Inked!

Tattoos can symbolize a life story. In some cases, tattoos help process traumatic life events. It can also be a personal adventure or overcome the fear of pain. For some, tattoos seem to go deeper than just underneath the skin, creating a deep personal change, which makes them mentally stronger.

I got my 1^st tattoo a long time ago…think it was 2011, don’t remember the exact month or date. It was an unplanned tattoo, I walked into a mall saw a bunch of girls my age lining up to get a heart, butterfly or names of their better half inked…that was the whole #saifeena phase…whatever! As cheesy its sounds, I gave in to the temptation of trying something new. My mother had a say on my major permanent fashion decisions like getting my hair coloured, piercing my nose or the upper earlobe…I did those things anyway.  Tattoo did not exist in the spectrum of things she imagined 😊  

That was also a phase I was a trying to find solace in another faith besides my own - Sikhism, my fascination started in college when I went to a friend’s place. Her mum used to keep the Guru Granth Sahib at home, and I used to visit the Gurudwara with her. I remember going to the Gurudwara on Gurpurab in Ahmedabad, there were several candles that were lit around me. After that day every time I was low or needed some strength Gurudwara got added to my list of holy places.

Coming back to my 1^st tattoo, I was going through some emotional mess (have gone through a lot of it time to time) of trying to cope up from a rejection and one-sided love 😊. Getting a tattoo done seemed more like releasing or overcoming pain. It seemed more technical once I decided to get one done at that moment as I entered the mall and waited for my turn. The tattoo artist belonged to Rajasthan. He asked me “Kitna bada tattoo chahiye?” … “I said sabse chhota?” He said “ek sq.inch..” and just showed me the area on his wrist . He asked, “Kya banana hai?” I looked at him blankly and at that moment I told him “Ek Onkar bana do” He looked it up and made a temporary on a trace paper and that’s how I got my 1^st tattoo in blue ink. My 2^nd tattoo was a symbol and meaning of someone’s name. Both these tattoos were made at a low point, and they were a reminder of not a correct choice and hurt in my life. But they empowered me made me feel stronger.

Unlike an extreme reaction I imagined at home, my mother did not seem angry or enraged, she seemed neutral about it. Then she explained what we call a tattoo it referred as ‘Godnaa’ in villages and has existed for a while. It was on my dadi’s hand (she had her name) and my mum’s dadis hand. 

Some after thoughts:

1)  Tattoo on a wrist or any part of the body that shows at work may not be the best idea specially if your workplace is conservative

2)  While tattoos are personal the minute, they show they will beg for explanation, be prepared to explain

3)      Religious tattoos in the current political environment should be made with caution

4)      Lastly think if you would like to have it even if the person is out of your life