A/N : Hello everyone, Divyaa here with something different this time. Yes, it's a woman centric os, so those who're anti-feminist I request you to skip the rest. The only intention of writing this is to empower, lift up all the women around.

A piece of information ( Although most of you already know that, I assume. ) Inspector Aasha was played by Ashwini Kalsekar in earlier days of CID. If you don't know her, google her. I couldn't think of a better woman to play the part in this write up. Please, imagine her voice throughout.

Secondly, most of the write up is written in Hindi, those who are not comfortable with understanding the language, I apologise in advance. Presenting,

To the Durga inside of you!

A huge round of applause went through the whole auditorium as a twelve year old girl finished her speech on brave women warriors of India. The host took charge of podium and spoke,

" Aur ab, main aaj ke humare chief guest, CID ke senior inspector miss Aasha ko stage pe aamantrit karna chahunga. Yaha aa kar main unhe binti karunga ke woh humein marg darshan kare."

It was 8th march, women's day. An organisation had invited all of CID's female officers to honour the evening by their presence. In front row sat Purvi, Tarika, Shreya, Lavanya, Kaveri, Muskaan, Ishita, Divya and Aasha. The veteran lady cop rose up from her seat to climb up the stage. Her aura no less than a living fire ascending the stage.

Senior inspector Aasha had few things absolutely clear in her mind. She wasn't here to oppose anyone, she was here to present respect to her gender. Her existance. She was here to motivate many more girls like once she was to stand up for themselves, their existance.

To feel proud of the fact that they were girls, to be women. A female. A lioness.

Namaste, yaha pe upasthit mere tamam bhaiyo aur beheno ko mahila din ki behadd shubh kaamnaye. Sonali ji ne kaha ke main yaha aa kar aap sab ko marg darshan karu, lekin main aap sab se maafi maangana chahungi. Main unn logo ko kya marg darshan karungi jo pehle se andhe hai.

A wave of hushed whispers went through the whole auditorium. That made Aasha chucke.

Dekha, mard chahe khule aam gaaliyan kyu na bake, kisi ke muh se chu tak nahi nikalti. Kyu? Kyuki woh toh ek mard hai. Theek hai. Lekin ek aurat ne, ek sach baat kya muh se nikal di, sau muh khul jaate hai uss aurat, uss ek ladki pe kichad uchalne. Ab aise logo ko hum akal ke andhe nahi toh aur kya kahenge?

Iss desh mein, agar aurat ki izzat sirf navratri aur mahila din pe hoti ho, toh haan, aap sab andhe ho. Ek aasan sa udaharan deti hu main aap ko, humare desh mein.. log ameer banane ke liye, dhan sampatti paane ke liye jis Laxmi mata ki pooja karte hai, shaadi ke wakt uss hi Laxmi ke swaroop ladki se dahej lete hai. Jis Saraswati ke aashirwad se itna padh likh kar bade hote hai, uss hi ki beti ko school jaane nahi dete. Aur jis Durga ki navratri mein pooja karte hai, uss hi Durga ki beti ki izzat par haath daalte hai, apne gandhi naali jaise muh se uss par kichad uchalte hai!

Every single eye stared at the veteran in shock.

Aap sab yahi soch rahe honge ke main yeh sab kaise keh sakti hu? Kya mujhe dar nahi lagta ke log kya kahenge? Agar kahi kisi ne mujhe kuch kar diya toh? Jee haan. Main bolungi, kyuki mujh mein himmat hai. Chatrapati Sambhaji maharaj par hone wala vaar ek ladki ne khud par jhel liya tha, Laadi, uska naam. Apni nangi talwar se ek aurat ne sau mardon ko khade khade cheer diya tha, Arey khoob ladhi mardaani thi, woh toh jhaansi wali Rani thi. Kaun thi yeh sab? Aap ke aur mere jaisi sadharan ladkiya hi thi.

Aaj ke zamaane mein, agar ladki padh likh gayi, angrezi mein baat karne lage toh mard kehte hai, kya samjhati hai khud ko? Angrez chale gaye aur isse peeche chod kar gaye. Kyu bhai? Ladka angrezi bole toh style, ladki bole toh ghamand? Kyu? Ladki ki angrezi sun ke apni aukat dikh gayi? Ladki padh likh ke aage badh gayi toh mirchi lag gayi?

Ladki agar choti ho toh, Arey yeh toh bacchi hai. Isko darao toh dar jayegi, dabao toh dab jayegi. Ladki khud se badi ho toh, Yeh toh buddhi hai. Iska apmaan karoge phir bhi yeh chup rahegi. Samajhdari se kaam legi. Jo jo mard aisa sochta hai, usko main puchna chahungi, Kyu bhai? Tumhari maa bhi tum se badi hai na? Aur tumhari behen/beti tum se choti? Ek baar unke samne apna muh khol kar yeh sab bol kar dekho. Aisa thappad padega ke saari mardaangi bhul jaaoge.

Yaad rakho, hath bada ho ya chota, ek aurat ko tum jaise mardon ki jubaan kheech kar uske tukde tukde karne mein zyada wakt nahi lagta.

The whole auditorium was engulfed in pin drop silence. All ears and all eyes concentrated on one lady.

Humare desh mein mardon ko lagta hai woh mard hai toh unhe koyi kuch kar nahi sakta. Tum mard ho? Arey mard toh woh the, Chatrapati Shivaji aur Sambhaji maharaj, jo har parayi aurat ko apni maa-behen ke samaan maante the. Maharana Pratap, Prithviraj Chauhan, jo aurato ke sanman ke liye apni jaan tak kurbaan karne ko tayar the, woh the asali mard.

