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Unending Obsession

June 27, 2018
13
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“You must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from. Your only limit is your soul.” – Ratatouille

When he learned about his hidden powers, he could not believe it. Ruefully brushed it away thinking an old jack’s prank. But man! lest he knew all that scribbled in that torn leather diary is true.

Those dark caves and deep creeks always gave him creeps, silent corners under the bed were his hiding places. The loss was irreparable, but as they say, ‘nothing lasts forever‘. The emptiness in his heart has made it stone, his love, life, and happiness are all gone.

This glamour and all that glitz was a facade he wore, hiding not from enemies but those closer. His silence was heavier than words, eyes darkest shade of death. They called him a disgrace; a coward and many such names.

The debt is huge a burden and his doom. He wished to change times, almighty’s design. ‘Take me instead; bring them back alive’, many times he woke up calling their names. But whatever done cannot be undone, they are gone forever leaving their legacy behind. He tried to be like any normal child, but his fears were more powerful than he thought. They made fun, called him punny in the class, school and everywhere.

Deserted he lived inside four walls, learning the art no one knows. His abilities, prowess and mastered them all. Honing the art of intelligence and counter attacks. Gadgets, powers, gizmos, and bots are his obsessions.

His ability lies within and in the darkness of night when the whole world sleeps. Scours the streets to save this ungrateful race in a black cape and a glitzy mask. People call him ‘Batman‘ savior of Gotham City but we know him better as Mr. Bruce Wayne.

Other posts from Write Tribe FOW –

An unsolved Tale of Kathgodam.

Disclaimer –

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice –

© Dipika Singh Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Dipika Singh (Gleefulblogger) with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

This post is Written for the Festival of Words, organized by WriteTribe.

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Slut Shaming – Stigma or A Provocation

June 3, 2017
33

What do you think Slut Shaming is? Is it a stigma or a provocation in the name of shaming a person or a gender?

Scenario 1 – Shanti was just a little girl when her maternal uncle in the name of a ‘secret game’ abused her, repeatedly year after year. When eventually her parents realized she was not a little girl anymore. The family wanted to keep it under wraps and asked the so-called uncle to never return, and everyone acted as if nothing had ever happened in that house.

Shanti took it on her personally, thinking it was her mistake. Her father keeps a distance and her mother is always keeping a close vigil on her activities. To date, Shanti is fighting with her inner self to come out in the open and talk freely with the opposite sex.

read Blame it on Me

Slut shaming

Let’s Understand What is Slut Shaming

As per NCBI.nlm.gov – “Slut shaming is defined as the stigmatization of an individual based on his or her appearance, sexual availability, and actual or perceived sexual behavior.”

Scenario 2 – Radhika never accepted the gender differences society has created, she was as cool and open with her elder brother’s friends as she was with her own buddies. Her mother explained many times to behave in front of her brother’s friends but that would always fall on deaf ears. She’s the youngest, most pampered kid, especially her brother who loved her more than anything in this world. Her world turned upside down when her brother’s best friend abused her and blamed it on her to provoke these feelings in him by wearing such provocative clothes and with her smiles.

Her brother and father stopped talking to her and her mother kept on repeating – I told you to behave. Some days later they found Radhika hanging from the ceiling in her own room, where she was born, took her first step, played hide and seek with her brother, and was abused.

Where does Slut Shaming come from?

We all know about Nirbhaya, how she was brutalized to later die just because she accepted help from some unknown people. India woke up to that news and many voices together made a revolution… however, how much we gained from it is still a question. So why I am talking about all these Shantis, Radhikas, and Nirbhayas here? What is one thing common in all these or many such victims –  Double Standards from the Society.

Yes, instead of finding out the crux of the problem we easily find fault in the least expected places and slut shame the survivor. Slut Shaming – yes a stigma of our society, a provocation where we characterize women without even giving a thought, an iota of doubt on why have we just called her a ‘slut’. Be it in the corporate world or day-to-day life, slut shaming is something that has come in very handy to us now…

As per the Oxford Dictionary, Slut Shaming is – “The action or fact of stigmatizing a woman for engaging in behavior judged to be promiscuous or sexually provocative.” But are we actually leveling their charges on someone after doing our research? or it’s just slip of tongue??

If you are a Harry Potter buff, you are well aware of Emma Watson, isn’t it? This beautiful young lady has achieved so much in her life that too at such a young age plus she is an appointed UN Women Goodwill Ambassador but we people didn’t even leave her… just because she wore a particular dress (due to some XYZ reason) we slut shamed her on all social media channels…. may I ask why??? it’s easy to character assassinate someone saying she’s a slut. EUREKA moment of achievement. When a woman in the office gets continual promotions and appraisals – why do we think it has something to do with her personal favors to bosses and not look into her capabilities.

a little disclaimer here – I am not a FEMINIST, nor do I belong to any such groups. these are my own personal views without having any hard FEELINGS for any gender.

