ig___rhea
Swapna was a forensic expert - brilliant at her work. She noticed details others missed, connected pieces others overlooked, and stayed calm in situations that made people uneasy. At work, she was sharp and respected.
But being good at work didn't mean she was good at everything else.
She grew up in a small town in India, where people always seemed to be watching. Girls were expected to focus on studies, stay away from boys, and avoid attention.
Swapna didn't hate boys. She was just careful.
She was tall, smart, and naturally intimidating, so boys rarely spoke to her unless it was for work or studies. She had learned early how quickly people judged girls.
Talk to a guy? Slut.
Wear your favourite dress? Slut.
Even speaking to a male teacher brought whispers and ridicule.
College and work were better, and the girls around her were kind, but those teenage memories stayed with her.
Then her body changed. Her chest developed, her stomach wasn't perfectly flat, and relatives started making comments.
"You've become fat."
"You looked prettier before."
Words said casually, but words stay.
Swapna was beautiful. She always had been. But slowly she began believing that maybe boys - maybe all men - saw her the same way.
So she hid herself.
Kurta and pants became her comfort zone. No fitted shirts. No crop tops. No clothes she secretly liked but felt she couldn't wear because people would think she was trying too hard.
She became quieter, observing more than speaking, building walls so naturally that she forgot they were walls.
And then-
She met a boy.
And for the first time in years, something inside her shifted. Not loudly.
Just enough for her to notice