Did you?

Did you, when you danced
at your niece's wedding last November
think of the history that you carry?

did you perhaps
think that she is a daughter
and was a child cherished
by you and others?

did you perhaps consider
that her husband may also be spineless
and not speak up when
the door is hammered angrily to wake her
every morning
and fill water
and do chores, supervised with taunts

did you consider that his father
may, drunk,
swear at this child you hold dear
and curse her openly
while everyone including
the man she married
stare in the distance
letting her become one more
Draupadi?

Did you consider that
she has dreams
for the man she walks with
and the life she is making with him

and that she too
wants to be respected
loved
cherished
cared about
and not dismissed
in jokes
with his family
and called
Oh That Woman

and Madam
and who knows what else

When you danced at your niece's wedding,
not so long ago
did you consider this?

That she too is a wife now
to be cast away
and labelled
and told that
her dreams of being an individual
and her right to learn
and ask for help
invited this fate upon her

Will you tell her
You asked for it,
Look at you
Look at what you made him do to you
You asked for it?


Did you consider all this?
In your role play of Dharmraj Yudhistir

Or did you just dance to one more tune

(c) 2014