26 / Red Riding Hood

On the wolves that live in grandma’s house

Once upon a time, there lived a little girl who had a favourite red cape. She wore it everywhere and was lovingly called Red Riding Hood. She lived with her parents in a little cottage on the edge of a deep, dark forest. Her grandmother lived on the other end of the forest.

One day, Red Riding Hood’s mother called her. “Can you take this basket of cake and wine to your grandmother? She is having a party, and this will add to the cheer. Don’t linger and come home as soon as you deliver it.”

Red Riding Hood nodded and set off. The day was lovely, and the sun shone brightly. As she walked deeper into the woods, a wolf appeared from behind a giant oak tree. Red Riding Hood hesitated. After a pause, the wolf approached her, sniffed her outstretched hand and nuzzled it. Red Riding Hood was not scared of the wolf. Her mother had taught her to respect all creatures of the forest. The wolf walked with her the rest of the way.

Upon reaching the gate of the cottage, Red Riding Hood noticed that there were many people, and she did not know anyone. A middle-aged man stood at the door and beckoned her to come in.

“What have you got there, pretty girl?” he asked, pointing at the basket.

“Cake and wine for Grandma,” Red Riding Hood replied.

“Oh, how wonderful. Come inside with me,” he gestured. But Red Riding Hood stayed firm.

“Can you please call my grandma?” she asked.

“Come inside. Don’t worry. No one will harm you,” he laughed. But Red Riding Hood did not move. She did not know this man. Her mother had taught her to be wary of strangers. So, she set the basket down by the door and told the man, “Please give this to my grandmother. I must head back home before it gets dark.”

“Let me walk with you,” said the man.

“No, thank you, Sir. I already have company,” she replied, pointing to the wolf who was waiting just beyond the gate. The man looked startled and then annoyed. But Red Riding Hood did not care. She turned and walked out of the house. Because she knew that the real big bad wolf lived in homes and not forests.

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Fairytale Series / No.1

For the next four posts, I am exploring fairytales I grew up reading and, in turn, have read to my daughter. What I considered magical now lacks its lustre. The stories lead me to believe that homes were safe spaces, a prince would always rescue me, I would find a supportive community of friends, and there is always a happy ending. But what happens when we subvert the story? Does it hold relevance in today's world? Is there a need to rewrite the narrative so that our children may know how to protect themselves and learn to draw firm boundaries? And are there happy endings at all?

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Naqab (Mask) explores the many masks I wear as an Indian woman. It is my attempt to unravel, and discover my deep-seated conditioning, biases, strengths and weaknesses, one portrait at a time.

The project will span a year, with one portrait every week.

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Head here for the entire series.

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If you liked this project, please consider sharing or recommending my publication. It would immensely help a new writer like me reach a wider audience.

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I would love to hear from you! Drop in a comment and let me know your thoughts.

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