When I’m on my period, and my body is leaking fluid, and the cramps are so brutal it’s like somebody punching my stomach every minute, spare me your misogyny if you have nothing nice to offer.
Recently, a journalist on Twitter shared a small anecdote about an act of kindness from a complete stranger during her period, and the tweet went viral for all the wrong reasons.
Stopped at a tea stall and realised I had got my period. I asked the shopkeeper if he had any sanitary pads. So he sat on his bike, told me to sit down, and brought me pads from a nearby shop. You’re like my sister, he said. I feel so grateful for men like Manaf. Thank you.
— Ismat Ara (@IsmatAraa) June 19, 2022
People made it a premise of bizarre, unfunny jokes.
Our Delhi to Goa flight ran out of fuel mid air. With no airport nearby and inevitable death looming, I took a chance by texting a tea stall guy for help. Next min Manaf came on his bike with a jerry can full of Jet Fuel and we refuelled mid air. Thanx Manaf for saving 238 lives.
— THE SKIN DOCTOR (@theskindoctor13) June 19, 2022
My condom got torn mid session,the girl left seriously offended…I texted the tea stall guy Manaf…who sat on his bike and delivered me fresh pack of condoms alongwith his beautiful wife…Thanks Manaf.
— Beparwah Hoon (@BeparwahHu) June 20, 2022
Today a lady came at my tea stall & she realised she suddenly got her periods,don’t know what made her ask this but she asked me whether I had sanitary pads?Why will A tea seller keep them?Not only this she stole my bike & ran away saying wil return it in a while after buying pad
— D (@RetardedHurt) June 19, 2022
Yesterday night i spent time in twitter spaces. This morning it was difficult for me to attend the office. I called Manaf Bhai up. He went to the office on my behalf. Manaf Bhai..you saved my job. Thank you.
— Ami❄️💫 (@sane_dab) June 20, 2022
next what? asking for lingerie in a furniture shop? And then the furniturewala would sit in his bmw, tell u to wait in his shop, go to a mall, get the perfect size for u, return, and say, you are so much like my wife… ?
— রানী রায় (#ISupportCAA&NRC)🇮🇳 (@raniroyrocky) June 19, 2022
Feeling grateful for men like abdul & 785 others.
Stopped at a tea stall and realised I don't have umbrella. I asked the shopkeeper if he had any umbrella. So he sat on his bike, told me to sit down, and brought me a umbrella and his wife. You can use it with my wife, he said. I feel so grateful for men like Manaf. Thank you.
— शौर्य सिंह (@son_of_magadh) June 20, 2022
Meri Ek taang nakli hai, Mai hockey ka bohoth bada khiladi tha.
— Tushar Kant Naik ॐ♫₹ (@Tushar_KN) June 20, 2022
Ek din Manaf bhai ko meri kisi baat pe gussa aagaya aur mere he hockey se meri taang ke do tukde kar diye.
Lekin dil ke bohot ache hai, Fauran mujhe hospital le gaye aur ye nakli taang lagwayi.
Stopped at a tea stall and realised there are many mango trees on my way. I asked the shopkeeper if he had any stones so that I can pluck mangoes by throwing stones. He smiled and said “kitna truck chahiye”.
— Gorment Doctor 👨⚕️🩺 (@GormentDr) June 19, 2022
And where did you go to use that pad? Behind the chai ka thela or gumti (kiosk)?
— Poha_Jalebi (@IndoreNagpur) June 19, 2022
Try to write more credible stories next time.https://t.co/eyYiiVCaq6
Manaf ko dekhkar girls like Ishrat in their periods: pic.twitter.com/T9GyQGUOUL
— Sanedo 🌞 Milkman (@SayboReGovaliyo) June 21, 2022
Oh! And getting mansplained on periods is so f*ckin annoying. Like yes, of course, these guys would know better. We bleed once a month, but they bleed their sh*tty opinions all time.
What a bakwas chiz u r sharing, what’s need of this to share over here?
— Waqar Khan || وقار خان (@WAKhan337) June 19, 2022
Ajib log hain sharm o haya naam ki bhi koi chiz hoti hai, hindu ladkiyan weird bta rahi hain lekin inhe Bahut achha feel ho raha
Of course! Shut your mouth cuz period is a taboo, right?
But this type of stories should be kept secret.. there’s a clear line between issues of concern with modern minds and Hayaa.
— Mo.Danish Iqbal (@MoDanishIqbal4) June 19, 2022
There r only 4-5 women in the world who don’t know their date of periods and go on tour without sanitary pads. U go girl. We need more girls like you. Hail phaminism. May your tribe increase.