If a woman goes out clubbing with her male friends, drinks, and has some fun (categorically fun) why is she slut shamed by her peers? It really splits me to laughter when someone says the height/length of the dress is exactly proportionate to my character as a woman… are you even listening to what you are saying?? We do not even leave a new mother who’s feeding her hungry baby in public risking herself to be Shamed later by prying eyes. According to me, these are just the double standards of our society where we tag anyone and everyone based on our personal views.

Slut Shaming
Image source – onsizzle.com

A woman is doing something beyond our (read society) so-called rule book – She is a SLUT and needs to be SHAMED. But if the same thing a male/Man does he’s okay to do that because that’s his nature. (Ah haa.. so did God directly dial you to tell you that)

It’s time we take a step backward and look where are we heading as a society! We must introspect today if we wish to have a sane, wiser future.

I am writing this post for Slutylish.com for their Think Different Program, which is on a mission to make the word SLUT appear on a different note. A Fearless Style of Positive Living.

Copyright

©Dipika Singh. This article is the property of the site’s author. Any unauthorized use or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links are used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Dipika Singh (Gleefulblogger). With the right and specific direction to the original content.

conflicted desires short romance story

Conflicted Desires – Part 5

September 4, 2024
3

We have embarked on the story of Rohini and Vikram, and a super talkative grumpy parakeet – Keezo. To read the previous part of the story, click here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The day felt heavy on Rohini’s shoulders, she could not brush away the stress from her body, and her mind was replaying small instances of Vikram looking at her with a deep penetrating gaze. She was irritated with herself for acting like an amateur today.

What would he think of me, I made a fool out of myself today. He is after all a guardian and a well-established lawyer, my entire life I haven’t acted so foolishly.

It was around 9 pm when her phone chimed, expecting a message from her husband she picked up and unlocked it to find an unknown number. Strangely, no one messages her this late, and that too on her personal number.

It was lovely meeting you today, Mrs. Kaushik, I am looking forward to our meeting tomorrow. Regarding ‘Krisha’s future’, of course.

Vikram! How does he have my personal number? She was stunned and reread the same message many times before replying.

How did you get this number… she wrote only to delete it. Why are you messaging me at this time … deleted it again. I never shared my personal number with you, how did you get it? … nope, deleted.

Thank you, same here. Looking forward to discussing more about Krisha. I will have her questionnaire report ready by tomorrow. Regards, Rohini Kaushik. Roh’s Academy. Rohini.

I have already done too much damage with this man, I don’t want to aggravate more by acting childish, she thought to herself. It is just a regular meeting with a guardian, like many I have had in the past. But her anxiety is getting the best of it. She considered taking it slow or chucking it out altogether.

CHOY! CHOY! CHOY! Keezo was screeching as usual in the morning for his food.

“Veenu, give him some choy please, don’t cut it into smaller pieces so that he can keep busy and stay quiet for some time. I am already having a headache”, protested Rohini from the living room.

The caretaker fed Keezo and brought some herbal tea for her when Raunak called.

“What happened Ma, you looking dull today. Where is that sexy smile of yours, babe?” Raunak teased her on the video call.

“Don’t you start today; do you know what this dinosaur-bird of yours done yesterday? He was screaming ‘Hot Maal – Hot Maal’ in front of a guardian” she complained to her son.

“So what? That’s a fact, FYI… only you don’t acknowledge it,” Raunak quipped lovingly.

“Shut up, would you! It’s not good for my reputation, and concentration, … aaand my peace of mind.”

“Come on Ma, you never had a problem concentrating on your students and their stuck-up parents, what was so special yesterday?” asked Raunak gauging her discomfort. “Tell me what happened, what made you so upset?”

“It’s nothing, oh yeah, before I forget, do we have permissions and papers for Keezo’s adoption if we don’t then it could be a big problem, wildlife conservationists can sue us and take Keezo away.” She informed Raunak as a matter of fact.

“Woah… woah, slow down… what papers you are talking about? You know well, I bought him from a forest guy and they cannot read shit. There is no need to panic okay! And who told you all this unnecessary stuff, by the way?” he asked.

“Vikram told me about this yesterday,” she answered almost instantly. “I mean the guardian who came yesterday told me about this, he is a Supreme Court lawyer and he knows it’s illegal to have exotic birds without a proper license.”

“Oh Fishhhh…. Ma. I am so sorry; I wish I was there or Dad was to take care of this thing. I had no clue, look everyone has pet birds at their homes, so I thought it would be cool,” Raunak was rattled.

“Don’t worry, I will get this sorted for you. I know whom to ask,” she assured her son.

“Keezo…. KEEEE..ZOOOOO, no calling MOM HOT MAAL, Okay,” Ruanak winked at Rohini while yelling for his bird.

HOT MAAL! HOT MAAL! HOT MAAAAAL! Keezo immediately shouted back to them.

They both laughed at the bird and just like that Rohini was ready to face the day. Raunak is her lifeline, her daily dose of life and energy. Only her heart knows the pain of living far away from her only son. In fact, Kaushal’s absence has become a habit for her, but it is Raunak she misses terribly.

