The Girl Code

26th Jan 2026

(Door shutting. Stomping)
"I don't want to go to school from tomorrow", declared 11-year-old Eti as she wiped her tears, which did not stop flowing.
"Are you mad? What about your dream then? Who is going to be the first female doctor of this Hitawa gaon then?", interrogated Eka, her twin sister.
By now, you may have sensed that there are no similar traits between these twin sisters. One is the shy, the most girly girl you would have ever come across. The other is "Jhansi ki Rani", who questions everything and everyone, the one who will shield her elder sister and will do anything to make her dreams come true.

"First, tell me why you say that?" Eka kept asking her, as she could not see her Dida in that state. "On my way back from school, there is this patch of road, you know, ahead of that hand-pump, where a group of boys stand and tease me, they pass dirty comments. I know, there are some changes happening in my body, unknown curves have started showing up. But it's natural. I did not do anything. You are lucky. You still look like you did previously", confessed sobbing Eti.

"Oye, from the time Maa gave you that secret session in the closed bedroom, I am jealous. Why isn't this happening to me? And even if it does, I would be happy. Not like you, changing my dreams because of such silly things. Haven't you seen Maa, Mausi, Bhua, all these ladies are grown up, and their bodies are like that. I have also noticed a few of our classmates going through this change. I know you all secretly carry sanitary napkins in bags..."

"Ssshhh... You are impossible, Eka. Shut up. Don't talk too loudly about it. And how do you know about it? You haven't got your period, then?" intervened Eti.



"You think you won't share, and I will never get to know? You silly girl. Let me tell you that the patch you are talking about, Rashi also faced the same problem. I taught her something. And now she goes to school daily, and those boys don't tease her anymore. If you want, I can share the secret with you also..."
"What is it? I will think and decide once I know it," replied Eti in a suspicious tone. "I don't think you are sure. That means you don't trust me. Fine, leave it..." Eka was being the cheeky younger sibling by acting pricy!

"Ok, ok. Wait. I trust you. Tell me what you want me to do." Eti surrendered.

"Are you sure?" Eka does not seem to leave her mischievous mood.

"Aaaaa.. tell or get lost now. Stop acting so pricy, ok?" Eti remembered she was the elder one and warned Eka.

Eka laughed out loud. "Ok. So now, whatever I say, you have to repeat", and then she started singing in a sing-song tone.

"Shut up, you fake tough guys teasing me!
Yelling junk shows you're scared inside.
Do it again, kiss your "manhood" goodbye,
Punks like you can't even hide!"


"Haaaaawww... I won't say that. It's so mean. No. No." Eti was embarrassed after listening to those words being uttered by her younger sister. "And you should also not say such things, Eka. We are good girls."

"What has being a good girl got you? Eve teased? Feeling ashamed of being a girl? Sorry, but I don't want to feel the same. So I have my slogan in place, and I proudly say I made it. Tomorrow, don't be surprised if all the girls walking to school sing this. I have taught it to three girls already."

Eti was puzzled because whatever Eka said was right, logically. While she was humming the quatrain in her head. The next day, she saw the same gang again as she was approaching the handpump. She had started murmuring the quatrain again. One word from them and her volume increased from murmur to scream. When she reached home, Eka noticed she was not crying; she was happy, in fact. There was a sense of confidence that she had gained after giving it back to those boys.

In the coming days, the boys disappeared. Every girl, secretly or openly, knew the code. And the girls dismissed the boys like queens.

This post is a part of The #VoicesOfHerBlogHop hosted by Sukaina Majeed and Manali Desai under #EveryConversationMatters.