Sunday, August 12, 2012

Two Thoughts With Me Inside

Thanks to Electricity Board and Telecom Service, I live here in darkness and complete isolation. The virtual world used to give me an existence that I always wished to live in! At home, when my parents go to office in the morning and my brother goes to college I remain all alone. I cannot say my home is completely empty since there is a maid who is busy with her works and gossiping. She joined my grandma’s house at the age of 13 and at present she is almost a part of our family. Because of the freedom given, she set rules in my house which others follow without hesitation.

She keeps asking about each and every minute objects at home. When I try to take something from the store room, she comes rushing to enquire what I am doing there! Earlier in my childhood days I was scared to go to our kitchen. She will be there around to check my movements. Although later I recognized her shouting was for my safety, kitchen became a matter of fear for me. I could get over this fright only recently. Now I am comfortable to work in kitchen as I know I can reply back to her in the same tone. Yet she is the ruler at my home even now.

Yet I know she is the only creature with whom I can talk in the day time. Being a member of orthodox Brahmin family, so many restrictions bind me. Even if I break that and talk to the neighbors, they withdraw themselves from interacting with me as it is what they were forced to practice for centuries. I’ve always dreamed of a life without religion or gender difference. Every thought of mine ends up in gender difference these days. My brothers are going for a tour this weekend without me for a simple reason that I am a female. Except in the metros, India is still a country where you can go for a picnic with same genders unless it is a family trip. And mostly girls do not go for excursions because every parent fears the so called security of females.

Even while I know everything cannot be changed in one day, scribbling my thoughts give me a relief. Writing is my refreshment; in fact that is the only thing for me to unwind these days! Now I am relieved and so let me get back to my work of writing travel articles. Though it is a part of my earning, I like it because at least through words I can travel to some of the most beautiful places on earth without a female label.

13 comments:

  1. Its really disheartening to know your plight and the injustice meted out to you just because of being a female.I hope at some point of tiem in your life your relatives realise their folly.In the meantime,you can do what you do best,writing amazing stuff for us readers! I hope my words will lessen the burden of the situation upon you :)

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  2. Well... one can either see the glass half full or half empty... Why do I get the feeling that you are obsessed with this thought of not having enough freedom??? Think of the thousands of girls elsewhere in the country who are not even as free as you are... Or think of the women in our own community even a generation or two ago...We do have a lot of freedom and voice that they ever dreamed of!!! And yes, change will happen, it might not be in the pace that we wish, but it will definitely come...
    And in the meantime, as you rightly said, let us work our way towards the change...

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  3. I'm sorry about your plight. I can semi relate to it as in I can't come home late or go out late with friends because I'm a girl and people will talk...
    It gets to me too but I shrug it off because I am still having my fun and doing what I want to :)

    ❤Not Just My Allegories❤

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    1. People always differ Anisha. Anyway thanks for your comment

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  4. Hey Roopa,
    I think you are giving a wrong impression about your situation to your readers.Its not so bad........I understand what you are trying to say ,but all those problems are faced by most of the girls in India not just you.I have to agree with Nisha ,that compared to villages in so many other parts of India,villages and people in kerala are far ahead.And also I have seen so many other families where there is more bias with regard to girls' freedom.Its unfotunate that in our country there are so many things that girls are not allowed to do when boys can.Hope the day will come soon where a girl can travel alone or come back from their work place without worring abt being late and not be scared for their safety.
    Its just my opinion,I'm only saying that readers might just end up getting a false impression about your freedom.
    Anyways,its so good to read ur articles after a long time.Keep up the good job ......

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    1. Thanks Priyechi.
      And yes, I do agree with you... This post was seasonal. Now my mindset has changed!

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  5. Voice of a village gal!

    Penned aptly:

    You gotta break the shackles perhaps!
    What if Gandhi had waited for someone else to organise Dhandi march?

    What if Fidel Castro had kept on waiting for someone more efficient to start a revolution?

    Be the change you want to be!

    Be happy that your condition had been better, as compared to that of mine...
    Living in a materialistic world, Mom visiting me once in a month, hardly 10 full minutes of conversation with Dad, living all alone in a house that requires 15 minutes solid for all the doors and gates be locked up, if you plan to leave; There is no maid for Mom gave a lame excuse, "The household chores would let you filled, and you won't have time to feel lonely"; Although there is a nice hatchback, I haven't had a friend in the past 20 years to ride along with!
    And still, I'm male...


    Yet I live for the moment, with a hope, thinx will be fine soon!
    I can't that heartily expect a change, that would curb away my lonelines... Yet I've ma own hopes...

    Hope for the best, Roopz...

    Liked yur blog, yur posts, yur flo of words...

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    Replies
    1. Thanks a lot for such a long comment... I know each one has their own problem. And every person believes his/her problem is the worst. That is life!

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  6. I enjoyed the poetry in yuor writing.. not anything else. good roopa...

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  7. You must write your blogposts on Word and then do grammar checks to improve the quality of your writing.

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