I was trying to get in touch with Lacchi for the whole of last week.
She just wasn’t able to find time. I was almost on the verge of giving up on this idea when my phone rang.
It was Lacchi, inviting me to Dadgu Shet Ganpati; her association was going to perform a pooja there.
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It felt like an invitation from the doorstep of the divine and there was no way I was going to refuse it.
I was not interested in digging into Lacchi’s past or picking at the scabs covering the emotional wounds that society had inflicted upon her for a long time.
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Lacchi and her friends were an insightful lot. They told me that a lot of them are now getting an education. Their association is involved with a number of social service projects including raising funds for the recent floods in Kolhapur and Sangli. One of them was particularly proud to tell me that she drives really well and is also training others to drive.
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While bidding farewell, the group showered me with blessings.
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How amusing can the human heart be?
We can actually compartmentalise our sensitivity! To the point of blocking out certain prejudices, almost validating them as being deeply rooted into our belief system!
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If these transgenders, emerging from abject hate and ignorance can still have the heart to bless abundantly.
The least that we people; coming from fairly secure and loving backgrounds can do is give them some respect.
Frantically rolling up the car window on spotting a transgender at the signal was your past. We are in 2019 now!
Replace your snigger with a smile, unshackle your outdated thinking pattern and make a little more space in that heart of yours.
Trust me, it’s way bigger than you think.