The Period Story

teenulahari · Sep 5, 2017

sindhugowtam said: ↑

As Always Good writing Teenu....,
Loved it
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Thank U Sindhu

teenulahari · Sep 5, 2017

IniyaaSri said: ↑

Awesome and I cant stop laughing!!!!
Such a skill you have got!
Enjoyed all the smileys in between! They were perfect!
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Happy to receive a feedback from you @IniyaaSri. Thank u, feeling so happy

Thyagarajan · Sep 12, 2017

teenulahari said: ↑

This is regarding a funny drama that I made during my very first periods. Before my first periods I had a little knowledge about it. As ours being traditional orthodox family they never discussed these matters before children. A few times when I tried to ask my mother & aunt they would just smile and divert the topic. So, I was totally unaware of this one of the tabooed subjects of our society called Menstruation. The little bit knowledge I gained about this topic was through my friends who too were not very open to discuss but used to say that “It’s like a different stomach ache that a girl gets and during that period she will be given lots goodies, dresses and jewelry etc etc”.

Why would a girl’s stomach ache be celebrated this grand? What is so special about having a stomach ache? I thought to myself. I was surprised to know that few people even celebrate this in big function halls”.

The First Periods:

Because of my poor knowledge when I finally got my periods I misjudged it to be some sort of blood cancer. (This was because of the films I saw in which protagonists with blood cancer vomit blood and die and also I had no stomach ache). I was so scared. I started crying sitting under the big jasmine tree in our garden. Just then my sister came running to me with two five stars, I hid my tears. She gave me one, then with so much Vairagya (dispassion) I said patting her back..Now you can have my share of chocolates also, enjoy my sweet sister!!!. She gave me a puzzled look but I continued..” don’t trouble mom, study well”. Then she asked me what happened to me I just gave a smirk and said “you don’t understand”.

When I tried to stand up my legs started paining. ”Hum.. this may be the second stage I think” I thought to myself and asked my sister to help me reach my room. She took me to my room holding my hand.

I thought of telling about this to my aunt as she’s very close to me but I was scared of her reaction. (She is very emotional type; even a good song can make rivers Ganga, Godavari flow from her eyes. Actually all my family members are so emotional types except my mom).

I started chanting Narayana Mantra as my grandpa told me that people in their last stages of life should do smarana of Lord Narayana as this will lead them to Moksha.

I thought to myself whether I would go to Hell or Heaven. “ I have always been a good girl, done danas (donations) of 2 or 5 rupees to friends. Gave my old dresses to Lakshmi (our maid’s daughter) and helped my grandpa in gardening etc. etc, so I may go to heaven.” I thought.

Just then my mother came and asked me to get ready for school. The Conversation

Mom: Teenu! are you not going to school today, you have become very lazy. Come on get ready.

Me: No, Amma! (In a very dramatic way), I can’t.

Mom: Why? Are you not well

Me: Amma! You don’t understand (I couldn’t control my tears)

Mom: Why are you crying?

Me: Mom, I am gonna Die! I have Cancer.

Mom: Cancer!! Kanna!, tell me what happened, why are you crying?

Then I told the entire thing and she started laughing. She took me to my Aunt and told her the entire scene that happened in the room and they both started laughing

I felt insulted. I demanded the reason then they told me that “It’s the Periods” with big grins. “So I am not gonna die” I asked them, then they said No. I felt so relieved.

My mom asked me not to go to school for five days. I was so happy. My sister who was getting ready to go to school heard my mom saying not to go to school and she voluntarily took leave for all the five days along with me.

I asked my sister to give my share of 5 Star (she didn’t eat it, she saved it for the evening). She was very happy that we are not going to school and so happily gave me my share and I started munching it with great relief.

How is it?

Thank U
Teenu.
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THIS IS THE CASE WITH CULTURALLY GREAT INDIA. neither the parents nor the education authorities bothered to keep them informed of this Nature's special to equip the person for marriage and child bearing etc. Rural India still treat this as pollution and I wonder which authority would be responsible for educating girl child of this most essential biological event. I wish the author all accolades and approbation for bringing out in subtle manner highlighted the necessity of keeping the girl child with awareness on the subject. God Bless You and all the girls/ladies/women and IL'ites. Regards.

