In the 21 years of my life, nothing about me has stood out more than my name. Go ahead, check out the by-line again to see what I’m talking about. Don’t get it?
*Hint hint* I’m a girl.
I’m sure there are some (I hope?) out there like me, living with a name that can easily be a boy or a girl’s. And I’m sure, just like me, you too are tired of hearing the same ol’ things.
1. *meets for the first time* ‘Oh! I thought you were a boy!’
Me and my X chromosome are here to disappoint you.
2. Hi, can I speak to MISTER Raunaq?
I’m sorry, Mr. Raunaq can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, cuz he don’t exist.
3. Oh, I have loads of friends named Raunaq, but none of them are girls.
Congratulations on your many raunaqs.
4. You must be from Punjab na, waha toh Dilpreet ladka-ladki dono hote hai!
Punjab really seems to be the pioneer for gender-equality.
5. But Raunaq is a boy’s name, na? *cue in-depth explanation of why it is a female-gendered Hindi word*
Watch me morph from an English writer to a Hindi professor in 2 seconds.
6. My father thinks you’re my boyfriend because we hang out a lot.
7. Imagine dating someone named Raunaq also!
Oh, the horror.
8. Did your parents not love you enough to give you a pretty name?
9. But why Raunaq????? There are so many other names you could have had!
Well I didn’t have much of a choice at 3 days old!!
10. Wow, that’s such a unique name.