No Men- novel

“Chetna! Wake up! How early she’s asleep!” Harima aunt caught me by my arms and gave a shaking, yet I wasn’t asleep. I stood up without any thought and was taken the oblation square. A big lantern was giving dazzling light to the dark yard. Men were sleeping in the barn on the straw. They were talking and would laugh loudly. Some of them were snoring like a lion’s roaring. The boy was dozing off taking the back support of one of the banana trees. I was made to sit beside the boy. I wanted to go back to my bed inside. The way I was forced to sit there was irritating me a lot. I wanted to break the structures that were made to do so called rites and nonsense rituals, don’no what made me so feeble, so kept mum. The priests asked me to put on a hay ring, which he said was called ‘Kush’, on my finger. I followed whatever he asked me to do. Again I was made a puppet, made of ragged, ready to dance as per the wish and order of the men. I had an empty skull within. There was no being inside living body. I was beautifully designed for the pleasure of others, for the joy of men. The poor thing I was. I was acting on behalf of my puppet as she was getting wedded. A puppet’s marriage was arranged with a man! Puppet marrying a man or a man marrying a puppet? I was considered to have no own conscience or senses. I had no human wit, neither did I have any wisdom, which I could use to decide what good and what was bad for me. I was breathing puppet, how I could have human senses! The priest was reading an old book; perhaps the oldest volume ever made. The book had all the loose pages. He read the pages and kept each of them on another. I grew curious to see his book and asked innocently, “Father! Why’re the pages of ur book all loose? “ It’s not an ordinary book bride; it’s a holy book, a religious book made for the wise like us... that’s why...!” replied he showing his yellow coloured teeth with garlic odour. I failed to understand him, so I showed no response to his explanation. The boy went into a deep sleep and started to snore aloud. I used to be afraid when father would snore loudly at sleep and then mom would pinch his belly which would wake him up. I also pinched the boy at his right stomach. He cried out loudly uttering “Ouch!” Priest scolded me angrily. My body trembled in fear. The boy, however, sat down calmly pretending to have known nothing. I grinned at the boy. He stared at me. I made a mouth at him mischievously. He continued to do the foolish activities which they called was the worship. (part of "No Men" novel )