The Secret Thoughts Of A Broken Girl [Part-3]

Posted: January 6, 2018

Tags:girl child patriarchy stereotypes violence against women

These are a few more thoughts of a broken girl, who is just an ordinary girl in a busy world trying to make sense of whatever life offers her. You and me.

Lessons taught too early

There were always things, which only girls should do. Bathe early. Pray early. Learn to cook. Come home early.

Everything about girls had to be early. If we were playing in the field and the boys came, we were taught to give up our games and come home early as the boys took on the field. We were taught to give up our spaces too soon. Boys could wake up late yet they could claim their spaces whenever they wanted. Boys walked out when they pleased. We had timings.

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Girls bathed early. Gave up careers early. Married early. Everything about girls is to be early.

These wrong lessons, girls are taught too early.

Girls will speak

Everyone lied to girls, when they said, “Your shyness is your ornament, it will save you from all evil,” “Your silence is your dignity.”

When they raped her, she was still the same shy girl. Still they raped her. And because they said silence is dignity, she did not report it to the police.

They again lied, “Acceptance is your virtiue,” So when they burnt her for dowry, she accepted. Called it fate. So many lies, that they teach girls. Not because they love girls. For power, they lie. One who wants to be powerful wants half of the population to be silent.

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I won’t be silenced. Not now. Not ever.

My daughter too will speak. And so shall my sister.

We will tell all the lies you taught us. And the burning coal that you wanted us to chew. Now, we will spit it all back. And you will walk will blacken faces.

I will spit coal out. I will speak.

I exist for myself

You should stop asking me to smile. I don’t owe you a smile to exist. Stop telling me to look pretty. I don’t owe you my prettiness. My existence does not depend upon how I make my life bearable to you. I owe my existence to no one. I exist because I do.

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And nothing else.

This article is part of a series. You may read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

Image source: pixabay

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