So Close, Yet So Far!

Only 2 days before the journey I was looking forward to recently, I came across this really disturbing article, which got quite popular on the social networking sites, claiming that the death of the rape victim was hushed up for a few days with money. My friends were also a little sceptical about that. However, I chose not to believe some random article to blame the system to be so corrupt, we've seen the protest was profound.I just made peace with people having different lookout on different things and moved on to other articles. May be, I was not ready to accept the fact that those in such responsible positions, by saying responsible, I don't mean the officials alone,will be using such a sensitive issue to take a chance to make money.Naive! That is the only word I can think of for describing myself!

Days after she lost her life,Just when my friend was telling me today the rape, in a two or three days there will be some other thing, we ll turn the pages of the newspaper and forget it, I had to take a cab, the very next day, not so early in the morning, but quite early at 8 a.m and I was glad even though the police stopped the car just 2 minutes after we started and I was getting late, but I was glad because they stopped the cab because the glasses were tinted light grey, translucent vision for the outsiders, not the completely opaque tint, I felt good, as the repercussions of the rape case brought in some really strong measures, and unlike the traffic rules, which are more often than not violated are being strictly mandated and taken care of. I felt proud, to have known that all is not lost. A moment of happiness and reassurance for not taking into the articles. Well that didn't long last!

After about 10 minutes out of the cab, the driver came back in and started driving towards the destination. I was curious to know how he got off from the police. He casually answered 'I gave him Rs 200!' . I can't say I was shocked,but I felt really sad. Just when I thought, we are getting close as nation, a step,though tine, closer to making women feel safe, this incident took me light years away,pushing hope into abyss! Oh! So close, yet so far! Reiterating, yet again, that laws can not be all.. I shut my brain up! Not one is to be blamed. We are all the same, and that is a shame!

Just when I thought the taint of this city, I love like crazy, of being a rape capital can be washed out, with organisational determination, the malady of corruption comes from behind with a dagger,betraying while making space to restate inefficiency in every form possible. Are we really hoping for too much? Can the dreams of the head being held nigh ever come true? Well even if there is a remote chance of that happening, the fare seems to be too high to pay.

Money!! Money!! Whether we sail or drown, whether the terminus will be sought in good shape. Yeah, true but tragic, money, it seems is the one thing that deceives us from dreams and makes vulnerable enough to succumb to the desires! 

Why was I so upset, when I already knew what was going to happen? It was nothing new. Well, I could answer that only with one word 'Hope'. Hopefully, atleast that ll never die. I guess I am too curious to know the power of unity to say 'No'. The collective urge to realise that 'Being Human' just means, a little trust and faith, a little give and take, a little philanthropy and selfishness, a little rage and equanimity,a little sorrow and a tad of happiness, all put together. May be that is the miracle we are all working together for.

Yesterday it was a brutal rape, today a sewn time bomb inside a jawan's belly.What all we get to see!! And we talk of being human! The only things being constant are corruption and deception, and they always give ample space to the acute veneration for tomorrow. Is any step we take really taking us forward?

Sigh!

Like a 'Son', not a 'Princess'..

Let me put the first things first. I am a true feminist <bold,italic,underline>. But may be I must be careful while saying that, I am a selective feminist, true to ideology.I am not at all concerned/disquieted about the so called relationship crisis that the modern and ultra modern girls (no offence meant, as I really don't care of the strict sense of word-use here) today face in their feebly defined domains of 'love and relationships'(Most of my encounters ended where it mattered till it changed their relationship status on Facebook)! Sorry if I am being too harsh,but those are the instances I came across. I really pity the guys there,trust me,I have to, as I grew up with a bunch of awesome brothers who turned out to be just fine men now! 
Well,I am truly concerned about the actual feminist issues,that are malignant in today's society based on a highly inviolable patriarchal ideologies, not that I am striving to change the conditions but I can say,my thoughts waver around those once too frequently! Woohh!! I am getting too technical and ideological on you I guess.. Well.. there is one simple issue I wanted to really talk about. This post is strictly urban centric.Not at all in intention to hurt any feminists out there. You ll know!


