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Nirupa Mohandas
It takes only 10 minutes of talking to Dr. Nirupa Mohandas to hear about her love life and dating experiences. As a native of India, Nirupa’s open-minded parents still expected their daughter to have a traditional, arranged marriage after she completed medical school. Yet after meeting 30 men and becoming engaged, Nirupa decided she was not ready to commit to marriage. Instead, she moved to New York City and completed her residency at New York University.
“It was really a turning point in my life. I was this shy, timid girl ... the whole
atmosphere of New York is a melting pot—different cultures, religions. It changed me. I think New York gave me confidence, made me outgoing,” Nirupa reflects.
While she claims not to call herself a feminist, Nirupa has strong ideas about a woman’s right and need to make a living. She disagrees with her parents and “parents the world over” who think their daughters should have a man to take care of them.
“(My parents) still ask me ‘When are you getting married?’ and I say, ‘Oh, yeah, yeah, soon, soon.’ But I’m still single, and I’m happy. Hey, if somebody comes along, and they’re the right person, great. But if it doesn’t happen, I’m not going to sit and cry for the rest of my life. ... I have to stand on my own feet.”
— Catherine Schmidt (JFP Chicks We Love, 2006)
