Thankfully, women have a day all to themselves while the rest are being enjoyed by the men,” winks Pammy, my buddy.
In saying so, Pammy is not endorsing the concept of International Women Day’s celebrated across the globe every year on March 8, media immortalising the superwomen who are successful, svelte and sirens even in their 40s.
Rather, my dear Pammy is nowhere close to those archetypal “super women”, bombs who are known for being making it big and bombastic in life. They are the ones who proudly declare to be the face of the fast-changing modern day India, signing mega-business deals at offices, to changing diapers of babies and shaking a leg at the wild evening parties.
Pammy is poles apart from them.
In fact, Pammy’s office routine begins and ends with an hour-long lecture on her “non-professionalism”, by her boss in office. The humiliation doesn't end there. Even at home, her five-year-old son Sunny doesn't miss to point out Pammy's failure in cutting the extra flab around her waistline, while most of his friends have mothers who look like models. Instead, Pammy cuts a sorry figure with her belly jutting out of her newly bought skinny jeans. Her ever-growing waistline has become a cause of embarrassment for both the son and husband. Both the men in her life don't have much to admire in her.
To add to the disaster, Pammy happens to be a miserable cook. "Now, what do we take solace from," they sigh in unison over Pammy’s repeated 'mistake' of over-cooking the rice and adding too little salt on her bland rajma curry.
“Where’s the spice and salt in life?” Pammy angrily asks, snubbing her son and husband who had long resigned to fate of having a wife who even after eight years of marriage haven’t learnt a bit of cooking.
“Eat whatever I cook. I too get tired after a day’s work. I am no superwoman,” adds Pammy.
“Then there seems to be no women’s day celebrations for you, as you are no superwoman. Mummy! Women's day is all about being extraordinary. Superwomen, who are smart, suave, feisty, intelligent and beautiful celebrates the day. Only extraordinary women are seen flaunting their womanhood on the day. And, sorry Momma, you have nothing great about you,” there goes Sunny again with his blunt and honest observation.
After Sunny’s thunderbolt, comes Pammy's quiet retort.
“Yes, dear son, women’s day is all about superwomen, extraordinary and feisty women winning awards at glitzy award nights for being business tycoons or sizzling item numbers. Aam aurat like us, never celebrate women’s day. We’re too ordinary to be celebrated or appreciated by others. And thank god, I am no superwoman, nor do I aspire to. I am happy being ordinary, very normal and often ignored,” she fakes a smile, realising pretty well how all her efforts to be 'super' have blown up in its face.
And, then comes the unbearable lull, and Pammy’s husband, looking for some breathing space, switches on the television, where a news anchor briefs about how the bold and the beautiful of Bangalore celebrated the women’s day. “Let’s salute the spirit of women on the 100th year of women’s day celebration across the globe.”
