Dear Society, You’re Killing Me!

Earlier, I used to roam outside for hours –
sometimes I would come back only in the
evening. Now I even think twice about
whether I should step out of the house or
not.

Once, the streets were my playground. Now
even a simple walk feels like walking under
a thousand judging eyes.

Society, you make me feel undressed.

A girl from my neighborhood recently
became a Chartered Accountant. She made
everyone happy – herself, her family, and the
people around her.
But I’m not happy, society… because even
after becoming a CA, she is still judged by
her clothes.

And the houses that live in you, may look
very happy, but the girls living inside those
houses have nothing except discrimination.

And the girls who are happy and staying
away from discrimination, chasing their
dreams – overnight, they become prey to the
wolves living within you, the ones who are
also called men.

Those happy, dream-filled girls are openly
raped, picked up and thrown here and there.

In the name of justice, they are given shame
and disgrace – while those wolves are given
freedom. –
Maybe I shouldn’t call the men living within
you wolves, – that would be an insult
to wolves.

But these girls are your citizens too, aren’t
they? Then why does this happen to them?

And what about those girls who, if they argue
with their brother even over a small matter,
are told –
‘You are a girl, Girls should learn to listen.
They have to adjust and keep listening till
their last breath.
So start getting used to it now. Learn to
always say yes. That’s what girls are meant
to do.”’

You don’t have equality, society. That’s why girls,
even when they have everything, live like
mute spectators in their own houses.

I don’t trust men anymore. The news we
hear every single day is enough to destroy the
image and mindset of your sons. Their
growing boldness is breaking the courage and
trust of girls like us.
Dear society, this is on you.

These days, gathering the courage to trust
people feels like ruining your own life with your
own hands. It’s like swallowing slow poison.

The people you raise within you and
their greatest talent is…character
assassination. Passing new judgments every
day and throwing filthy comments without a
second thought.

Equality? My foot.

Dear society, equality lives only in your
slogans and catchy phrases. In reality, it
doesn’t exist within you at all.

No matter how hard we try or how much we
prove ourselves, there’s one thing you have
always failed to give us – equality.

Gender bias, caste bias, color bias, class
discrimination – these are the dirty gutter
worms growing inside you, society.
You nurture them, protect them, and you’ve
never truly had the courage to destroye them.

Rape. Dowry. Burning brides. Abuse after
marriage. Not even sparing little girls.
Constantly humiliating women, belittling their
work. Over and over again, women keep
dying because of all this.
And yet, nothing ever happens to you my dear.

The women living within you are destroyed
completely – but you remain untouched.

Society, every single day you force every
girl to think – I wish I had been born a boy.

You have become like those people who
only value and respect someone based on
how much money they have, haven’t you?

“Society, you’re killing me. But I don’t care
anymore, because along with me, you’re
destroying yourself too.”

I hate the discrimination against girls.
I hate those staring eyes on the streets.
I hate those taxi drivers who adjust their
mirrors just to keep staring.
I hate those people in crowded buses who
push without any reason.
I hate the rules that don’t let me live freely,
on my own terms.
I hate your rules. I hate you, society.

I hate you because you’re hollow from within
and you’re slowly making me hollow from
the inside too.

I’m trying to start living again from scratch.
Can’t you try to do the same?