I was very young when I first watched Cinderella - a classic fairy-tale romance of all the times. It was a fascinating movie that made me fall in love with Cinderella. And I grew up, believing that prince charming exists. And with the help of a fairy godmother or magical witch (whatever you call it), one day, I will find a prince of my own.
But I was utterly disappointed after growing up when I realized Cinderella is just a part of a fairy tale. And I live in a reality where a fairy tale doesn't exist. And there is no prince charming, no fairy godmother or magical witch. And that's how my twenty years of love life ended in tragedy.
But - the truth was I already met my fairy godmother, of course, she wasn't an old magical witch. She didn't even turn me into a golden goose, but she did something incredible. She saved me from almost dying and that's when I realized fairies do exist.
And they exist in the form of the purest and kindest gestures we received from others.
And since then I wondered, "Why do I need a prince charming?"
Yes, I'm Cinderella. Although I'm not the Cinderella of the fairy tale book. I'm just a normal girl who wears a baggy t-shirt and jeans, and whose hair is just plain black. Neither I'm gorgeous like her nor do I have a prince who can be my knight in shining armor.
And then another question popped into my mind. I asked myself, why does Cinderella need a prince?
To save her from her misery? But isn't she strong enough to save herself from those miseries?
Yes, she was. Cinderella was strong enough to save herself from all the miseries. After all, she fought against her evil stepmother for so long.
Indeed, she didn't rebel. She accepted everything the way it was. But it was not because she was weak. If she was weak, she would have given up long ago. But she didn't. She had many reasons not to be happy in her life. But she chose to ignore all those silly reasons. She chose to smile and face every odd of her life.
She didn't even need the magical witch to make her princess for a day. After all, every girl is a princess in their heart, they don't need a prince to make them feel happy or content or to save them from their misery.
What if that day she didn't meet the magical witch or fairy godmother?
Then her life would've remained the same, it wouldn't bring any change to her life. And her sufferings ended because she met the magical witch, her fairy godmother?
But what if the prince was only dazzled by her outer beauty? Not by the inner beauty of her heart?
Didn't he approach her because she was outstandingly beautiful among all?
Has anyone of us ever thought that? No, because it's a fairy tale and a fairy tale has to be a happy ending.
But what if the prince wasn't a good person? What if he was a beast or wolf in the disguise of a prince?
We never thought this fairy tale is different from reality and at the end of the fairy tale, everyone gets a happy ending.
But what is a happy ending? A happily-ever-after?
But there's no happily-ever-after. Because in reality, when someone's story ends, it ends with their death.
Then how can it be a happy ending?
Endings are full of sorrows, that make us feel vulnerable. And it's not easy to say goodbye, to the people whom we love or the things that we cherish.
But endings also mean the beginning of a new chapter. And a new chapter of life is full of challenges- but it's not far from being a happily ever after.
Now, let's think, what if the prince was a beast or wolf in disguise?
Well, if the prince turned out to be a beast or a wolf in disguise a prince, then it would be an epic love story of fairy tales!
After all, he will eventually fall in love with Cinderella, seeing her naivety and innocence. After all, she was a girl with a golden heart, wasn't she? Who can resist falling in love with her?
And that's fantasy was created in our mind! The beast falls for beauty and beauty falls for the beast seeing his good nature. But can a beast change or have a good nature?
We don't want to l think about those possibilities. Because we humans love fairy tales and fantasies, which are far from realities.
We, humans, love to escape. Escape from our realities because it's bitter and harsh. We want to find a little happiness in those fairy tales and fantasies. But we usually forget that there is no escape from reality.
But in reality, at the end of the story, Cinderella has to fight by herself, whether there's a prince or not. But to begin with, the story was never about the prince charming or glass slipper.
It was about Cinderella's precious moment when she felt special. Her fairy godmother, the magical witch turned her into a beautiful princess because she wanted Cinderella to have the moment of her life where she can treat herself like a princess. She never expected her to meet the prince, not at all.
The prince was just a bonus, Cinderella gained in the process. But for Cinderella, who lived her whole life in an attic, this was the moment she wanted to treat herself better.
She wanted to go to the ball and have her first dance like everyone else. Because she felt she deserves it. Whether she was beautiful or not, she wanted to have the moment of her life.
But when the magic vanished, she didn't feel upset. She was happier than ever because she realized that she was special. And she was special because she valued herself.
She knew it didn't matter whether she was wearing a beautiful gown or not. Because she was priceless, she was a princess of her own.
And she doesn't need to depend on a prince to find her happy ending. She doesn't need to wait for the magical moment where everything will change and all her miseries will be gone.
And today's Cinderella knows that. She also knows that she doesn't need to turn herself into a golden goose to find a prince charming.
She just has to face her odds with a smile. And in the end, she will shine like a star.
A prince or not, she always will be a princess of her own.
Every Cinderella has a story to tell, but sometimes it's not about the magical witch or the prince. Sometimes, it's just about the struggles of her life.
And not every Cinderella needs a prince. Sometimes she just needs to have a special moment of her where she can value herself.
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