I have always had dark brown hair, but it was thin and hard to maintain. So last month, I went ahead and got a chic, sharp bob cut. You should have seen the reaction at home. My dadi looked at me like I had committed a federal crime. “Ladkiyon ki shaan unke lambe baalon mein hoti hai,” she said.

Apparently, long hair is the ultimate certificate of being a ‘good, marriageable Indian girl.’ I don’t know who tells society that values live in inches of hair. I love my dadi, but my short hair makes me feel fierce, confident, and independent. Your hair length doesn’t define your values or your culture!