Letters to a Rapist-Part 1.

In India we hear about a lot of rape cases,mostly those that have been brought forward by the media or the police or such.But whether reported or unreported,rape produces an impact on not just the rape victim,but her family members too.So,in this letter to a rapist,we see a sister telling about the impact men like him create on not just the rape victim and her kin,but to his entire community and the country as well.

Dear rapist,

                  A short skirt.Red lipstick.High heels.Brown hair.Sexy legs-that's all it took to provoke you.Rather than seeing my sister for her real beauty and strength,you chose these shallow features to take advantage of her.And you're not going to get away with it.

                            She was sixteen,my younger sister.She had been playing around ever since she was a kid,but after she saw a doctor treating a little kid in the first-aid room,she couldn't help but think about those people who could,with their arsenal of medicines and friendly smile,relieve people of their pain.She wanted to be one of them,no matter how hard the road would be.She wanted to be a doctor.

                   She was always carefree.Never thought how people felt about her.Whether they liked her or not,she would talk to them anyway.She always loved dogs and even adopted a stray dog to take care of him.She knew she wasn't perfect but that never stopped her from trying to be perfect.She annoyed me more than anyone else,but when I wanted her,she would stay with me the whole night,making sure I was fine.She was funny in a way that could bring sunshine back even on dark and rainy days.And she was smart too.She could memorize anything that she saw.And she loved doing maths and always taught kids so that they could have as much fun in math as she did.And she always had a spark in her eyes.I cannot believe that instead of trying to know these beautiful qualities,you decided to 'punish' her for something she wasn't responsible.

                 She was with her boyfriend that day.It was 5 days after her sixteenth birthday.She wore a black short skirt and she had her favourite red lipstick on.She wore those black colour heels I got from Mumbai.And she styled her hair.She wasn't drunk.Or high.And she wasn't even doing anything wrong.But she was a GIRL.And of course,rather than punishing mass murderers or guys who ask dowry,you chose to target a sixteen year old only because she didn't comply with your so-called 'Indian Culture'.And because of these 'solid' reasons,you took advantage of her.Raped her in the name of Indian culture.Assaulted her because you couldn't control yourself.Pinned her down because she had the guts to fight you back and not sit back and 'take it all'.

                               She came back home crying and she was never the same again.You got away with a 5-year prison sentence,but what about the torture you gave to the rest of her life?She gets judged for no reason.She gets dirty looks by her neighbours,even if she is doing something good.She is called a 'slut',a 'whore' and what not.And you?You are probably bribing the jail keeper to catch the latest cricket match,not even thinking about what you have done.

                     Today,I can do nothing but look at my sister and cry about what you've done to her.Though I know she is strong and brave,she hides a huge wound wide open in her heart.I'll probably never see the spark in her eyes ever again.And you?You say that she was 'inappropriately' dressed.You say that it was her fault that she got raped.You say that she should be a typical stereotype and stay within the four walls of her house.You say and say and say,but your ultimate reason-SHE WAS A WOMAN.

                      Mr.Rapist,it's not her.It's YOU.You are the reason why men get the courage to do things like this.You are the reason why girls get scared to catch autos.You are the reason why girls can't help but think what the next man is going to do to her in her bus.You are the reason why girls are frightened by the prospect of travelling after 9.Isn't this our country too?Don't we have the right to do what we like?Hang out with boys?Dress how we like?Do what we like?You were brought into this world by a woman,and this is how you treat her?

                      But this won't end.I know I cannot change the minds of thousands of people like you.But I know that you have sisters.Mothers.Wives.And even daughters.And someday they will go through the same phase as my sister did.They will be assaulted in the same way as my sister was because of the mentality of the people like you.And I know that you'll understand this only then.You wanted to challenge us,huh?Now you will see how we challenge Indian mentality.You will pay for this.You will.

                                                                              Sincerely,

                                                                             An elder sister.

6 Annoying poems in Hindi.

So,if you have read my previous entry,you have observed me lash out on our FAVOURITE Hindi Short Stories.However,when I looked back and thought about it,I thought that our lovely and amazing POEMS deserve equal treatment.So,without any further ado,lets jump down to see the 6 most annoying poems in our Hindi poems textbook-Kavya Chandrika.

