knock knock knock knock
(Door knocking)
wake up कुमुदिनी (Lily)
***कुमुदिनी (Lily) wakes up.
I was dreaming about my childhood and mom's bedtime stories again.
***she opens the door.
Good morning miss कुमुदिनी (Lily) i am the
kar sangraahak (tax collector) and I am here to collect your tax.
कुमुदिनी (Lily) was a low caste South Indian girl The kar sangraahak (tax collector) had come to collect tax for breast tax (Mulakkaram or mula-karam in Malayalam) imposed on the lower caste (Shudra) and untouchable (Dalit) Hindu women by the Kingdom of Tranvancore (in present-day Kerala state of India) if they wanted to cover their breasts in public.
She refused to pay the Tax, she believed that it was unjust for women to pay for their integrity and that she rather die than pay the Mulakkaram, she wanted women to have equal footing in society.
She felt disgusted and sick to be part of such a society, that didn't value women's prestige and took advantage of it.
when the kar sangraahak persisted that the Law was absolute as long as she had breasts and it would be considered treason if she didn't comply.
She took a Sickle and cut off her own breasts and offered it on a banana leaf to the kar sangraahak (tax collector), he was dismayed and fled in fear.
कुमुदिनी (Lily) didn't feel any physical pain at all, rather she smiled wondering if she was as brave as Lilith going against the Absolute, while bleeding to death.
Well Lily's efforts were not in Vain when the King heard of the news, the law was abolished the very next day....