Nirmala Venkataramani

A Droplet's Worth Nirmala Venkataramani

Today, #MeToo movement is catching fire and giving courage to so many victims to boldly come out, even after many years, to talk, and raise awareness. On one side of the balance are the victims who not only carry the burden of the cross on their backs, and relive the trauma, but are accused from many different angles. On the other hand though are some opportunists who make use of this mighty movement for their own purposes, victimizing the innocent. It is indeed good that such a movement has gathered much momentum. On the same vein, the author wants to raise awareness for a very stealth problem - emotional abuse of children. Using a fictional storyline, the author puts the spotlight on a particular aspect of emotional abuse. While all the characters in this story are completely made up, the message is very real. The children need not be doomed to a lost childhood and a hurting adulthood. All it takes is a small drop of help to rescue a child in distress. While that drop is necessary, a premature, or an assumptive drop can tip the scales in the wrong direction. This too is brought out in the story. Like it is said, one shouldn't trust just what is seen or heard. A thorough inquiry is necessary - especially in such sensitive matters.