Mistress of all trades, queen of her world!

SUBVERTED

Today’s women are warrior princesses who ride every facet of life on their own terms, observes Rachna Chhabria.

She is no Sleeping Beauty awaiting a Prince Charming. This damsel-in-distress is her own knight-in-shining-armour; she is the queen of her world. In her life, the role of a fairy godmother is redundant, for she is busy playing Secret Santa to sundry others!

She is as much at ease at a havan, as she is at a goth party. She is someone who you can safely take home to your mother with the assurance that she will have your family eating out of her hands with her charm and wit. She is also someone who can accompany you on a night out with your friends. She will make your buddies swoon with her chutzpah.

She is a 3am buddy. She will discuss the finer points of F1, cricket, and football with you. Her knowledge of the games will stun you into silence. She can challenge you to arm-wrestle with her, at the same time she will lend you her slim but sturdy shoulders to cry on.

Call her princess of all things corporate. Her bargaining skills deserve a black belt! Her work fundas can teach the management czars a thing or two. Business schools can learn effective time and resource management from her. She juggles several glass balls with the ease of a master juggler. Her philosophy is simple: Go. For. It.

You have seen her in movies. As Laila, the diving instructor in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara who teaches the three protagonists, the art of staying underwater. As Naina in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, who is not scared of revealing that she will fall in love again, with someone who doesn’t reciprocate her feelings.

You have read her in books. As Sati, the warrior princess in Amit Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy, who can love and care for her family and swing her sword at enemies all the same. As Daenerys Targaryen, the Khaleesi and Mother Of Dragons in George RR Martin’s Game Of Thrones Series, who can burn foul men who belittle her fire and get thousands of warriors to bow to her command, in her quest for her rightful succession to the Iron Throne.

Meet the new age woman. A heart of gold, a mind of steel. Mistress of all trades. She knows what she wants from life and how to get it. Her goals are charted. Her dreams are set. She only awaits fulfillment.

The new age woman can hold her own business meetings, negotiate with tough clients, work her way out of tricky viruses, convince you on the benefits of a power nap and the efficacy of flax seeds. She is as adept at whipping up perfect mocktails, as she is at brewing herbal tonics to get rid of that nagging sore throat. She is every little niece’s favourite aunt. She can shift gears as well as apply eye-liners with a deft hand. Her power point presentations pack a mean punch, as do the chicken tikkas she can rustle up at the parties she throws. A go-getter. A trend-setter. She doesn’t move with time; time matches pace with her.

No job is too daunting for the new age woman. As can be seen in the case of Vinita Ajila, owner of two popular gyms in the city. Most consider managing a gym a man’s job, but Vinita handles the operational challenges of running two successful gyms, even as she manages her family life well. Her passion for fitness saw her buying the franchise from the masters in Mumbai. She opened the first branch on Richmond Road in Bangalore. Soon after, she opened the second one on old Madras road. “We had something called entry benefit, as we were the first to set up. We did quite well. Now, though there is competition from other gyms, we are doing pretty well.” An internationally certified trainer, she teaches Les Mills BodyPump and takes RPM classes, as well as ponders over excel sheets and organises book launches.

For the new age women, it’s all about following one’s passion, going where the heart leads, as in the case of Arpitha, a tattoo artist with Hakim Aalim’s Studio. After a degree in Fine Arts, she majored in graphic designing, and went on to do a post-graduation in Mass Communication. With an urge to get into something art-related, she trained in a studio as a tattoo artist for three and a half years. She thrives on the challenge of her work. “Each design is unique, each client is different. It’s thrilling when the same person comes back for a second tattoo. Though it has its ups and downs, I am very happy with my job.” One of the perks of her profession is meeting lots of people and hearing their stories, which inspire her.

Sherin Sanjay has shoved away not one, but two conventions aside. She has embraced a job that was hitherto considered a man’s domain: a certified gym trainer at a leading city gym, her passion for fitness saw her entering the world of fitness and training men. “My aim is to be a head trainer at a gym, or open my own gym,” says this former air-hostess. Her other passion is racing. Her love for speed, sees her racing on a Bajaj Pulsar every Sunday morning along with hundred other enthusiasts.

Another woman who ventured into a territory that was completely alien to her is Himanjali Sankar. Though water was not her element, she is now a certified deep sea diver, as well as an editor at a leading publishing house and has even authored two children’s books.

“To be a certified diver, I had to train in confined water dives in a swimming pool, open water dives at Orca Dive Club in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. And now, I’m a water-baby; funny how I never knew I had it in me to brave the blue!”

The new age woman may have her finger in many pies, but she has her eyes firmly rooted to the goal post. Passion is her guiding factor and determination her strength. She is unwavering in her beliefs and abilities. She is grounded in reality, yet dreamy enough to give wings to her sundry desires.