The predicament....

I was on my break when I got the call. The best I could manage was a feeble and hardly discernable squawk though my Medu Wada filled mouth. My wife told me she was pregnant with our first child. For a few moments I was blank as the words didn’t quite compute. Don’t get me wrong, a child was something we both had decided on and had been trying for a few months, but still sometimes thinking about it and discussing it doesn’t really prepare you for “The Real Thing”. After the first few minutes of going thru various stages of confusion, cold sweats, happiness and of course mild doubt. It could be a false alarm after all. So I finally managed to take control of my feelings and went home to celebrate and congratulate my wife.

After the first few days of excitement, I began to worry. I was happy but I began to worry. And I began to pray. I began to pray my child would not be a girl. I prayed not because I didn’t want a girl child. I did. I prayed because I was afraid. I was afraid of the trials and hardships she would have to go thru all her life. I prayed because I would not be able to shelter her from them. I prayed because of the terrible things that happen to women in our country and around the world.

Am I paranoid? My friends definitely think so. Maybe I am. Or maybe I’m not. But here are some things that make me worried. According to a UN Index in 2011, India ranked 134^th out of 187 countries, the index included details from women in politics to sexual health to education and employment. India was ranked lower that China and Saudi Arabia. Yes you read that right. I live in Mumbai and I’ve always heard people say what a safe city this is. Seriously? My women friends tell me quite otherwise. They are groped on buses and trains, auto rickshaws, followed and eve teased. Or maybe this is paranoia. But then why would most of my lady friends, even my wife make this up. A few years back an ex-boyfriend threatened my sister with acid, and demanded two lac rupees to keep the details of their relationship under wraps. She promptly told him to shove it where the sun don’t shine and that was the end of that. But I shudder to think of the consequences. My friends tell me this is part of life in the city but I am unconvinced. My lady friends tell me they ignore it when they can. But is that really the solution? Why should our women, our mothers and our sisters, our wives or our daughters, have to put up with this?

I don’t know the answers. I only have my questions…. And my fears.

My daughter was born on the 9^th of July 2011. I love her and hope I can do my best to give her a balanced childhood and the strength to face the dangers of this world. And as a father I can only pray that God looks down on all his children.