Just Imagine If It Happened

The earth had changed completely by the year 2150. Hardly a few species of plants and animals were left. The situation was worse in India. The female sex ratio had declined quite rapidly over the years. Female infanticide and crime against women were responsible for this scenario. There were hardly 300 girls left for every 1000 male.

The girls had the last laugh now. They were so much in demand that the bridegrooms were willing to offer a handsome dowry.

Ladies dictated their terms whereas men had no other option but to abide by them. Gone were the days when people craved for a son. Now everyone wanted a daughter.

Our story begins when Gagan Kumar, a 25-year-old youth is expecting his prospective bride's family to visit his house.

His father Eshwarchand Khemka was worried about the fate of his youngest son, Gagan. Nearly twenty-five to thirty girls had rejected him citing some or other reason. Eshwar called him and said, " Please try to create a favorable impression on the bride's family. I never had any trouble finding brides for your elder brothers. They are all well settled in their marital homes. I hope you have learned all your answers to the probable questions."

Gagan nodded and went inside to prepare tea for the guests. Gagan's mother Asha gave him instructions on how to behave in front of the girl and her family.

They arrived shortly with lots of relatives.

The girl examined him from head to foot. Gagan was a bit nervous. He liked her immediately and prayed within his heart for her approval. She said, " Hi, Gagan. I am Nikita. Before we could discuss the prospects of our marriage, tell me about yourself." He cleared his throat and started speaking about his education, job, and salary package. He told her about his likes and dislikes and his hobbies. Nikita raised her hand to stop him from talking. She asked him to sing and dance. He felt an object of entertainment but obeyed the girl out of sheer necessity. She handed him a long list of paper containing her terms and conditions for marriage. She also warned him that if he violated any of these terms, she would end their matrimony. Moreover, he wouldn't be getting any alimony after the divorce. Gagan's father agreed to call back the bride's family after going through that list.

Gagan's mother asked him to read the contents of the list.

Gagan had to agree for a womb transfer after six months of Nikita's pregnancy. The Year 2150 was so advanced that even men could share the pregnancy term and deliver the babies. This facility was optional.

He had to stay at home and look after the family. Nikita allocated some portion of her salary as his allowance. She would also give him money to meet the household expenses.

He could visit his parents once a year after getting her permission. The roles had reversed in this century. The men left their parental homes and lived with their wives and parents in law. Gagan never thought that he would become a puppet in the hands of a stranger who would be his wife.

Gagan conveyed her list of conditions and restrictions to his parents. Gagan wished his parents would decline this proposal. His freedom meant everything to him. His father consulted his mother who had already finalized his marriage to Nikita. His father was helpless as Asha was the head of the family. His father asked him to accept all the conditions and marry her. He could not go against his wife. Gagan tried to convince his mother to reconsider her decision. She said, " I have not given you any choice. You are already well past your marriageable age. My friends are making fun of me. What will the society say if you remain unmarried for your life? Either you accept that girl's proposal and settle down or get out of this house."

Gagan obeyed her and agreed to marry Nikita.

It was a wedding to remember. Thousands of people turned up for the wedding. After the marriage, Gagan sought his parents' blessings and left for his marital home.

His parents in law and wife started torturing him from day one. They treated him like a servant and hit him if he answered them back.

One day he added some extra salt to the vegetable gravy. His father-in-law scorched his skin with a heated iron rod. Nikita whipped him with her belt if he failed to iron her dresses on time. His mother-in-law lashed out at him when he forgot to serve her tea in the afternoon. His life was extremely miserable.

Nikita was a habitual drinker. Gagan tried to advise her to give up drinking. She was so furious that she whipped him with his belt. He decided to go back to his parents and stay with them forever. His parents were not at all pleased to see him. His mother yelled at him, " How dare you walk out of your marriage? We have spent so much on your wedding. Is this how you repay us? You have to live with your wife for the rest of your life. We will be humiliated if you come to live with us. You have to learn to be patient."

Gagan felt deeply hurt. His mother rebuked him instead of sympathizing with him. She gave him some presents for his wife and sent him away. His parents in law and wife tormented him with their swear words. He managed to appease his wife by giving her the presents.

Nikita announced her pregnancy after six months of her marriage with Gagan. The entire household was in a festive mood. Nikita and her parents spared Gagan for a few days.

After six months, Gagan underwent surgery for womb transfer. He delivered a baby girl after going through an operation. His wife and parents-in-law sent him home for complete bed rest. They asked him to come back after three months. He enjoyed his newfound freedom at his parental home.

