Today’s Special – Us

Ok then. It is International Women’s Day!
The print media has pages and pages full of women (human) interest stories, survival tales of women from different walks of life, interviews from women on-the-top, articles on women empowerment, international v/s national status report of women and blah blah. The electronic media doesn’t lag far behind. Overlooking the fact that the entertainment channels are anyways women dominated, we still have an array of shows and movies scheduled to be telecast today – all celebrating womanhood. How do I feel? Well, pampered for a while. But, hasn’t the media gone a bit overboard, especially, the news media?! Hmmm… and we talk about equality?
Talking about equality, with hardcore feminists arguing for more rights and the male chauvinists counter arguing over the plethora of laws and reservations we already have to our rescue, this debate over the equality of sexes may never come to a full stop.
Anyways, as a woman, and a proud one in that, I take this opportunity to speak on behalf of the entire yin clan – that we don’t need all this print and air space going gaga about us for a day. We are glad that we are celebrated. We appreciate. But, the need for the day is RESPECT. We are a part of your life in different forms - your mother, your sister, your friend, your relative, your companion, your teacher, your love, your homemaker, your household help, your cook, your next door neighbour and even the ones you may not know personally – we are more than just a part of your sex chromosome. We don’t deny your importance in our lives. All we expect of you is to accept us for what we are, who we are and respect us for the same with your entire gentleman’s grace. Want to make us feel special, then as a first – don’t take us for granted.
Respect – you may claim is something you always have had – and that you don’t need someone like me to remind you of your manners. Well, I am sorry if you already are an exception. But, just answer this question to yourself – how many abuses have you used till now which don’t insult somebody else’s woman? Name them, understand their meaning and you will get an answer for yourself. Remember, the need for rights arises when they are denied.
All said and done, it will take more than just rights to prove the proverb ‘What goes to the goose, goes to the gander’ right. It will require conscience awakening. It will require YOU to be a man of your words. Till then, one can just hope that God is the abbreviation of Goddess.



A simple Hug, a Peck, a Kiss,
Use of ‘Thank You’ and of ‘Please’,
A Helping Hand at chores sometimes,
Say ‘I care’ and ‘Sorry’ at times,
Cook up some meal or Come home early,
Make your Woman feel all girly,
Mutter those 3 Magical words whenever you Must,
Show more of Love than of lust,
Bring her some Flowers if not a rock,
Or simply take her for a Drive or a Walk,
Be with Her whenever you Can,
And when with Her - be her Man,
Replace the ‘I’ and ‘You’ with the lovely ‘Us’,
And see what Wonders all this does!

These are just a few Pointers from me to You,
Make Use of all or one or two,
What You Do is upto You,
After all, I don’t need to tell You -
What in the World She Means to You!

The crossing

Crossing the road is something that all of us do. It’s a very involuntary lesson we all learn with time. But, ever thought that crossing a road could be more than just that? Well, one such crossing changed my life forever.
It was mid May – the month of my summer vacations and also the one when the sun is in his worst mood. It was one of my first visits to the Tata Memorial Hospital – a place where those suffering from cancer are treated. But, it was not one of her regular chemotherapy and radiation sessions that day. She had come to do some blood tests as the doctors had doubted that her cancer had spread furthermore. Of course, she didn’t tell me that when I asked her then.
Over a year of chemotherapy and radiation had already sucked half her life out and now they were sucking her blood – not a drop or two, but two test tubes full of blood! Can you imagine the brutality?! I cried. And what could be worse – the doctor-in-charge gave those test tubes to me and instructed me to submit them to the path lab located in the opposite wing of the hospital.
In order to reach the lab, I had to obviously cross a road – not a big deal, right? I thought so too. But, as I stood there waiting to cross, the opposite footpath seemed miles away. Suddenly, my body decided to act up against the gravity. I couldn’t raise my foot. My hands started sweating – not because of the scorching sun, but because of the fear that had begun to grip me. The cold sweat made my palms even more slippery. What if I couldn’t cross? What if I dropped the test tubes? Was I even capable enough to carry someone’s life in my hands? What was the doctor thinking - assigning such an important task to a kid like me? I was not even a teenager. I freaked out.
But, I knew I had to cross that road. I had to cross it for her. And I thought of her and how she managed to smile even when they sucked her of all her energy in the name of cure. How could I be such a coward? If I couldn’t do this, I thought, I couldn’t do anything at all.
So, I used all my force to stop the trembling of my fingers, picked up my body weight which felt like lead, gathered my faith and took a step forward. The crazy traffic, the harsh sunlight, people pushing each other while crossing – everything seemed plotted in my way to assure that I didn’t succeed. With every step I took I was fighting the fears that were killing me of hope and the tears that were blurring my vision.
But, somehow, I managed. How? Even I can't explain. All I know is that when I finally crossed, I turned back – and stood there for a moment – consuming what I had just survived – a simple zebra crossing – which transformed me from a kid to an adult. In just a matter of few minutes, the caterpillar had transformed into a butterfly. Delicate, but, colored with new hope and its newly discovered strength - all it had to do was accept its new form and flutter its wings to fly. Was I prepared to fly alone in the vast blue sky? I’m not sure. But, I sure had my wings now.
As tears flooded in my eyes, I looked down to see those two test tubes safe in my sweaty hands – her blood had given me her strength. The doctor had probably foreseen her enduring will in me. After all, I was her blood.