Living In Oblivion

57

Change will happen. We will bring change. These chains will break, and we will fly—free and empowered. This struggle will only stop when the soil dries, but until then, we will stand here, tightening our grip on this slippery ground.

Milind handed colorful ribbons to Avanti, who was busy packing return gifts for the guests. His attention shifted to the television as he watched a college girl engrossed in a fiery debate with the host, struggling to make her voice heard as the host repeatedly interrupted her, preventing her from completing her point.

Getting closer to losing her temper, Milind observed her shouting and lashing out at the host and the system, seeing it as the only way to make her point. Shifting to sit more comfortably, he picked up a cushion and placed it on his lap, wrapping his arms around it before passing another sheet of packing paper to Avanti.

"Workplace harassment is like a worm traveling beneath the soil. It makes room for other worms as well. The exploitation never ends," Avanti shook her head in dejection, sighing as she stared at the television screen.

"But it happens to both genders. I don't understand why people try so hard to make it gender biased," Milind expressed, lost in his own thoughts. He looked into Avanti's eyes, wanting to convey thoughts often considered out-of-line. "I mean, the daily struggles faced by women are definitely tougher, but I also believe that the grass isn't green for us men either."

Avanti raised an eyebrow, her tone mocking, as she countered, "So are you suggesting that yellow grass amidst a flowery garden is the same as a dry barren land with no water?"

Milind noticed the sarcasm and the underlying offense in her voice as he flinched against her opinion. Her unwavering gaze demanded an explanation, ready to counter his words in the next moment, signaling him to choose his next words carefully.

"27.4%," Milind leaned forward, removing the cushion from his lap and setting it aside as he moved closer to Avanti. "In a recent survey, 27.4% of men admitted to being sexually exploited in their workplace, and it doesn't stop there. Constant criticism, overbearing supervision, workplace bullying—these issues are not even acknowledged."

"So, women don't face that?" Avanti questioned.

"Of course, they do," Milind vehemently shook his head. "My point is that men also go through it. So, why make it gender biased?"

"Maybe because the gap in ratios between men and women is too significant," Avanti responded.

"So, what are we targeting? Whom are you targeting? Men or the system?" Milind raised an eyebrow. "I thought the purpose of starting a revolution was to make a difference, to bring about change, not to create troubles for the opposite gender."

"I am targeting the system. And you have to understand that the fundamental idea behind starting a revolution was to make a change, not to create troubles for the opposite gender."

"So now the agenda has changed?" Milind's tone held a certain mirth that stung Avanti. She didn't appreciate the way he measured his words, with a hidden grudge behind them. It felt like a personal battle to her.

On another note, Avanti pondered. Wasn't it personal, after all? She felt a sudden surge of energy as she tried to explain her viewpoint, stubbornly determined to prove her point.

"I don't think so," Avanti pressed her lips together and shook her head. "The agenda has always been to bring about change."

"Then what changed?" Milind questioned.

"You tell me. What makes you think it changed?" Avanti threw the ball into his court while maintaining her firm grip on the basket.

"The fact that people change their definition of pain when it comes to men," Milind watched her attentively as he continued, "When men experience exploitation, they don't receive the same sympathy as women. They are looked down upon. Firstly, it's already a big thing for them to come forward and admit it because apparently," he paused, air quoting, "it doesn't align with their masculinity or the societal measure of their strength."