The Black Cat

•Superstitions have been a part of society since as long as one can think about. You might be able to recall some superstitions that complete your daily life. While superstitions are chalked up as beliefs that don't have a sensible origin, they still maintain to have an active role in shaping our society

Let it be ghastly Friday the 13th and its counterpart The Number 4 in Asian regions. The forbidden acts of passing underneath an open ladder and crossing over a baby. The bad luck of breaking of glass and opening an umbrella inside. The magical powers of foods and the black cat. All these superstitions have been passed down from generations making the customs and taboos of our society, but have you ever wondered how much power do they have over us?

• The King Rules:

It is a well-known fact that we live in a male dominant society. While there are plenty of measures being taken for woman upliftment some things take time to change, especially when they have roots spread underneath since ages. In India when the custom of Sati, where the women of the palace jump in a pool of fire on hearing the news of their husband's death have stopped being practised. The customs like widow-ism, where the widow is expected to dedicate her life in memories of their late spouse by giving up all the zest of the world still exists.

While the women have been given their right to have a career, the balance used to judge the value of their opinions is different or nonexistence compared to that of an average male. It is only a women's job and responsibility to maintain a presentable home, kids and herself. Women opt for hymen reconstruction surgery to not only please their spouse but to save their live. The least number of rape noted in police records per 100,000 population in 2010 was in Azerbaijan (0.2) while the dark figures of unreported cases go up to 91.6%.

• The Masked Jester

When the men are crowned with the right to dominate and the women are shackled. The thing binding them together and shimmering down the gender inequality in a day to day life is pride and expectations. For men with power comes the responsibility to hold their masculinity. It is an unannounced rule that a man must never cry or have the vulnerability. He should be rough and tough in physic. He should be able to mark his area and frown upon the ones who aren't or don't choose to live in such a manner.

The world itself works hierarchically where the person on a higher position and with more power get the gift voucher of respect. In school, the education controls your attire, your status and the number of opportunities for a better tomorrow. The further education and the workplace takes authority over your opinions and personal perspective. It is a never-ending cycle where we all must wear the mask of the perfect human and walk on the correct path of the society.

• The Black Cloak 

When the rebellious spirits of youth awaken, thanks to the hormonal war within them, the black cloak of fear is invited. All the milestones that society has created should be achieved or you will be discarded. This black cloak of fear has been represented in many ways from failure, black magic to hell. This fear of not achieving that milestone or not being good enough pushes people willingly or unwittingly in the race of life. The race to have that picture-perfect life which nobody can judge and one can die peacefully in a sanitised room, under fluorescent light with plenty of machine beeping around them. 

This race against the clock that doesn't seem to work in anyone's favour develop the fear of what-ifs that can work against your odds and ruin your place in this race. It develops the anxiety to exist. Will we be valued if we aren't able to run the next mile? Which else part of myself should I cut to fit into the shoes that might help me run an extra mile? What else should I mend in myself to disappear in this crowd and sneak some fresh air? And how much should I die to live a little in my way?

• To summarise: we live in a beautiful world that needs to be saved from a plethora of evils. While a little hope might fuel your legs, it is the change in today that will make a better tomorrow. So, rather than ghosts, ghouls and goblins or the supernatural powers prevailing around us, it is the black cat of a society that scares me the most.