Several eye shed big drops as I was born,
Few out of happiness but others for grief alone,
I curled and howled and wept without any tears,
Looked around with my wrinkled face sans any fear,
Tiny and clingy I came into this beautiful world,
Wrapped up in my mum’s arm, I was her baby girl.
Time went by and life started to jostle through,
I began seeing the world from my parents glowing view,
Things seemed perfect and people were nice,
Love, trust and laughter left no room for any vice,
Blossoming as a person I knitted my own dreams,
Thoughts of success, freedom & respect appeared supreme.
Crossing my adolescence as I stepped into adulthood,
I began cringing at the world’s abruptly changing mood,
My friends had to be girls because boys weren’t allowed,
Archaic rules dictated relationships while emotions were out,
Pubs were banned and jeans was frowned upon,
Having a mobile phone too became talk of the town.
My mind couldn’t fathom the cause for such mayhem,
As confidence and hope treaded slowly towards doldrums,
Right became wrong and wrong seemed to be right,
Fulfilling social dictums made dilemma my usual plight,
I could hear faint sobs of my trampled emotions,
Compromises marred my life from personal to professional.
My body draped in clothes provoked gentlemen,
Sari or shorts did not make any difference,
I was raped, assaulted and blatantly blamed too,
For turning on the beast with my immoral ado,
Fragile egos and false pride still remained unquenched,
They battered my soul to seek further revenge.
Limelight which I had sought dawns finally in my fate,
Media and politicians sting repeatedly to fire up debate,
Pity, sympathy and anger now stage vicious blame game,
Talking about my rape gives them their 15 seconds of fame,
They want me to voice and fight for my cause,
My lacerated soul wonders do we really have any laws?
Society, judiciary and patriarchs mock at my predicament,
They rip apart my pride and expect no abasement,
Which is this land where girls are considered booties?
Isn’t safeguarding my pride my country’s prime duty?
