Single women in India don’t live as women, they live as relationships.

She was born a girl,

Who was told that she would start living only after her marriage.

She was issued the license to feel desire only when she sat with her man in that bridal carriage.

She was praised for the commitment to her mate,

For fulfilling her duties and picking up his clothes and his plate.

She was told to be seen but not heard,

When she said something intelligent, they pretended she was a nerd.

People saw how she supressed her longing but satisfied his desire,

She became an epitome of selflessness when she curbed her own fire.

She did not speak about how she lay awake and wanton in those dark nights,

When her husband had taken his fill and switched off the lights.

She did not talk about how she silently cried,

When her life mate did not listen to her even when she tried.

After a while, fates took her husband away,

She wasn’t killed but it was she who really died that day.

She was not told to wear white but the silent message was clearly said,

The woman in her was as good as dead.

She walked the lonely path, silently and with all the devotion,

She was all about work, duty and no emotion.

But on silent, dark nights, when the entire world was asleep,

She would look at the stars and silently weep.

She would crave for someone to hold her hand,

She craved for someone to understand.

Her loneliness, her need to be hugged and reassured.

Her need to release all those feelings that had been for long stored.

She would stare into the dark world hoping for some light,

But all she could see were the red, thirsty eyes of the creatures of the night.

Waiting and watching lest she drops her guard and comes out of her shell,

She knew those empty promises of love were nothing but ever lasting hell.

They were nothing but wolves in sheep atire,

She is just a toy to fulfill their desire.

She steeled herself and closed all the doorways,

Today, that is how she sustains her self, that is how she stays.

Millions of women are no longer women but only mothers, daughters, sisters who don’t have their own desires and lives.

That is how all these ‘strong women’ survive.

Men however, do not have to resort to such measures,

For regardless of their status, the society does not deny them any pleasure.

Losing their mate does not change their life,

For the society wastes no time in getting them a girlfriend or a wife.

-Shailaza