I don't remember how many times I have used the word 'period' as you are not suppose to use 'it'. You can use terms like 'those days', 'birthday' or much better, 'mahino ke un din' or more secretive term, 'woh din'.

My friends and I had this code word, 'birthday'. Even if there were a group of boys next to us, we would talk about 'it' without any fear or embarrassment. Embarrassment. I still don't understand why should a natural process like it be looked upon as a source of embarrassment. This is the only process which makes a Queen the Empress of the kingdom for her intelligence, quickness, cleverness and warrior skills are most of the times of no use.

To understand this, I accidentally conducted a so called experiment-kind-of-thingy. I just said the word, 'periods' in the class during lunch break. Of course, it did turn many heads especially boys who looked at me with embarrassment. Seriously, their cheeks had turned beet red. My friend covered it up saying I was talking about lectures. She scolded me for being careless. She was my best friend so I don't care much about her rantings. That day I understood it doesn't matter if I am ashamed of it or not but others feel it so even I should be ashamed of it.

Taking a bath when you have periods is another headache. According to a study, when you are bathing, you don't bleed. How many of you have wondered of what's the use of that high level maths in life? This is where it comes in picture. You use every possible algebra, arithmetics, geometry and even vectors to calculate the speed when you pour the last mug to drying yourself with a towel to wearing the pad. You don't have any idea how difficult it is.

We are often told to take head bath on the first day. I do agree that it's quite relaxing but I don't understand why do you need to follow this rule at night. I usually catch cold and then next day I will sleeping on bed, down with fever, missing notes, feeling lost in lectures the next day, getting less marks in exams and the next time, whole cycle of period and less marks continues.

If you think periods tests your endurance to bear the pain, your mood swings tests your patience. You won't believe I started crying for a trivial matter- watching a makeup tutorial on how to apply liquid eyeliner. I don't know how I landed to that video because I don't use eyeliners and kajal is my bae. Makeup and I are 'just' friends.

My mood swings scares my dad, many times. The victims of my changing moods are my mom and my sister. Especially my sister, I remembered to have blasted on her and then cried out of guilt. You see, my mom was mostly an indirect victim, consoling me for hours not to cry on matters. So they deserve an award.

The mammoth task is to buy pads. Buying pads is a very shameful task. Again, what's the reason to be shameful? I don't know but you have to be shameful. That's it. I have seen my mom buying them.

You have to ask for them when there's no other customer in the shop. You may ask me why can't we ask when some customer is there in the shop. Because when you do so, they don't give it a damn. They won't entertain you until you're the only customer in the shop.

There are some exceptions but most of them do this. This is based on my mom's real life experience with me being the witness. Another thing which I saw was layers of packaging that it went through. First it was wrapped in newspaper and then handed over to us in black polythene bag like there's a bomb in it.

What I don't really understand is what are those flowers printed on the top absorbent layer doing. I mean who's going to waste time admiring them? Soon there'll be trees, branches, birds, bees, nests and what not on them. That's the creativity! Actually, I feel next they'll be printing the sceneries of kindergartners and first graders. Don't be surprised if keep a 'competition' for this stuff too.

I would like to conclude that it's mostly our upbringing which evokes a certain amount of embarrassment in us. What are we supposed to do in these cases? That's pretty simple. Just say the words 'periods' and 'pads' in hushed whispers.