One Indian Girl by Chetan Bhagat

‘Mr Neel, find someone your own age.’
‘It’s the connection that matters, not the age. And sorry to say, I seem fitter than you,’ Neel
said.
I couldn’t believe the discussion. I had to make an effort not to grin. For a few seconds I
relished these two men fighting over me. I imagined them in a fistfight; though I knew Neel would
clobber the intellectual Bengali babu in the end, I could have watched them duel all day. But I did not
have the time.
‘Boys, boys, stop arguing. And listen to what I have to say for once,’ I said.
‘I know you love me, baby,’ Debu said. ‘I am your first love.’
‘Which is often a mistake. We connect, Radhika, beyond love. We are similar. You know that,’
Neel said.
‘Why do you guys love the sound of your voice so much? Can I speak, uninterrupted?’ I said.
Both of them nodded. Neel clasped his hands and placed his elbows on the table. Debu took a
sip of his orange juice.
‘Thanks,’ I said. ‘Sorry, I am doing this to you together. Just more efficient. Also, maybe you
can learn something from each other.’
‘It’s fine,’ Neel said, eager not to censure me.
‘Debashish Sen, you remember our walk in New York? You said women could do anything.
You quoted feminist texts. Essentially, you said women could and should fly.’
‘Yeah,’ Debu said.
‘Nice in theory. In real life the girl throws a party for her guy’s promotion but the guy cannot
handle the girl’s bonus. Yes?’
‘That’s not.. .’ he said but I stopped him.
‘Let me speak. You said fly, but when I flew high, you wanted to clip my wings. Fly, as long as
you fly beneath me, is it?’
He looked down. I turned to Neel.
‘Neel, you loved me as the flying bird. You wanted me to fly higher and higher.’
‘Of course,’ Neel said.
‘But you know where you went wrong?’
‘Where?’ Neel said.
‘You didn’t want me to have a nest.’
Neel didn’t have an answer.
‘Neel?’ I said.
‘I believe in equal rights. You know that, right?’ Neel said.
‘Did you realize that perhaps I did not want to fool around? Perhaps equal rights means giving
women the same rights, not the same things? Equal rights to get what they want, rather than equal
rights to the same things men want.’
I noticed Debu scratch his head as he also heard and tried to figure out what I said.
‘Meaning?’ Neel said.
‘What do you want? Career? Home?’ Debu said. ‘I am really confused.’
‘Yeah. What do you want? Choose whatever you like, Radhika,’ Neel said.
I took a sip of my lukewarm coffee.
‘Ah, choose,’ I said and sneered. ‘Choice. The benchmark word of feminism, right? I become
a great feminist if I give women the choice of home or career.’
‘What do you mean? Isn’t that how it should be?’ Neel said.