born in a Baloch family, and was raised as a tomboy, a girl who grew up playing with boys in the mud and a football in her arms, where girls are expected to speak less and where education means getting a medical degree only, which can eventually earn you respect in your family as well! If you’re perusing something else, then you are assumed to be wasting your time.
Most of the girls in my family chose marriage over their dreams, their goals, and career. And the “Ghairatmand boys” in my family, they just knew how to spend their father’s money and be arrogant for nothing but I wanted to chase my dreams, my passion. Don’t get me wrong here, I am not against marriage.
I moved to Canada after finishing my college in Karachi, this was the best decision of my life. I was the only girl in my whole family to study abroad all alone. This isn’t something that I was ever keen on or wanted to do, it is just something that happened.
It wasn’t much of a surprise that I hated my first few months on the road. I had no idea what I was doing and watched in horror as I made mistake after mistake. But I persevered. I persevered through the mental breakdowns and the panic attacks, through the scary moment when I first came face to face with near-death experiences.
Now, I’ve been here for 2 years. I haven’t had a panic attack in over a year. I’ve fallen in love with food. I seek out new experiences because I know that stepping out of my comfort zone will help me to be a better person. I realized I could be myself and be comfortable with just being me. I LEARNT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE INDEPENDENT!
There were cons growing up the way I did, but there were also a lot of pros. I know how to carry myself and be confident, I’m not afraid to speak my mind and defend my values. I’ve learned how to be a “bro” but also know how to listen to someone when they need me. I am proud of the way I grew up, despite the fact that I just learned how to straighten my hair at the age of 18. I will never regret all of my childhood memories.
Growing up the way I did in a conservative family where you are judged all the time wasn’t easy, but I ended up not being the same as most girls. People judged me, bashed me, spread rumors about me but Allah kept blessing me in their face! When people look at me now, they are shocked to discover that I grew up behaving like a tomboy.
They cannot connect the word “tomboy” with a girl who can buy her own car, afford her own expenses, who wears leggings, sweaters, pearls, and boots. What I learned when I was young would shape me into what I am today!
