She Was Never a Mystery. You Were Just Never Told the Truth.

Lately, I’ve been disturbed by the increasing reports of crimes against women and men. It’s heartbreaking and infuriating — and it forces me to ask: Why is there such a divide between men and women? Why do so many still view women as lesser, dramatic, or unworthy of respect? To explore this, I came up with a simple analogy: Imagine this — you are Person A. Since childhood, you’ve only known Person B. Person B constantly tells you about someone called Person C. But they don’t speak kindly. They say Person C is dramatic, overly emotional, just an object, someone meant to serve you. You’ve never met C yourself, but you internalize what you’re told. Eventually, when you meet Person C, you treat them exactly how you were conditioned to. When they don’t behave the way you expect, you feel threatened or angry. You act out. Maybe even violently — because you were never taught that C was a real person with thoughts, feelings, struggles, and dreams like yours. 

 Now let’s decode this: 

•  Person A = A man 
•  Person B = Society 
•  Person C = A woman 

In many parts of Indian society, boys and girls are discouraged sometimes even forbidden from interacting freely. Topics like menstruation, pregnancy, and female health are taboo. Boys grow up without any real understanding of girls, and girls grow up learning to suppress themselves. So what happens when there’s no dialogue? No understanding? Misunderstanding breeds fear. Fear breeds disrespect. Disrespect can escalate to violence. But what if things were different? What if men and women could grow up interacting as equals  as friends, classmates, teammates? What if a boy could understand what a girl goes through, not through whispered warnings or sexist jokes, but through empathy and honest conversations? He might not get angry when she’s distressed he might care. He might help. He might understand. Statistically, men who grow up with healthy female relationships sisters, friends, mothers who communicate openly  are far less likely to act out violently against women. Because they see women as people, not as concepts or stereotypes. 

Many students prefer forming same-gender groups for projects, avoid talking to female teachers, or feel awkward communicating across gender lines. This lack of comfort isn’t just a “phase” it affects future teamwork, workplace dynamics, and the ability to work in diverse, respectful environments. So what’s the takeaway? The root problem isn’t men vs women. It’s ignorance vs understanding. It’s isolation vs interaction. And unless we normalize healthy gender communication early on — in schools, homes, and colleges we’ll keep growing adults who don't know how to see each other as equals. We don’t need more blame. We need more bridges. Between genders. Between generations. Between silence and conversation.