How Society’s Beauty Standards Impacted Two Sisters – And How They Rose Above
Meher and Nisa are two sisters from a middle-class family growing up in the suburban area of Islamabad.
They were totally inseparable and shared everything from toys to clothes and many secrets. As they got older, the echos of relatives and biased perceptions of society started to distance them from each other.
Meher was older than Nisa by only two years and was the slightly fairer one. Nisa, on the other hand, was, according to the South Asian community, the not so pretty one.
“Aye, Meher, such a beauty! So fair!”
Their aunts would scream during family gatherings.
Their words, though meant as compliments, cast an invisible shadow over Nisa, who stood awkwardly to the side.
Over time, the comparisons slowly ate away at Nisa’s confidence. She began to resent Meher, who appeared oblivious to the privilege her fair skin afforded her. Meher grew weary of the constant attention. She noticed how Nisa avoided her gaze and how her laughter no longer echoed in their shared bedroom.
One day, their grandmother came to visit unexpectedly; she lived in another town and hadn’t seen her granddaughters since over a year.
“Assalam alaykum, Nani maa.”
They both excitedly chanted in sync, extremely happy to see her.
“Aye meri pyariyon, come close and give Nani Maa an ever so tight hug.”
Their mother Saba came rushing from the kitchen too, to greet her.
“Arey Mama, mujhe batadeti, I would have come pick you up myself.”
“Oh Saba meri jaan, I’ve still got the strength of a young teen.”
she giggled!
The lounge was filled with laughter, smiles beaming from everyone’s face.
“Mama, you sit with your granddaughters; they missed you so much. I’ll go put the kettle on.”
said Saba.
Some moments later, Saba emerged from the kitchen with a tray of delicious samosas, lemon cheesecake, and some steaming hot tea.
While everyone was talking and enjoying the delicious snacks,
Nani Maa couldn’t help but notice the awkwardness of Nisa. She wasn’t her normal talkative self and seemed to be staring at something or nothing and fidgeting with her bangles.
“Nisa bacha?”
Nisa hesitated but looked up, only to be met with her grandmother’s steady gaze.
“What’s troubling you, Meri Jaan?”
Nani Maa asked, her voice a mix of concern and warmth.
Nisa bit her lip, her fingers nervously still playing with the bangles on her wrist. She glanced briefly at Meher, who was busy pouring tea, and then looked down at her lap, trying to avoid her Nani Maa’s eyes.
At that moment, Nani Maa just knew.
“Nothing, Nani Maa,”
She muttered, her voice barely a whisper. But the crack in her tone didn’t go unnoticed. Nani Maa reached over, gently patting Nisa’s hand.
“Ahan, the heart never hides its burdens, even when the lips try to deny them.”
She paused, her eyes softening with a knowing sadness.
“I know this pain, Bacha. I, too, was once measured by the color of my skin when I was your age.”
Nisa’s eyes widened in surprise.
“But nani maa, how is that so? You’re beautiful”
She looked at her grandmother, seeing a flicker of the past in her gaze.
“Ahan! When I was a little girl, I was always told that I was too dark, that I didn’t have the beauty my cousins had.”
Nani Maa continued, her voice steady but laced with a deep, quiet sorrow.
“But as time passed, meri jaan, I learned that beauty is not in what others see but in what we hold inside.”
She paused, squeezing Nisa’s hand gently.
“The world will try to measure your worth by shallow standards, but true value lies in how you make others feel.”
“Beauty is fleeting, but kindness is eternal. The world will try to measure your worth by shallow standards, but true value lies in how you make others feel.”
Nani Maa’s words hit her hard, and her eyes welled up! Meher looked at her sister, truly seeing her for the first time, not as a rival but as someone who had silently suffered.
“I’m sorry,”
Meher said, her voice breaking.
“Im sorry for not standing up for you, for not realizing how much this hurt you.”
Tears started to flow from Nisa’s eyes.
“It’s not your fault. But I let their words define me.”
The sisters hugged and had the deepest heart to heart and after this they no longer let society’s superficial standards dictate their bond or their worth. Over time, Nisa found her confidence, discovering that her intelligence, humor, and compassion shone far brighter than anyone’s perception of beauty. Meher, too, learned to redirect the conversations, subtly challenging the biases of their community. The sisters became each other’s champions, proving that love and support outweighed societal norms.
Moral: Beauty lies only in the strength of character. Beauty is much beyond the depths of our skin. The pressure of society can cause division and hate, but understanding and love can heal.
Writer | Scribbler of Dramatic Verses | Zoophilist | Empath |In the midst of writing my very first Novel | Mens Skincare Coming Soon | Husband’s Right Hand
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