She travels in the city bus and faces accidental unwanted touchings. She doesn’t speak because the bus is crowded and its her problem if she cant afford a private cab. She works equally hard in the office but she has to listen to statements like – oh these girls get to go home early just because they are girls and we have to work our ass off late night! But she doesn’t speak because that is apparently true! (Of course ignoring that she has a deadline of coming back to her place of residence irrespective of where she lives – home, PG, or a rented apartment.) She pays more in commuting if she wants to be safe because ultimately she is independent at her own risk and responsibility! Her friends make fun of girls that they cant drive. But she doesn’t speak again, because that too is apparently true! (Again, ignoring the condition that she never got the opportunity to learn driving in the first place!)She is shamed when she does makeup and told why do girls wear make up? Thats why they are so dumb because they waste most of their time doing makeup! And she does not speak again because she does not know what to say. Because those same people shame girls who do not wear any make up and call them boyish, tom boy or less feminine!She prefers sanitary napkins over menstrual cups and tampons because she is scared that she will be judged if she accidentally broke her hymen while inserting the menstrual cup or tampon! (Again ignoring the fact that its a myth but she is damn scared to even experiment that keeping at stake her better hygiene and health.) Anyway, she does not speak up once again!She also does not speak up when she is emotionally blackmailed or say emotionally forced by her boyfriend to get intimate with him even when she suffocates her heart with immense discomfort because she simply cant figure out that this too is violence!Result? She, for her entire life, becomes that kind of girl or she remain the dumb dependent burden.Just one question-Why she never asks just one question- SO WHAT?! Yes I cant afford a private cab and I will travel by bus, SO WHAT?! Yes I will use a tampon if Im more comfortable even if it breaks my hymen, SO WHAT?!Yes many girls never got the opportunity to learn to drive a car, SO WHAT?!Yes I love to wear make up and it takes time to get ready, SO WHAT?!Yes I don’t like to get doll decked up all the time and I love wearing Tee-shirts, SO WHAT?!When someone asks her why her brother knows how to cook and she doesnt, and she replies- because he wanted to learn that and I didn’t….SO WHAT?! Thats probably when she will be accepted because then she would have accepted herself and freed herself from the superficial worldly judgement.