6.कर्मवीर 

So I'm basically so bad at Hindi I can't even translate this word! Yeah,Yeah,my bad bro.But this poem is annoying for so many REASONS.Firstly,this poem keeps repeating the same point AGAIN and AGAIN,just like the way they play the same music at parties,thinking no one will notice.Well,we may not notice the music,but in the arena of the most annoying,this poem is not getting away.And I honestly do not understand HOW is being great connected to setting up telephone lines.Plus,this is SO long,you might as well finish Mortal Kombat 5 times.

5. उदय का क्षण 

Hands down,most random poem ever.'Uday Ka shan' or 'The moment of sunset' is basically a poem written by,er...powerpuff girls.You know,we're shiny happy people!Yay!!But sadly,we have to read this powerpuff girl poem,which tells us how we have to live every moment and not get depressed during sunsets,etc.Yes,the message is okayyy,but I do not understand WHY this poem is so vague?!It's as if the poet had to catch some Japanese bullet train and his house rent is due.Hence he has to earn some cash by selling some poem.Not cool man.

4.नवीन कल्पना करो 

'Naveen Kalpana Karo' or 'Have a new wish' is basically a patriotism type poem.But the problem is,it has TOOOO many rhyming words!And I don't know how it is with SSC or CBSE students,but all ICSE students are expected to remember stuff like this like the lyrics of,well-Anaconda.And this is not easy,because this is even longer than our cute little Karamvir.My brain shudders at the thought of this terrific poem.

3.सावन 

'Savaan' or 'Rainy Season' is a poem describing the 'Pleasures' of Monsoons.This poem basically has SOOO many sounds and insects.Yeah,I like rain,but that doesn't mean I'm gonna go out and dance in the rain like it's some Bollywood movie!Leave alone listening to all these adorable,ADORABLE sounds and insects and stuff like that.And I've never heard about insects singing with delight.Rather,you can always hear them crying about the fact that their winter rations are destroyed.

2.सूर के पद 

Here is another title I can't translate exactly.Yes,I suck big time in Hindi,let the memes begin!This poem is basically about how awesome God is,but it is annoying for so many reasons-1)There is only ONE point,only 1 POINT in the entire poem.And it would have been cool if it was some Einstein kind of point.But,no bro.None of that happens.2)They use bizarre examples like donkeys and all.That's like using chocolate cake to prove magnetism in an electric magnet-it's that pointless.And third,this isn't even Hindi!The only thing that keeps it from the Absolute Bottom is the fact that it is short.Yup.That's your only saviour kiddo.

1.राम-सुग्रीव-मैत्री 

FINALLY I can rant about this poem.'Ram-Sugreev-maitri' or the 'Friendship of Ram and Sugreev' is in NO way friendly to students yo.It fulfills each and every criteria for being annoying.Not Hindi-check.Long poem-check.Bizarre story-check.I could never understand anything beyond the first 2 lines of the poem!Dear ICSE Council,last time I checked,Hindi is Hindi.But if you give poems like these,I might as well read Greek.And I even get Greek you know?Alpha beta and stuff.So yeah.Pliss.Be more patriotic and add some SANE Hindi.

So,at the end,I want to say that poems may not bother everyone,you know.A lot of people actually enjoy reading or even writing poems.And then there are people like me who are bad at Hindi AND poems.Hence my opinion.Thank you for reading! :)

7 Most annoying short stories in Hindi.

So,I have a lot of trouble writing,and even reading,Hindi.Like,sure it's one of the country's most important languages and all,but that doesn't stop da haterz from hating!Only a people used to mind poems that much,but the short stories are the pain-givers.While some are good and actually get a good message across,most of them are downright ANNOYING!So,as a part of the 'tribute-to-ICSE-Hindi-students',here are the top 7 annoying lessons from our short story textbook,"Gadya Sankalan"

7. अकेली 

'Akeli' or 'Alone' is basically a story about a divorced old lady who loves-pardon the jokez-poking her nose into all,ALL kinds of events with the most adorable reason (sarcasm overload) ever-I WANNA BE LOVED!Like,okay,we get it!Ultimately she doesn't get invited to some relative's wedding at the end of the day that the whole town was making a fuss about.This story isn't that annoying to me,but from a general perspective,this is annoying enough due to it's overly-loving protagonist,estranged husband,dead son,dumb relatives and last,but NOT THE LEAST,its how-to-dye-a-sari procedure! 

