From the womb

Shriveled and tiny, I lay in the dark region
It wasn’t long that I had been there
I knew my mother, I knew my father
I knew the fact that they didn’t bother
They didn’t want me,
So they planned to kill me.

I could feel my mother’s anxiety,
I hated myself,
Why, oh, why
Why am I a girl?
I am not wanted,
I am not loved,
Nobody is anxious to receive me,
Like God had promised me
“My child, I am sending you to earth,
To a place where you will live long,
To two beautiful parents who will hold you tightly,
You will bring them utmost joy, and love and happiness
You will be theirs.”

I had jumped with joy,
Anticipating about my life,
About my parents,
But here I am,
Not able to speak out,
That I love them both,
I wouldn’t bring them grief
I would always keep them happy

But I couldn’t speak
I just lay there,
Helpless,
I knew I am not going to be born.
My mother told me that night
“My love you are always,
I am sorry I am doing this to you
But my daughter, you will live always in my heart.”

And that was the last time I heard her voice,
I experienced a seething pain,
I wanted to hold on to my mother
But couldn’t,
The place where I was
Just turned more darker,
And I couldn’t see anything.
Again.

Women's Day Reminder: we are still a patriarchal society.

What a great gift to the Indian women on Women’s Day. There was a complete ruckus created over the Women’s Reservation Bill by the Yadav clans and hence discussion of the bill was stalled in the parliament. The Rajya Sabha, where the bill was introduced was adjourned amid pandemonium for the day. The opposition reacted strongly to the bill and almost assaulted the Vice President, Hamid Ansari. The disturbing videos and pictures shown by the media were proof enough to realize how behaved our MPs are. Though of course, for many it was a sense of Déjà Vu. The Bill was waiting to be passed for the last 14 years. It was nothing extra-ordinarily surprising for me that it didn’t. And what shocked me more was the fact that Lalu Yadav also opposed the Bill and for some reason that struck me hard.
The inevitable blame game has already started. Congress is being accused of getting the alibis it needed to not to pass the bill. What shocks one is the unprecedented attempt to bull-doze the bill and that too with such vandalism. The Rajya Sabha could be termed as the clichéd “Fish Market”, on this day.
There are two things which make me wonder really hard. One, how can women even dream to get empowered in this all-too-strong-patriarchal India? Two, were those REALLY the MPs? Those people who claim to work for the “common good”? Guess what, “common” doesn’t include women. The word only encompasses the “male world”, a world where women are considered to be “under” the “control” of men. Look how civilized our leaders are. Our leaders represent us. They are people we choose as OUR representatives.
I had goose pimples all over my body watching the video clips of our Honorable Chairman being attacked. Also, on the fact that there is a long way for us to go. It is the road less traveled.