When a policeman from Bihar allegedly insinuated in the word, ‘aukat’ that actress Rhea being a woman does not have the right to speak out, he uttered what many men think about a confident woman. And in my imagination, the same policemen or someone like him after passing away walked up the steps towards the pearly gates, but a pretty angel stopped him, “Not this way sir!”
“But it’s written ‘Heaven’ up there?” said the policeman.
“For those who’ve earned the right to enter!”
“I think I have. I’m a cop!” he said glibly.
“A cop who didn’t know how to treat women! Please turn to the Gates of Hell!”
“What! Who do you think you are?”
“An angel of the Lord!”
“A woman angel? Then shut up!”
“What?”
“I said shut up!”
“And why should I sir?”
“Because you are a woman, even if you are an angel now, women don’t speak to men like this!”
“Which is what you told most of the women who came with complaints to your police station isn’t it? Even when they were raped, or beaten by ruffians or hooligans you with your attitude to women did nothing, because inside you felt there was nothing wrong?”
“Well I did deal with some of the men!”
“Only because there was a law and not because you felt it was wrong!” said the angel sadly.
“Enough of this nonsense woman, even if you are an angel you are a woman and I will not have one of your kind speak to me like this!” said the now impatient policeman.
“Which is why there is no place for you behind those pearly gates!” said the angel.
“Maybe heaven is not a place for macho men like me!” said the cop with a smirk, “maybe hell and it’s crowd of wild men would best suit my chauvinist nature! Who needs heaven with you women angels all over!”
“Oh there are many men too!” said the angel, “But women and men are all treated as equals!”
The policeman let out a big guffaw, “Then hell is the place for me!” he shouted.
“Aha,” said the angel with a grin, “Maybe that’s exactly the place you need to go. Take him away,” she said to someone behind the policeman, “Take him, where he will learn to respect us!”
The policeman turned and screamed, “No!” he screamed, and many beyond the pearly gates and also down below in the fires of hell heard him scream, “No,” he screamed again shrilly as he looked at the grinning devil, “I had no idea the devil was a woman!” and ran towards hell.
“Ah well Rhea you may go back to earth, you did play the devil’s part well,” said the angel as she helped the grinning actress back to earth.
Robert Clements is a newspaper columnist and author. He blogs at www.bobsbanter.com and can be reached at bobsbanter@gmail.com
