Let’s talk about it. Period!
I woke up feeling nauseous. There were cramps in my abdomen that felt like a rock was placed on it. My legs were stiff, and all of me was just tired. I thought I was falling sick. But, despite the way I was feeling, the fact that I could get a day off from school surfaced.
The cramps brought me back to reality, and I got up and rushed to the washroom. To my horror, I found bloodstains on my panties and clothes.
I tried to make sense of my situation. There was chaos in my head, thoughts such as ‘What is happening? Am I dying? What is wrong with me?!?’ gushed through.
Just as these thoughts were rambling in my head, I remembered my mom having the talk with me.
She had told me about a time I’d encounter this situation. She mentioned that all girls after a certain age get it.
“It is a natural process, and it will pay a monthly visit for most parts of your life,” she said.
I walked up to my mom and explained my situation.
She turned to me and hugged me, congratulating me for growing up.
I was puzzled. ‘What does she mean growing up?’ I am 12.
I silenced my inner thoughts and tried to focus on the situation around me.
My mom was elated and ran helter-skelter, calling every relative of ours. The phone rang off the hook the whole morning. Every person I ever knew congratulated me. Some of them I haven’t spoken to in forever. Gifts and wishes flowed in like a Tsunami wave.
I was made to feel like a princess that day. It felt nice to be the centre of attraction even though I didn’t know what I did to earn it.
Later that day, I was instructed on how to behave, especially for those four days every month. Most of which left me flummoxed.
“Don’t come into the puja room.”
“Don’t touch your grandparents even by mistake.”
“Don’t come into the kitchen.”
“Lie down on the floor.”
“Wash the sheets you lay on every day.”
“Don’t touch the pickle.”
The list went on.
My bubble suddenly popped, struck by a jolt of reality.
I fell hard from the castle I had built in the air a few hours ago. I was suddenly made to feel like I had sinned. When I asked why such rules are in place, my grandmom replied, “We have been following this and you should too. Now, quit asking questions and do as you are told.”
Anyway, I was too tired from the day’s proceedings and decided not to argue.
Still hungover from the conversation about new norms, I woke up the following day and decided to get on with my routine. When I told my mom I couldn’t find the pad, she hushed me and said, “We don’t talk about these things in public. So nobody has to know that you are on your periods.”
“ARE YOU JOKING?” was my first reaction to this ludicrous statement.
“But mom, we just had a whole celebration yesterday. So, people already know, don’t they? Then why are we so discreet about it?”
“That’s different. Don’t ever let anyone know that you are on your periods ever. It is not something to be discussed in public. Ok?”
“But…” I was still too baffled to say anything.
So, is it just me, or is the whole thing just weird?
Isn’t it a little bizarre that you are celebrated like a Queen the day you get your periods and the same night subjected to norms that you can’t wrap your head around?
It is just periods. Why are we made to feel like it is a secret mission? There are so many ads that are played on TV today. While they might not exactly represent us on our periods, it still discusses this topic.
There are movie scenes that feature an embarrased husband/ brother/ male friend buying a pad for his wife/sister/friend. While it is nice to see that, at least in movies, the male family members take the effort, I don’t get what they are embarrased about? It is just a pad, brother.
It is time we changed our mindset. It is time we educated not just girls but every gender about periods.
It is a natural process, not a taboo!
