Megha was the obedient daughter in her family, always thinking of others' happiness before her own. From a young age, she had been taught that the peace of the family and the opinions of those around her were far more important than her own desires. From morning till night, Megha was busy fulfilling various demands from her parents, brother, and office colleagues. She had her own diary, where she loved to draw, but in the last three years, not a single page had been turned. Whenever someone was slightly unwell or feeling down, Megha would drop everything and rush to help. If she ever said 'no' due to exhaustion, a deep sense of guilt would gnaw at her all night long. She thought to herself, "I must be very...
That day was Megha's 25th birthday. She hoped that perhaps everyone would give her a little attention. But as soon as morning came, her mother said she wasn't feeling well, so Megha had to take over the cooking duties. Her younger brother said she needed to prepare an assignment for his friends. Even a friend called to share her personal problems, wasting Megha's entire morning.
In the afternoon, when Megha stood in front of the mirror, she noticed dark circles of fatigue under her eyes. It was her own birthday, yet she had no time for herself. Megha felt that if things continued like this, she would eventually disappear. She decided that today she wouldn’t hold onto any guilt. Megha closed the door to her room and put her phone on silent in the drawer. When her mother knocked and said, "Megha, could you make me a cup of tea?" Megha calmly replied from inside, "Mom, it's my birthday today. I'm taking some time for myself. Please tell Dad to make the tea."
For the first few seconds, her heart raced. Old guilt tried to remind her that she wasn't a good girl. But Megha pushed that thought away forcefully. She took out her dusty diary and watercolor box from the cupboard.
Megha sat by the window, with the soft afternoon light outside. She began to paint a picture of a free bird soaring through the sky. While she painted, she lost track of time and forgot about the expectations of those around her.When she emerged from her room in the evening, no one—neither her parents nor her brother—was angry with her. On the contrary, her father was waiting for her, having made tea himself. Megha realized that those for whom we sacrifice ourselves can also accept our ‘no’ if we are firm.
Most importantly, Megha felt no guilt that day. She understood that loving herself was not selfishness. Taking care of herself was her right.
Best Regards 