— मलखान (@KatwaLiyaFirSe) June 19, 2022
Sadly, we live in a world that politicizes everything. There can be no such thing as inherent human goodness, right?
Agenda Alert! Even a person with little common sense would know that Tea Stalls are meant for Tea & not Sanitary pads. Make better stories next time!
— 𝚈𝙾𝙶𝙴𝚂𝙷 𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙳𝙷𝙰𝙽𝙸 (@yogeshmandhani) June 19, 2022
1 Generally people are aware of date of period & carry sanitary pads
— Prasad (@Prasad53162881) June 20, 2022
2 You expected pads with tea shop? You didn’t find anymedical shop while driving?
4 How did you converse with tea seller in Tamilnadu. English/ Hindi/Tamil
5 Were you selling tea in the shop when munaf is away pic.twitter.com/PeS2TsfYWg
Oh! And by the way…
For those who are trolling her for asking for pads in tea Stalls.
— Shabbir Ahmad. (@shabbirahmad36) June 19, 2022
We are in the business of supplying sanitary pads. You will be surprised to know that even the smallest of shops in rural areas keep pads. Before entering this business, we had no idea about it.
THANK YOU for calling this out. At least some people had the good sense to speak about how ridiculous this is!
The comments under this tweet is extremely triggering. The tweet is about kindness. Real or fake, it doesn’t give ANYBODY the right to use it to shame women for not carrying sanitary pads or for talking about menstruation. Pea-brained, absolutely pathetic morons everywhere! https://t.co/CoZdQfjVco
— Backstreet Noise (@Kiskindha94) June 21, 2022
reading the comments of tweets like this reminds me of what a long way we have to go, and also of how little these men know about women’s bodies while wanting full control of them asdfghjkl https://t.co/4b0JfUqcW8
— vibz (@vibhamasti) June 21, 2022
a woman was helped by a chaiwala and men in the comments are losing their dicks in a synchronised manner https://t.co/mncLZdqek3
— moom (@luna_del_reyyy) June 20, 2022
The amount of crassness and vilification in the replies to this tweet, and an entire ecosystem of people hard at work to make “Manaf” trending on Twitter….so disturbing. One tweet about a stranger’s good act, makes thousands so insecure they make it about religion? https://t.co/W3R2OBNy0c
— Sabah (@_sabahgurmat) June 20, 2022
Lol.. a man thinking he knows women. Trust me there are many women who don’t realise their cycle is coming because of how hectic their life is. Also sometimes periods don’t come as per “schedule”
— . (@naina2911) June 20, 2022
I think because they view everything from the eyes of agenda.
Do see this thread to see how well people combine their hate for Muslims and women so well. Some responses are from women – women who get periods, of course and who instead of applauding an instance of breaking a taboo join the hate mob. Like how do we do this to each other? https://t.co/8KLYHqicUs
— MRUNMAYEE (@MMALABIKA) June 21, 2022
It's absolutely not laughable tht she enquired for a sanitary napkin at a tea stall. Tea stalls in India often stock up on little essentials and knick knacks. Why are the replies so misogynistic, hateful, anti-Muslim and super idiotic? https://t.co/z78Un2XTub
— Ipsita Barik (@ipsita_barik) June 21, 2022
Indian men who can’t even hold their bladders when out in public are giving lectures to a woman. https://t.co/ltTRrwWGfV
— Malav Parekh (ally-in-training) (@Malavtweets) June 21, 2022
Why can’t people even appreciate kindness? https://t.co/ceopW5cXvc
— Rohan 🏏 (@Rohantweetss) June 21, 2022
Twitter is a place where people share their mind and choices. This is not a court of law where you provide proofs. The girl shared an incident, if she is cool with discussing this who are you teach her about things which you follow.
— Once in a While (@hackedeternity) June 20, 2022
Why are men in the comments losing their flipping minds about a chai-Wallah who went out of his way to buy pads? L https://t.co/iZJyUBZivO
— anil_not_aamai (@anil4ever98) June 21, 2022
-_- the men in the comments are the same guys crying when noone gives a fuck about "MeN's MeNtAl HeAlTh MoNtH" ngotha. https://t.co/PjWTsw7M8t
— Aadhiran 🏳️🌈 (@smirks_in_twink) June 21, 2022
Is this the world we live in? A woman is just sharing an anecdote. Yet, vultures are ready to pounce upon her because they believe the story is fictional. The tweet is disproportionately analyzed, given all sorts of angles, and labeled as agenda.
Trolls, you know what you could do instead? If you don’t buy the story, just shut up. You don’t have to go out and spit poison everywhere.