A forgotten childhood friendship rekindles as one of the friends makes a heartfelt and emotional attempt to reconnect.
This story was made by Komal and Suman
This story was made as part of our 4-day digital storytelling workshop in Mumbai was held in August 2024 with 16 young girls and women who are peer community leaders, gender activists from diverse organisations working with economically and socially marginalised youth and women, such as SNEHA, Yuva, Sahyog Chehak Trust and Coro India in Mumbai.
The workshop became a safe space, for the participants, to share their deep and personal stories of gender and sexuality, where we covered a full spectrum of experiences – from discrimination, trauma, their unfulfilled dreams and aspirations, stories of violence, romance, freedom, heartbreak, their emotions of anger, rage towards sexual abuse and violence that was happening around us that time, disappointment with medical systems, sexuality and what it means to them, their digital personas, lives and how mobile phones brought companionship in moments of loneliness during the covid-19 pandemic. The workshop transitioned to talking about their gendered experiences in digital spaces seamlessly. The kind of stories we heard at the workshop are stories that are unheard of in mainstream spaces. They depict the struggles and triumphs of people who spend everyday, working hands-on within marginalised communities.
The stories help ask questions about gender norms, our digital experiences , our dreams, desires and hopes, the mundane yet important things we often have to navigate in society.