Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
She tried her best to talk to Arushi. But Arushi snubbed every attempt she made. She did not like Aditi telling her anything. Her response always was ‘Stop acting like my Ma!’
Aditi came into Arushi’s life when she was ten years old.
Ten is a tumultuous age. Arushi wasn’t a little girl anymore, and did not like being treated like one. She was almost a young lady with opinions of her own.
Though she was resistant towards Aditi’s attempts to come close to her, she still felt vulnerable, and secretly craved a motherly figure to comfort her during times when she was confused or hurt. It had been more than four years since her mother had passed away, but it had left a hole in her heart and she missed her Ma terribly. Her father, Arjun’s job which involved extensive travelling didn’t help either.
And at such an age, Aditi came into her life. Aditi was aware that it was not going to be easy replacing her mother, and was happy to settle for being a friend. She tried her best to talk to Arushi. But Arushi snubbed every attempt she made. She did not like Aditi telling her anything. Her response always was ‘Stop acting like my Ma!’ The more Aditi tried, the more Arushi resented her trying to become a part of their family.
Aditi was heartbroken, and tossed and turned on most nights, wondering how she could create a bond between her and her step daughter. Archaic fairy tales like ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Snow White’ didn’t help the step mother’s image either!
A year passed by, and Aditi slowly began observing changes in Arushi. She was getting more sensitive and liked spending quiet time of her own. Her breasts had begun to swell and armpits had started showing light hair. One day, she saw Arushi fretting over a spot on her face. ‘My baby is growing’, thought Aditi. She continued her attempts to get close to Arushi, but was shut down even more now. She tried talking to Arjun about it, but it was a busy time of the year for him. ‘We will talk about it soon dear. Let’s all go on a family vacation once I am done with my year-end closing. I am sure it will help us bonding as a family.’
Soon one day she came to know that they had ‘The Period Talk’ in school. The class teacher had encouraged the parents to talk about the issue openly at home as well to make sure the kids were comfortable talking about it and saw it as a natural phenomenon.
That evening Aditi came to Arushi’s room and gently broached the subject. ‘Do you want to talk about what was discussed in school today?’ she asked. But Arushi just shrugged. ‘Well, inside every girl are parts which help her grow a baby. Every month the body takes steps to grow a baby even if the girl isn’t ready to have a baby yet. An egg is produced in a baby bag, and this is discarded if the girl is not ready for a baby yet. This causes bleeding, and the process is called menstruation. You might notice a few more changes in your body,’ said Aditi, and went on to explain these further.
‘They told me all that in school’, Arushi said curtly. Aditi sighed, and thought inwardly, maybe she will come to me when the time comes.
‘Please come to me if you have any questions dear, or just feel like talking’, she said tenderly, and walked away quietly.
The very next week, Arushi’s tummy was hurting. She was cramping, but tried not to show it to Aditi. Crankily she retreated to her room, shutting Aditi’s attempts to ask her what was wrong, and if she was feeling ok. By the next morning, she noticed some discharge on her undergarment. ‘Blood!’
Now she was scared! She slipped to Aditi’s room and said, ‘I have something to show you’ and she held up her panty.
‘It’s alright dear. Let me get something for you,’ said Aditi gently.
She got her a pad and showed her how to fix it. ‘Is your tummy hurting?’
‘Yea…’, said Arushi as her eyes welled up. She gave Arushi a warm heat pad to ease her cramps, made a warm bowl of cinnamon and chocolate porridge, and asked her to lie down for a while.
Just as she was leaving the room, making sure Arushi was comfortable, she heard Arushi ask softly, ‘Ummm…Can we talk?’
‘I would love to’, replied Aditi. They talked over an hour. Arushi asked all about periods, pains, pms, how Aditi has felt when she had started her periods and lots more. And then, just when Aditi was about to leave, Arushi murmured softly, ‘Thanks…MA!’
Aditi couldn’t help tears streaming down her face. She finally had a bond with her daughter. One which would last forever.
Image source: Mom movie promo
read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
Please enter your email address