“It’s an unfair world and has been that way since forever, courtesy the obsession of the society towards fair skin. However, in my case, people being un-fair to me have helped me learn a skill that is earing me my second income. I am a mehendi artist.
My neighbour aunty always applies mehendi to all the kids in the neighbourhood and loved doing it to my cousin who had a fair complexion, but was seldom interested in applying it to me. Her reason for that was I was dark and the mehendi design wouldn’t look great on my skin. The 12-year-old me was determined to learn how to draw these designs and decorate my hands on my own rather than having to depend on anyone else. That’s how my journey as a mehendi artist began.
I started practising on the walls, my mother’s hands, and everyone around to hone my skills. I went on to do my engineering and then started working as a mehendi artist at weddings and other functions. This was something I enjoyed doing as I was making money unlike the time when I used to volunteer to draw mehendi designs for my friends, cousins, and neighbours during birthdays and other functions.
But weddings and function orders did not come often and my parents were not happy with the fact that I was spending time at home without taking up a full-time job. That’s when I joined a BPO and have been earning a decent living. However, I could not leave behind my passion for mehendi which is why I have been continuing to do it at weddings.
I plan on setting up my own mehendi training school for young students to learn the art and earn a second source of income for them.”

#STEREOTYPES #SOCIETY #SHADEISM #PREJUDICE #DISCRIMINATION #MEHENDIART #SKINCOLOUR #OBSESSION #FAIRNESS #FAMILY #ENGINEERING #MEHENDI #PASSION #EDUCATE #EMPOWER #MADRAS #HUMANSOFMADRAS