Prologue
This story is dedicated to women everywhere, no matter their age, background, or socioeconomic status. The scourge of hypertoxic masculinity pervades every culture and reaches back millennia. Its influence permeates our politics, and drives public policy in the form of restrictions on women's choice with the ultimate goal of complete control of women's reproductive organs. It seeks to define human relationships according to a rigid patriarchy. It feeds and nourishes its cousin, misogyny and manifests itself in sometimes ugly and horrific ways, from genital mutilation in whole communities to domestic violence in homes all across the world. Whether it is eve teasing in India, gang rape in the U.S. or an acid attack in Great Britain, hypertoxic masculinity represents the worst of human behavior and needs to stop.Putting an end to this barbaric treatment of women has taken on a new urgency with the election of Donald J Trump. Though this story is not meant to engage the reader from a political perspective, it would be irresponsible not to shine a bright light on the behavior of this extremely flawed individual. Never one to mince words, DJT has bragged about his escapades with women, denigrated women of color by telling them to go back to where they came from, and openly supported a pedophile for Senate. Through his words and deeds, the most powerful man in office gave toxic masculinity a big thumbs up and emboldened like minded men to engage in similar aberrant behavior against women.
What can be done? How can society begin to reverse this destructive influence that threatens the very social fabric that holds us all together? I will make the bold assertion here that the "resistance" must begin with women. To be clear, women are not responsible for how men behave and nothing women do, whether through actions, words or the clothing they wear can mitigate or lessen the culpability men face from their misdeeds. Women are the victims of crimes made against them but they must not remain victims.
In most cultures, men are the aggressors, the initiators of pretty much everything when it comes to relationships, whether it is a kiss on a date, an offer to pay for a meal, or an invitation for sex. Over the course of centuries, women have accepted the role society expects of them - nurturer and caretaker of the family and dutiful, submissive spouse. To be sure, nowadays women are beating men at their own game at the workplace and proving themselves to be equal if not better than men in many sports. But still, outdated ways of thinking persist and many men cling to these archaic beliefs with complicit acceptance by their female significant others. But suppose women everywhere woke up one day and said to no one in particular, "Enough!"?In the movie, "Enough", Jennifer Lopez is involved in a relationship with an abusive husband. Finally, fed up and running out of options to prevent herself from being beaten to death, she empowers herself by learning martial arts to survive and ultimately kill her tormentor. This movie represents not only a shot over the bow in the fight for equality but also an inspiration to other women to take matters into their own hands when necessary.
This story is a work of fiction and is meant to be a source of entertainment. But it is also meant to inspire women of all ages and backgrounds to discard the artificial cultural restraints placed on them by society, assert themselves as equals to men in every respect and show the world that they will not let themselves be controlled, bullied or mistreated by any man.
Chapter 1 - Damini
It was early morning, and the sun had barely risen over the Damini Singh got out of her bed
