Back To Bliss: A Journey To Zero by Santosh Jha (pdf e book reader TXT) 📕

Guddi who was listening to what Mayank was saying with keen interest looked confused. She could not fully understand what he said about the role of women in creating a better future which Mayank saw coming. But she could know it for sure that Mayank reposed very high hopes on her and women like her. She was very keen to know what woman like her was expected to contribute.

“You said I and women like me hold future but if you ask me, I even don’t know what good or bad I am doing and what I am supposed to do to make it count. I don’t think this feminism thing in India even has an agenda?”

“There is a clear agenda Guddi; but you do not have to often think in terms of agenda. You do not even have to name it as feminism. This nomenclature itself is calamitous. All you have to do is to be a woman you are. Women have evolved in the long history of humanity as an alternative mode of life view. This alternative model is not born out of what women decide to achieve while competing for an equal space in the man’s world. It is rather a simple manifestation of a woman’s own alternative view on all things in life that affects humanity. Feminism is all about the very essence of the female portion of the nature. The good thing about the golden future of this model is that there is more good women in all good men of substance which they refuse to accept and there are shades of good men in all females which they do not know how to handle.”

“And you said there is a clear agenda…”

“Oh yes, there is this agenda. We have the world divided between the burka and the bikini. The Indian challenge is to understand the inherent conflicts and characteristics of both; the strengths and weaknesses of both and then create benchmarks of our own variety of womanhood, which has strands of scientific modernism but useful Indian ethos is retained. Our women have to rise up, grow, empower themselves, but never forget that their strength and individuality is in being the women they are. They do not have to be like men and compete against men to get their rightful place in the men’s world. Most that glitter in men’s world is certainly not gold. The men’s world view has not done a lot good to the humanity. If this alternative model becomes a competitive idea, it will only add up to the stupidity which the men’s world has built up so magnificently. There is definitely no need for that. Enough is enough. The power of this new world order is in being different and an alternative to the men’s ways. And this difference must traverse the path of tolerance and persuasiveness; never reactiveness.”

Guddi still did not look convinced. It was clear that she wanted a simpler and direct interpretation of what Mayank was telling all about. Mayank could feel it but he could not help. He knew, like Guddi, most women globally perceived feminism as something big and complex and that’s why they failed to accept that it is as simple and direct as being a true woman. Feminism is in being than in doing. All goodness is in being, not doing. Women, used to accepting the male world view of actionable accomplishments, are reluctant to accept that feminism is achieved just by doing nothing but being what they are.

Ashish was watching her face and his mischievous self grabbed a chance. He never left a chance to tease Guddi. He enjoyed when she would reproach him for that. He loved the way she commanded him and chided him to see the reason. Most men have this stupid habit of deriving pleasure from women that way. Men actually love being mothered and commanded in a kiddish way by their women till their last breath.

“Monku, I really think you are taking it quite far stretched than it really fits the bill”, Ashish said in his usual matter of fact mannerism. “Okay, nice with your support and favor for women and I am saying this with lots of respect to Guddi and other women. But, I think your theory of a world order based on women-centric ideas as a successful alternative to the current one, what you call the male-order, looks quite long drawn one. I say it with the risk of sounding stupid but I must say that you are still young and in your age, most things look beautiful, especially the women. Your youthfulness, besotted with the attraction for the opposite gender makes you see all things beautiful in females and their priorities. All young men are feminists; like all teenagers are instinctively socialists...they have to be, do they have a choice? As you would grow old, you would yourself see lot of grey areas in the feminism, as most teenagers turn capitalistic when they grow up. Then it will cease to be your panacea”.

“Ashu, Monk is not a teenager. He is very mature for his age. Anyway, 34 is the age of reason. You should rather put it this way; Monk is a beautiful person and that is why he sees the beauty in feminism and puts his money on it”, Utkarsh intervened and looked towards Guddi in an apparent bid to win her good vibes.

“I think we were discussing an issue and there is no need for digressing to personal references”, an irritated Guddi added as she could not bear any criticism aimed at Mayank. “An issue is always larger and greater than a person. So far as Bhaiya is concerned, the truth is the other way round. Women might have obsession about him but he is obsessed only with goodness, even if it is in a donkey, let alone women”.

