Echoes of Equality

By Meghaa Mundhra

From shadowed corners, we rise like the dawn,

Dreams shimmering bright, courageously born,

Though battles may etch their marks upon our soul,

The unwavering spirit of women makes us whole.

Confined in a world where men hold sway,

Our potential they disregard, with a dismissive nay,

As daughters, we carry a weight untold,

Deemed barren, incomplete, a label grown cold.

Hypocrisy's cruel dance, a baffling sight,

For sons' transgressions fade in the pale light,

While a daughter's tardiness, deemed a grave offense,

Tarnishes her virtue with a forced pretense.

Judgements, sharp and cold, pierce with their stare,

Expectations' weight, burdens hard to bear,

Weary husbands return, seeking solace to claim,

Yet household duties, a constant, gnawing flame.

Despite our labour in the professional sphere,

Household burdens await, a responsibility we endure,

Seeking balance in this relentless chase,

While mental struggles leave a silent unknown trace.

Beyond a sister, wife, or daughter's guise,

Victims of domestic violence, veiled behind society's lies.

Though accusations pierce the veil so thin,

Marking society's silence, a deafening sin.

Oh, society's duplicity, glaring and stark,

A facade of equality veils the dark,

Masculinity's pride, a chorus loud and bold,

While a woman's essence remains untold.

Slogans of equality echo far and wide,

Yet beneath the surface, inequalities abide,

Millions for dowries, a shameful, silent plea,

Brides commodified, a silent travesty.

If true equality's our fervent decree,

"Boy and girl alike," we must see,

Address the wage gap, a disparity stark,

Judge not by gender, but by merit's spark.

Let empty phrases yield to actions bold and true,

For a future unafraid, a story yet anew,

With hands united, a promise we make,

Equality for all, for a brighter world's sake.

By Meghaa Mundhra