Flickering lamps
When you see me running across
the lush green fields
carrying a flag in my hand and
shouting for independence
don't judge me
For I'm that daughter unloved
who runs across streets
to get my father chai patti
my feet gain momentum
slowly, swiftly
I see two small children dancing
with a half broken bangle
on their wrists
it somehow reminds me
of my mother's wrists
which have spurned domesticity
all her life
When evening falls and there is
no electricity in this village
I light a diya
but i do not hope that it
will diminish the darkness of my life
Come tomorrow, another prospective
groom
will come to see me
I adorn flowers in my hair and glass
bangles in my wrists
I am supposed to be coy
when my heart is burning with rage
inside
They say you'll have to adjust since
the family is large
my maternal aunt interferes to say it is
all ok
without waiting for my response
That night i sat on the sprawling banyan
across the verandah with
just a diya in my hand
I could see the oil diminishing
and the lamp flickering
Does independence hold true for
only a certain section of society?
What about, me, living in a village
i want to study,
i have chalk
Aunty, will you teach me how to learn?
Oh, what? Yes I am going to
get married...who told you this?
What do I do with studying?- A lot
I can...
What's your name?
Oh, sorry, my name is Shanti
I forgot to tell you...
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