I saw almost all the girls in my class got their first period at school. They were bleeding and having period cramps. Their school dresses turned red due to the bleeding. They were too shy to share this problem with class teacher or even with female teacher.  To leave the classroom, they made a small group to walk behind the person to cover the red spot.  

I tried to imagine myself in their place, but I couldn't. I was a little bit scared of getting my periods in school. So, I decided to carry a sanitary pad in my school bag. At that time, I was in grade 6. I carried that sanitary pad for almost nine months.  One day my mother saw that pad which I put in my bag and she asked me why I did that. She said that it would be a shameful thing if other people saw it. I just look at her face and replied that for me, it's ok if others saw the pad in my bag as it is better than  people seeing me suffering with stains. I didn’t want to face the same problems as my friends did. So, just not to face that all problem I carried pad all the time when I was in my school.  

I don't know why but I was so excited for my first period. I wanted to experience my menstruation. When I was at home, I used to ask my elder sister how she felt when she had her period but she refused to share it with me. She just said I felt nothing, it is just normal.  

After a year, when I was in grade 9, I got my first period.  It was evening time; I was cooking dinner and suddenly I felt something strange. Then I got to know I had my period. I decided not to talk to anyone because I was cooking. During dinner time, I shared it with my mom at first. I was scared, I had to follow the all restrictions like others did in their periods. I thought now, I would not be allowed to go in the kitchen or the mandir. But I didn’t face any such restrictions. I feel lucky that my family did not restrict me for my natural bodily functions.  

- Manju Thapa Magar

YALC Banke 2022