Thursday, March 27, 2014
Beware we bite
And if you thought that it’s only dogs that bite, you are not exactly right. Women of the human species do bite. They bite only during a specific time of the month when nature takes a toll on them. The worldly tag it as “menstrual cycle” but it’s much more than only two words can describe. The cramps block their feeling of self-worth and suddenly a woman awakens to the fact that “it’s a MAN world”. But the rebel in her is hard to pacify so she goes on a noble cause of making a place for women (like her). Don’t know about the whole world but she does try to shake things around her. Ask any man who has to live with her during those days and he’ll have his own horror stories to instill the fear-factor.
If she goes through so much discomfort, she does ensure that people around live in some uneasiness. She tosses, turns and cries. The pain might leave her at times but depression doesn’t. Any form of human touch is shunned down brutally and don’t even try to come close to her. She wouldn’t shy away from heralding few abuses or hitting you hard (where it hurts the most). She suddenly transforms into the “Chandi” that every man is scared off.
• The bosses are scared to give her work in fear of being getting burnt by irritation
• The spouses try to make themselves invisible and even the most forgetful ones remember the tentative dates in preparation for Emergency rule
• Sex becomes a taboo and affection faces curfew for few days without any relaxed hours
• The sub-ordinates plan calculative leaves to avoid proximity to the shoot-out area
• The friendly street dogs can sense some trouble and stay away from wagging their tails
• The house-helps noiselessly finishes the allocated tasks and avoids all interaction
• The neighbours finish their business quietly without a word
• Even the woman feels it would have been easy to be a man
Life tries to run as quietly as it can but the hormones fight for change. She erupts at slightest reasons or sometimes for no-reason at all. World fails to empathize and that is why they have only one word to define call “period”. It is more than a period for women, a period that makes them all the same. Irritable, dangerous and not easy to live with. But every woman just needs the same thing-love. Love which is unconditional and platonic in kind because those are the days when she can’t bring herself to love the self she was born to.
So, is it too much to ask if she begs you to bear with her for those few days when she stands by you for the rest of the month? The past too granted her leave from the daily chores during this phase. Our mothers and their mothers have tales to support. They narrated numerous rituals of secluding the women and putting restriction on her movements. She was barred from entering the kitchen, religious places and food were room-served to her. In certain ways, it was a dictatorial society where women were sheer subjects. But if you look at it from today’s busyness, it sure did give our women some respite from the daily hardships. Seclusion meant some time for her to relax and take a break from bearing the load of running a socially active household. Maybe, that was an indirect goodness that women enjoyed out of social evils.
To implement the older methods of living isn’t realistic neither would it be morally right especially when women have become a major contributor in the economic status of the household. Hence, official offs and taking rest isn’t plausible. So she goes taking such days as it come, disgruntled and exhausted. While men teasingly comment, “Oh! She might be going through those days of the month.”
Pic Courtesy: Google Images
Monday, March 24, 2014
How mean!
“I am angry so don’t talk. When I’m angry I’m not hungry so don’t bother me,” said she. He took her words very seriously and stayed away from her.
The next morning she felt better and hungry. She confronted him, “You didn’t even ask?” She continued, “I know you don’t care about me anymore.”
He was confused. He resisted, “I care and so I followed your instruction.” Now, you couldn’t blame him. His experiences of women were limited. The only woman he had in his life before her was his mother. His mother always expected him to follow his orders without any question. And he did exactly the same, listened to her without a word. Then why the fuss?
The entire week she sulked. Never let him forget and forgive. That would have still been okay if she wouldn’t have carried the bitterness to bed. She made him sleep hungry every night for few weeks. Finally when her mood changed, he was happy in the belief that the past was forgotten.
Then one day he learnt a new lesson.
He came back early to surprise her. And he himself got the surprise of his life. He found an unknown man in his house. The man hurriedly left without a word.
He was angry and asked, “Who was this? What is he doing here with you?”
She coolly replied, “Remember the last time when I complained about you being busy and not spending enough time with me?”
He didn’t have much clue because he couldn’t remember.
She took her time to reply, “You don’t remember, do you? Anyways, you said to find another man who can spend enough time with me because you’re busy supporting me.”
