Rashmi Trivedi

Yet again they questioned her,

Why was she so quiet earlier?

 

Years ago why did she not, expose him?

After all these years, why this whim?

 

She is an opportunist, she is playing a game

It’s all about getting limelight, and this doubtful fame

 

A poor and innocent  man, she is harassing thus

She is making him suffer, by creating all this fuss

 

If she was pious,  she would have slapped him then

She did not have to wait, for years more than ten

 

If she was true, she should  have jumped in the pyre

Not fearing the gundaas, to  intimidate her, he did hire

 

She loved being groped, she  loved the bad touch

What is not being said, is  being assumed as much

 

She enjoyed so much, she went for more

That woman  is no better, than  a slut, a whore

 

Without his favors, what would she have done?

She  is  only a woman, self-worth she has none

 

All this and more, everyday we hear

The words, her character, in tatters they tear

 

But today she is somewhat strong

To avenge that man, who did her wrong

 

Her ‘me too’ story  she wants the world to know

Her wounds on her soul she wants to show

 

For  nights she cried, blood not tears

But sadly  she could not get past her fears

 

She  was young and she was scared

To challenge the powerful, she could not have dared

 

Her heart wept as she suffered all the indignation

She also was worried about her reputation

 

Times then were different, you see

No redressal cell, to listen to her plea

 

Though she did protest, she did complain

But all her cries, just went in vain

 

A girl never ‘chooses’ to be molested

How do we know that she never protested?

 

Some are threatened, some are blackmailed

It’s not they, but the society that failed

 

You call her Shakti, but she is human

Superpowers she has none

 

Her skin too burns when acid is thrown

Her heart too bleeds, when stabbed by her own

 

You keep your sympathy, she  wants none of that

What she wants now, is tit for tat

 

The trauma she faced, the self-doubts, self-hate

She wants to avenge it now, even if she is late

 

Time doesn’t have this power, even though it’s strong

To make it right, something  that is wrong

 

Abla naari, she is no more

So she will not flinch, at the insults galore

 

She will speak and she will be heard

This time she will have the last word

 

She is not Sita, she won’t jump in the fire

To prove her innocence, she doesn’t require

 

Many women have #metoo story to be told

But they are still scared, still not bold

 

They are still not strong, they  are still not brave

Their stories, their scars, they  will carry to their grave

 

But this woman at least, finally found her voice

If you are human, you should rejoice

 

If you can’t support, don’t question her why

To avenge the wrong, at least let her try

 

She didn’t keep quiet, always and forever

She is telling her story, better late than never!

 

Author Bio

Rashmi Trivedi works in a leading public sector undertaking. She is the author of Amazon bestseller ‘Woman, everything will be fine’, a book of poems ‘Handful of Sunshine Pocketful of Rain’ and her latest ‘From Ashes to Dreams’. She is passionate about writing and focuses a lot on the woman of today. More information at www.rashmitrivedi.com.