We live in a society that considers itself in charge of determining what a woman can ‘choose’ for themselves. The irony isn’t even startling any more. But the staunch believers of free will are unfazed, no matter how many people try to pull them down.
In a culture, where even a tiny strand of hair protruding from a woman’s body is scorned, this woman hailing from Kerala is sporting a self-grown moustache. Why, you ask? ‘ Cos she likes it on her.
35-year-old Shyja, unlike most women, chose not to have her upper lips threaded, and she didn’t mind noticing her sparse hair sprouting into a moustache.
I can’t imagine living without it now. When the Covid pandemic started, I disliked wearing a mask all the time because it covered my face
-Shyja told the BBC
What’s notable about this is that she isn’t making a statement or setting standards for others, instead, she’s simply exercising her right in her own body.
Shyja proudly flaunts her moustache whereas she likes getting her eyebrows shaped. Despite being mocked for her looks, she has been unfazed. None of her family members or her husband ever express any kind of objection to that and the world? She doesn’t give a damn about it.
Shyja recalled having a hysterectomy five times previously. Over a decade, she has had six surgeries in total. She underwent two procedures, one to remove cysts from her ovary and the other to remove a breast lump.
Shyja’s will to live life on her terms was only bolstered by her health problems. Shyja emphasised that she has gained enough confidence and now wants her teenage daughter to embrace it, the idea of free will.
This is the ultimate masterclass in practising free will. You go, queen!
