The Fair Skinned Bride

A fair skinned bride

Is Indian men's pride

The lightness of the skin

Is liked by 'His' kith and kin

But money is also there

It plays its fair share

And the deal needs to be concealed

Under the hymns and holy spiel

And as the journey begins

The bride must be ready and keen

Keen to drench her life

In the role of an ideal wife

But that's not the only part

Numerous are there, apart

From being an ideal wife

The daughter-in-law should devote her life

Do all the household chores

Be silent, never dare to 'Roar'

Bear a child and be a mother

Keep adding in her cap- the feathers

And the bride followed all the norm

Staking her beauty and charm

Which defined her as a perfect bride

But, is she still the family's pride?

All of this, the bride endured

She would stay silent, she ensured

But the patience finally wore off

She questioned the pride with a scoff

They replied "Your beauty is taking a toll"

Fair skin is not everything after all

For an Indian bride you need it, right?

Your skin should be fair and bright.

After all these she looked at the man

Wheatish skin, shadowed with tan

And looked at all kith and kin

Alas! None had the fair skin

She wondered and pitied their obsession

With fair skin and such aesthetic possession

And she wallowed at her foolish decision

Thinking Fairness was utmost Elysian

The bride no more fair nor bright

But knows what's wrong, what's right

And knows her son needs no fair bride

For the sake of family's fake pride.