Whenever She uses the "F" word...

Opened this article thinking I was referring to THE "F" word? :D
Congrats, you've just been cheated, because this one's really about the next most used and abused "F" word: Feminism.

(Haan haan ye article wahi ghise pite topic par hai... par ab aa hi gaye hain yahaan, to kripaya padh hi lijiye...)

Because contrary to popular perception, there’s a difference between being a feminist and a sexist…

~

A neighbor on the street, to her parents:

“Your daughter hit the boy on the head”

“Yes, I have lectured her against it, but she says that the boy teased and hit her first. I hope you called his parents too. I’d like to have a word with them.”

“Oh, I didn’t think that was necessary. After all, he’s just a boy and boys are uncontrollably naughty. Ladke to hote hi aise hain, kya kar saktein hain.”

~

Her Class 12 Biology teacher, to her:

“Get out of the class, you didn’t do your assignment.”
“But why only me? Why are you letting them sit in the class?

“Oh, these boys are already so notorious. But you, being a girl, disappoint me more.”

~

A female professor to the class in her under-grad college:

“Why are you girls cribbing so much over marks? It’s not like they’re going to take you anywhere. And why all the fuss about lack of resources in the lab, haan? You are anyway going to get married and be housewives or teachers as soon as you pass out from here. Just let things be, okay?”

~

The prospective-groom’s parents to her:

“Can you cook?”

“Yes, I can. Can your son?”

“Will you relocate?”

“Yes, I may. Will your son?”

“Are you career-oriented or a family person?”

“I am both, what about your son?”

Feedback on phone later: “We think your daughter is too career-oriented and headstrong. We want a more family girl.”

Every time she tells people she is a feminist, they look at her as if she is out on some “mahila-mukti-morcha”, until she clarifies:

“I'm as much a feminist as I'm a masculinist”

Yes! The "M" word exists. :P

…and if someone stood as a silent witness to even one event similar to the ones mentioned above, then they are the actual sexists.

Through Shut Eyes I Saw

Some beliefs
Some broken dreams
dreams? or just wishful thinking
in desperation?
of escapism
of running away from reality
of shutting eyes to effort
of wishing for things to happen
on their own

a life, its luxuries, taken for granted
served on a platter
with cherry toppings and creamy icings
cribbing still
for nothing in particular
yet over everything

but till when?
never budging
cribbing still
pampered, moods
throwing tantrums
overtly rude
under the guise of sarcasm
hiding beneath all this
masking imperfections
incomplete endings

but till when?
but till when?
when one day
I shut my eyes
in frightened rebellion
as life slapped me hard
the sound reverberated
deep within
the pain of thrust
pierced within

I shut my eyes
and that's when I saw
or rather, was made to face
myself
all that had to be cleaned up
the pile of misery
of a self centered miser
miser in effort
miser in wholeheartedness
miser in character
miser in intention

and still the world has been
generous
way too generous
with this realization
I vow to give back
what I have taken
that hasn't been rightfully mine
Now I yearn to give back
all that I never earned but took

It's not snakes and ladders
life
not shields and daggers
it is a realization
life
a realization
that takes its own time to come
a realization
that's better late than never.