beingkritika-blog

[beingkritika-blog]

ratz-samaira:

Wait a minute-this cannot be-is your new bodyguard a certain Mr. Jai Shergill by any chance?

“Uh... that is his name, yes,” she nodded slowly, the possibility of Sam knowing the guy sinking in. Jai was a common name. Shergill was fairly a common last name as well. Whatever fueled Samaira to come to that was something else. “He’s about 6ft tall, looks like he could seriously injure anyone, and clearly, needs a stylist and a shave.”

“Does my Jai Shergill sound like your Jai Shergill?”

[beingkritika-blog]

nainaaaa:

Naina only laughed at her words before shrugging. “I’ve been back home in Ambala–dealing with this type of thing for basically my entire life,” she didn’t say it in a tone that asked for pity, instead she said it as if it was the reason she’d escaped to Delhi. But it wasn’t much of an escape considering the life that awaited her was pretty much following along the same path as her life until now.

“I know it sounds–negative almost but even hoping for a better future feels like it’s not enough, because yes a certain percentage of us would raise our sons to be better in the future–but the rest? When they don’t follow suit, and then influence the few rare ones who do understand equality–it threatens the whole system over again.”

“Oh, hey, my ma is from there so I have spent practically every summer in Ambala till my nani’s death,” Kritika grinned. “I’m Kritika by the way.”

“And you already know that I’m a huge feminist.”

[beingkritika-blog]

Text || Open

Kritika: This show is giving me SERIOUS anxiety. Kritika: DID THEY JUST KILL MY BABY

[beingkritika-blog]

mchikas:

“Ah, psychology textbooks. I’m completing my Masters in clinical psychology, and summer semester starts next week, but obviously I forgot and now I’m searching for this one book around town and no one sells it. I’m a total duffer, but it’s nothing new.”

“It is, which is why I constantly laugh at myself to abate the pain. I’m Mahika by the way, and you?”

“Have you tried Paharganj?”

“Nice to meet you, Mahika. The name is Kritika. Our names rhyme.”

[beingkritika-blog]

ratz-samaira:

Arre don’t worry. You know when my boss and your dad are making one of their shady business deals, they don’t care about anything else.

Also wow, your bodyguards sure keep changing. What happened to the old one-Shera or something? And who is this new Hamface, and where is he from?

“Shera was Abhay bhaiya’s; he was only with me for a month till the new one came along. The new one, Ham-face is... well, he’s a Siachen return. Ex-army guy. And he is such a pain in the ass. He is probably the only person on this entire planet that would never take a fucking break. If my boss ever told me to take a holiday, I would but he? Never listens to me.”

"Though... his boss would be papa and his instructions say I need to be watched over 24/7."

[beingkritika-blog]

mchikas:

“I completely agree. You would think I would have learned to stop leaving buying my books to the last minute, but bad habits die hard right? I’m glad you won’t stop laughing. That in itself is a good habit to have.”

“It depends; what sort of books are we talking about here?”

“Laughter is the best medicine, after all.”

[beingkritika-blog]

Finders Keepers || Kritika & Myra

Being the youngest of three children, it was always somewhat expected of Kritika to be the most careless and irresponsible. Were there every something broken, the first child to be suspected was her for sometime at least. Then it became apparent that her notorious elder brothers put the blame on her. It continued even as they grew older and now, with one of them following their father’s footsteps into politics, another in the film industry and her interning, she was often made to take the blame of their monetary mistakes. Kritika, like the little obedient sister, took the fall each time. However, Kritika Sharma was not careless.

Until it came to keys. She seemed to have a knack for misplacing those pesky things. Her mother did not approve of her spending thousands to replace new keys. Alas, they had no other way. Keys were a necessity.

Hence when she misplaced her bunch of keys again, she couldn’t have been more grateful for having taken precaution before and had an extra set of car keys. But when a random text reached her weeks later, relief hit her. For the first time, her keys came back to her.

Well, rather she had to go to her keys. Considering she hadn’t any plans Sunday afternoon and it was an easy way to spend a day without Shergill, she did not hesitate in accepting Myra’s invitation. Myra and she shared friends but that was about it and yet it didn’t feel too odd to join the girl for brunch.

Dressed simply, the brunette made her way into Tabula. Quite a choice, she noted as she searched for the familiar face. Myra was younger than her, twenty-two at most if she were to guess so it wasn’t all that difficult to spot the baby-faced girl in one of the private tables.

“Mind if I join you?”

[beingkritika-blog]

“The answer lies in the details.”

“No, I just wasn’t paying attention to you so I don’t remember what you asked.”

yaar, just answer the question would you ? i didn’t ask for the mahabharat.

[beingkritika-blog]

mchikas:

“It’s definitely a lesson we could all learn to be honest. In any case, I do hope you feel a bit better now. And I’m sure the next time you find yourself in a similar situation, you might just end up grinning at the staff and continue laughing gaily.”

