""Breaking Free: Maya's Journey from Suppression to Self-Discovery""
Maya, is a girl who doesn’t bind herself to the pursuits of society, who wants to be free like a bird, who acts her own way and who doesn’t really care about others' opinion of her. She lives in the rural side of the country. Maya’s mother is a homemaker. Seeing her mother, doing the chores beyond her capacity every day, even when she got sick, was very heartbreaking to her. Despite working so hard daily, nobody in the house recognizes her mother’s true value. From her early age, when she started understanding the pain of her mother, she promised herself to never live a life for others. She wants to live independently without a need to rely on some men for her basic needs.
She moved to the capital, at the age of 15, with the hope to live all of her dreams. She wanted to live in the single-stay room of a hostel and before moving to the capital she had an argument with her parents regarding this topic. She was given two choices, either to reside in her uncle’s house or to continue her study in her own village. Rather than staying in the village where she will never accomplish what she has desired, she chooses to obey her parent’s decision. As she entered the bustling city, witnessing its dazzling lights through the car window, she imagined a future even brighter than those illuminations.
Maya was extremely anxious. It was the result day of her final year of bachelor’s. Her phone started ringing. It was her best friend who called her to give the news that the results are already published and to check them. She impatiently opened her laptop and check the result. She got an A+ grade. She was over the moon with the overwhelming happiness. She started dancing with the music and song of her own. She searched her phone to quickly share the great news with her family. She was about to call but her parents called her first. She greeted them and was about to inform them until they said they had something to tell her. She let her parents speak first. They told her that they found a very good match for her and she had to meet him tomorrow anyhow. She showed her disagreement with whatever they were saying and hung up the call. Her happiness suddenly fade away. Her possible best day turned into a day filled with tears. In the evening her uncle and aunt tried to convince her to meet the guy and make her decision after meeting him. Her parents were continuously calling her and finally, she picked up the call after calming herself. She agreed to only meet the guys and told them not to get their hopes high.
After meeting her possible match, she can’t really find one flaw to reject him. All the way to her uncle’s home, she thought of thousands of possible excuses but not a single one seems to match the guy. She was married to the guy just within a month of their first meeting.
She still could not believe that she has become part of someone else’s family. Everybody was saying that now this is your home and this is your family. How can possibly it work like that? A girl who does not care about others’ opinions, now seemed to be concerned about what others will say if I do this, if I say this, if I wear this, if I speak this way, and many more. Tons of opinions surrounding her started to overpower her own opinion. She began to overthink every single little thing. She was trying but she was not able to fully accept the transition she was going through. The cheerful, childish girl inside her seemed to be disappearing. She stressed herself over everything leading to her weak health and depression. Her husband used to daily ask what was going on but she always refused to truly answer and just said ‘nothing’. She thought her husband will never understand her concerns and will think of her as a weird person. She began to feel sleepy all day, having no want to do anything but just stay in a room lying. When someone is saying something to her, she can’t seem to be focused. She started forgetting what she had done in the morning. Depression was taking over her.
One day her sister visited her. She was too happy to see someone from her family that she began to tear up. That day, her sister insisted to sleep with her. Her sister noticed that Maya was not acting like herself. It was as if someone else’s soul has taken over her body. She carefully asked Maya, what was going up with her. At first, she didn’t tell her whole part of the story but only some pieces but her sister seemed to understand her. After a few talks with her sister, she started crying so hard. After her sister calmed her down, she told her everything that she is going through. Her sister consoled her telling “It’s fine to talk about this. You are not weird. It is common to not be able to accept everything at once. It takes time.” Her sister convinced her to see the doctor.
The next day, Maya went to see the psychologist that was recommended by her sister’s friend. After a few therapy sessions and medicine, she was already recovering. She was coming back to herself. She opened up to her husband. Now, her husband seems to care more and make more time for her. She got herself a job that keeps her busy, leaving no time for her to overthink. She began to take a stand for herself and speak up if she is not satisfied with others’ opinions.
Maya's courageous journey from suppression to self-discovery showcases the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of seeking support and prioritizing mental well-being. Her story emphasizes the significance of breaking free from societal constraints and embracing individuality. Through her experiences, Maya inspires others to embark on their own journeys of self-empowerment, reminding us that it is never too late to reclaim our authentic selves and forge our own paths toward fulfillment and happiness.
“Mental Health Matters”