6.परीक्षा 

'Pariksha' or 'Exam' is a lesson I personally find annoying.Being one of the first stories in the book,I was sick of reading it anyway!It's basically a story about how some fancy old man holds a fancy exam in a fancy palace to find a fancy candidate to replace his position in the King's court.Simple enough...but only just so.It's got a sanskari old man,fake candidates,vague hockey match,nice man with a weirdo name-it's basically got every element to make it annoying!The only factor that prevents it from reaching the bottom of the barrel is its beautiful length of 5,pages.(Yes,it is one of our shortest lessons!)

5.सच्ची वीरता 

'Sacchi veerta' or 'True bravery' is actually an essay about great men and how we should become grave and serious and selfless and never give up and stuff like that.This lesson is annoying in a way that is hard to explain.There is just TOO much to remember-names,places,descriptions-which basically drives you crazy!Not to mention it's over-the-top-philosophical advice that no one sane can interpret.It's ultimate lesson-SHUT UP AND BEHAVE!

4.मेरे मास्टर साहब 

'Mere master sahab' or 'My master' is the story of a student who was subject to some insane bullying in his middle school years,who is eventually saved by his geography teacher.This student grows up and eventually returns back to his school as a principal (or headmaster?!) with his favourite geography teacher working under him.While the lesson does put across a good message of how one should respect their teachers,this paints a WRONG image of Indian students in schools!Firstly,this guy thinks that after becoming a principal,his school is absolutely disciplined and that every student is scared of him.Yes,this shows he ignored the fact that his students behaved like folks at a fish market and stuck a 'KICK ME!!' note on his back.Not to mention this lesson is LONG!Perfect criteria for annoying.

3.मैं और मेरा देश 

'Main Aur Mera Desh' or 'Me and my country' is hands down,the most BORING lesson ever.This is a really long essay on how one can be responsible and proud citizens on India by...what,VOTING?!The author basically raises good questions but forgets that he is writing an essay.Rather,he writes as if he is answering some patriotic questions at a Dubai Mall.Besides this lesson was so long and so boring,that my friend and I lived on 5 cups of coffee to read this lesson without falling asleep.

2.खेल 

'Khel' or 'Play' is the most weird lesson on the planet.It is basically a story of about how two kids play on the banks of the holy Ganga river and break each other's sand castles-trying to remind us how temporary and mortal this world is.The female basically develops a crush on the male when she is,wait...SEVEN YEARS OLD.Heck,I didn't even KNOW what a crush was back then!This lesson also features best way to make sand castles,huts,etc,how to destroy sand castles,best pickup lines and best way to demonstrate a teenage life in a second (Pretentious Movie Reviews inspired!).GREAT job people.

1.चप्पल 

If you study Gadya Sankalan in your school,you knew that this lesson was obviously EPIC.period.'Chappal' or 'Flip-flops' is a story-wait,you know what,THIS ISN'T A STORY!It's basically well,some random description that involves a man going to meet some random woman in an ICU and runs into a boy who loves some random pair of blue flip-flops and is going to undergo an amputation.This isn't even connected!It's literally like the guy saw a movie,went to sleep,woke up,suffered amnesia and just randomly wrote down something.Not to ignore the fact that this story starts with a lie of being small.This lesson has some of the best modern sadhus,excessive bleeding,courageous behaviour,and not to mention-best darshinik-ism.So,pliss ICSE Council,have some mercy on my cute juniors,and eliminate this abomination lesson.

So no matter what language,everyone has their bucket list of stories and poems that they hate.What are the stories or poems that annoyed you the most?Do tell me so that I can have some sympathy as well!Thank you,and see you on Thursday with another blog dedicated to ICSE Hindi students!

Three phases of board exams!

