Games young ones play

Most of the time, youngsters find it difficult to get permission from their parents for tattooing, colouring their hair and wearing fashionable clothes. When their parents do not accept their way of life, a cold war starts within the family.  

Youngsters want to follow the latest fashion and be in tune with the time and like their friends. But parents are always trying to be protective. Smrithi, who recently convinced her mother on getting a tattoo on her arm, blames it on the generation gap. “My mother was raised at a time when tattoos and piercing were seen only on criminals and rough people. So, she was totally against my idea of having one on my arm. Moreover, tattooing is something that remains permanent on the body, hence she didn’t want me to experiment on such things which might create problems at the time of my marriage,” she says.

But Smrithi was not ready to give up the idea. “My mother was doubtful of the safety and cleanliness of the equipment used for tattooing. I pleaded and went on a hunger strike. But she didn’t agree. As a final attempt, I took her to the artist and let her watch the procedure. When she saw a large number of college girls queuing up for the tattoo, she permitted me,” says Smrithi proudly. Being the youngest child in the family, winning over his parents was not a difficult task for Khasim. “It depends on the close bond you share with your parents. If you ask for a vehicle, the first thing that comes to their mind is your safety. After seeing other young bikers racing, they naturally hesitate to get one for us. Even though I did not face any such thing, I have seen my friends pleading with their parents who were reluctant to oblige to their demands. One of my friends used to stay in his friend’s room without going home till he got a call from his mother promising him the things he wanted,” he says.

Hunger strike and influencing the parents though friends were the tricks played by Prazna to convince her father. “I would convince my father by doing all his work and preparing his morning tea. Friends also come in handy at such times. But more than anything, the trust of our parents is the deciding factor. So, I never do things behind my parents’ back. I wait till they change their opinion in my favour,” says Prazna.