Thyagarajan · Sep 12, 2017

jayasala42 said: ↑

Nice experience.In a joint family of ours there were 13 girls and we knew about it all at the age of 9 or 10.
In those days prior to 1940, girls were given in marriage before they attained age.My sister was born in 1925.Her marriage was fixed to be celebrated in 1938,when she was just 13.In those days marriage was celebrated for 4 days.
Marriage was in our village home with a big hall. Pandals were erected covering 5 or six houses.The previous day to the marriage,when all sambandhis were expected to arrive, my sister got her first periods.She conveyed secretly to my mother.Mother decided not to inform Patti( my father's mother) who would make a tom tom. My mother wanted to keep it a secret and conduct the marriage as scheduled as it could not be stopped at the eleventh hour.
My cousin brother was 18 at that time. My mother drew a sketch of underpant with a pencil in apiece of paper.The cloth was to be in dark red colour with the bottom portion packed stiff cotton. My mother wrote the details in a piece of paper and asked my cousin to give it to a bed maker, who was a Muslim.This was to be prepared by a bed maker ,since they are experts in packing huge volumes of cotton in a small space.She asked my brother to go to town, purchase a nice red soft cotton cloth, gave the hip measurements of my sister and gave him Rs10/- In those days the cloths were sold at 4 annas per meter.
Within an hour my cousin brother returned.The tailor understood the matter .He cut off a piece of bedding of 4 inches thick, covered with a nice red cloth and fixed it at the bottom of the underpant with triple stitches.The underpants were stitched super.We used to praise Amma in later days as the fore runner of the person who made sanitary napkins.
In those days the sister of the groom helped the girl to wear the wedding saree in traditional madisar style, a portion of the saree going between legs to be tucked at the back.Girls never used to wear underpants .My sister was well grown for her age and the elders thought that she was wearing underpants because of shyness.
The marriage with homam pooja etc was celebrated with so called pollution'The under pant was able to absorb the discharge for the entire day and it might have lasted for the next day too.
As an evidence of acting with presence of mind my mother kept the underpant specimen for many years.
In those days girls having periods were kept secluded for three full days in a separate room in the back yard.My mother was too bold in those days to take such a step ,which many shrewd women would find out easily had she used tradition cloth pads.
But contrary to the belief ,nothing bad happened.My sister had two sons and three daughters, had a good family life. Her husband died only three years back at 95 and my sister is hale at 93.
We are proud of our mother who was very shrewd to think of such things amidst marriage galaatta and save her daughter from gossips and embarassment and also save a lot of money by not postponing the wedding.
Whenever people made a big fus about this issue, I used to quote this incident.

Jayasala 42
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The sensitive issue handled very effectively resulting in the function held as planned. thanks for beautiful narration punctured with humour . the secrecy and exclusivity maintained during their formative years are instrumental that girls suffer through the negative emotions and remain scary . for better bonding among siblings irrespective of gender, the natural essential process adopted by Nature ought to be included in the academic curriculum. Regards. God Bless.

teenulahari · Sep 12, 2017

Thyagarajan said: ↑

Rural India still treat this as pollution and I wonder which authority would be responsible for educating girl child of this most essential biological event. I wish the author all accolades and approbation for bringing out in subtle manner highlighted the necessity of keeping the girl child with awareness on the subject. God Bless You and all the girls/ladies/women and IL'ites. Regards.
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After reading @MumsWorld post on How To Talk About Periods With My 10+ Dd? I felt like writing this snippet ( Just to highlight how it feels like for a girl when we don't teach her about Mensus). Yes Sir, like you said in Rural India and also in many other parts menstruating women are considered Impure. Various cultural, religious norms are imposed on them. It's not just an authority's responsibility to educe a girl child but also family especially mother and siblings are equally important & responsible to enlighten her. Thank You for the FB Sir.

Thyagarajan · Sep 12, 2017

teenulahari said: ↑

After reading @MumsWorld post on How To Talk About Periods With My 10+ Dd? I felt like writing this snippet ( Just to highlight how it feels like for a girl when we don't teach her about Mensus). Yes Sir, like you said in Rural India and also in many other parts menstruating women are considered Impure. Various cultural, religious norms are imposed on them. It's not just an authority's responsibility to educe a girl child but also family especially mother and siblings are equally important & responsible to enlighten her. Thank You for the FB Sir.
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Superb while endorsing my view you had also made fresh points I mean the sequel and prequel for the thread that is rightly nominated. Regards.God bless us all.

meril · Sep 28, 2017

OP,

I'm sure it was a great relief to know the actual truth and to have the five stars offered to you a while go.

[QUOTE="jayasala42,[/QUOTE]

All these would definitely look strange to the new generation, while everything comes handy these days. Yes, it was a brave act of your mother. I can so imagine how the crowd back then would have reacted if they knew what's going on.

Thanks for sharing the experience, it was good to know how everything were back then. Well written.

meril · Sep 28, 2017

Reading all the comments on this topic and on how conservative families were back then .{Actually I don't know if the Indian parents has changed drastically over the years, but thanks to the internet.)

Their interaction being so minimal with the outside world, wouldn't they be so illiterate of sexual issues. How freaked out would she be on her first night?

PS.Excuse me OP for pouring in my curiousity on your post. I would like to know how the world was back then.

Thyagarajan · Sep 28, 2017

meril said: ↑

OP,

I'm sure it was a great relief to know the actual truth and to have the five stars offered to you a while go.

[QUOTE="jayasala42,
Click to expand...

All these would definitely look strange to the new generation, while everything comes handy these days. Yes, it was a brave act of your mother. I can so imagine how the crowd back then would have reacted if they knew what's going on.

Thanks for sharing the experience, it was good to know how everything were back then. Well written.[/QUOTE]
of course ur right. it would have been sort of a cataclysm putting everything in haywire. Profound heartfelt thanks to author of the thread. Regards. God Bless Us All.

nandinimithun · Sep 28, 2017

Hi teenu....

Had a hearty laugh reading your post....
I had more or less similar funny experience, though for me, it all happened in school and i told my frnd that i had blood cancer and would be soon gone.... that's when she asked for the details and explained everything to me....

I guess the 70s and 80s born kids were innocent and naive.... most of us, believed everything we saw in movies....

True, menstruation was a taboo to be discussed.....