Wedlock or deadlock

By Deepti

Wedlock or deadlock?

She is the beauty with her flaws

Sitting in front of her to be in-laws

Samosas, pakoras, and tea laden table

every other person judging her whether she is suitable

with all those judgemental eyes, she sat stable

a distant aunt instructed to cover her head with her ancestral saree

so that she looks full-on sanskari

and here she is saree clad

but all those glares are aghast

exams are not just limited to the education system

they are there in every sphere

to even serve a man whole of her life

she has to pass with flying colours

with all those bizarre thoughts

but less bizarre than this nonsensical rivaaz

she’s trying her best to make sense of it

with each passing second failing badly at it

everyone sitting there in cynicism

but wrapping it in fervour of idealism

and bragging about their knowledge of modernism

unaware of their inclination towards male chauvinism

like she is an object, discussing her pros and cons

to which a healthy society should mourn

crushing her confidence in a span of a few minutes, which took years to build

and they are still sitting shamelessly without a guilt

looks, education, behaviour, or whatnot

scrutinizing everything just for a sake of wedlock

feelings, emotions, or her heart does it even matter?

Or within a few years into it, they just scatter?

After a scrumptious daawat, they left

She still sitting on that sofa in a quest

And her eyelashes dampened in the unknown heft

Thinking it’s good that they left

Her confidence lying tattered on that tiled floor

Staring at it while sipping water from a ceramic bowl

Feeling triviality deep inside her soul

And worthlessness creeping into her core

And she thought

Beauty, beauty everywhere

Not a heart to admire

If Coleridge was alive

He would have loved her wit

By Deepti