He went pale, “So?”
She patronizingly answered, “I followed your instruction without a word just like you followed mine when I get angry.”
That day he learnt that women never forget neither do they forgive.
So, men, watch your words carefully when you’re with women.
Pic Courtesy: Google Images
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Which stage are you in?
PHASE 1.
I just want her to be mine, forever. God, please I won’t ask you for anything else.
He is the one for me. I will leave non-veg if he says yes. God, please just this one thing for the last time.
PHASE 2.
I am so lucky. She is the best. Thank You, God!
He is the one I’ve been waiting for so long. Thank You, God for sending him!
PHASE 3.
Why do you take so much time to dress up? We’re always the last to reach. Oh God!
Why don’t you put the toilet seat down? Why do you create so much mess? Oh God!
PHASE 4.
She was just fine when we met. I just can’t recognize her anymore. Why God?
Do I look fat? I know you think I’m ugly. But you weren’t like this when we met. Why God?
PHASE 5.
You must spend some time with your parents. What will they think of me that I don’t let you go?
But who will take care of you if I go? And what makes you think that I’ll let you have those bachelor parties in my absence?
PHASE 6.
I can’t live with her. Oh God! Why didn’t you make me see?
I wish I could leave him if kids weren’t there. Oh God! Why did you send this man to me?
PHASE 7.
Did you take your medicines? Are you feeling alright? God! She has to get okay for me.
Who will take care of him in my absence? God! He can’t even find his towel without me.
Pic Courtesy: Google Images
Thursday, March 13, 2014
The fairy tale love
I need some love, today. Some real, unconditional love.
• Love that would eagerly wait for me and greet me with a warm hug
• Love that would follow me everywhere and make me feel special
• Love that will tell me that I’m the most beautiful so what if I’m dark and fat
• Love that wouldn’t depend on the way I smell
• Love that won’t leave my side even when I go to the restroom
• Love that shows in the eyes and needs no word to express
• Love that doesn’t shy away to kiss me every 5 minutes
• Love that doesn’t seek answers and saves me from despair
• Love that cures my depression of being unloved
• Love that makes me look forward to going back from work
• Love that tells me you’re my world even without uttering a single word
• Love that just makes me feel good about being loved
Maybe that love can’t buy me diamonds. Or buy me expensive gifts. Maybe that love can’t buy me worldly pleasures.
Maybe all this is too much to ask. Maybe it’s time to have a dog. Because only a dog can give you so much love. Even without being asked…
Pic Courtesy: Google Images
Sunday, March 9, 2014
What women needs
I learnt (from experience) that being a woman isn’t easy. And writing for a woman about a woman isn’t easy, either (thanks to a client). We, women are so difficult to please.
Be it the corporate or the personal spaces, we women are no easy job to handle. Maybe, nothing came easy and hence we are on a mission to ensure that nothing gets any easier for others. The flight for equality hasn’t been a smooth ride and whatever seat we’ve managed to get, we want to tighten our seat belts to a suffocating success. Just to make sure that irrespective of the flights fate, we do manage to land unscathed and unhurt. Well, isn’t it an impossible task? I say impossible because we’re humans and we are sure to make mistakes. So why push ourselves so hard that we become Godly? Don’t we have enough Goddesses to worship and spare the country of add-ons?
I don’t know about others, but as a woman I don’t ever wished to be worshipped. All I want is to be recognized as a human being with similar needs and wants like my male counterparts. I don’t need reservations because that is upfront discrimination, when I think I am no less than a man then why treat me special?
Yes, reservations are required though, not for the urban women like me but for the less-urban women in my country who are seeking independence, emotional and financial. The urban woman has acclaimed her financial freedom. Most of us are in pursuit for emotional freedom. Freedom to lead the life they want, freedom to do things without being questioned, freedom to demonstrate love without the fear of what the society will say and many other freedoms.
But the sad part is many women like me in their quest for freedom have stopped acknowledging the fact that they are different from men. They have stopped being themselves trying to ape the stronger sex. A woman is unique in her own ways and what she brings to the table is something only she does. Trying to be tough is her call but just to succeed like a man is a futile effort. Why can’t she be her own self and still succeed like the way only she can?
