Dear patriarchy,

You warmly embraced me with your indestructible chains,
each and every time, I walked through those dingy lanes.
As I wrapped the extra clothing around; a quivering hope of borrowed safety(?.)
My footsteps automatically paced up with my heartbeat, following the path that was hasty.
Silhouettes and shadows on the building walls contrasting the blinding bright lights,
This isn’t a story, isn’t a tale, just our struggle on one of those nights.
What’s with those chills running down your spine?
Oh, don’t worry.
This isn’t a thriller or a horror movie, it’s just my journey on my way back home.
All of it is “inspired by true stories” and any resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental NOT.

I am putting it out there for you; we will not stop speaking about things that make you uncomfortable. We will not stop until you stop silencing us. We will not stop until you stop passing misogyny for humor. No, we won’t make sandwiches; you’re grown up enough to do the same.  We will not stop until you stop taking oaths that rub your masculinity on our faces, metaphorically or not. We will not stop until you stop giving us those sanitary napkins waiting to be smothered in blood with such caution and care.

We will not stop until you can look us in the eye and not at or beneath the low v-neck top or the yellow skater skirt, which by the way I think we absolutely rocked. We will not stop until you stop using terms like “sissy” because she reads the Pink pages or the “tomboy” who knows what an off-side is better than you do. We, Mr. Boss, will not stop until you tell us why we were paid less in spite of working on the same project for the same working hours as Tom, Dick, and Harry. We will not stop until you realize that we can chug liters of the same drink you had last night and still be in the right frame of mind. And in case we don’t, we aren’t your responsibility, we aren’t your liability- leave us alone.

We will not stop until you are old enough to deal with rejection and learn that acid isn’t something you play with. We will not stop until you’re mature enough to realize that women have breasts and it’s their individual choice to sport the floral, neon green, beige or the lacy or no bra in whichever way to want to. We will not stop until you learn the appropriate way to celebrate New Year’s eve. We will not stop until you realize that men can be emotional too. We will talk, scream, shout and fight until you stop metastasizing this poison to every living cell present today.

We will learn to say-“not all men” when you stop doing it to all women.

With all our consent and agency,

The second sex.

Note: Valentine’s day 2017 saw Miranda House Women’s Development Cell strike, dance and rise with the One Billion Rising movement. Women from WDC, in the spirit of OBR, decided to write letters to patriarchy who had been their constant lover: it was time to breakup.

Breakthrough India joins hands with MH-WDC’s One Billion Rising campaign in University of Delhi and brings to you a glimpse of some of these letters, some of the stories that women from Miranda House have been writing to patriarchy. 

Beware, you might soon find them in your nearest bookstores as well!