wooing Meera Rai

jutti

for the entire world jutti meant shoes, footwear, something that you wear on your feet to protect them, style them, comfort them.

for Vihaan Singh Chauhan, jutti was taught a bit differently than the others.

"Your son called his classmate names, Mr. Chauhan. And not just names, he called her 'pair ki jutti', that is not something a ten year old says." 

Vihaan stood with his head high, hands behind his back. He knew he was not wrong. He knew he was not the one who was going to be punished. He knew that this was the teacher's last day here.

No one challenges Mr. Vedant Singh Chauhan's son and gets away with it. 

He was the son of a politician. He was going to be untouched. 

"Vihaan, did you really tell a girl that she is your 'pair ki jutti '?" 

Vihaan nodded. A curt nod. A slight smirk on his face he hid really subtly.

"Why?"

"She did not move aside when I asked her to. So I pushed her. She said I was a bad boy. So I told her she was my jutti ."

Vihaan had no remorse, not a single ounce of guilt when he narrated the tale. Why would he feel anything?

He had seen his father treat his mother way worse. That was how men treat women. That was how women deserved to be treated. 

To be in constant reverence to the male gender. The superior gender.  

Mr. Vedant Chauhan turned to face the two females sitting in front of him. The Principal who did not want to escalate the issue and the teacher who had complained and insisted on having the politician visit them on a serious matter.

"I see nothing wrong here, I am sorry. Am I missing something?" 

The teacher was horrified. She was at a loss of words for the way Mr. Chauhan, a supposed sensible politician of their town, act in a ruthless manner. She was about to speak when the Principal held her hand and glanced sharply at her.

"The parents of the girl insisted on a apology." The Principal smiled sweetly, pushing the spectacles on her nose. "We just wanted to set a good example."

Vedant Chauhan nodded. 

"I see, well, I don't think this needs an apology. It is just a feud between school kids, of course, if the management is uncomfortable, I can take my son away from -"

"Oh no, that is not needed, Mr. Chauhan!" The Principal smiled again, shaking her head, and ignoring the anxious and disgusted teacher. "I never wanted this to blow out of proportion. So why not just end this here, we apologize to take your time!" 

The teacher was seething. She looked at the despicable man and his misogynist son in the making. She knew she was going to be fired. She was warned by the other teachers when she wanted to raise her voice against Vihaan's sexist remarks.

She just wanted to try before quitting.

"Miss Daksha, aplogise to the man for taking his time." 

She looked at the man. She realised how regressive some men still were. She felt sympathetic for the women in his life. 

"Oh no, not to me." Vedant Chauhan chuckled. Even his laughter was piercing her soul, making her want to rip the skin off his face. "But to my son, Vihaan." 

The females looked at the politician for the split second. 

A teacher aplogising to a student? For something that she never did wrong? Knowing that the student was at fault? 

"Vihaan, come here son." 

Vihaan was smirking when he stood in front of the teacher. His chest upright, his eyes darting to meet the sorry eyes of the female who never knew her place. 

He felt proud.

"Apologise and maybe we can talk about the next sponsorship."

That was a warning than a proposal. 

It meant if she did not apologise, there was going to be no more exchange of money between the two entities. 

"Vihaan Chauhan." 

The teacher looked at the boy, who was just going to grow up in his father's dirty shoes. The boy who was already like his sexist father. The boy who was going to hurt women. Who was going to hurt himself. 

"I feel sorry for your mother. Sorry for the woman who'll love you. I feel nothing but sorry for you." 

jutti 

Vihaan never forgot that statement from the teacher who was fired soon enough. She also had to change cities due to his father's influence. She was stripped off her job and her passion because she refused to bow down. 

Vihaan carried that statement with him.

Just like he carried the sentence his father had told his mother once.

"Aurat sirf pair ki jutti hoti hai." 

Vihaan Chahan never forgot that teacher. 

He never forgot that statement. He never let himself forget that humiliation and insult. 

He carried it till he met another teacher and decided to channel his hate in a proper way.

Show women what they really are. 

Paon ki jutti. 

 _

jooti / jutti : shoes