Mayank smiled at the child which he could see in Guddi, defending her favorite toy. He knew Ashish very well. He knew he intentionally said things to him to prod him say something which Ashish would remember and later tell those words to his colleagues, boasting that they were his own creations. He remembered Ashish had once told him, ‘You know Monku, I really love what you and Utkarsh talk about. I wish I could also talk like that but you know I cannot. I even do not understand many things you say but I really like the way you people can talk. Just listening to you, I get quotes which I use on my girl friends and bosses and they are invariably charmed by them’. Mayank never divulged this secret even to Utkarsh.

“Ashu, you have a reasonable query. I appreciate you. Nothing is stupidity if you do not accept it like that and instead treat it as a possible aspect of an issue. I would simply say that I see something more prominent and predominant in females compared to men and my preference for a female order over the contemporary male order emanates out of this. The women too have their own set of problems but overall, I see they are ruled more by compassion compared to passion which rules men folk. Things get different interpretation when treated with compassion instead of passion. Compassion discounts a lot of hypocrisy and that is why I have greater hope from compassion and the female order that promotes it. You consider this Ashu; a nation, which is the largest supplier of arms and ammunitions to the world, gets a death sentence for a person selling heroin. A civilized nation can sell arms to the world which kills thousands in perpetual wars and civil wars but the same nation hangs the sellers of drugs like heroin which is somehow a lesser killer. This hypocrisy is the product of a male order which has created the contemporary world order where such hypocrisy thrives. I know Ashu that your economics has smart justification for even this one. But I cannot see it happen if this is seen from the angle of compassion and not from the angle of passion, which so successfully defines national interest in the contemporary world order. I am doubly sure, if we have a female view point being decisive, such hypocrisy cannot be part of the world order.”

“I think Monk is right”, Utkarsh said. “Even I see quite a few things in our male order which I feel the world should be free of. The first and foremost is the indecency of language and overall behavior which Monk has already pointed out. I would add into the list all the intoxicants, the scary sense of sexuality of men folks, which Monku rightly said reactionary feminism is so proud to ape and above all, the perpetuity of violence as a way of finding solutions to difficult problems. Monk has rightly used the term sadomasochism. I really think Monk is right when he says, females have better sense and utility of compassion whereas the men are guided more by passion, the passion of painful joys”.

“So, let us come down to the core issue. Is this your wish that the women should now be handed over the reins of the world and then things will get okay for you”, Ashish continued with his tirade.

“Guddi, get some sweets for Ashu, he is finally ready to hand over the reins to you even when he is aware that the first thing you will order is to ban the liquor for Ashu as you get the authority”, Utkarsh quipped.

“It is not about the reins and the ruling. It is about what stays as the defining benchmark of all human endeavors. The important thing is that compassion alone should be the most predominant and deciding influence over every single initiative and action that humanity as a whole should consider worthwhile and that is why it is a wish. My advocacy for feminism is part of my wish to see this happen as I see compassion more on the side of women than men. I am not blind to the history. I know it well that earlier, even men had compassion in their side but they did not honor it. When the capitalism was at its worst best, the communism had compassion on their side. The communism was the hope and millions of people joined the revolution riding this hope. But they lost it. The rule and reins came to communism and it acted worse than the capitalism empires. It killed more compassion than capitalism could ever. I do not wish reins for feminism; it would rather do well without it. I just wish, the social order and the family systems should have greater compassion and this will happen when females sustain their distinct identity. The resultant feminism would automatically become the first choice, the instinctive benchmark of social and individual behavior and action. Feminism does not need the reins; it needs the love and appreciation of men. It just needs the realization by men that the best part of their own personalities is feminine. Men need to accept that they are at their best when influenced by a female; be it the mother, wife or a daughter. I am two hundred per cent sure; Ashu will quit both smoking and drinking if he gets a wife as good, intelligent and beautiful as Guddi. And this he will do out of love for his woman, not out of the force of authority which is often associated with reins and rulings. I visualize the success of feminism as it does not attempt to rule. It creates an environment of trust and love which is conducive to an order where compassion thrives. And that is the true world for me.”

“Let us say amen to Monku’s wish and pray that Ashu sees