Revolutionary
Anupriya stared at her reflection in the mirror.
Her curly hair had decided that
it preferred the frizz this morning, a midnight black halo around her head. Her
eyes were heavily lined with kohl, her lashes extending in long, graceful
curves; colour high on her cheeks, their natural flush intensified in light of
her inflamed emotions. The nose ring she got, despite her mother's many
protests and subsequent disapproval, glinting in the early morning light.
By all standards her outfit was
mundane; ordinary t-shirt, harem pants in a crazy print, colourful bangles on
her hands in a riot of colours. She could have been heading to the marketplace
for her everyday trip to the paani-puri wala, or to college to bunk lectures
and loiter outside. She looked like she always looked. Ordinary, regular, like
so many other girls.
She didn't feel that way.
Today, she felt like a revolutionary!
Today, she felt like every
other day was nothing but a series of tests she had to get through to this
momentous occasion, to this battle of her life, to this day that could change
everything. Forever.
Her eyes travelled to her left
arm. Beneath the barrage of bangles lay a single semi-colon. Her mother hadn't
understood why she'd gotten it.
"Why must you wear your
pain as badge of honour?' she had asked, bemused and confused by the meaning
behind the tattoo.
"Because I can. I got
through to the other side and that is testament to the fact that there is
strength in here, in me. Strength to fight for other things I believe
in," she had replied.
Her mother had simply shaken
her head. "People won't understand," she had warned. "If you
take this step you will be going against everything we stand for. We won't be
able to support you in this beta."
Anupriya had looked at her
mother for a long moment, studying the lines on her face, some signs of age and
others of the worry she clearly had for her daughter. Though she knew her
mother loved her, Anupriya also knew that there were some decisions which her
mother would never support. Some decisions that Anupriya would have to take to
be able to live with herself, to live her life the way she always envisioned.
Not brought down by the rules of society.
She had gone through hell, she
thought, absently stroking the semi-colon and she had survived. She was strong.
Stronger than the small mindedness of people.
She took a deep breath. It was
time.
Turning her back to the mirror,
she quietly gathered her clothes, stuffing other essentials in a bag. She made
short work of the enterprise, mentally going through the list of things she had
to take with her. Her notebook full of short stories, her battered copy of
Sidney Sheldon's 'Tell me your dreams', her box of bangles, her wallet and her
identification papers.
Zipping the bag closed, she
hoisted the heavy burden of her life reduced to a few items, onto her
shoulders. She took another deep breath, steadying her nerves.
The sounds of the early morning
chatter filled the small room.
Taking one final look around
her childhood sanctuary, she tiptoed her way to the front door.
With a soft click, the door
closed behind her.
She brisk walked to the end of
her lane, took a right, walked to the end of that lane and took another right.
She walked, until she could see the outline of a motorcycle clearly in the
morning fog.
The motorcycle stood in front
of a small tea stall. The rider looking this way and that in search of someone,
a small cup of tea tightly clutched in their hand.
Anupriya's steps
quickened.
The rider turned, spotted her,
smiled, in happiness and relief.
Anupriya ran.
The rider stood, turned,
hastily threw the plastic cup in the bin and opened their arms.
Anupriya met her lover in the
middle of the empty street.
"Lata," she sighed,
clutching her lover tightly.
"Priya," returned Lata,
burying her face in those frizzy curls.
Section 377 verdict: What the Judges ruled
“…It has to be appreciated that homosexuality is something that is based on sense of identity. It is the reflection of a sense of emotion and expression of eagerness to establish intimacy. It is just as much ingrained, inherent and innate as heterosexuality. Sexual orientation, as a concept, fundamentally implies a pattern of sexual attraction. It is as natural a phenomenon as other natural biological phenomena,” the judgement authored by CJI Misra said.
“Section 377 fails to take into account that
consensual sexual acts between adults in private space are neither harmful nor
contagious to society. On the contrary, Section 377 trenches a discordant note
in respect of the liberty of persons belonging to the LGBT community by
subjecting them to societal pariah and dereliction,” they said.
“Attitudes and mentality have to change to
accept the distinct identity of individuals and respect them for who they are
rather than compelling them to become who they are not,” they said.
Endearing!!!
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