I'm A Man

Chapter 3

04/09/18
Balia, India.

"Maa, here's the report." Ravi said.

"What report?"

"My report. It says I can't be a father. Now stop this marriage madness."

Thali (steal plate) fell from his mother's hand with a bang. His father started cussing him.

"Can you be a little louder?" His mother said to his father.

"Beta, tell me, nobody has seen you going there, right? You have shown this to no-one right? Give me this, I'll burn it."

"I don't know and I don't care, Maa. Do whatever you want. I'm done "
______________________________________

08/04/19
Balia, India.

"Oye namard.(hey not-man/bland)" a man, who was sitting on a tea stall, shouted to Ravi.

"What did you say? Not man huh? And who are you to decide whether I'm a man or not." Ravi pointed his finger towards the crowd. " How can any of you decide whether I'm a man or not. Who gave you that right?"

"I'm a man. It doesn't matter whether I can father a child or not. It doesn't make me less of a man. Is a woman who is not fertile not a woman? So why it is so hard for you all to accept that a man can also be incapable of reproduction.

Oh! How can you all accept? A man is expected to be perfect. Surrogacy is accepted but sperm donation is not. Why society is so unfair to one gender.

When my sister failed her boards, my parents said they will get her married. No, I'm not saying it's good to force woman to marry. It's not, not at all. I'm saying that women are given choices whether they want to work or be a homemaker. Atleast they have this choice now.

But what about men? We are expected to get a good paid job. We're supposed to earn. When I couldn't qualify my engineering, I was beaten like hell. You know why? Because men don't get options. You have to earn because from the day you were born, your family is expecting you to lessen their burden and make them proud. Because no family will give their daughter to you if you don't earn.

My father still taunts me because I couldn't be an engineer. I still get mocked because I earn less and that too at my own home.

When I was young, I got bullied in my school. I was crying. You know what those boys said? "Look he's crying like a little girl. What next. He will hide in his mother's anchal. Go play with your dolls and kitchen set." I didn't complain about them because I really believed crying and complaining was girl's things. Because that's what I was taught.

There are so many cases about rape and harrassments against women. You know what? Men's get assaulted too. But nobody complains. You know why? Because the society will mock them. People will question their manliness. We're men. We're not expected to cry or complain. We're not expected to break down. We're not expected to be scared.

I respect women. They bleed one week a month to give life. Of course they are great. They tolerate a lot, society always judge them. They're so much restricted. But atleast we talk about their problems. We know their problems. But nobody knows what a boy goes through his entire life. How he's so bound to the rules of the wicked society to be called a man. How he's so strictly judged.

Now listen... Yes I can't father a child but I'm a man. I'll choose what I have to do and still I'm a man. I can cry and complain and still I'm a man. You all can judge all you want but I don't need any of your's approval to be a man."
_______________________________________

16/11/19
Mumbai, India.

"Today, Ravi Shukla, the author of bestselling novel nationwide, 'I'm a man' is here with us. Ravi, your novel brought a wave of revolution in the entire nation. There were many controversies but many people came out in your support. And now your book has been a massive success. How do you feel?"

"Like a man."