In A Man's Toxic World

I grew up trained to be 'man enough'. And I had to live up to the masculinity projected by my family and elders. We were, are and will be put in boxes of discontent unless we act, behave and deliver a certain way to be a man. Resultantly, we often tend to govern ourselves by these principles without realising what exists beyond the line.

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Caught in the act of society, men live in a shell that they fail to see its consequences for them. Masculinity, in general, is not toxic but normalising tainted standards can ruin anything in contact. Toxic masculinity hugely contributes to sexism, male chauvinism, and misogyny. Under toxic masculinity, men try to prove their worth by showcasing anger or power, and those men who do not adhere to the so-called typical masculine traits are mocked and considered feminine. They can even take the form of many dangerous and disruptive behaviours. Since time immemorial, most marriages have maintained the traditional dichotomy of man-woman.

My elder brother Ambikesh had also internalised something similar. Swaranjali kept her marriage with him for four and a half years under ritualistic mistreatment. Since the beginning of their marriage,