Afar, Ethiopia
Amina swayed somewhere between staying awake and falling asleep but the latter would win the day. She'd been running all day and most of the night; away from the village and far from those who would steal her most treasured possession - her womanhood. '
It's a tradition that you have a duty to upholdI'' the ignorant village elders had screamed down at her with their hot breath and vile spittle raining down on her smooth skin where she was forced to kneel down in subservience. But she was a city girl, and an educated one at that meaning she knew the implications of what would happen if ever her 'womanhood' were taken away.
So finding the best opportune moment to flee, Amina's feet carried her as fast as they could while the villagers still slept. Through the thick brambles she ran both for her life and for the love of her femininity. She had felt the pleasure of what it was to be a woman even though she'd never gone all the way with her boyfriend Mukhtar who'd shown her the art of foreplay. They would wait until they were married before exploring each other further but all that would be forfeited if the village crows ever laid their grimey hands on her.
Amina knew other girls who had suffered the indignity of Female Genital Mutilation and how afterwards their lives were destroyed beyond imagination. She knew a girl in particular; Bebi - once the village beauty who was now but a shadow of her former self and reeked of the effects of having her clitoris - nay, her spirit extracted from her body. Bebi could never bear children, and as a result her husband for whom her womanhood was removed to reduce the chances of her committing adultery duly divorced poor Bebi.
Amina swore on her life that she would not go down that path, and made true that vow as she scuttled away into the silent forest.
Now, hours later and exhausted from running, Amina fell onto a soft patch of undergrowth oblivious to the buzzing mosquitoes and croaking toads. She was far from the village and close to the edge of the city. In the morning she would rise and walk the rest of the way - but for now she would sleep. Or so she'd hoped but not for long as the rustling of footsteps in the forest brought her awake. Amina rose up, shaking the weariness from her eyes to see a dozen torchlight-wielding men emerge from the thicket towards her like evil, grinning shadows. This was it; Amina knew she was doomed.
'Get her and hold her down,' a hard voice bellowed, and although Amina could not see his face, she knew who it was. Adama, the uncouth male whom she'd turned down over and over again now wanted his pound of flesh - or in her case her most precious 'womanhood', but he was wrong. Amina had come prepared in case she found herself in this position. The men were now only metres away rushing to grab her before she fled again except Amina wasn't running; she sat there on the growth under the full moon shining down on her and on the sharp blade she was holding. The steely object glistened under the illumination as her hand went to her slender throat.
'I curse you, I curse all men. You will lose what you hold most dear and you will shed tears like we have shed tears. I swear this on my very soul, Adama. I swear.' Amina snarled with a hint of a whimper in her velvety voice. And with that a quick movement of her hand which would turn out to be her final act of defiance. The men including Adama looked on in horror as Amina slumped to the ground, knees first before falling face first into the warm soil. Soon her warm blood was oozing out of her twitching body, very slowly into the earth and carrying with it her curse, except her final words would not go unheeded like those that had died unjustly before her. This time, something...a malevolent, unseen force was listening.
Uttar Pradesh, India.
(Author's note: This is a more harrowing part so reader discretion is advised)
Dusk; and a day of heavy toiling in the cornfields had ended with the setting of the sun. For the labourers, the day had been like any other; long, very hot under the cloudless sky, unrelenting and backbreaking with only a few minutes break to eat and drink some much-needed water. This was a case of another day but not another dollar for the hapless villagers who were no better than chattel even if they thought they were free. But now with their bodies aching from standing up for nearly twelve hours, they prepared for the long march home to continue the same soul-destroying grind the next day.
For Priya, this was all she had ever known ever since she was three years old, and now fifteen years with only a few more before she came a full-blown woman, she knew her chances of obtaining an education was out of the question now. And that was all she’d ever wanted; to attend school and get the qualifications required to find a good paying job in Delhi. It all seemed possible too when she started putting away some of her meagre salary towards her dream but all that came crumbling down like a withered tree when her widower father died leaving her to fend for her two sisters. Her dream of education though dead, was not buried and her two sisters might yet do better than she had.
So, Priya toiled every day in the fields, from dawn to dusk, working to fend for her sisters. She was fifteen but looked ten years older even if she possessed a graceful gait when she walked. Priya was the beauty of the village, and were her situation not dire, men would fall at her feet in awe. But she was a village girl and a low-caste to boot, which meant men treated her with very little respect because of her social status and the fact that she had no one to defend her honour. Priya, however, never succumbed to the insults meted to her instead she held her head high even when accosted with violence. There was a lot at stake, most particularly her younger sisters meaning Priya couldn’t afford to look weak, much to the disdain of the village men.
