On India’s 75th Independence Day, I find myself thinking about what freedom really means — not in a grand, nationalistic way, but in the quiet, everyday moments of life. Sometimes, independence shows up not in revolutions, but in small acts of self-trust and defiance, in choices that feel ordinary but are deeply liberating.
For me, it has shown up in the smallest ways.
Crawling into bed at noon.
Asking for help.
Saying that scary “I love you”.
Quitting a job that makes me miserable.
A glass of wine – just like that.
A simple “no”, no explanations.
Saying yes to the unknown.
A good cry without guilt.
Taking time to make my coffee just as I like it.
A slow Sunday breakfast.
My first house.
Reading a book into midnight.
Chocolate cake.
Apologising.
Learning a new skill.
A one way ticket.
Embracing my body type.
Walking away from a bad relationship.
Accepting my parents’ dissaproval.
Taking a solo walk to nowhere.
My music playlist – no judgements.
Changing “I should” to “I want to”.
A long bath.
Making that tough phone call.
Discipline.
Laughing out loud.
As my country marks 75 years of independence, I think of the freedoms still unfinished — on our streets, in our homes, inside ourselves.