As a woman, I can say that nothing’s more embarrassing than going around the town with a period stain on your clothing because we haven’t yet reached a point, as a society, that won’t go all ‘haww’ and ‘cheee’ when they see or even speak about a woman’s menstruation.
And even though maintaining a regular period cycle is every woman’s dream, it doesn’t happen very often and we might get the visitor at odd hours of the day. At this point, we are left with no option but to anxiously go all over the place to look for sanitary products when we don’t have them in our possession.
Ismat Ara, a journalist by profession, was somewhat in a similar situation and she thought of asking a tea vendor if he had any sanitary pad while she was on the road.
Even though the shopkeeper didn’t have any, he told her to take a seat, drove down to another shop, and got her a pack of sanitary pads. “You’re like my sister,” he said to Ara.
The journo then shared this story on Twitter and said how grateful she is for men like him.
Stopped at a tea stall and realised I had got my period. I asked the shopkeeper if he had any sanitary pads. So he sat on his bike, told me to sit down, and brought me pads from a nearby shop. You're like my sister, he said. I feel so grateful for men like Manaf. Thank you.
— Ismat Ara (@IsmatAraa) June 19, 2022
But weirdly, her tweet lauding and thanking the man wasn’t appreciated online. In fact, people started trolling and mocking her for asking for a pad from a tea vendor.
100 points for asking a tea seller if he has any sanitary pads.
— Facts (@BefittingFacts) June 19, 2022
Chaiwale se pad mang lo.
chemist se chai mang lo..Wimins🤡
— Tweet Chor👑 (@Pagal_aurat) June 19, 2022
Who asks sanitary pads from a tea stall ???
— Rishi Bagree (@rishibagree) June 19, 2022
Behen , please go and see a good psychiatrist. Who asks for a sanitary napkin at a tea stall ?💐 After this go and see a good gynaecologist. Girls carry sanitary pads in their handbags. Get well soon💐
— Twinkle (@veda_padma) June 19, 2022
Try a pharmacy next time.
— Shreya Agarwal (@shreyagarwal_12) June 19, 2022
Our Delhi to Goa flight ran out of fuel mid air. With no airport nearby and inevitable death looming, I took a chance by texting a tea stall guy for help. Next min Manaf came on his bike with a jerry can full of Jet Fuel and we refuelled mid air. Thanx Manaf for saving 238 lives.
— THE SKIN DOCTOR (@theskindoctor13) June 19, 2022
next what? asking for lingerie in a furniture shop? And then the furniturewala would sit in his bmw, tell u to wait in his shop, go to a mall, get the perfect size for u, return, and say, you are so much like my wife… ?
Feeling grateful for men like abdul & 785 others.— রানী রায় (#ISupportCAA&NRC)🇮🇳 (@raniroyrocky) June 19, 2022
Stopped at a tea stall and realised there are many mango trees on my way. I asked the shopkeeper if he had any stones so that I can pluck mangoes by throwing stones. He smiled and said “kitna truck chahiye”.
— Gorment Doctor 👨⚕️🩺 (@GormentDr) June 19, 2022
Today a lady came at my tea stall & she realised she suddenly got her periods,don’t know what made her ask this but she asked me whether I had sanitary pads?Why will A tea seller keep them?Not only this she stole my bike & ran away saying wil return it in a while after buying pad
— Manaf(Chaiwala)with no sanitary Pads (@RetardedHurt) June 19, 2022
A handful of these also had answers to “chaiwala se pad kon mangta hai?”
When you are in urgent need of something, normal people ask things.
— Once in a While (@hackedeternity) June 19, 2022
We are in the business of supplying sanitary pads. You will be surprised to know that even the smallest of shops in rural areas keep pads. Before entering this business, we had no idea about it.
— Shabbir Ahmad. (@shabbirahmad36) June 19, 2022
It was a small tea shop and seemed to have a lot of stuff, so I was just trying my luck. 😊
— Ismat Ara (@IsmatAraa) June 19, 2022
Also, how dare she asked a guy for a pad!
It is got possible because you dare to ask. Many girls don’t even ask the same to real brothers.
— Hilal Hathravi (@Shaikh_Hilal) June 19, 2022
But this type of stories should be kept secret.. there’s a clear line between issues of concern with modern minds and Hayaa.
— Mo.Danish Iqbal (@MoDanishIqbal4) June 19, 2022
I did not ask him to go and get it for me. I just asked him if he had any at his shop. 😊
— Ismat Ara (@IsmatAraa) June 19, 2022
The fact that women here are making such remarks despite knowing the urgency of the situation is itself appalling.