Short Story - Dark Chocolates & Dark Secrets......

Author - Ekta Sharma

Many years ago, when a dark classmate of mine Rashi dropped by for lunch at my place……….

We sat around a long table with my grandmother at the head, and ate. Throughout the meal there was an uncomfortable silence. Even though Rashi tried to engage my grandmother in interesting conversation about Diwali celebration, shopping, gift sharing but she stood by her ideological ground and refused to be swayed by social considerations.

Every few minutes she would gaze menacingly at the guest and, unable to air her grievance, would yell at the servant, to mask her humiliation. But my grandmother's mere gaze made Rashi feel unwanted. After she had departed, she commented that "Don’t you have better girls is your school."

When I recall that instance I feel really bad for Rashi and the girls with Dark skin. This is all ridiculous. I spoke to her yesterday after a long time, She is good buddy of mine…. But we lost touch since last 2-3 years. I was so happy to connect back with her…. I was literally jumping when she called me …. J I am a very talkative person…. When I talk to someone very close to me ….i eat all the commas, full-stops & just talk non-stop out of excitement. I did the same, spoke so much, shared about my present life and asked her lots of question….but how could she answer I did not allow her to speak… after 30 minutes I gave her chance to speak. I think everything has changed, that BUBBLY, CONFIDENT AND OUTGOING INDIVIDUALS soul doesn’t exist in her body…..anymore….I was unhappy to know about her life. Her dark skin detached her from the world. There was silence for a minute & conversation ended. I had no idea what to say, what not to. I felt sad, I was feeling low but I wish I could do something. She was really going through a very rough phase of her life.

'Beauty beyond colour' well it’s a joke….,

In modern-day India, fair skin is a prized asset and a prerequisite for beauty and often has a profound impact on an individual’s life. It can decide their matrimonial prospects, friend circle, social standing and most importantly their own self-esteem. The preference for light skin can be unavoidably evidenced in almost all aspects of life including matrimonial advertisements, mainstream media, and cosmetic products.

In other words, for many Indians, having fair complexion is as much of an accomplishment as having a medical degree. Looking to find a husband, make friends, and get ahead at work? Then you need to have lighter skin. That's the all-pervasive message in India, and it's something that one actress is fighting to overturn. The new poster girl of the “Dark is Beautiful” campaign, Nandita Das, has called out India's obsession with fair skin — a prejudice she says has driven some young women to the brink of suicide.

Considering India's whitening cream market swelled from $397 million in 2008 to $638 million over six years, according to market researchers at Euro-monitor International. Skin-lightening products accounted for 84 per cent of the country's facial moisturiser market last year, their report shows.

The bias facing darker-skinned women was raised again in 15 September 2013 again when an Indian-origin woman, Nina Davuluri, won the “Miss America” contest in the United States. Though she went through lots of xenophobic comments about being, a terrorist or Muslim extremist," as well as being of Indian heritage, in social media.

“Had she been in India, far from entering a beauty contest, it is more likely that Ms Davuluri would have grown up hearing mostly disparaging remarks about the colour of her skin,” said an editorial in The Hindu newspaper. “She would have been — going by the storyline of most 'fairness' cream advertisements — a person with low self-esteem and few friends.

"Intimate whitening wash" Last year, a commercial for an “intimate wash” emerged showing a young Indian woman who uses the product to successfully regain her boyfriend's attention.

Thanks god I am born with a fair skin else my life would have been miscible. Is that really true. I mean what would change. I am a independent girl with independent thought process, educated, intelligent, friendly, witty. Can only complexion play such an important part in anyone’s life. Can dark complexion change my overall persona…???

Tough to answer. I photo shopped few of my pictures to see the difference. I tried the dark look in few of my images. And somehow got the answer to my question. I really want everybody’s view to change. In-fact I want my views to change as well. As I discovered today my heart &my mind are not in sync. You do think the same..??????

Anyways getting back to Rashi & her life. Everyone has their own ups & down in life but she had ample…… but I believe that ‘’ Life is what you make it’’. I can recall a bad phases of her life as a child. She lost her dad at a very young age so she stayed with her relatives. When she was 8yrs old….. She had to stay away from her mother for full one year. Rashi stayed with her Uncle & Aunt and their 3 sons……in Chennai. Initially she would cry a lot as she missed her parents badly. But after few weeks she was fine, she would enjoy playing with her cousin brothers. Her mother lost her senses for a while after a major loss in her life & also she was trying to get a job and become capable to take care of Rashi so she had to stay in Mumbai alone. But on the other hand Rashi wasn’t happy she was confused with was happening to her….. she did not share anything with her mother…..untill one day when her mother visited her.

They had great time. Went to the beach, had lunch and lots of chit chat….. a wedding ceremony was scheduled for Vihaan Rashi’s cousin…..in 3 months….. all the members of the family were busy shopping, preparing list for guest. In the evening they all were invited for a dinner at their other relative in the same city. All of them returned home late and straightway went to the bed….. There was pin drop of silence….on one corridor but the other side of the house sounded like a haunted house with terrible snoring noise…..and suddenly Rishi’s room’s door opened….. Someone stepped in silently…. There was complete silence…..someone went near the bed and………..TO BE CONTINUED…