She chose freedom - Tale 1.

 She chose freedom over her family. Was her decision wrong?

Mridul was a cheerful girl. She loved running around butterflies, admiring flowers, listening to chirping of birds, around her garden.

She wasn't keen in doing household chores, though her mother and grandmother always nagged her to roll rotis, cut some vegetables or atleast make a cup of tea. Mridul loved playing cricket, football and also gilli danda with neighbourhood kids. She was the only girl who used to hit atleast 3-4 sixes in every match. Boys used to fight to have Mridul in their team. But she was tad bit partial towards Rudra.

Rudra couldn't play cricket, as good as Mridul, so she used to play in his team and help him win. Rudra was her best friend in the locality. Mridul was good in academics too. She always helped Rudra in math and science.

Mridul never liked to wear frocks with frills and bows. Once she had cut the frill of her brand new skirt and her mother rebuked her. She wasn't allowed to step outside the house for a week as punishment. Rudra had secretly sent her jalebis through the balcony. Also when she had cut her hair short, it was only Rudra who complimented her.

Wait! Are you thinking, was Mridul in love with Rudra? The answer certainly, is a 'No'. Because Rudra was Mridul's only guy friend.

As Mridul grew up, in her teens, she realised that she could comfortably play around boys, but with girls, she felt a different feeling. She hadn't discerned yet, what that feeling was. But during the swimming classes at school or gymnastics, when they had to change into their sports wear, she couldn't help glancing at other girls. She thought because they were beautiful and attractive than she was, maybe she's beholding their charm.

Mridul couldn't verbaticulate her perception. That day she voiced her feelings to Rudra. Rudra was older to her. He directly asked, "Do you like girls?".

This question bemused Mridul, as the answer was 'Yes'. She was bold enough to accept.

Since then, Rudra became her confidante. She used to share stories of her crushes with him. "You know Riya looked ravishing that day in the party", "Seema's kathak dance is mesmerising ", "Preeti is as pretty as her name", "Shanaya is the hottest girl in town", Mridul's constant blabbering kept Rudra entertained.

As years passed, Mridul's parents caught a hunch. "Why does this girl never want to dress like other girls?", the ambiguity started bothering her mother.

"Again she bought a torn jeans and a oversized tee for her. And that cap collection of hers is so annoying", mother complained to her dad.

And finally, at the dinner table, when her grandparents started discussing her marriage, Mridul got agitated. "Can't you see, I am not interested in boys!", she announced, in an angry tone.

"What does that mean? Keep your voice low in front of the elders", her dad reprimanded.

"I don't like boys, I like girls", Mridul made herself furthermore clear.

The elders were bewildered. "Shut up! Mridul", her mother was enraged. "Have you lost your mind?".

"I am perfectly fine mom. This is the way I am. When I danced to tunes of male songs wearing shirt and pants, a cap on my head. Handkerchief tied around my neck. You all clapped and applauded. I thought you all loved me the way I am. And now you are asking me to clam up? When I had said that I like your friend's daughter, you had introduced me to her....."

"I thought you wanted to be friends, and she is a brilliant girl. So I thought would help you with studies too", mother intervened.

"You are my mom. How could you not once notice that I am not like other girls. You kept forcing me to behave like them, dress up like them. You kept shunning my emotions.....".

"I knew this somewhere deep down, in my heart, but I was scared to know the truth", mother confirmed herself.

"Enough of all this Mridul", her dad yelled. "You will have to marry the boy we choose asap. Or else...".

"Or else?", Mridul didn't allow him to finish. "Do I have to choose between you and my freedom?", she impugned.

There was a complete silence in the dining room. Mridul got her answer. She couldn't imagine herself folded into a pile of something she wasn't a part of. She wanted to set herself free, coming out of that closet.

She left her unfinished plate on the table, went to her room, packed her stuff. With tears in her eyes, she left her parents house.

She wanted to end the captivity, where her heart was locked into a body she didn't identify with. She wanted freedom, to choose, to love, to live her life.

As she stepped out, she saw Rudra standing in his balcony. He smiled at her and waved a goodbye!

Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear' ~ George Orwell. 

AUTHOR'S NOTE: 'Things that go hand in hand', my blog for this prompt - 'Freedom and captivity'. This is the first part for the theme 'Freedom'. Keep reading for the next part.

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