Here goes,

I accompanied my friend to a mall(Ugh!) the other day, and came across a really regular, everyday incident that made me ponder over a little longer than I usually take notice of.. A father with his two children, a boy and a girl,came across one of his colleagues, introduced his kids..
"Hello Sir, this is my son!" <With a pat on the back>
"and this is my little princess" <with both his arms on her shoulder, protectively>
I felt that something different happened there, you may not agree with me! But then, yeah! When their dads introduce the daughters as princesses and the people compliment on her fragile delicacy, the pride a father gets! Yeah.. that is what that made me think..
Here, when a father does that, it subtly implants in the kid's mind..
She either wants to be someone's queen someday, or
She is accepting the fact that she is never going to be treated like a princess ever again. Yeah, and what is with all the sharing on Facebook, saying 'I am my dad's little princess' ?? People are really driving me crazy(Don't even get me started on the cute baby pictures..and sweet comments on them,that is a whole other story!!)I know it is not in the literal sense that they share all those, but really.. Really, what is this craze for the fantasy of being a princess?? They don't have a lot of fun, they don't have to 'earn' anything, all the things are destined to come to them. Fabricated socialization with ornate surroundings where there is never a hint of 'pain'(except for a rare few).. All that is there, is just the glory and grandeur.. Sounds utterly boring!! I did not even say anything of prima donna yet! Uff!! Being treated a princess, fine, I can understand.. Again,on Facebook, what is with this Twilight obsession! Rush of being soooo like Bella?!! No no.. It doesn't end there, you want him to be like Edward! Vampire craze! Seriously! Are you freaking kidding me?!!! First of, that is love at sight(doesn't matter first or whatever) anyways, hands down,that is like the worst love story I ever set my eyes on!


Yeah,yeah.. Getting carried away! Let me come back to the point.. that is where the whole problem starts..in her childhood. She wants her husband or her boyfriend to be more like her father, but it can never match to her expectations on par with the unconditional parental love. She wants him to change a lot in the process where after a while,he feels like he lost himself, may be that is why there is a tremendous lift in the breakups and divorce rates these days. So I think,The more you 'expect' to be treated like a princess, the less you have the chance of earning a sense of 'satisfaction, fun, accomplishment' ,right?


So it would not have been a problem if there was no protective patronage.. if the dad would have introduced her as "This is my daughter" <with a pat on the shoulder>. Like a Son, Not a Princess. After all.. everything that happens in childhood comes around in every phase.. It will always be an inevitable part of who you are, what you do, what you expect and how you perceive things everyday... Most importantly, how you sustain them!
That must have sounded like a really long and boring lecture on a petty issue, but this piece of writing here, is a product of the many frustrated moments I spent listening to my really close friends' so called 'relationship crisis' and patch ups.


We all know Karl Marx,but no one speaks about his aristocratic spouse,truly,I have immense respect for her,her passions and desire to keep them alive all through made her go a long way! #Passion #Admiration! I must say! Well,there is one good friend of mine who had a different story to share, as is to be noted, her father never introduced her to be princess, he loved her like he did his son, making her capable enough to deal with knowing what she wants, seriously, the lady has some clarity in what she wants. 
Well,clarity in 
Life,she makes it a point that her dreams are worth living and will gain her,someday, her own identity..
Love, that is not taken for granted,not defining 'status', while letting each other not lose their identity. It is nice that she knows the value of belonging during hardships, and that a person who is by your side when in pain is going to be with you,come what may, because.. you know, only love and suffering can reveal the most important secrets of life,rather than confining a relationship to gifts, fun and really long,mostly meaningless phone conversations! 
Marriage, trust me, she can make it work,always!! She has that self-chiseled charm in her that makes me look up on her dad as her real 'hero'.. Now I realize,may be it is not too bad growing up never being referred to as 'princess'.. I met nice people! Knock-on-the-wood! Don't want to jinx it..
If you did not get any of that, you need to get only this: Don't make your friends regret their long phone conversations with you, especially when they hate mobiles like me! Its time for some reality and toughness,and that means, the exact opposite of 'cute', 'sweet' and 'Bella-ey'!


PS: This was a result of a really bedevilling and persistently annoying phone call from a friend who has a 'relationship crisis'. I am irritated, and that is really rare.. So I thought I ll take full advantage of this frustration (Thanks to Emile Durkheim!!) and change my template too.. something dark you know.. looks like my taste always goes with minimalistic grunge and my love for blue :D Now now,I don't want to quetch more here.. So..


#Ravali Prasad Signing off! Adios!