If you live in India,you probably know the pain of board exams.They are basically exams your syllabus board organises to give you your school certificate.And boy,they're a pain in the ass.And like it or not,a lot of good and bad things come with board exams.Or more specifically,there are three phases to it.So,without further ado,lets get down to it and see the three phases of the 'board exams'.

The 'Pre-Boards' Phase:

1.Excitement!

This is a time when you're super excited for boards.Though you're nervous as hell,you can't help but think about what may happen.Will it be thrilling?Or will it be as bad as Hamshakals?You're dying to know.

2.Too much studying!

So no matter how easy boards may seem,no matter how many test papers you solve,boards are pretty much a big deal.So if you don't study like a freak,you'll probably FEEL like you're about to flunk.

3.Pressure!

As boards near,your parents become the pressure cookers and you're the ill fated rice.The pressure is pretty much enough to crush you down,whether you push yourself to do it,or your parents do.

4.Too much attention!

Somehow,boards make you the pride of your family and friends,they don't know whether you'll top or fail,but all of a sudden,even the most DISTANTTT relatives decide to call and check on you,and even send you a box of chocolates if they feel generous!By far,the most awesome part of this phase.

5.Let it rip.

This is the feeling you get just before the boards start.You have read everything,memorized each and everyone of your stupid chemistry equations,learnt those bio diagrams LIKE A BOSS-you couldn't be more prepared!You picture yourself wearing the coolest shades and just saying,er...let it rip.

The 'Boards' Phase:

1.The atmosphere.

When you walk into your school,everything seems so different!Your principal,who usually murders you several times if you come late,is happily awaiting your arrival.Your teachers do almost anything you ask for and your juniors just pop in secretly to wish you all the best.It basically takes a turn for the worse,depending on you.

2.THAT HALL!

Since ICSE students write exams in their own schools,we have one less element of surprise.But for the others,it feels like they're on the Game Of Thrones set.Everything seems fascinating.The idea of hall tickets.Invigilators.New role numbers.Everything seems to alien to be true.

3.Disappointment.

If you're human,surely not all of your exams are going to go perfect.And it is frustruating!Even after working so hard,how could you NOT do it well?!This is the part where you learn the lesson:every one and anyone can mess their exams.

4.Control,control!

During the middle of the exams,you already become so tired that you just want to plop on a couch and spend 5 hours on Facebook and YouTube.But,that doesn't happen.You have to exercise the highest level of control over yourself to NOT do any Facebooking and all.And boy,that takes effort.A LOT of it.

5.Despair!!

At this point,you are so sick of board exams that you just want it to end.You chat with your friends for hours discussing what you're going to do once boards get over.You are so desperate for boards to end,that on your last exam,you're going to look at each other's faces and do mental countdowns.And when the invigilator says,"Pens down!",you'll just be like,"And that's a wrap folks!"

The 'Post-boards' Phase:

1.Relief!

You're so damn happy when boards are done that you just want to forget all your troubles and just go and chill out at the swimming pool.And deservedly so!I mean,after a MONTH of pressure,all you just want to do is throw your books away and RELAXX.

2.Parties.Parties everywhere!

To make up for the time you guys lost,everyone plans a hell lot of parties.In fact,your parents don't even see you at home for the first week.And you never get bored of it either!There is just so much to catch up about that you think that any number of parties can't be enough for that!

3.To hell with books!!

You get sick at the very sight of books now.They have tortured and murdered and condemned you to this HELL of board exams,and the last thing you want to is even think about thinking about touching these books.

4.Joblessness!!!

Yup.After 15 days,you don't even know what to do with your life!You're too lazy to even touch books or do anything productive, and because you were so busy studying all this time,you don't know what to do! 

5.Finally,missing feelz.

With boards out of the way,you realize that one of the most fun parts of life is over.You start missing your school,your teachers,your messy classrooms,your noisy lunch breaks,and even studying for boards!But at the same time,this is a positive thing-you can look forward to a new phase in life of meeting people,seeing new places-and you'll surely remember all these awesome memories!

So guys,no matter what the results are,boards are definitely a unique experience that you can always relate to.And for those of you who haven't written them yet,good luck.And may the odds be ever in your favour.