Page 173 of One Indian Girl
‘Let me speak. You said fly, but when I flew high, you wanted to clip my wings. Fly, as long as you fly beneath me, is it?’
He looked down. I turned to Neel.
‘Neel, you loved me as the flying bird. You wanted me to fly higher and higher.’
‘Of course,’ Neel said.
‘But you know where you went wrong?’
‘Where?’ Neel said.
‘You didn’t want me to have a nest.’
Neel didn’t have an answer.
‘Neel?’ I said.
‘I believe in equal rights. You know that, right?’ Neel said.
‘Did you realize that perhaps I did not want to fool around? Perhaps equal rights means giving women the same rights, not the same things? Equal rights to get whattheywant, rather than equal rights to the same thingsmenwant.’
I noticed Debu scratch his head as he also heard and tried to figure out what I said.
‘Meaning?’ Neel said.
‘What do you want? Career? Home?’ Debu said. ‘I am really confused.’
‘Yeah. What do you want? Choose whatever you like, Radhika,’ Neel said.
I took a sip of my lukewarm coffee.
‘Ah, choose,’ I said and sneered. ‘Choice. The benchmark word of feminism, right? I become a great feminist if I give women the choice of home or career.’
‘What do you mean? Isn’t that how it should be?’ Neel said.
‘Yeah, why not? Isn’t that fair? Giving women the choice?’ Debu said.
‘No. It is still unfair. Because here’s the deal. You know what women really want? We don’t want to choose. We want to fly and wealsowant a beautiful nest. We want both. Do male birds tell female birds to choose? “Hey honey, choose. Either fly or sit in the nest.”’
‘I don’t get it. Really,’ Debu said. Even Neel looked confused.
‘From a man’s perspective, men want a career, right? In general?’
‘Yeah,’ Debu said.
‘Men want sex, right? No judgement, but they want sex, right?’
‘Yeah,’ Neel said.
I collected my thoughts before I spoke again.
‘Let’s say, in the name of male rights, men are given a choice. Come on guys, choose. You want a career? Go for it, just give up sex. Oh, you want sex? Just worship women all day and give up your career dreams. So choose, we are giving you equal rights. Choose now. Sex or career?’
‘Sorry but that is a ridiculous choice to make,’ Neel said.
‘Exactly, Neel. It is indeed a ridiculous choice. Just as ridiculous as the choice given to women—fly or nest. You want and get both. But a woman must choose?’
I had three sips of coffee before Neel had something to say.