He left for his marital home after three months. His torture continued for the next two years until Nikita became pregnant again.

She was carrying twins this time. Gagan felt crushed after hearing this news. He went through the same procedure once again.

This time he delivered a boy and a girl.

After twenty years, his children started attending college.

One day Ria brought her friends home and introduced them to her siblings. They exchanged pleasantries before her brother Uttam went to prepare tea for the guests. All the girls were attracted to him. They wanted to possess his body. Since Ria was a greedy girl, they paid her money and expressed their desire. She readily agreed and called Tina to go shopping. Both the sisters left Uttam at the mercy of ten girls. They locked the door after the girls left. They dragged him from the kitchen after he turned off the gas. " Please wait for sometime, " begged Uttam, "Allow me to strain the tea into the teacups for you."

They laughed at him and tore his clothes. He was completely naked. They started undressing and pounced upon him like a pack of hungry wolves. He screamed in pain as they forced themselves upon him. They had successfully gang-raped him. This film ended with the protagonist Uttam hanging himself after the rape. His helpless father Gagan cried while Nikita stood still in shock.

" Stop it, " shouted Hariya, "What kind of a nonsense movie have you made?" He questioned the filmmaker Prabhas Roy. Prabhas had arranged a special screening of his movie Shoshan strictly for men in Gurugram ( Haryana).

Prabhas picked up the microphone and said, " I am sorry if I hurt your male ego. We have been harassing, torturing and sexually exploiting women for centuries together. How does it feel when you turn into a victim from being the perpetrator of the crime? I am not trying to portray a woman in a bad light. I want you to realize her pain and suffering when we physically verbally and sexually abuse her. You sympathized with Gagan because his wife and parents-in-law tortured him with their cruelty. Have you forgotten that we have been doing these for centuries? We treat women like our slaves and expect them to serve us because it is their duty. What do we give them in return for their selfless service? Nothing except insult and tears."

Hariya protested, " You are a man. How can you compare a woman with a man? Men are the masters of the house. Women are always inferior to men. Men should always control their wives, mothers, and daughters. Our ancestors have laid down these rules since centuries together. A son takes his family legacy forward and performs all the rituals as per Hindu tradition."

Prabhas laughed aloud and said, " Don't give me that bullshit theory. Can a man give birth to a child all by himself? Can you tell me how a man is superior to a woman? Can you bear the pain that a woman experiences during childbirth? Can you manage to work at home and the office as well? I have often heard men yelling at their wives for doing nothing at home. Can you manage to do the household chores in their absence? The entire household comes to a standstill when they are sick. We are dependent on women for ironing our clothes cooking food for us raising our children etc. Can you handle all these activities all by yourself? On what basis do we call ourselves superior to women? You consider women as sexual objects and lust after her body. You make sure that your wives daughters and sisters dress properly to protect them from sexual harassment. Why don't you teach your sons to exercise self-control and respect women? Do you have any answer to my questions?" The entire audience fell silent and hung their heads in shame.

Hariya was the first one to break the silence by clapping loudly for Prabhas. The audience cheered for him. Hariya said, " I am grateful to you for opening our eyes. I admit that we have treated women only as objects to fulfill all our needs. We have to respect them for their invaluable service." Another guy raised his hand and asked, " Does it mean that women are superior to men? You must have read about this #Metoo movement. Don't you feel that women are taking undue advantage of their newfound power?"

Prabhas replied, " I never said that women are superior to men. I believe in gender equality. Neither of them is superior or inferior. It is unfortunate that some women resort to this kind of tactics for cheap publicity. There are good and bad people in both the sexes. They are incomplete without each other. Please do not take the women for granted. They are not our servants. They are our partners in the business called life. I had another reason for making this movie. Everybody wants a son because of some stupid tradition. If you start killing your girls, someday you may not be able to find a bride for your son. Your future daughter in law is the daughter of someone. I request all of you to save our daughters from female infanticide. We need them for our existence and survival. We must do this to avoid the situation that we saw in the movie.

We must share the burden of the household chores with them so that they are not overworked. Thank you for your overwhelming support."

The movie succeeded in inspiring young men to change their attitude towards women.

Epilogue:

The aim of this story is not to portray a man or a woman as a villain. It's a tribute by a man to a woman recognizing her true worth and respecting her feelings. The real hero of the story is Prabhas Roy. He paints a grim picture of men in 2150 who outnumber women in the population. Prabhas wants them to mend their ways before it is too late. His main aim is to improvise the relations between a man and a woman. He requests them to abolish female infanticide to avoid the cinematic situation.

He wants to promote gender equality in society.