“I believe we should. However, picking up bad habits is easier than instilling good qualities. Oh, this won’t stop me from laughing. If such things did, I’d have learnt long ago.”

[beingkritika-blog]

text / kritika

myra: maaaaybe

myra: i'm getting brunch at tabula this morning if you wanna join! i'll give you the keys too

myra: again huh, so this is a common thing

myra: possibly, but i guess we'll never know

Kritika: I'll meet you there.

Kritika: May have happened twice before.

Kritika: Or thrice.

[beingkritika-blog]

nainaaaa:

“Yeah I know what you mean about how girls are valued in this country, it’s like we don’t have a say in anything. I just feel like while we’ve all tried to become more a more modern society, the way we cling to our old scriptures and all–shows how we’re still so–blinded in a way.” Naina glanced up at the other girl before shrugging. “You’re right, I mean–in some parts of the country, us girls don’t even get to decide anything…not what we want to do, or even who we want to spend the rest of our life with.” 

Definitely, I mean I’d offer to have you come along to one of the classes, but I know you don’t have the time. Yikes–never alone? How do you deal with that?”

“Some parts my ass,” Kritika snorted. In most cases, some parts referred to the several villages and backward areas in the countries where girls like her and her cousins were not allowed to leave the four walls of the home and were trained to be submissive wives and baby-producing machines. However, she knew that it wasn’t just the villages that had this mentality. Her own father was an example of that. While he was open and regarding several issues and let his daughter study as much as she wanted to, let her wear what she wanted and did not make an issue if she brought home a boy, he still harbored some rather old and sexist beliefs. While she maybe allowed boyfriends, she knew she’d marry a man of his choosing. While she was allowed to study, he wasn’t pleased with her wanting to put that study use. On the other hand, her middle brother was allowed to go into the movies. The sexism and disparity was apparent even in her open family that resided in one of the safest cities in the country.

“You seriously speak my mind. Where have you been all my life?”

“I got used to it. That’s the thing with us women. We don’t have a choice except getting used to things. Like we have to get used to the blatant sexist remarks at work, we have to get used to the get married taunts, get used to the ogling looks irrespective of what we’re wearing, and we have to get used to the fact that Delhi isn’t safe for us and it isn’t our fault. All we can do is hope for a better future. Or rather, raise a better generation of sons ensuring our daughters don’t have to get used to things like we did.”

[beingkritika-blog]

ratz-samaira:

Aww shucks…I was hoping a miracle happened and we could finally go shopping together without having some Ham-Face breathing down our backs…

Wait a minute-who’s Jai? There’s only one Jai I know but he can’t be the guy you’re talking about.

“I think we can’t go shopping until our desi Annalise Keating in the making isn’t too busy. Besides, Ham-face as you like to call him is easy to ignore. I do it... all day long. He won’t be a bother, trust me.”

“Ham-face is otherwise called Jai.”

[beingkritika-blog]

ratz-samaira:

Wait a minute….are you saying Sharma Sr. actually left you alone in a public cafe? Is your dad finally retiring or something? 

“I’m pretty sure I’ll never be left alone in public as long as he is alive. Or probably, even after that.”

“And... I wasn’t alone. Jai was there to judge me.”

[beingkritika-blog]

there is something unnameable in standing outside at 3am staring up at the stars all alone

[beingkritika-blog]

                     DEAR CHILD,

                           YOU HAVE COME                        s  o    f  a  r

                          AND YOU WILL GO                      f  a  r  t  h  e  r                          s  t  i  l  l 

[beingkritika-blog]

text / kritika

myra: no point asking me, i never really ever know

myra: of a fun night maybe

Kritika: CAN I AT LEAST HAVE THEM BACK?

Kritika: I'm not sure ma would be happy knowing I lost my keys again.

Kritika: she'd just taunt me on wasting money.

Kritika: the fun night being a playschool show and tell competition maybe

[beingkritika-blog]

nainaaaa:

“I know, but the problem with politics is that–the entire system needs to be reworked, with newer and younger people becoming more involved but it just never seems to happen.” Naina sighed quietly before looking back up at the other girl, hearing her words and nodding in agreement with her. “I know what you mean, sometimes I mean it feels like–men feel us women are invisible until they need something from us, usually physical.”

“Understandable, but I know that it’s what helps me feel safe if I ever was to venture somewhere by myself. Or need to defend myself with any creep or something.”

“It’s bigger than just politics. Our society, our culture itself has always held men over the women. Although we claim to have the best culture due to our culture and rituals being derived from the Vedas, we seemed to have interpreted them wrong over the period of time. What started off as parents gifting their daughters when they got married, has now turned into a business with men getting married to receive dowry and then they leave the girl. Disgusting.”

“You need to teach me. I know I say I’ll be fine but... the truth is, I didn’t entire feel safe. Then... well, now I have security and I’m never alone,” she laughed to lighten the mood.