The Single Woman

THE PAST:

Tera qusoor nahin jaan, meri tanhayee'

Ye rog maine hi khud jaan ko lagaya tha.'

A single woman is such a fancy creature. People see her and wonder…Oh the surprise is always there…The very first one ‘What does she do with all the money?’  Tough luck knowing that man… I work hard and enjoy the fruits of my labour, just like all of you.

Then this one: ‘She is all alone.’ Actually not! I have a family too… they just don’t live with me. Contrary to popular belief, living alone is not a choice. It is a compulsion.

Then ‘What do you do with all the free time.’ Women like me do not have much time on their hands. In addition to shouldering the responsibilities of office, we have to run our household too. So we are always preoccupied and very busy. Every second counts…

And the best one: Why the heck doesn’t she get married? This is an easy one ‘That is because the world is full of morons who think being self-dependent is a demerit when we are searching for a suitable life mate. We are no ‘damsels-in-distress’. Maybe that is why people think we can continue being the knight in shining armour for life. So get this one straight. “Even if my armour is a little cracked and my hands heavy from lifting the shield, I will never, never, never, never, never…stop fighting.”

Leaving me was easy because you knew I could fend for myself. You knew I would never look forward to someone opening the door for me or I would never be the one to wait at home in the evening while you were out. Guess what, you were right!

THE PRESENT:

Der lagi aane me tumko

Shuqr hai fir bhi, aaye to

Dear Love

Thank you is one word which keeps popping into my head time and again. This time because you understood. You understood my choices, my dreams, my fears and my situation. Thank you for seeing that although I can fend for myself and frankly I am used to it by now; yet I love to be taken care of. Thank you for seeing that I have been too strong for too long and now just need someone to lean on. Thank you for understanding the need for money and material comfort is not the only reason for being with someone. It can also be the companionship, the camaraderie, the love, the togetherness.

Most importantly, thank you for accepting my life as it is; the privileges and the challenges alike. Thank you for sharing my life and all that there is in it and thank you for being so open minded about it.

Disclaimer: The story I share with you all today; may or may not be true. For as a writer I am certainly influenced by what I see around me. At the same time, I retain what I call and known as artistic liberty. 

The Furnace

THE PAST:

Mizaz apna kuchh aisa bana liya humne

Kisi ne kuchh bhi kaha bas muskara diya hamne

If there was a weapon of mass destruction in the world potent yet easiest to carry; invisible to the eyes yet wreak havoc on heart, mind and body alike. A weapon so strong, its power unsurpassed by all others. A weapon once unleashed, it hits you again and again with the same intensity. It would have to be words…

Likewise your words were the weapons you unleashed and subjected me to their raw power. Cheating, deception, hiding information, promiscuity…your blames were endless. Somehow I always ended up at the receiving end.

I still remember the day I told you about an office colleague who was hitting on me. I fended him off successfully but you never believed me. I still can’t believe you hold me responsible for every message people send me, unwanted attention or unsolicited compliments for the way I looked. I was not at fault yet you never believed me.

No girl wants it mate, unwanted attention, unsolicited remarks. No girl would like to be subjected to this. The world around us believes we love all the attention but it, in fact, is incorrect.

We just want to live in peace; we have earned our freedom financially. It’s time the society gave us our privacy back too.

THE PRESENT:

Uski ankhon mein itni batein hain

Ik kitab si likhne ko dil ye kehta hai

Dear Love

Words are the most potential weapon and when used wisely, they make us do what we could never imagine. Words convey love, faith, trust and encouragement. Your words soothe my pain; heal all that hurts. Your words which make me feel the love that makes me believe myself.

Endless times you have imparted me the power to cross a line, say my mind, believe in myself and do reach for the stars when people said I could hardly climb the attic.

Your words are the balm on my hurts and the power behind my belief.

PS: Sometimes, it pours down on the furnace and everything cools down J

Disclaimer: The story I share with you all today; may or may not be true. For as a writer I am certainly influenced by what I see around me. At the same time, I retain what I call and known as artistic liberty.