An Unopened Book

By Lekha karthik

I was never a villain,

until they left me crying in rooms no one came to ,

until the hands that should’ve held me only hurt ,

until love became a weapon and home a war zone.

I was never a villain until

Gave too much and  called clingy,

Gave less and called arrogant

Spoke my secrets as jokes , 

Then laughed when I shattered quietly .

I was never a villain until

I stopped saying sorry for bleeding 

until I built walls from every name they gave me ,

until I realised survival looks like silence . 

They made me the villain 

Because I wouldn’t break for them anymore

Because I wouldn’t  listen to their petty cries for attention anymore

They made me the villain 

One with no heart or soul

They bled me dry of all hope

I became the villain not born but made ,

A smile-less face, a heavy heart , a lifeless body filled with regret throughout 

A past so hard to relive, a memory so vivid to forget, the future an unbearable thought 

By Lekha karthik