Slaves Of Gold… “Am I Beginning A New Life, Or Ending It?”

Spare poetry that is also expressed through professionally shot pictures, this is a chilling look at how an Indian woman is enslaved under the garb of 'marriage'.

Spare poetry that is also expressed through professionally shot pictures, this is a chilling look at how an Indian woman is enslaved under the garb of ‘marriage’.

I am a woman.
My jewellery is a sign of my slavery.

My necklace is a noose around my neck,
Choking me, stifling my cries.

My bangles are shackles,
Tying me to the patriarchy.

Never miss real stories from India's women.

Register Now

The anklets that tinkle when I walk,
Ensure that I don’t stray outside the Lakshman Rekhas of society.

Is the red I wear,
A symbol of love and prosperity,
Or of the inauspicious blood that I have silently shed throughout my life?

As a bride, I ask myself,
“Am I beginning a new life, or ending it?”

A version of this was first published here, and Photography by Mustafa Ali

Liked This Post?

Get our weekly Relationships Blast - all the best posts on Relationships in one place! Register at Women's Web to get our weekly mailer and never miss out on our events, contests & best reads!    

Comments

About the Author

1 Posts | 1,862 Views

Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!

All Categories