'Spinster' and the Choice of Being Single

Spinster can be truly happy or fulfilled without a man in her life. My forty-five years landlady Mina Yonjan is single and I don't think she is more or less happy than most of the married women I know. She is widely known as successful advocate by her profession and makes the case that staying unmarried doesn't mean being sad, lonely or even alone. Just few days ago I had a conversation with her. I asked, are you happy with single life of yours? She replied “life is a challenge and a marriage isn’t a guarantee for happiness’’. Yonjan further explained about the power of single women and what looks like when you take marriage off the agenda. I was replying her with words; ‘really’, ‘is it so’, ‘may be you are right’. Some times with louder voice she said; “If you never enjoyed being single, I m sorry, I think you may be doing it wrong because being single is awesome! And really important as well as it is healthy too”.  According to her most important aspect of being single is, one can engage in self exploration. People negotiate a lot when they commit to another person in order to consider both people's needs and wants. But when you're single, it is really all about yourself. Again I questioned, “Is it really possible to live a fulfilled single life for a girl?”  In her loud voice she said; “Yes, yes and yes.

History is brimming with smart, independent women who never wore sindoor, chudi or identified themselves as being a partner to someone else. Rather there are so many examples of successful single women from different sectors like Diane Keaton, Lata Mangeshkar, Parijaat and many more all around the world who proved being single is not a bad choice in life” After being so close with such a felicitous spinster landlady of mine, I realized there is nothing wrong with being a spinster rather women who are satisfied with being single are happier than everyone else.
                         
                                                                                     Sujata Acharya
                                                                                     Hetauda8, Makwanpur