To monthly trauma

I woke up with a sharp but dull pain in my lower abdomen. This pain is familiar to me. It hates me and I hate it. It greets me once a month, approximately six to seven days and clings on to me like a feeding parasite. It consumes all my energy, positive vibe and charm and leaves behind an impatient, hungry and tired old woman.
Anyway, as the morning continues with my painful realization that i am going through my monthly ordeal, another saddening thought struck my mind, of all days, my friend has chosen this day to help her shopping for her new job. I had forgotten that my "day" would collide with her, but now I have to endure two things I hate the most; shopping and then period.

Oh yes, I saw you squirming seeing this word. I remember how it all started. One early morning I told my mother that I cant go to school as my inside is burning and it maybe due to the spicy dinner which my sister made. Before I could say more, I was dragged to the washroom and before I knew it, she handed me this plastic coating rectangular thing which looked like a really fat napkin. I have become a woman, with pride my mother mentioned. I don't know how can this be termed as a proud moment in one's life. Its just the starting of the most cruel years, where we "women" monthly are victims of something which is involuntary.

I was travelling in a bus. But as I heard a heated discussion going on between two men about how tax free condoms are much more important then tax free sanitary pads, a question went through my mind, how can the government think that sanitary pads belongs to the category of luxury.

Forget the government, there are people, truth be spoken, men, who joke about mood swings and statements like 'stop PMSING.' But lets talk about this later.

I remember the times when I had to battle this and struggle the whole day, without letting anyone know whats going on. You see at that time, during school days, it was all a hushed up affair. You cant mention you are having period! Its treated like a filthy thing and is talked about in whispers only. The worst part was the PT classes. We had white skirts. Biggest nightmare of any girl. We had no option but to opt out. I used to feel so embarrassed when I used to go up the fat, old teacher of mine and whisper the words cautiously to him, the reason for me to skip the class. That fool would loudly say, "oh its that time of the month eh"...Everyone would stare. I would go back to my place, my head hanging low, as if its a crime I have committed. I wish someone would have guided me and the other disillusioned girls that its not our fault, blame God or evolution, but not us. But who will guide us? Mothers? They themselves believe the fact that entering a holy place like temple during our cycle, is a heinous crime. What has God to do with our biological activity? Its not like we will paint the walls of God's resting place with blood? Most idols are women, so what do you do when they face the monthly torture? Is it that Gods don't bleed?

Now coming back to the relation between men and period. I can understand that they will not fully ever get the concept of menstruation, but hey, when we speak about it, how about we listen. When we try to explain the inconvenience of the whole "business" you guys immediately rise-up saying that how you have to face "sudden erection" or the expensive job of maintaining facial hair. Why do the futile comparison? Do you know that most women cant even support the use of sanitary napkins? They stay indoors during this painful period, since they are poorly equipped to handle this stress. Doctors say that the pain generated at this time is equal to a cardiac arrest. Yet you expect us to win you over with a smile while our uterus is bursting? Don't be fooled with the silly advertisements. No, we don't feel fresh irrespective of the most unique brands of pad available. We do feel pain. No, there is no flying butterflies coming out from down there, in fact, there is just streams of blood, staining our clothes, bed-sheet and sometimes horrify us in public places. And we are all tired of hearing poor jokes about our cycle. Yes, our hormone levels are high and we are immensely annoyed, for physical pain and it induces poor mental health for how can we be brightly beaming when all you feel like doing is lying on bed with a hot-bag? But no, you have to make it worse by saying "its time of the month, we better run!". "Oh its just period, get over it!", "are you sure you want to wear this? its light-colored", "Why are you getting so mad, control your period woman!"

Stop PMSing? OK. humor us more. Ridicule our pain. May you feel the wrath when you are born as a woman. 

Can you even comprehend the pain that we go through? There is a reason why some Institutions allow women to take a break during this cycle. Its not easy to work when you are cringing with pain.So please, don't be scared if you see a woman suddenly bursting into tears triggered by absolutely nothing, or at the cramps which we bitch about, or if we get fucking pissed for no reason. Its just 7 days of the month, Frankly, we bleed. But yes, it disguises itself in happy news when you are relieved of not skipping a month for obvious reasons! 

When we go through this monthly torture of womanhood, we expect good food! Free ice cream and chocolate is a must I tell you! Just understand when we say we don't feel like stepping outside our room. Making jokes about it wont make us feel better. But other kinds of jokes are welcome! Don't make us feel like we are untouchable and give us our rights as being woman, like tax-free pads for example? Period leave. 

A hug and smile is essential. Don't worry, you can come close to us. Our bodies can touch. I swear its not infectious which was thought by a male-friend of mine ages back!

To period, be kind sometimes.

You sound more wonderful than menopause though.