In our journey to prove to the world that we ain’t any less, let us not lose ourselves and find ourselves in the missing files. Let us not get so cold that even the best of forces can’t track us down.
Don’t forget to be a woman, women!
Pic Courtesy: Google Images
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Agency Facts
We fight, pretty madly. We never miss a chance to blame. We are mad. But despite the madness we feel for each other.
Thank God for it!
So if one meets with an emergency, the whole lot drops their deadline and run to rescue. The bosses help with monetary support while the rest don’t shy away from moral support. Support never runs short.
If one needs a drop then the other waits (even at odd hours) to ensure that you’re dropped. While the rest of the office calls you at whatever time, just to ensure you’re safe.
If one gets fired for reasons beyond his control, the whole team puts in their paper without a thought. Just to claim their solidarity. And together the group then searches for jobs.
If one goes through a personal crisis, then the whole group combines to cheer you out. Without a question we render our support and most are understanding enough to keep your secrets, well-guarded.
Even the lowest in the rank is an important member. His thoughts and reactions are as important as the top rankers.
Loyalties are hard-earned. Boss isn’t always right here, atleast, we ensure he isn’t at times. Designations don’t necessarily earn respect but good work does. So don’t expect orders to be followed every time. Rather we prepare you to deal with mutinies at critical junctures.
Appraisals don’t happen regularly but appreciations do follow at regular intervals. Fed by appreciations, most of us don’t ask for more.
We have no cubicles but the space to turn around and say, “I can’t”. We have no flashy workplace but the freedom to do our own things like sketch in the middle of an important con-call or write a post about work in the middle of work or listen to loud numbers when client is blasting loud.
This is my work-world where every hour is different. Filled with stress and steep commitments, this is the bug called “advertising”.
Pic Courtesy: Google Images
Friday, February 21, 2014
Who pays to copy?
When I was a kid, I wanted to be another ‘Kiran Bedi’ because my folks thought that would be best for me. And all I wanted to do was please them. That point of time I didn’t know about the big hurdles like clearing the competitive exam where everybody is more prepared than you, maintaining the ideal body weight for which you need hours of physical exercise and so on. All that interested me was Ms. Bedi’s smart demeanor and the dress code.
When I was a little older, I wanted to be a doctor because that is what my dad thought I should be. It is prestigious and well-paying, I thought. By that time, I knew the importance of money due to the strict parenting policies of my folks. As a rule, one chocolate a month and one eating out per month was allowed. They believed that children should be made to realize the value of money. And the fact that they belonged to humble families, might have forced them to curb my childish desires.
When I was a teenager, I started thinking of the glamour world. I thought I was God’s blessing to mankind (like every teenager does). Hence, I’ll be a boon to the entertainment industry. My folks knowing my plans bashed me royally and the idea boomed.
During college days, I started talking to myself. I realized academics aren’t cut out for me. The fact that I wasn’t good at it was another issue all together (something I hated to acknowledge). Either, I slept off during the classes or decided to save myself from the torture by bunking them religiously. But then the big spoiler was the low attendance letter hideously appeared at my doorstep. I tried a lot to hide the news from dad but failed in that too. Obviously, I was induced to some heavy shunting and a threat that ate my carefree days. He threatened that he would marry me off to the first guy he set his eyes on, if I continue to ditch classes. And marriage for me meant end of freedom, plenty of examples existed within my family to scream out the danger signs. So, the fear factor got me thinking about a career that made my presence at home minimal.
Today, I am a Copywriter and I take care of my own bills. I don’t know how I became one because a decade ago I didn’t even know what it meant. Writing was like breathing to me and I started it as long as I can remember. But I was told writers don’t get jobs because it isn’t considered a job. It is a hobby which doesn’t pay. So I tried to find out one that pays and bumped into writing for advertising. As to my folks, they still think that I copy and write. They haven’t been able to figure out why would somebody pay you to copy? Isn’t copying an offence?
I don’t even try to explain because my profession makes sure of my frequent absence from home, social gatherings and anything that I want to make an excuse of. The perks aren’t great but it gives me the freedom to think, write and above all dress without any code.
Pic Courtesy: Google Images
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