Tum log ladkiyo ko paida hone se pehle hi maar dete ho, apne biwiyon-maa ko maarte ho, peetate ho, aurton ko ghar, gaav chod kar jaane ko kehte ho.. Agar sach mein ek din hum sab aurate tumhe chod kar chali gayi na toh bhuke mar jaoge.

Kaha se laaoge khana banane wali biwi? Kaha se laaoge khayal rakhne wali behen? Yeh sab chodo, yeh toh bohot choti baatein hai.. Agar hum ladkiyo ko nikal doge toh paida hone ke liye maa ki kok kaha se laaoge!?

Hum aurato ko, ladkiyo ko kamjor samajhne wale har ek insaan ko main yeh yaad dilana chahti hu ke ek ek ladki mein tum se sau guna zyada himmat bhari hai! Woh jijabai thi jisne desh ko Shivaji maharaj diye the. Woh Laxmi bai thi jisne saikdo ladkiyo ki fauj jama kar ke ek ek angrez mard ko kaat dala tha. Woh Kali thi jisne na jaane kitne rakshson ka sar ukhad kar unki maala bana kar apne gale mein peheni thi.

Humari khamoshi ka matlab yeh nahi ke hum dar gaye, arey darte toh hum kisi ke baap se nahi. Woh kya hai, jab ek ladki sadak se guzarati hai toh raah chalte hazaro kutte bhauktein hai. Ab ruk ke har kutte ko biscuit daalne ka wakt humare paas nahi hota.

Lekin jis din, jis din ek ghatiya mard ne ek ladki ke andar ki himmat ko lalkara, jis din ek ladki ke sabar ka baandh toot gaya, aap ne aaj tak Shiv tandav dekha hoga, uss din tum Durga tandav dekhoge. Jo haath hum pe aur humari ijjat pe uthega woh haath ukhad kar phek denge. Jo muh hum pe kichad uchalega, uss muh pe kheech kar thappad padega. Aur jo insaan ek ladki ko neechi nazar se dekhega, woh ladki ussey aisi nazar se dekhegi ke sar se leke paav tak kaanp uthoge! Tumhari rooh kaanp uthegi. Paseene choot jayege.

Har aurat mein ek Durga, ek Laxmi bai, ek sherni basi hai. Jis din ussey lalkaroge, tumhare do tukde kar ke phek degi.

The sound of numerous, aggressive claps echohed in the huge auditorium. Every word that escaped Aasha's mouth worked as a bullet of encouragement for every individual present in the auditorium.

After a little pause, Aasha's demeanour shifted from aggressive, fiery to mellow, soft. She took in a deep breath before stabilizing her self, she did feel her own body shivering a little.

Jaane se pehle ek aakhri baat main yaha maujud sab ladkiyon se aur aurton se karna chahungi, woh yeh ke galti toh aap ki bhi hai.

Jee haan, galti uss har ladki, har aurat ki hai jo khud ek aurat ho kar dusre aurat ki ijjat nahi karti. Agar hum hi apni ijjat nahi karenge toh bakiyon se kaisi umeed rakhni?

Aaye din humari officers ke baare mein charcha hoti hai, ghatiya baatein hoti hai, lekin khoon tab khaul uthata hai jab woh baatein khud ek aurat, ek ladki ke muh se nikalti hai. Yeh matt bhuliye ke woh humari inspector Tasha aur Aditi thi jo desh ke liye shahid ho gayi thi. Woh inspector Purvi thi jis ne apne biwi ko mar-peet karne wale mard ko uske ghar ghus kar sabak sikhaya tha. Woh inspector Shreya thi jisne kayi baar apni duty ke liye goli tak khayi hai, aur woh doctor Tarika hai jo apne dum par itne saalo se CID mein kaam kar rahi hai. Inn officers ko na kisi mard ki zarurat thi, na hi kabhi hogi.

Yaha maujud tamam ladkiyon, aurton se meri yeh darkhwast hai ke apne astitva ko samjho. Uski ijjat karo. Dusri aurton ko zaleel karke yun apne astitva ka apmaan matt karo, uska mazaak matt udao. Ek dusre ki madad karo, ek dusre ki ijjat karo, khayal rakho. Na toh anyay saho, na hi kisi par karo.

Apne aap ke liye khade raho, himmat rakho. Log kya kahenge yeh sochne ke bajay agar tum ne yeh socha ke tum kya kehna chahti ho toh behetar hoga.

Aur jis din, jis din tum apne liye khadi ho gayi uss din koyi tumhara baal bhi baanka nahi kar payega. Agar tumhare sath galat ho raha ho toh ladho, awaz uthao, kyuki hum uss desh ki sar zameen se aate hai jaha ke logo ne humein aakhri dum tak ladhna sikhaya hai.

Dhanywad.

Through a sea of claps and appreciation, CID inspector Aasha descended the stage. Her fellow female officers stood up from their seats and followed her lead. While walking through the crowd, many mouths sent out words of respect and appreciation, some still passed out criticism in the ugliest possible way but neither Aasha nor team of women responded.

Simply because, they didn't care. None should. She was right, She knew it and she believed it. She would stick to her words, no matter what and even if a thousand people come opposing her, criticising her, she still WOULDN'T GIVE A DAMN! Because, she was right. And she believed it.

For all they knew, they had successfully reached out to the Durga inside of every female present there, that evening.

A/N : Story updates : Citylights - Updated yesterday. The gentleman's promise - Half done. Abhirika one shot - In progress. KaVi two shot - In progress.

Thank you.

- Divyaa26 :)