Holi etc

I used to be an enthusiastic Holi (they call it Dol in my part of the world) player, if that is a word.  

Note: I know Dol is typically the day preceding Holi as per lunar calendar and other similar mysterious calculations.

But that was till fourteen or so. Then I got bored and opted for a voluntary retirement.

Unfortunately, the world refused to accept my resignation. For some reason they were under the impression that I was feigning reluctance to join the party and was acting ‘pricey’.

As a result I spent the second half of my teens getting dragged into colour-fests. For some reason they refused to believe that people can be interested in staying away from colourful festivals.

Dear friends, you did not do me a favour by dragging me into Holi. You never did. You made me do something that you thought was fun and assumed it would be fun for me, too.

No, I hated every moment of it, in case you are reading this. I do not swear, but I there are times I want to.

Yes, my unwillingness to be a part of Holi was unusual — not because it was right or wrong, but because very few stayed away from it.

However, I never forced you to play, and to this day I cannot fathom why you wanted to force me.

I could not protest, since I was small, and had let myself be bullied. I was not part of a gang. You were. You held the power. You had forced me to do something I never wanted to.

I sound bitter. I know I do. But hey, you took my days away, once a year. That is a lot of days that could have been spent reading.

You cannot make me play now unless you threaten me with something serious. Yes, I raise my voice, but I am also meek by nature. If you gang up against me I will cave in the same way I did.

It will be more difficult, of course.

It is easier to bully little boys than men.

It is also more lucrative to force women to play Holi, for that gives men ample opportunity to grope them in full public view and get away.

Yes, it is easier to bully children and more lucrative to force the female.

Now combine the two, if you have a daughter.

Let that sink in.

Happy Holi.