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#Poetry. A litany of interference in a woman's choice, a tightening of the stranglehold of patriarchy, almost imperceptibly taking over her individuality.
#Poetry. A litany of interference in a woman’s choice, a tightening of the stranglehold of patriarchy, almost imperceptibly taking over her individuality.
although he promised to let her take all the decisions of little importance he intervened now and then just to remind her that it was him who had given her that voice
he watched on his mobile the uninhibited dance of an unknown woman just to remind her that she was no longer free
he heard her talk about her desires paid close attention so that later in his head he could call her a slut
you are free to spend what you earn but don’t dare to think that you don’t have to ask for my permission at every step
he told her that he loved her regardless of what she felt he reassured her that it was okay not to reciprocate ‘I will love you no matter what’ he bought a bottle of acid in case it was unrequited
he flirted with her she flirted back he dumped her it was obvious her character was bad
to drink or smoke is the biggest sin especially if you wear lipstick and your favourite colour is pink
she should have a job so that after their marriage she would be the one bringing the ‘extra’ income otherwise his salary is sufficient to cage her as a housewife for a lifetime
he hated strippers for he had the power to strip every woman regardless of the clothes they wore to hide their bodies from men like him
the key to her success is hidden beneath her clothes she has secrets, you know while his success along with his libido and brain are always available for display even when it’s completely unwarranted
whenever she wanted to play he made sure they played the same game over and over again the game was simple he would make rules she had to follow them it wasn’t long before she quit the game and his company
she wasn’t supposed to be this foul-mouthed and angry full of sexual desires overtly expressive it’s some kind of a fault ever since they have been searching desperately for the reset button
he said he understood her completely so much so that whenever she opened her mouth to argue or to raise a voice he would try and shut her up with a simple sentence ‘You are having your periods, again?’
he always spoke before her he had to he was an expert at everything, even womanhood.
Header image is a still from the movie Agnisakshi.
Abhishek Anicca is a bilingual poet, writer, performer and activist. When not writing poetry, he writes analytical pieces on politics, gender, disability and culture or works as a wage labourer in the development sector. His read more...
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Women today don’t want to be in a partnership that complicates their lives further. They need an equal partner with whom they can figure out life as a team, playing by each other’s strengths.
We all are familiar with that one annoying aunty who is more interested in our marital status than in the dessert counter at a wedding. But these aunties have somehow become obsolete now. Now they are replaced by men we have in our lives. Friends, family, and even work colleagues. It’s the men who are worried about why we are not saying yes to one among their clans. What is wrong with us? Aren’t we scared of dying alone? Like them?
A recent interaction with a guy friend of mine turned sour when he lectured me about how I would regret not getting married at the right time. He lectured that every event in our lives needs to be completed within a certain timeframe set by society else we are doomed. I wasn’t angry. I was just disappointed to realize that annoying aunties are rapidly doubling in our society. And they don’t just appear at weddings or family functions anymore. They are everywhere. They are the real pandemic.
Let’s examine this a little closer.
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