This may come as something "off - beat" to you all. But hey, so what?
Coming down to work this morning, somewhere near Dadar I stopped at a traffic light when a contract bus pulled alongside. The day had been bright and sunny, not much sign of rain (how sad, no?). One of the windows in the bus had been pulled down in "shut" position and the lady at the window seat was struggling to get it open. A man from the seat behind her got up - I guess it would have been her colleague, for this seemed to be a bus on contract to ferry employees - and, after a brief effort he got it up and bolted. So what's great about this, you wonder?
Well, the fact is, I've been toying with an idea (very nascent, nebulous) of doing a book titled "Through My Windshield" and this is a classic example of what sets my brain (?) going. What I saw was this - as the man tried to open the window the lady had her lips pursed tight, as if it was she who was doing the work. That was one.
Second, when the window was finally open the look in her eyes was one of admiration at the man's "strength" (is that the word, I wonder?) - and THAT is what gives birth to this mail.
How is it that "WOMAN" who is actually much, much stronger - physically as well as emotionally - feel so "weak" in small things as this? I know for a fact that most men would crash from sheer fatigue if asked to live the daily routine of any average woman (Guys, back off before you get outraged!).
Waking up early, getting the tea/coffee prepared, filling up the water, getting the milk, waking up the kids, getting them to brush their teeth, getting them to drink their milk, have their breakfast ready in time before they catch the schoolbus, lunch, coordinating with the maid, getting breakfast ready, washing vessels, washing clothes, ironing, packing the husband's lunch, (boy, I'm tired just listing these tasks out) going to work, catching the train, catching up with friends, catching a quick power nap if one's lucky, ...... sheesh!!!
To add to these "daily routines" just imagine "THAT TIME OF THE MONTH" when despite everything the routine must go on (wasn't it Raj Kapoor who said "The show must go on"?). And, finally, childbirth..... can any male ever even begin to imagine the strength needed to withstand that pain?
And yet, the look on her face as her colleague opened that teeny bloody window? Funny, no?
Women - I will never understand them. But, boy, here's a big salute to all of them.
Sats
A couple of quotes, before I send this out:
Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult. ~Charlotte Whitton
The two women exchanged the kind of glance women use when no knife is handy. ~Ellery Queen
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