Trigger warning: This article mentions dowry deaths; reader discretion is advised.For centuries, women have been sold the narrative that finding ‘the one’ is the ultimate milestone in life. From literature to pop culture, women have been taught that their lives are incomplete without a ‘soulmate’. They have been told that a magical person will arrive and make everything fall into place. Even today, society thinks a woman’s happiness is directly proportional to her relationship status. However, the recent dowry deaths in the nation tell a different story. When women are conditioned to pin all their hopes on marriage, the consequences can be devastating -both emotionally and, in tragic cases, fatally.And that is exactly why Bollywood star and politician, Kangana Ranaut' words of wisdom stand relevant. “What you do and what you are is more important than who you marry,” she said earlier this year. She was emphasising the importance of women understanding their worth and building a future for themselves, independent of marital status.