THE BLISS OF FORGIVENESS

She was my confidant

She was my truest friend

My trust was she

My secrets were hers

 

My dearest friend

Who made life easier

Who brought a smile to my face

Even when my cool hit the roof

 

Who never told me I was her best friend

But was there for me, with me whenever I was in need

Who understood all my troubles

Who realised where my happiness lay

 

But suddenly went away

Because they told her I wasn’t the right friend

And they told me she was mean

And thus fell apart our friendship

 

Heartbroken was I

How could she do this to me

I was told she floated rumours

And told everyone I was a jerk

 

This infuriated me

And I proclaimed she didn’t exist for me

And she never came back to me

How I wished she’d return!

 

I hoped she’d come and say

That we were best friends

And will always be

No matter what the world says

 

Days passed, years went by

No birthday seemed fun

No festival seemed complete

Because she wasn’t there…to share

 

They told me she’d moved in my vicinity

But then reminded me that we were miles away

I said I didn’t care where she was

But my heart longed to see her

 

Finally, we did come face-to-face

It was a common friend’s party

I was standing in a corner

When she entered

 

She looked so beautiful

She’s grown slim

I remembered those days

When we chatted all through our evening walks

 

How she always complimented me on my stamina

And I reprimanded her on her laziness!

She came and stood barely a foot away

Yet we didn’t say a ‘hello’!

 

The evening gave way to the night

The music grew louder

More people started coming in

And then came the moment

 

I saw her walk towards me

My eyes lit up to welcome her

My ego stopped me from doing so

She said “Hi! Long time..”

 

I turned away, but didn’t move

She said, “I’m sorry”, her innocent face still the same

I gave her a stern look

But my heart went soft

 

Tears rolled down

I hugged her and said

“Let bygones be bygones”

She smiled and hugged me

 

My soul seemed so light

The weight I’d carried for years

Needlessly, stupidly, now no more on me

We talked and talked

 

Until next morning

When the birds started chirping

And we began a new day

The first dawn after our fallout

 

Now we’re best friends again

Our bond, strengthened

Our egos, defeated

Our love, triumphant

 

Life wasn’t worth it without her

‘Cause breathing is not living

Loving is.

 

 

If not now, when?

The question that we are asking ourselves in present times is: How safe are women, what can be done to protect them? Let us first ask ourselves why the need to ‘protect’ women arises in a liberal democracy like India. Is it so because our women are physically and mentally not well-equipped to take care of themselves when they manage their entire families? Or is it because the other gender and its mindset pose a threat to the security of women? The answer to these questions is seemingly quite obvious and yet the questions stand unanswered.

Growing up in a small town of India, I remember the fear among people and families whenever their daughters were out of home even in the late afternoon. Being out of the four walls of your home meant being vulnerable and susceptible to the forceful fulfilment of the lewd fancies of perverted souls. The horrific incidents that I hear and read about are but an extension of what I face, as a girl, every time I step out in the public on my own or use the public transport. More often than not, there are males ready with a comment or gesture that is bound to make one feel uncomfortable and apprehensive of what may happen next. I can vouch that every girl has faced similar situations where she is objectified just because she happens to be a female. I have.

We stand at crossroads. Where on one hand, we are proud to have able women leaders- both in the political and commercial spheres; on the other there are still many women who cannot write their own names, not voice their opinions and concerns in front of their family, let alone leading and showing the way. This is where the need to protect women arises. When they are unaware of their own rights and privileges guaranteed to them by the Constitution of India, how do they know the dangers that can violate their rights? A major population of Indian women are engulfed in the darkness of ignorance.


Spreading education is the first step that can take them to be their own person in the world beyond house and hearth. In fact, that is the least we should do to call ourselves citizens of a ‘free and equal’ nation. There is a dire need to increase the number of awareness campaigns and make our voices heard. More importantly, there is a need to turn our thoughts and words into meaningful actions. There is a need to change our mindsets before we look at changing legislations.


Even after the infamous Delhi rape case that shook the collective conscience of the nation, there still are cases of sexual assaults taking place each day in our country. We have not learnt from our mistakes. We have not moved forward. At this juncture, I ask my society, my country, and my people: Can I dare to pursue the dream of my future as naturally as my breathing?

ONE LAST DANCE...MY FINAL CHANCE

 

 

The stage was set

The atmosphere did glitter

My name was announced, although mispronounced

But it did not matter

I could not falter now

For I knew this was my final chance….

Perhaps my last dance

 

It was my dream to be a dancer

To express all emotions through my art

To convey all that I wanted to

To all those who mattered

My parents, who I wanted to be proud

My teacher, who I wished to win over

My art, that I yearned to master

 

My teacher had warned me

She had said “ If it’s fame you want, you don’t know the cost you’ll  pay”

Today I wanted to tell her

It’s dance that I wanted, that I want, and that I’ll always want

To say what I would never be able to speak

To discover what I would never be able to know

Through my dance, my passion, my life.

 

The time had come, the spotlights were on me

Pink, white, yellow and blue

The hall was quiet

Or maybe my own heartbeats were too loud

I had to prove a lot to others

I had to be graceful, poised, perfect

But above all, I had to be natural, I had to be Me

 

I started my worship, I began to dance

Forgetting everything that was on my mind

And let my face reflect what lay within my heart

I had not finished, but the music went off

I could not hear the song

For my ears were reverberating with the sound of clapping

I looked around…nobody was seated..they were  standing

 

I could not believe my eyes; I could not trust my ears

But I could feel my heart that was brimming with joy

I bowed my head low…in reverence of those who came to see me dance

My first audience

I had prayed they wouldn’t be my last

That is how it all started…

That is how my life began…

 

My life that is mine

The life of my dreams

My life as a dancer

As a performer

And now, my parents are proud of me

My teacher has found her faith in me

And I am happy...

 

That I made the most of my last chance

And did not let it be my final dance!