Rant 101: Limp

“Understood?”, she patiently asked the kids again.

“Yes mam”, they replied in unison. They were abnormally quiet today. No movement whatsoever. Abnormal levels of discipline.

She took her register and the student notebooks in her hand and slowly walked out of her class. She walked across the lobby close to the wall. The peon standing at the principal’s office gazed at her with a sudden unease. He kept gazing at her. She felt uncomfortable. While she went close enough, the peon kept looking.

“Madam, what’s wrong with your leg?”, he asked.

“Oh this! no nothing. Slipped from the stairs, these diwali preparations you know.”, she replied in a jiffy and went inside the principals room to sign the daily biometric. The peon looked up to the idol of mother mary, took a sigh and then sat on his chair again. The office accountant came out and asked him why he looked worried. He pointed towards her. She came out of the principals office and greeted both the peon and the accountant with a big smile.

“How was your diwali sir?”

“Fine miss, how was yours?”, the man in his mid 50’s asked.

“Mine was good too. I am just hoping my vacation mood gets over soon.”, She laughed after she finished. The other two could not. They just gave a smile. She kept her eyes below and walked away from them.

“Such a bright young girl and see her state. She’s barely 30 and look at what her body has already become like. Scars, limps, rashes, cuts.. is this what her parents raised her off for so long? God bless this lady. She is the bravest girl I have seen in some time now”, He looked upto the idol of mother mary too. They both walked away. She continued to walk along the corridor close to the walls.

Nearly everyone in school knew what she went through. It was all clearly visible. But her smiling face and the astounding courage did not allow anyone to directly ask her. 3 marks were clear – one below the left eye, one on her wrist and her limping leg. By  the recess, nearly the entire school knew, Miss Anamika was beaten up again, by her husband. 

This might be a hypothetical plot that I presented to you. But I wanted to create all scenarios what such females go through. I do not want to dig any data here and present numbers, you can all google out the data and see it yourselves. This is also not for the females or the married women out there. No. You all are strong enough to hndle things like this. Just remember, when he crosses the limit, you have every right to cross it a little ahead.  I really don’t think girls should be told what to do anymore. Its time we change the focus.

So all you girls and guys and parents, or anyone who is going to bear kids along in the next 10-20 years. Listen carefully! If we don’t take this urgently now, tomorrow your friend, your sister or maybe your daughter will also be hit this way. She will be abused – infront of society, in person, on the bed and also do remember, chances are high that you won’t know it. Because Indian females have this strange habit of “no, nothing happened!”. You, me and I – we all have to work at it urgently.

The focus has to be instantly changed to the male generations. The present one and the coming one. We all need to counsel and train all male generations who are coming up to be benevolent and respectful towards ladies. Hit them thrice if they hit their sisters once. Punish them if you hear they got involved in eve-teasing at school. Explain it to them clearly – There is no way you are disrespecting a lady and coming out safe”. This understanding has to be instilled.

Sisters, mothers and all females related with growing males, sit with them, make them understand what they might feel like if threatened and abused that way. The key is to talk. Start conversations. At the family level. Let the females of the family take a lead.

For educated males and females out there, visit back your schools, your colleges. Talk about these things. Talk what abuse literally means. I am sure not all guys even know what all an average Indian girl has to go through. Tell them, Start a conversation. This has to become the talk. All males reading  this, we need to realise that this needs to stop. If you have been inconsiderate about it, there is still a day left in October for you to come back. Start the November with a fresh resolution.

Males do not own females. Not your girlfriends, not your sisters, not your wives, nor your old mother. Your sick state of mind does not give you  the free pass to behave however you want with a lady. She is a daughter and a sister and a mother to someone. And even if she is nothing to noone, just an individual, even that does not give you any exploitative rights. So hold on! If you’ve been doing that till now, stop it asap! There is no alternate but to stop.

And for all the girls out there. There is a request! Whenever a guy shows the first sign of emotional or mental or physical abuse, hit him in his crotch right then and  there. Do not wait for the issue to magnify. Retaliate at the first signs. Make it crystal clear – This is not acceptable. 

I agree whatever, I am talking about might seem irrelevant to the girls who regularly go through all this. I mean tens of incidents per day. I know you all have your own defensive mechanisms. But I really want you to know, to retaliate and kick such a person is absolutely ok and that it is  time we all talk about this to our coming generations and make them absolutely clear – This is not acceptable. 

Share your own incidents of retaliation if any. It will surely be an inspiration for other girls too. If you are a guy reading this, make a pledge that we make sure nothing of that sort happens, either by us or around us. Share it with your friends and family members. It’s important to take the first steps to make things better.

Always Ranting, Rantzaada.