And the realisation that I have actual responsibilities is what I think is the first step into adulthood for me
When I turned 18 this year my first thought was “Whoa, Im an adult now!” But am I really? Do you know what separates an 18-year-old from a 17-year-old in India? Just one thing; a driving licence. Because so many teenagers go off to university in different cities or countries, or simply don’t get the time, most don’t get their licence at 18. However, because of my gap year, I could, and decided to apply for a learner’s license.
After the process of applying and waiting for the test for two restless months, I finally got my learner’s licence on Wednesday, this week. It was quite an experience — standing in a line for an hour at the RTO, waiting to hear my name being called out, tediously reading all the different road signs (which I might have never quite come across), giving a common sense test, and finally waiting for the actual licence again. I was pretty drained by the end of it, but not drained enough to stop looking at the card in my hand. I CAN ACTUALLY drive now. I’m going to start my lessons this week, and I just realised something — isn’t it amazing how free I was going to be in just a month?
One of the major markers of being a child is going to school by a bus, or having your mother or father drop you everywhere, or waiting for your driver to come so you can just leave for God’s sake! That’s over now. I can drive myself to the place where I intern, to my friend’s place, to parties, to the mall — anywhere I want. It’s a kind of independence I’ve never really experienced before, and its so exciting. It makes me feel so grown-up, as if I could really manage my own stuff now, without getting the rents involved.
When my parents got me a car, I failed to realise how much trust they invested in me in the process. They were literally saying, go wherever you want, do whatever you want. This time they weren’t going to be behind the wheel, or have a driver reporting where he’s taking me. For an Indian teen, it really is crazy to get that kind of freedom. For us, this freedom generally comes at a price. It’s called RESPONSIBILITY. And the realisation that I have actual responsibilities is what I think is the first step into adulthood for me.
(Aviva Mehta is an 18-year-old student, currently on gap year. When she’s not obsessing over Kylie Jenner, she’s looking for free WiFi.)
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