‘One day, I will teach you a harsh lesson,’ Shahir, the son of the village head had threatened once after she’d refused his overhanded advances. ‘You think you’re better than the rest of the girls because we all praise your beauty.’ He’d spat at her feet before trudging off into the sun and kicking the dust with his sandalled feet while Priya innocently wondered what she’d done. Then taking his threats very seriously since Shahir was known to be a hot-head, she would walk back to the village with the other labourers for safety. And it worked. Shahir never bothered her again and soon she forgot about his warning.
So as Priya made her way back home on foot, her only thoughts were of her sisters and how their lessons had gone. She smiled imagining their glowing faces as they narrated what they’d learned back at the village school to her and she in turn would hug them with the remaining strength in her body. Tonight would be no different; that was the daily routine, everyday and without fail, except someone else had their plans and would put them into action thereby jeopardising Priya's dreams.
The field workers; a mixture of men and women of all ages numbering thirty trudged along the dusty path when out in the distance the sounds of trucks speeding in their direction stopped them in their tracks. Unsure of what the commotion was, the labourers stood frozen to the spot until the distinctive cracks of gunshots rang out in the air. BANDITS! Someone shouted and now the frightened workers broke out of their trance before dispersing in a wild panic back into the protection of the fields – including Priya who went off in a different direction isolating herself from the others in the process. She ran as fast as her graceful legs could carry her all the while thinking of her sisters. Priya prayed to the goddesses to spare her from whatever fate the bandits may have in store for the labourers but her already weary legs were tiring even more and very soon her lopping would turn into a slow heavy-breathed walk.
Silence. Priya could hear nothing except the breeze wafting through the tall corn reeds where she’d crouched down to hide her slender frame. Maybe she’d wasted her energy for nothing but nonetheless she would wait until sure there was no danger. And so she did. Priya remained motionless not daring to move for at least an hour until certain the danger – if she had been in the first place – had passed. So, carefully she rose up then looked around furtively before deciding the coast was clear.
‘Ah, I knew the butterfly would come out sooner of later.’ The recognisable tone said in a mocking voice.
Priya gasped and then turned around to see Shahir staring at her with lecherous eyes that glinted in the dark. And he was not alone either. There were five others behind him; men she recognised from the village all gazing at her with evil intent that right there and then Priya knew pleading would do her no good. She would flee, and though exhausted, her legs found the strength to bolt away from the men taking them by surprise.
‘Get her!’ Shahir shouted, instructions that were obeyed immediately. The men ran after Priya and were on her before she could reach the path. ‘I told you I would teach you a lesson didn’t I Priya, and now that time has come,’ Shahir said with a grin as he made his way towards Priya who was held down by his associates to render her completely immobile. He walked purposely, unzipping his trousers to emphasise exactly what he had in mind.
‘Please, I beg you, do what you want with me. . .but spare my life, spare me I beg you, spae my life,’ Priya wailed. The thoughts of her sisters alone in a world as wicked as this was already breaking her heart that any crime committed against her tonight would be forgiven - if only to survive.
Shahir gave a guttural laugh. ‘You do not need to beg Priya, but do as you are told and we will spare you. . .do you understand?’
‘Yes, yes I do’ Priya blurted out knowing full well what was about to happen to her. It’s only my body she told herself over and over again as Shahir and his friends desecrated her body until she was rendered unconscious. Then Priya came awake to the shocking sensation of water being thrown into her face and yet again Shahir would violate her body and soul like she was nothing while his friends recorded the evil act on their phones.
And so it dawned on Priya that Shahir would not let her live. He would certainly kill her once he was done, but in her pain Priya was not afraid for her life or her sisters' any more. Priya knew she was something notwithstanding her social status as a low-caste and had been all her life. A shame it took what would be her final moments of life to realise she was a goddess while the vile Shahir dribbled his saliva over her face.
‘I curse you,’ she said with a voice so hoarse that Shahir could barely hear over his animalistic grunting.
‘Wha…what did…you say?’ he said, too lost in his evil deed to stop.
‘I curse you…and I curse all men. You will know loss more than your heart can bear, Shahir. I swear it,’ Priya repeated as she went into unconsciousness again.
‘You…you curse all men,’ Shahir scoffed, ‘well, at least I won’t be alone.’ And then he burst into a maniacal laughter even though Priya was already moving towards the light to hear him.