I spent my early childhood in Jhansi (MP) and Ambala (Haryana), and yet I had never felt any different. The art of defining people by their exterior features was never my forte. Maybe because I was always the odd one out. Not that I am complaining. I loved the attention, after all, I was the darling of the party and everyone would pinch my cheeks and call me Oshin.
I thought Oshin was some Haryanvi word for cute 😛 until I realized it was a Japanese Serial telecast on DD1. {If only I had that much of an eyebrow. My eyebrows do a disappearing act in photos}
I have studied in Army Schools and Kendriya Vidhyalayas, where my classmates hailed from different parts of the country. I don’t remember anyone pointing at my eyes and asking where’s the rest of it. {Maybe because I was a class topper and, well, no one messes with the class topper} 🙂 On a serious note, I never felt any different from my Keralite friend or my UP-wali friend. To top it all, I had a Hati (meaning Elephant) in my name, glaring at me from every notebook. Yet my schooldays were just as normal as any other Indian kid.
So why is it that when I grew up and started working, all of a sudden I started feeling that maybe I was different. Did my eyes shrink a size or did people around me find me so dazzling that they couldn’t help staring at my beautiful face? 😛
Imagine Jackie Chan introducing himself as Ashwiniranjan Subramanium , that too in a place like Chennai. It’s actually funny to see the reaction every time I introduced myself as Rajlakshmi. Or the surprise that my Hindi is accent-proof.
It’s strange how as kids we were never judgemental but after growing up, our minds became narrow like the lanes of Chandni Chowk.
People have asked me weird questions, no doubt, but maybe I am a little tolerant when it comes to ignorance. I have always explained, shown them pictures, and no matter how bored they looked, given a lecture on Ahom Dynasty and my ancient roots.
Ahoms are descendent of ethnic Tai people that accompanied Prince Sukapha, of a province which is now in China. There are over 2 Million Ahoms in India {see I could just get started anywhere}
It’s been a year in Sydney, and it seems I am back to my school days. I don’t feel different any more. It’s disappointing sometimes that people don’t stop and glance twice at me, but the feeling of being so extraordinarily normal, so comfortable in my surroundings, is amazing. Well, I still have to explain my name and people still give me baffled looks when I explain my Indian ethnicity. Sydney is so multi-cultured that you will find people from almost every part of the world.
I fit in fine, I look like a Burmese, a Bhutanese, a Tibetan, a Nepali, an Indonesian, Chinese… my friends sometimes jokingly call me Miss International. 😛
It’s easy being the odd one out, the only task is to find one other person who’s just as odd, and that my friend, is the toughest task.
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Oshin's a good name. The good and the bad always comes along and kudos to your patience in explaining every time. Keep writing! Best Wishes.
India is a land where people are judged(at least in the beginning) on their looks. Loved the way you have put up your experience with sprinkles of sarcasm. 😉
If only this could be changed!!!
thank you so much for writing in
Growing up does mean becoming judgmental. Sad, no? We have a habit of asking too many questions when we see someone who is not like us. But the good part about living in India is that you learn to live with different types of people and enjoy it. Not many nationals enjoy this privilege.
I have many good friends who love to know and understand the different cultures and it's true in India you get to experience this 🙂
Love the uniqueness we each have. .I too get questioned on my name many a times. .
Oshin brought back lovely childhood memories. .
You got a stylish name 😀 love it 😀
I thought RajLakshmi was a Tamil name. Or do Tamilians figure in the history of Ahom dynasty ppl.? 🙂
Destination Infinity
herere Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth all over India… so it's quite common to name girls lakshmi everywhere 🙂
Rajlakshmi, people should mind their own business. They always peep into others' houses.
That's well said Usha ji.