“I want to be a Witch”

Heena Ganotra

"Witches are wicked women, Mumma. The one who captivated Rapunzel and cut off her golden locks was a witch too." 

Quirina was taking baby steps into the world of fairytales and she was mesmerized by all that the stories had to offer. 

"W for witch, W for wicked, W for women. Same initials, Mumma," she paused and cupped her mouth in amazement, having discovered something precious. 

"Yes, darling. We've got a word for that. Alliteration," I smiled, proud to see her noticing things. 

"Alliteration," she repeated and the moment she did, echoes of assignments, made years back as a literature student, breaking ideological hegemonies, engulfed me. 

“Quirina," I called, unsure whether she'd understand what I had in store for her. Nonetheless, I continued, "My child, witches being bad was a concept that was thrust down our throats by insecure men. Women who tried to break rules say, by playing a sport which men thought only they could play, or those who rebelled against the society for being unfair to them, or those who questioned the superiority of men over women were all given the name 'witch'. Witches weren't wicked, dear. They were powerful and because men have always feared powerful women, they maligned their image".

Her blank expression almost instantly made me realize my folly. Perhaps she was too young to understand the nuances of the word. Perhaps it was too early to explain to her the things that I myself learned at a later stage. Brushing the matter under the carpet was the best I could do. 

But just when I was about to, "Oh my, Mumma," she whispered, her mouth agape, "You know, Miss Ryana told us the opposite of witch is a wizard and while almost every boy in the class wanted to be a wizard, none wanted to be a witch. You know what it means, Mumma?" 

I shook my head in confusion and her words took flight, "Oh ho, silly. Chances are that men knew women were equal to them in every aspect but they couldn't take it, so they glorified themselves by putting women down. That's the reason they linked positivity with their names but degraded the feminine version. You get the point, Mumma?"

 "Aha!" I giggled, confused at who was whose Mumma at the moment.

 "You know, I always feel bad when Summer takes pride in being called 'Son' by her father. I mean, why? Girls not taking pride in being called girls is that fancy word Caroline Aunty keeps saying."

"Blasphemous?"

"Yes, that. Again, it's as if the word 'boy' is adorned with glitters while the word 'girl' is wrapped in rags. But Mumma, I am proud to be a girl," she beamed and in the very next moment questioned, "Were witches proud of who they were too?"

Exactly when did she start pondering over such matters was a mystery to me. But needless to say, I was impressed.

"Very," I told her, combing her hair with my fingers in admiration. "Witches were proud of their rebellious and fierce nature. They were just what your name depicts - W for Warriors. They were fighters who did things women were not allowed to."

She smiled and almost instantly lost herself to her train of thoughts. Moments passed but she was still struggling; struggling to find a way out of the labyrinth of questions that her mind was weaving.

"Um, I can hel..."

"I want to be a witch, Mumma!" she blurted before I could even ask her to seek my help. There was a fire in her eyes and with that same fire in her words, she stated, "I will punch whoever wouldn't let me play football, saying it is not meant for girls right in the face. I will question every wrong, every unfair act. I will fight just like witches did, Mumma. I will.

Besides," she continued, "if Rapunzel would've really hated that witch, she'd have cut her long locks and climbed down just the way the witch used to climb up. But she didn't. There's got to be a reason behind it. I asked Miss Ryana but she shushed me. I think the witch was trying to protect Rapunzel. What do you think, Mumma?"

I clapped, still in awe of what this kid's mind was capable of.

"Okay, then. I am going to be a witch. It’s final."

A scene wherein her teachers want Quirina to be a princess, but she is crying her eyes out to be a witch ran before my eyes. I giggled. 

I had smiled to myself thinking about it ten years back. And I am smiling to myself now, looking at the freshly brewed copy of her first book at its launch, titled 'I Want To Be A Witch. A Retelling of Fairy Tales for Rebel Girls.' 

Amidst all the voices that are surrounding Quirina, one that catches my attention is a deep voice that asks, "What is the book exactly about? And isn't the title a bit strange?" 

"It's about the witches who were never wicked, only wild in nature; who carried rebellious ideas in the creases of their palms; who had Feminism as their mother tongue and used it to burn male egos. Factually, it has been concluded that witches did exactly what feminists do now, be it talking about masturbation or doing it. Why do we see them in a negative light has always been my question. This book is an attempt to break the stigma. I hope it is able to," she answers.

"And oh," she adds, "about the second part, I had always wanted to justify the word 'Queer' in my name, the job is now done," she winks, flipping her hair.

Heena Ganotra is a Master’s in English Literature and is currently working as a creative content writer in Chandigarh, India. She has conducted quite a few creative writing sessions, read umpteen books, done book reviews for a couple of authors, and curated a book as well. Her dream is to wander the world, narrating one story at a time. Until she becomes one! Hasrat is proud to promote her creative ideas.