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Showing posts from June, 2018

The bloody pratha of Chhaupadi

The mosquitoes have been buzzing all night. I tried swatting it away with my hands but it has been continuously buzzing for so long that now my hands are too tired to even try. I try to sleep but the itch in my leg and the constant pain in my lower stomach is sucking my life out of me. Period cramps are the worst thing to happen to a woman. Imagine the pain you feel when a truck drives over you or when 106 knives are stabbed on your stomach. Trust me when I say they are less painful than period cramps. I wish I were exaggerating but I'm not. “ ए माइली को बुबा सुन्नुस न |” This is probably the eighth time that I have called out and been ignored by my husband. I wanted to tell him how I have been burning up all night and how these mosquitoes are sucking not just my blood, but the entire life out of me. I wanted to tell him that I am lying on a puddle of my own blood. I wanted to tell him that this pain in my stomach will not go away unless I drink some hot water. I wanted ...