If you are an Pakistani , you must be very familiar with the phrase “Log kya kahenge”. How many times have you wanted to do something in your life that is not normally accepted in pakistan? – Drop out of college? Pursue a career as a interior designer or a fine artist? How many times has some or the other neighbour asked you when you are getting married? And deep down you wish that you could push all these judgmental hypocrites away and just follow your heart? Well its looks seemingly impossible to just ignore all these people in our society or I should say country.
This is a list of things about
why you shouldn’t listen to “Log kya kahenge”:
1. Hanging out with the boys does not make the
girl a 2 no. larki(that’s what we say in Pakistan)
Girls are “supposed” to marry boys and boys are “supposed” to
marry girls. Oh but wait, you can’t hang out together, but oh yes you can get
married to a stranger who liked your online profile.
2. Choosing a career in
Arts does not make you stupid
“Humara beta engineer ya doctor banega.” Because they don’t realize creativity and creating art is a science in itself. A career in a field other than science is also a career. So go make a career in dance, painting, photography or anything else that makes you happy and your job doesn’t seem as a burden.
3.Marrying people in your caste
sect or religion does not guarantee happiness
How
does it matter who you marry as long as they are human? (or in pakistan –
trees, I guess?) Marry inside/outside/around your caste and religion and be
happy because you will have that one “what-if” crossed off your list.
4.
School->College->Job-> Marriage isn’t a mandatory rule to be
followed
This cycle is carved onto
your forehead. Break the chain! Go back to college to get another degree if you
wish to! Or change your job or field if you are unhappy with it. You have one
life – are you going to spend it the way others want you to, or come back as a
ghost so that it will haunt you forever?
5. "Your time is limited, so don't waste it
living someone else's life."
We thank Steve Jobs for
giving us this gem of a line. Seriously, why on earth will you get into
engineering because kashif’s bhai’s son did it?
6. in the end nobody really cares about you.
Well it’s a bitter truth
even if we know nobody cares what you become still their voices are in our head
consistently and we fear what they say and our own voice is drowned.
Salim Khan
The author is a linguist and a creative writer. He writes about social causes and sports. He can be reached at salimbsml@gmail.com
The article originally appeared at Hothcpotch Post. It has been reproduced after taking permissions from Hotchpotch Post.
The article originally appeared at Hothcpotch Post. It has been reproduced after taking permissions from Hotchpotch Post.
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