The Eternal wait….

Along the edges
of her modest dreams,
she spins
the purity of sacred love,
as the gentle zephyr sings
the songs of an Indian touch,
She exudes the perfume
of sweet plumeria
and a tender touch
of raw cardamom mix,
Long dark silky tresses
tamed by jasmine fixed,
The colors of her sari spreads
into the blush
of a vermilion bride
Her shivering simple shyness
caressed
her blooming heart which
sighed
Bright sprinkles
of a poet’s brush
swish ballet
for her eyes
stuttering to capture
the moment when
black diamonds cry,
a mystic shroud encircles
sliver of kajal on her lids
the antonym of doubt
in all innocence she lives.
Floats she like a wave
as if reaching for the moon
and the fullness of it’s glow
pines for the aura of her bloom.

She sits at the lonely station
peering straight at the tracks
laid so silently to rest,
continuous parallels
break her heart in cracks,
Two stubborn lines
run a restless marathon,
the destination lost
myths of a meeting-point wrong.
The wait is ceaseless
as she longs in her solitude,
train after train
to de-hypnotise her prelude,
for the dawn of that face
she still feels but cannot touch
as ever so helpless in fate’s clutch.
She waits and waits and waits…
for her soul mate who had to leave
to the call of duty,
and forbidden was she to grieve
He would not come, he would not come…
and it had been
so many empty months,
But how could she not wait?
And keep waiting everyday
For he had made a promise
to fulfill everything said.
It was the vow of a soldier
and she breathed each day for this
for her groom to return
like not a second had been missed.

A white wedding

 

A beautiful wedding it was,

full of tranquility

and unmatched peace,

Birds and bees had gathered,

all chaos ceased,

The altar was prepared

with sweetest white flowers,

Unaware was time

of seconds and hours….

Exotic was the bride

covered in a white dress,

A sea of crowd had gathered

to see her white face,

There were silent whispers

and flowering stories about her,

Her enchanting aura

was like the white snow

shrouding the pale earth,

Carried she was like glass fragile

in her simple palanquin,

The cuckoos and doves followed

singing praises like a hymn,

The groom had kept his promise

to take the bride away,

on the exact

already appointed day,

Vowed had he to carry her

on a journey never seen before

and fly the pure maiden

through a magical door,

And who could resist

written in fate,

Away she was taken

by the

angel of death.

Dowry Death ( The story continues….)

She wraps shyly

in her delicate beauty,

wearing her red bridal dress,

Anxious joy makes her glow,

blush like a rose caressed.

Unaware of plots and plans,

Unknown to the aggressive future,

Like a peacock she wishes to dance,

Encompass unsealed moments in sutures.

The drama starts without warning……

As her mom-in-law sniggers with contempt,

Rebuking her dresses and jewellery ,

Calling her parental gifts- “cheap attempt”

The sisters-in-law add fuel to fire,

Make fun to their heart’s desire,

They steal all her dresses and gifts,

Unconcerned if anything fits.

She is statued in shock,

As she holds back her tears,

As if pushed to dark ages,

It kindles her sleeping fears.

Her husband basks

in a unique turpitude,

Her heart trips in turbulence

with his arrogant attitude.

He strictly breathes in her ear

“Keep your jewellery in my mom’s locker

and hand over all your keys!

My family is now the owner

of your possessions ……..

They will use it as they please.”

Meekly and silent she obeys,

Unbeknown to further aggrieved days……

She thirsts like a deprived bird

for her husband’s unrequited love,

Her in-laws’ infinite demands increase,

As they become a persuasive tease.

They ask for cash, even gold,

Merciless,forever cold.

As months turn to burning years,

Not a soul knows her ascending tears,

As the beatings and violence start,

Stab craters in her heart.

Her parents forced to pay the debt,

As their daughter the boy had kept,

The bleeding torture doesn’t cease,

as they prove too hard to please.

As greed doesn’t have a rival,

The story ends in destined fate…….

Like monsters they flame her alive,

And murder and sin sans regret…..

She chars to ashes as they stare,

Her innocence proved

too dangerous to bear…..

Too dangerous to bear

Too cheap to care

Too easy to dare

Too damned unfair

TOO DAMNED UNFAIR…..!!!!

 

 

Dowry (Poem on Dowry)

She hears silent

through the curtains,

As the boy’s family

strike a deal…..

She can breathe in

her parent’s strain,

Unaware of the decadence that she feels.

They disrobe their shameful face,

As they ask for money with disgrace.

They sell their son to resume trade,

As all moral values slowly fade……

“How much can you give

if we honour your daughter

with our son’s hand ?”

Their modus operandi continues….

their son a priceless brand.

“How many rupees can you pay

to sign a deal for the wedding day?”

“Rupees ten lakhs is just tooo less…”

She swallows the mockery and bitter taste.

“Our son is worth atleast twelve……..”

Retarded transaction lengthens like spell.

Her eyes burn with tears unshed,

As she fights internally for self-respect,

Shocked at the scandalous show

with morality stooping to an all-time low!

They beg for money like forced alms,

Those shameless beggars decorate their sham,

Sometimes make it sound like need,

Like blazing fire spreads their greed.

They surrender their own self-respect,

Naked they commercialise their trait…

The boy sits dumb

Like death of male gender,

He needs to be gifted bangles

and returned to sender.

True businessmen that they are,

Some ask for flat and a car…….

They should open shop

to sell their boy,

Price-tag every

human toy!

Mannequin them in

jeans and suits,

watches,perfumes,tuxedos and boots.

The tragedy of their ignorance strikes,

They also have daughters

and wives………

Never will they comprehend Karma

as it slowly weaves,

To teach them….

‘What you sow, so shall you reap!”

What is Dowry….??????

In Indian marriage, Dowry is money or property brought by a bride to her husband’s home.It is more of a “gift” given by her parents to use at her husband’s house after marriage. Legally it’s her property. But in tody’s scenario it is the groom’s family that demands gifts and money as “dowry” in order to accept the girl’s hand in marriage.They put a price or estimated value of their son according to the boy’s degree,qualifications and job….in short, they price-tag their sons and sell them. So, a girl can’t get married without paying a certain amount of money, property or jewellery to the boy’s shameless parents.It’s quite a trade….an ‘only profit’….’no loss’ transaction.The poor girl’s family has to fulfill all their demands, prepare for a lavish wedding and treat the boy and boy’s family like royalty  to feed their lust and greed. I would say it’s more of “ransom money”….pay up or we will cancel the wedding!

In reality, they are beggars begging for forced alms to make their household richer as they themselves didn’t have the capacity to earn enough money to satisfy their greed  for materialistic things.. Now, it exists as a social evil that is becoming increasingly difficult to uproot!

I would like to appeal to young men of today’s generation to stand up against it! C’mon guys….don’t sell yourself as a commodity! Have some shame….some self-respect. Don’t wear bangles…Stand up and say a BIG, HUMONGOUS NO to Dowry!