Vikram arrived sharp on time, this man has maintained a good streak of punctuality, probably the work hazards, she thought to herself.

Casually dressed in denim and a polo-neck t-shirt, Vikram looked good. The man is handsome on every front, and he knows how to dress well. It is clearly an effortless styling. In causal cotton pants and a loose shirt, Rohini was also styled for a better day.

She had decided earlier to take it easy today, the man sitting in front of her was intimidatingly charming but she had seen enough life to lose her wits. So, today she was prepared for Vikram.

“Mr. Sethi, I have got the results of Krisha ’s questionnaire and I am afraid to say, she has to take a couple of more sessions with me. There was a clear set of questions based on interests, choices of career, some psychometric parameters, and future aspirations. Her answers were ambiguous in some context.” Rohini said while showing Vikram a line diagram on her laptop screen.

“As you can see, she has shown keen interest in music and instruments, and she referred multiple times about the same, but her future aspirations are that of a law degree from a renowned foreign university. However, her other answers also clash in the same regard,” Rohini knows how some parents push their children to pursue a certain degree despite their clear disinterest. She doubts if this is the same case here.

Vikram was listening to everything very keenly and with deep interest, he was impressed with Rohini’s work acumen, because he knows the case with his niece. He liked the fact, Rohini deciphered the discrepancy through a simple questionnaire.

“I must say, Mrs. Kaushik, you have stumped me with this information,” he replied in his usual swag. “I am glad to know, my only niece is under the right guidance. Impressive!”

Rohini didn’t like the tone he set in their early interaction, “Why, thank you? But I must remind you, this meeting is not about me being a good/impressive counselor, it is about Krisha, YOUR NIECE choosing the path of her choice and not being forced to do something she doesn’t want to.”

Vikram was smiling now, and Rohini was kind of irked. Why do his reactions boil her blood, and get a ruse from her so easily?

“Yes, indeed! That was the reason I wanted to meet with you alone today. I feel Krisha is under pressure to follow her parents and family. As you can see, we are a family of attorneys, her mother is a corporate lawyer, her father is a senior legal advisor at a multinational and I am, well you know about me, already! So, I think, she is misguided to follow us despite her keen interest in music.” Vikram’s tone shifted to caring or more defensive. Clearly, the man loves his niece and thinks about her in good spirits.

“In that case, we need to work around Krisha, as there are many options to pursue her interest and have a prospective future. Let me book her a slot next week, and you can drop her here if you cannot accompany her.” Rohini is happy to see a guardian wishing their children to follow off-beat career choices. She usually sees parents forcing the kids to follow more ‘suitable’, ‘employable’ fields of career.

“Gladly, I will try to accompany her, but if not, will do as you advised, thank you for understanding the cause here. We don’t want her to lose her dreams, as a lawyer myself, I know there is no fun in black robes and dirty open-secrets.” He replied with a deep sigh.

Rohini is happy to see a more human side of Vikram, she was intimidated by his penetrating gaze yesterday, but today, she was kind of enjoying his company.

“Well, I would love to spend an entire day with you Mrs. Kaushik, but I got to go, duty calls,” quipped Vikram with his signature smirk.

“It is Rohini! And I am glad to be of help, Mr. Sethi” she replied.

“Only if you call me Vikram, Mr. Sethi was my late father,” he winked at her while offering her a hand.

“Done!”

They both were leaving the room, when Rohini remembered to ask him about the bird’s license. “I need a small favor from you, Mr. Se… err… Vikram,” she said sheepishly.

“It will be my honor to be of some help, please tell me how can I help you, Madame,” Vikram replied jovially.

“You mentioned the exotic bird’s license, well, I checked with my son and he doesn’t have any such documents. In fact, he was not even aware of such perquisites, so if you could guide me on how to go about it, that would be a great help.”

Vikram was more than happy to grab this opportunity, “with pleasure. I will get the guidelines read by my staff and let you know what needs to be done next, will that work?” he asked.

“Oh! Thank you, please connect me with the person who can help me with this, I am sure you are too busy for such trivial stuff,” she rendered.

 “All your lines will be routed through this system, Madam,” he gestured towards himself and smiled with a wink. “Don’t worry, I will get it sorted in no time.”

“Thanks again, and please let me know the fees. I know time is valuable, and I do not want to waste yours,” Rohini said with determination in her voice.

Vikram gazed at her for a few moments before moving towards the sundeck, he found Keezo lazing around on the swing. Seeing Vikram, he hopped on a higher swing and started making funny voices.

“Hey buddy, your mom here wants to know the charges for legally adopting you, what should be my fees, Keezo, any suggestion, huh… let’s say, how about a dinner with me?” he replied very casually keeping his eyes fixed on the bird.

To be continued…

This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon 2024

Disclaimer – This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents in this story are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice –

@Dipika Singh Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Dipika Singh (Gleefulblogger) with the right and specific direction to the original content.

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