“Mom’s always telling me to come straight home. I don’t know what has happened to her since the past two years. It’s killing me”, said an irritated Aarav to his friend Piyush once he had ended the quick call with his mom.
“Did you do anything Aarav that she is being strict with you?”, Piyush winked.
“No mate. Nothing. Earlier she would never call me up to get back home. Don’t you remember we used to party the whole night? One fine day, she announced at the breakfast table that I should be back by 10 P.M. I mean, our fun starts at 10 and she wants me back by that time”, he is visibly upset.
“But right now it’s just 8 P.M.!”
“Yeah. So this 10 PM rule was made almost 2 years back. Slowly this time has been changed to 8:30 PM. Dad also says nothing about this matter. If I reach home beyond 8:30, I am grounded for a week. That’s why I was not able to join Rohit’s birthday bash last month.”
“What about Rohini didi? Is she also supposed to be back by then?”, enquired Piyush.
“Nope. She has her office till late. Her timings are 1 PM-11 PM. Then she drives back home”, told Aarav.
“What??! You know this is the craziest thing that I am hearing. The boy of the house is supposed to be back by 8:30 while the girl is allowed to be out till midnight. Dude, not done. You must protest strongly”, said Piyush.
“Dude. Not only the boy but even the man. My dad is also supposed to wrap up his work and get back by then. But you are right. I want an answer. Why am I not allowed to be out? I’ll demand her today. Let her ground me for a week”, said a pumped-up Aarav as he started his bike and drove away at lightning speed.
“Mom. Dad. Where are you? I want to talk to both of you right now”, he started looking out for them as soon as he reached home, well within 8:30.
His parents appeared. Mom from the kitchen and Dad who had just freshened up after coming back from his shop.
“What happened Aarav? Why are you shouting?”, asked Dad.
“Dad. It’s been almost 2 years since mom has made this stupid rule of you and me back at home by 8:30 while didi is free to work till 11 and then reach home by 11:45. That’s insane. I can’t enjoy myself with my friends. They make fun of me. I want to know what is the deal here”, he asked furiously and looked straight into his Mom’s eyes while his Dad decided to remain silent, as usual.
“First tell me where were you?”, his Mom asked him calmly.
“Doesn’t matter. I want an answer”, demanded Aarav.
“It does matter. You will get your answer. Where were you?”, she asked again
“I was with Piyush at that Shantu Pan Shop. Now tell me.”
“What were you doing there?”
“Mom. You are being too intrusive now. Whatever I might be doing there. That’s not your business. I am grown up 20 years old”, now Aarav was pissed off.
“That exactly should have always been my business Aarav which I and your Dad kept on neglecting. We thought that he was a boy. He can take care of himself. We should look after Rohini. She needs protection.“
“So?”, Aarav’s expression suddenly changed.
“So. One day changed it all. On the same day, we realized who needed protection and who did not. Do you remember that day when you and your friends landed up in jail because of eve-teasing?”, Mom asked.
“Ummm. Yes. But that was a silly joke that we were doing with our classmates. Those girls took it all wrong and complained to their parents. We were not raping them. It was just for fun”, protested Aarav.
“Hmmm. Rounding your female classmates on your bikes and taking away their dupattas to make your turbans was for fun?”, now his mom’s eyes were piercing through him and Aarav could not look at her directly.
“Mom. We had planned for a surprise end-of-event dance at our farewell party. But Rohit suggested at the last moment that we should have turbans and the girls had just performed their dance. They had dupattas as part of their costumes. We thought to have a little fun”, his voice was so low that it was difficult to understand if he was talking with himself or his mom. All this while his eyes were seeing the floor.
“You know Aarav. The same night when Rohini was coming back from her office in an auto-rickshaw, she was chased by 3 boys on their bikes for over 4 kilometers. 4 kilometers those hooligans chased her auto shouting ugly dialogues. Thank God that the auto driver had a very good presence of mind and clean intentions. He somehow changed his route to reach the police station. As soon as he stopped the auto there, these boys ran away. Don’t you remember that the good samaritan then lent his mobile to Rohini so that she can call us?”, Mom pulled up his face and kept on looking at Aarav.
“I do Mom. But…”
“That was the day Aarav both of us realized that it’s not Rohini who needs to get home early. It’s the perverts like you who need to be restrained and chained at home. Rohini has burnt the midnight oil to work in this field. We can’t let irresponsible boys like you ruin her life, her dreams, her flight. As per you, it was harmless fun to pull the dupattas for your dance. You were not going to rape them. Do you even understand what were you saying? Should we wait for you to rape a girl and live in jail to teach you a lesson?”
There was pin-drop silence in the huge house.
“Thank you for questioning me today Aarav. It took you 2 long years to ask this. Btw, we thought that we had given you the reason very clearly when I implemented the 10 PM rule and kept on changing it to 9:30, 9, and now 8:30. Shantu Pan Shop is the spot of our colony where no girl wants to cross. You don’t realize that. As per you, you guys were just having some fun there. But boy, know your limits. Understand the difference between fun, harassment, and rape”, Mom’s voice was thundering now.
Aarav had no more questions. From then on, he was home earlier than 8, and that too without any reminder call from his mom. Even if he has to go to a late-night party, he takes his mom’s permission and keeps her informed about his whereabouts. After spending 20 summers in this world, he has newfound respect not only for his Mom and didi but every female that he comes across.
“Mrs. Sinha, your son Aarav is a thorough gentleman. You have taught him well”, said Mrs. Malhotra at the yearly Diwali party organized in the colony.
Mrs. Sinha – Rohini and Aarav’s Mom – beamed at her son.
“I am glad that we taught him this important lesson before he embarks on the next chapters of his life”, she thought to herself and both the parents exchanged satisfactory smiles. For they have a boy who has turned into a fine man who would never hurt any woman – emotionally or physically.
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