Short Skirt

While strolling in the market, Neelam suddenly stumbled upon a mannequin outside the Clothes store. Although she didn’t suffer from any injury, but the displayed short skirt on the mannequin was all spoiled with the kulfi (ice cream) she was happily munching in such a sweltering hot weather. ‘ Madam Ji, Where are you lost?. Your kulfi has spoiled this short skirt. Do u even know how expensive this is? It is of no use to us now. You will have to buy it’, a man in the mid fifties who was the owner of the shop was shouting at her. The thought of buying a short skirt made Neelam awestruck. Before she could say something, she was handed over a polythene with the spoiled short skirt and was forced to pay for the same. On the way back home, Neelam couldn’t help but memorise her past encounters with the short skirt.

“Ma, I want a pink short skirt this year for my birthday present’, a chirpy 10 year old Neelam told her mother one day. Ma was shocked and Dadi who overheard this got a chance to taunt her mother, ‘This is the reason you are sending her to School and these are the moral values you are imparting her.’ Neelam knew the answer and pretended to be happy when her Ma gifted her a Pink sequinned Salwaar Kameez on her birthday.

“Ma Papa, all my friends are wearing skirt on farewell party. Can I also wear the same?”, a 16 year old Neelam who aced her high school board examinations requested her parents. “ No ways, the girls of our family never wear such kind of clothes. We are from a traditional and respectable family. You have done great in studies but this doesn’t mean that you will start insulting us now’, her father told her. She was once again made to wear a Silk Salwar Kameez at the party and she can never forget that day when she became a subject of mockery amongst all her so called friends.

“Ma, don’t worry I will be alright. No one from our family lives here. And all my friends wear such kind of clothes only”, a rebellious 24 year old Neelam assured her mother after buying her very first short skirt in a metropolitan city of Mumbai where she went to pursue her post graduation. That very day while she was roaming around one of the beaches in Mumbai with her friends, few men tried to physically molest them. Although she and her friends were rescued by the people around, Neelam was hell scared and she remembered how everyone was blaming them for their chosen attire.

“Ma, What have you bought for me?” Neelam’s 15 year old daughter asked her when she reached home. “Oh It’s a short skirt. Thank you so much Maa. It’s so hot na. I knew you would buy it for me since u got shorts for Bablu yesterday”, her daughter couldn’t hold her excitement. Neelam was quiet and was thinking who was at fault: The Summer season, the short skirt, the women or some evil men of our society.

This post is a part of the blog train where 24 awe-inspiring bloggers are going to share their story of ‘Summer’. Hop on the train to read some amazing blogs. This ‘Summer Blog Train’ is organised by Neha Sharma from Growing with Nemit.

I want to thank Kriti who blogs http://www.desiflavorsoflife.wordpress.com for introducing me in her blog post. Now the train will move on to the station of Sonam Jain of The Magic Platter . Do show some love to her blog post as well.

Hosted By: Neha Sharma