True meaning of Raksha Bandhan for me!

It was a pleasant morning but something furious was up in the sky. Dark clouds were engulfing very quickly and soon loud thunders clasped the skies. This #Rakshabandhan seemed little different from every year. Tina was gazing out of the window at the dark clouds. She was quivering with complex riddles spanning her mind in this darkness. A sudden knock at the door didn’t break her thoughts, but Raghu’s voice did.

“Tina, come down, its mahurat time, I’m waiting to have a beautiful rakhi on my wrist. What are you doing inside?” Raghu’s loud voice shook her from her thoughts and she quickly ran to open the door. “Yes, Raghu, I’m coming down for the celebration”. Her voice was not the usual charming, her smile seemed vanished and she looked somewhat bewildered. Raghu had sensed it, but thought to wait till the celebration was over.

Everyone seemed excited as always. The room was beautifully adorned with the orange yellow flower petals and green leaves. The plate looked beautiful, it had rose petals, kesar-chandan and kumkum with rice for “Rakhi Teeka”. Coconut Barfi, Raghu’s favourite, was in the plate to signify the sweetness of bond that Tina-Raghu shared. The dhol-wala was waiting in the lobby to add on to this customary celebration in a fun way.

It has been 15 long years that they have cherished this beautiful sibling love in their hearts. Raghu’s love for the chirpy Tina was priceless. No matter what he wanted, he had always kept Tina and her wishes first. Raghu was now 19 years, well in his teens and Tina was about to be sweet sixteen. She looked beautiful in her orange red Kurti and to embrace her choices, Raghu was also in his orange kurta for RakshaBandhan.

She smiled, as they sat to celebrate the festival. She tied Rakhi with the same love. Raghu quickly pulled out a beautifully wrapped gift for her, but this time she refused. Sensing something amiss, Tina just spoke one line, “All I want is respect. Respect for one and every women from you this day.”

[Scenario’s have changed, a brother was always reminded on RakshaBandhan to protect his sister from all evils and odds of the society. But today’s women is self-empowering. We can stand for our rights, fight for our causes and earn for a great livelihood. In this era, what we need is “Respect for Womanhood “].

Raghu was shocked! Tina was coming from something very personal. Raghu was playful and being in his teens, he often used to show a flirtatious attitude towards Tina’s best friend. Sometimes, it crossed the limits as well and certainly Tina didn’t like that. She saw that her brother was missing out that respect for the fun and this is what she demanded this Rakhi. What if any other boy passed comments on her? Would Raghu sit back and see all of it silently? We all have known to respect our blood relations and sisters, but why not every women in this society? We run for the safety of our sisters, but pass on the comments to other girls and women.

She wanted a wave of change. A small change which had to be ignited right there and then, from her house, this RakshaBandhan. This wave had to flow with all mighty push in every neighbourhood so that every girl, every women feels safe and respected. It is no longer about protecting your sisters, but it is about saving “Womanhood“. This RakshaBandhan, every brother should vow to respect every woman. If every brother agrees to this promise, imagine, we will not need anyone to protect us. When everyone surrounding will see us with same dignity, there will be no sense of insecurity. A woman could roam freely, wear freely, workout in garden and travel in public transport with sheer confidence and esteem. She will be no longer objectified!

Tina had asked a very special gift, and Raghu’s love for Tina made him realise the real need. Raghu put back his shimmering gift and hugged Tina. He went a step ahead and launched this campaign in his college. There was no looking back, the wave she had initiated has been hitting the rocks rightly, making a small but the right move. Thunders ended with heavy rains. The sky seemed crystal clear, the birds were chirping happily and the thirsty earth looked well soaked.

What are you asking your brothers this RakshaBandhan? Let’s all stand united to demand the respect we need! May the wave of change splash every family this festival.

This post is a part of Blogger’s Carnival Hosted by me and my lovely friend, Sayeri from Sayeridiary. I would love to thank Gurjeet for introducing me, who is a beautiful mom and a wonderful cook, who makes me drool over her preparations every time.

Happy Rakshabandhan,

XoXo, Jhilmil