The Conch Which Fell Silent

Her dress looked pale and her hair unkempt

Both depicted her emotions which ran amok

Screamed sacrifice, the kohl worn eyes

How beautiful she wanted to look

How she wanted to paint her lips red

And not like a person who survives in death bed

How she wanted to dance in the rain

How she wanted to let down her tangled hair

And make it breathe in the sun’s warmth

She pursed her lips and her body moved

Moved like it follows a military order

Every move measured under the watchful eye

The feeling of disdain in him pricked her

More pricked when she was told to set aside

The vanity and look plain

Leaving her soul shattered and broke

Her voice forever buried in the deepest of oceans

How she wanted to be a butterfly

Whose first name was freedom

How she wanted to run away like the pleats of a saree

Trying to come open from the clutches of the safety pin

Poor thing, she got a vermillion which smelled dominance

Sweet herbs will never bloom, rough winds will never soften

The voice forever buried and the conch fell silent