Tea with my transgender friends.

"Happy married life guys", I wished Mr & Mrs Hariharan at their reception. It’s quite a thing when your best friends get married.

I then, drove back through the heavy traffic with the unexpected rain drenching me. I was smelly, looked like a creep and more importantly I couldn't bring the gift I planned to pick up the giftI ordered. I ordered something special for the couple but unfortunately that order wasn't ready. I felt terrible I almost didn't want to go to the reception and moreover I was broke but ultimately even without the gift, I decided to go. I basically didn't have the gut to miss the reception. It could probably take a very long time before I could meet them again .

I started cursing the shopkeeper again for not completing my order. I was thinking I shouldn’t have gone if I was to go empty handed probably, she wouldn’t have realised if I didn’t make it. It again started raining. I was cold, really cold. It was getting late and I had to go home. Thiruvanmiyur and Villivakkam aren't close by. Is it?

I reached Saidapet when it again started raining heavily, my vision become blurry. It became absolutely necessary for me to stop. The only shelter I could find was a small tea stall. Old MGR songs played in the background while hot tea was being prepared. Sooner two transgenders took shelter along with me. It felt pretty crowded as three of us tried to fit under the small overhead. I tried to check my phone but as always my phone's battery was cheating on me .

"Kar-chief venuma pa?" one of those transgenders asked me after noticing that I was completely drenched and was shivering. I politely refused.

My first interaction with 'hijras' aka transgenders was sometime back during 9th - 10th standard. When I was traveling back to Chennai after my summer holidays in train, a hijra came seeking/begging money from my co-passengers. During an argument with one of my co-passenger she stripped herself to show off her vagina to prove that she was indeed a transgender.  It wasn't a comfortable situation for me.

I always had respect for people independent of their sexual orientation or gender, I still do have respect for them even though the 'stripping in train' incident did scare the shit out of me. But sure as hell, such things do not have effect how's one's character.

The rain was consistently pouring down as the road became deserted except for few cars and public buses which whizzed by. I glanced a couple of times at my co-shelter seekers as I heard their conversation was something about teaching. The curious me couldn’t resist to start a conversation.

 

“Hi, what do you do?” I presented a straightforward question in tamil. What I received was a blank stare. Both of them looked like they were dumb struck as if I asked an indescent question.

“I work in a school,” the one with big, bright red bindi replied. She was Shanti and other was Bharathi. Surprised, I began intruding her profile.

“It’s not exactly a school, more like I teach my friends who are like us.”

“What do you teach?” I asked her.

“English”

“English?” I remarked instantly.

“ Yes, yes I speak english well and also teach my friends,” Shanti replied in english, I guess I hurt her ego.

I politely resumed the conversation in english, her english wasn’t good enough but it did show she put in some effort to learn. Shanti did her schooling till 5th standard, while Bharathi didn’t even go to a school. I grew profound interest in the conversation as the rain refused to cease.

Born to a poor family in a village near Namakkal, born biologically as a boy in a big family, was ‘sold’ by this parents to an agent. All Shanthi, then knew was the agent was nice man who fed her good food and even better clothes. Shanti wasn’t aware what was to happen until she woke up after being drugged and then castrated. What she then felt, was unbearable pain in her genital region. She couldn’t come in terms of the fact that she was no longer a boy. The pain and agony lasted for days. She couldn’t go home, nor play with her friends. A few days later she was brought to Chennai as 15-year old eunuch. She was forced to start begging and also to attain a new identity. Shanti. With no other way to go, Shanti tried to embrace her new identity. 

 

India's first transgender principal.

Her attires changed so did her daily routine, she was given some old sarees, skirts, girly tops, all very colourful, had to go to bus stands, railway stations to beg. She initially refused to beg, for which she would be beaten and consistently pinched in her groin region.

“I miss my mom the most,” Shanti said as her voice choked. She vowed never to return to her village. I didn’t know how to react yet couldn’t help imagining what all she went through.

“Was it my decision to be like this life?” Shanti questioned me. My silence had no answer as I looked into her eyes as Bharathi tried to caress her.

“So how did you manage to escape” I broke the deadlock.

“ I started reading tamil newspapers in spare time, sometimes got to read how people like me are gaining respect in life but doing something different.” Shanthi said.

“ I met this Preethi akka, she told me about an NGO ( dear readers, I forgot the name of it ) where they help people like me to get jobs,” She continued, “ I really thought it was a life changing thing for me.”

“I started learning stitching while Shanti went for English classes. Now I earn also,” Bharathi said with a beaming smile. I could easily sense the pride she had of earning an honest buck also along with the smell of the rain.

“But she’s my student. A very bad student.” Shanti said as both started to giggle as I too joined.

 “Tea sapadriya pa thambi?”

“No thanks, akka”

“Akka keta vena nu solla kudadhu, take it,” Bharathi bought me a glass of tea. I was glad to accept as she paid for it even though I offered to pay. The tea was hot and the silence filled our conversation.

“ I think I will start now, rain seemed to stop.” I said as I shaked hands 



Transgender communities are growing in India.
It's necessary to treat them with respect 
and present them with equal rights. 

with both of them. I wished both all the best. My phone battery was completely dead and rue not able to click a picture along with them. It was inspiring to hear out Shanti also it very much seemed like she wanted to be heard out. It’s more than enough to treat a human with respect without discriminating gender, race, religion or caste. Isn’t?