Female Irony

Females live in a highly ironic society. Do you too think so or is it just me?

How? Why did I even raise this question? You'll be knowing it at the end of the feature. But before that let me take you to the avenues of Kotulpur.

Like most of the small Indian villages, Kotulpur too is a pleasing unnoticed village in West Bengal with a handful of population confined in a couple of kilometres.

Though the village wasn't developed enough, the villagers surely thought that their mindset was better than most of the nearby village people. Why? Because they anyhow accepted Chutki and did not throw her away for not being a boy. Also, after her, the villagers freely welcomed every other girl born.

Chutki was a thirteen-year-old girl. She was indeed everyone's beloved. For some, maybe because, she was the only teenage girl in the scarcely populated village and for the others to show off their modern mentality.

" Are you going to the marriage function in the neighbouring village today? Yes yes, she is 14. Her parents and neighbours wanted her to marry. Ab everyone is not as open-minded as we are na, we won't let Chutki marry until she's grown up.", flaunted one of the village ladies.

Chutki used to laze around all day, mostly in the temple which was the only place she loved to visit every day, with her doll in her hand and candies tied in her dupatta which Ramesh dada used to give her every day.

"Who wants Mandir ka prashad? Chutkiiii!"
"Arey Chutki, come come eat this Burfi and tell me how it tastes."
"Chutki beta, will you have Maach bhaat with Jethu?"
"Whom shall I give these lemon candies to? Definitely my Chutki! Come take these!"
And this is how Chutki's tummy always used to be full of the love and food which village people used to satisfy her with.

But this time, she was lost in her own world. "Maa I don't feel good. My stomach hurts."
"Did you again eat Ghosh Boudi's halwa? How many times do I have to remind you that you can't digest it!", Chutki's mother chided her.

"No maa I didn't have it" she screamed and started sobbing.
"Arey now why are you crying? Is your ache that severe? Drink some water and sleep, and you'll feel better. I'm going to fetch water from the well I'll bring some herbs for you."

Chutki did as she was told. But her anxieties killed her from the inside. She rushed into the street, though she didn't know why! She had never felt this miserable before. Her body ached, and she felt dizzy, almost like crying. She couldn't withstand it so decided to go to the farm area. Rajesh kaka and Ramila kaki were busy sowing seeds there.

"Do you need any help kaka?"

Rajesh noticed something and whispered to Ramila which made her make a disgusted face.
"Chutki go home.", Ramila said.
"No kaki! I want to help!"
"I said go home Chutki! You're on your period", this time she was loud enough to fear Chutki away.
She rushed home crying.

"Periods! Chutki had no idea what it meant. She had definitely heard it on TV and radio but when she asked her mother about it, she always ignored her. This made her feel that periods are "something bad" and the way Ramila kaki reacted to it confirmed periods to be something ominous. Chutki sat down crying when she noticed blood running down her body. She got tensed. Very tensed.

Soon the news of Chutki being on her period spread like wildfire among the ladies of the village.

" This was going to happen someday. After all, she is a grown-up now. "
"She was so stupid to roam about like this."
"It's because of us that she has become so mannerless to roam about among the public with stains on her body chi chi!"

And this is how people gossipped about the little one without even realising how she might be feeling, all alone.

It was then that her mother returned and heard about her daughter. She rushed to Chutki and saw her scared.

"Maaaaaa" Chutki burst out with fear and hugged her mother.
Her mother did nothing but smiled hugging her tightly. She did arrangements for her and explained it's normal to have periods after a certain age. Every girl has it every month. There's nothing bad about it. However, it’s good to take care of personal hygiene." And this is how she explained every aspect of the menstrual cycle to the little one teaching her how to wrap a pad.

Chutki felt confident now. She only had a few regrets about only if she would have been told about menstruation earlier. If only she could mentally prepare herself in advance for the pain she has to bear every month. Only if the ladies in her village helped and calmed her out instead of gossiping and making her feel anxious all alone.

But anyway, she was happy with the fact that she too now has the blessing and is now a grown-up until...

"No you're not allowed to go inside the temple.. "

How ironic it is to see baby girls being considered as Durga Avatar and worshipped on one hand and not allowing them to worship Durga Maa during her menstrual week the moment they grow up. Isn't it?