I hate girls. Really.

I distinctly remember the first time I realised that. It was 12 years ago when I was in class VI.

I was standing outside my classroom when this girl, Madhu, suddenly walked up to me and slapped me hard on the shoulder. It took me a minute to regain my senses.

I didn't know what it was all about. Later I came to know it was a prank one of my friends played on me. Apparently, he told Madhu I said something rude about her.

I was the shy boy of the class. Everyone in the school knew I would never hurt anyone, that I didn't have it in me. And Madhu, though she had never interacted with me, knew that too. She could have come to me and verified if I had actually said what she heard from my friend, especially in light of my shy-boy reputation.

But she didn't. She chose the slap instead.

After that I was pretty careful when around girls. I always found it awkward, and the only feeling I remember experiencing when I interacted with them was nervousness.

Time flew. I continued struggling with my nervousness. Six years on, when I was beginning to get over it, occurred the second incident.

I had just been accepted by a prestigious engineering institute in India and was treating my friends to dinner at an open-air restaurant. There were two girls sitting behind me. My friends faced them and were eyeing them. They urged me to turn around and look. But I continued studying the menu.

Then it suddenly started raining. But the funny thing was, only I was getting drenched; my friends sat warm and dry.

I realised the phenomenon was due to an upturned water jug, held that way by one of the girls. They were protesting a remark -- a complimentary one -- my friends made.

I definitely hate girls, I decided.

Which brings me to a crucial question: why do girls feel they can get away with anything? It isn't relevant I fell victim because of some misinterpretation. How would the people around me have reacted if I had responded similarly to a girl? How dare you, they would have asked me, how could you act like that? And it wouldn't have mattered if I had apologized later -- not that I ever got an apology for being wronged.

In the years since, I have come across hundreds of instances -- thankfully I was victim in not more than 10 cases -- when a girl has behaved abominably for no logical reason. I wonder what makes them do it.

I am yet to understand the double standard our society adopts when there is a female involved. Why should we accord them special status? How are they different from us? Science says except for a certain chromosome, which determines the sex of a child, there isn't much difference between the birth of a male and a female.

Why, then, this discrimination?

In public transports, I see people vacating their seats for a standing woman -- out of 'respect' for her. I still don't understand why men are not respected the same way. What if it is an old man or a young boy carrying a heavy bag? Would they be offered a seat with the same alacrity?

You might brand me a sexist but believe me when I say I do respect women. And it's not I don't like them either -- four of the seven people whom I love the most in this world are women.

But when I see the injustice that prevails, I can't help but ask -- what have they done to deserve such special treatment?

Why should the government reserve seats for them in almost every institute in India?

Why should people reserve respect for them at all times?

Why should they be the ones who can do something to guys and get away with it, but when the reverse happens, the guy is hated and looked upon as uncivilized?

Why?

Illustration: Lynette Menezes