Parents, well-wishers and friends often advise us to follow our passion. They ask us to choose a job we love so that we enjoy our work. They suggest that we follow our dreams and money will automatically follow. However, is it possible for women to follow their passion after marriage? Can she seek to fulfil her aspirations while taking care of the needs of the household and its members? Orissa POST asked a few women for their views.
Arati Mishra from Jeypore, who loves singing, entertains her friends and relatives with old Odia film songs. She won several awards for singing during her school days. After marriage, she did not pursue singing seriously. Asked if she thinks marriage has been a hindrance in pursuing her passion, Arati said, “I can’t say. I want to follow my passion. But, I also enjoy my role as a wife and a mother. When I see my daughter dancing to the tune of Hindi numbers, I see myself in her. Although I have never danced on stage, I have received many awards as a singer. These days, my in-laws request me to sing a song or two, and if they insist, I sing to please them. They think I am no less than a playback singer. Now, I don’t have any desire to sing before audiences or get their applause. I am satisfied with what I have.”
“Sacrificing your family comfort for the sake of your passion is not a wise decision, especially in our society,” said Smrtishree Satapathy of Bhubaneswar. She has received three years of training in Odissi dance and has performed in Odisha and outside representing the dance institution that trained her. After her marriage last year, she stopped dancing. “For me, dance is just another curricular activity. When I got a chance, I registered my name in a classical dance institution and took training. I cleared the first two years of training and performed on stage, sometimes as a solo performer or as part of a group. After marriage, I realised my in-laws were not happy about my dancing on stage. So, I gave it up. Now, I am happy with my family life.”
Swapna Sahu from Cuttack is a happy homemaker who simultaneously follows her passion for knitting. “When I was in high school, I knitted a sweater for my brother. Later, during my college days I used to create decorative knitted items and decorate our drawing room with them. After marriage, when my husband came to know about my interest, he asked me if I wanted to make it more than a hobby. But I told him it was just my hobby. He has given me complete liberty to carry on with my knitting work. These days we get many accessories to beautify decorative items and so, in the past few years, I have created a lot of beautiful stuff out of knitting material. I am happy,” she said.
Pushpita Das of Bhubaneswar is the owner of a beauty parlour for women in Bhubaneswar and earns well from the business. She said, “My passion turned into a profession. So, I don’t feel as if I am putting in a lot of effort while working at the parlour. As a beautician, I have the opportunity to make many friends. Women visit my parlour and sit around for hours to receive service, and we get time to gossip. Before marriage, I was working on my body to look beautiful and now I earn by helping other women look beautiful.”
Himanshu Guru, OP
