Yes this is an odd title. For those people who aren't from South Asia (India, that is), the term Hijra refers to an individual who is transsexual or transgender. So now you know that my title is supposed to grab your attention. Something that will begin to wane after reading a few more lines, if it hasn't started already.
But I digress. Coming back to the Hijras. Why them suddenly? No this is not to increase your awareness about them, or try to make you fight for them. There are people more qualified and more informed to do so, and I shall leave that task to them. My post is named The Hijras because I have an anecdote to share about them, or rather two such people. Funny how we cannot write him or her about them, and it's saddening and frustrating too. I digress again. The incident goes as follows.
Connaught Place, New Delhi. Not too much money in our pockets, me and my (then) girlfriend are strolling hand in hand, high on new found love, trying to find the nearest McDonald's and get some cheap food and free air-conditioning in the scorching heat. We see a person of the third gender walking towards us, stopping people occasionally to ask them for some money. This is their source of living, they prey on new couples, couples with babies, or just if you look gullible. I am quite familiar with them and can just brush them off, because their curses of me being infertile mean nothing to me. But my better half (let's just call her Ursula for now, because I have always loved that name) had always believed in these sort of things, that if we didn't pay them some money, their curses of us never getting married would come true. Maybe she did have a point there, some of their curses did seem to have worked. But anyway, this person (let me name him/her as Olden) has spotted us and has probably seen the gullible look on Ursula's face. I do not want this afternoon ending up with me and Ursula talking about curses and ill omens and predictions because life seems really good for now. So I reach for my wallet with a sigh, worried that in a few days even McDonald's won't be a possibility any more. Voila! I didn't have any small change, and the lowest denomination I had was not something I was ready to part with to Olden. Olden wouldn't listen but, and said not paying could result in "us" not being able to have kids, something Ursula couldn't bear to hear. Olden promised to give me back some change and with Ursula's pleading eyes, I acquiesced. The second he/she got the money, Olden scurried off, not disappointing me. I didn't really have the energy or motivation to run behind him/her to claim some of my money, and I just resumed walking grumbling too much. She seemed content, happy that now nobody could stop us from living happily ever after. She even offered to pay me the amount Olden had taken from me, but I gallantly refused. She anyway paid most of the times, something I didn't like much but had to bear. There was still no McDonald's in sight and my stomach was grumbling quite unhappily, and I was hoping Olden would get run over that very moment. Not a full minute had passed when suddenly somebody patted me on the back. Behold! It was another Hijra (forgive my usage of the term, I mean no disrespect or discrimination, it is merely for distinctive purposes), who was grinning happily at the prospect of some easy cash (let me name him/her Kimon). This time even Ursula looked worried, sure that I was ready to blow my fuse. I calmly told her to stand in the shade, while I started talking to Kimon, explaining what had occurred not a minute earlier. Surprisingly, Kimon was genuinely sympathetic, not too surprised at Olden's behaviour, and even offered me some money back, saying that Olden would be dealt with later. I was quite dumbstruck by Kimon's gesture, and obviously denied any reimbursement. Kimon smiled and blessed me and my to-be family with Ursula, and hurried off to catch the next unsuspecting couple. No, there is no moral to the story, it was something I shared simply to amuse you, my dear reader. I hope Kimon and even Olden are doing well. In the future, I met many such people, and even befriended a few (if that is the right term). There was a park I used to frequent with Ursula quite often, and every day some Hijras would come, asking for money in exchange for their blessings. I would be quite amused, and soon I came to know many by name. Some days they would even let me go scot-free, blessing me anyway.
Unfortunately, Ursula and I broke up a year later, and all the Hijras' blessings couldn't keep us together.
