Death looms over the house
Grey clouds hovering by
Waiting for the soul to leave
Whilst body has no idea.
It's diwali, death lurking in shadows,
The inhabitants of House unware,
Another day I'll see him
She thought,
There's no tomorrow for he's gone,
And so has all her worthiness.
As though worth is decided
Due to power, through ones father.
In a moment she was stripped naked,
Vultures circling in distance
Ready to prey on her vulnerability.

After all what would a
17 year old girl do?
Lost her father,
Lost the power that came with
Her father's bureaucracy.
Though the power wasn't hers,
It wasn't his outside office either.
Father didn't treat power like a
Jewelled crown like everyone else,
He was aware of the Poison power brings,
She wasn't, power never occurred to her.
Materialism wasn't her goal, it isn't still.
Yet in a minute after Death took over,
She was powerless,
Alone soaking in rain,
Wind howling in distance.
Stripped of comfort,
Vulnerable or worthless, they said.
In a moment she was worthless,
Valueless they said.

Worth and Value,
Is it predetermined by how much
Power one has?
Especially the power of having powerful deemed nationalists,
Is it only that?
Is Worth only decided by
How much money I have?
Is Worth only based on my social class or
Who I party with?
Is Worth only power?
Those who haven't attained power are worthless?
Because that's what everyone tells her.

They tell her she's worthless
Valueless, because her father is dead.
Who would listen to an Orphan?
Who would?
She isn't a titled officer,
Doesn't have ego or riches,
Power at her disposal,
There's no terror, no fear.
Why should we listen to her?
She's worthless,
Is my Worth only through my power?
I think not.

I get kicked from side to side
As though I'm a football.
Treated worse than you handle trash.
I'm humiliated worse than
A woman Stripped naked in front of
Thousands of men; humiliation like Draupadi 's.
I'm shunned,
Told to staple my mouth shut,
I dare not voice.
Only keep shut, be a puppet
Of those in power.
Why? Because there's no-one to defend me.
My power in my own accord doesn't count
Because only a man's power can shield you.

A whole year of breaking & remoulding myself.
A mud pottery, a vessel, shaped, changed
Again & again.
Blood, sweat, tears,
Pangs of dizziness, of hunger,
Insomniac nights.
Discarded in a moment by elders,
By people because I don't fit in their gaze.
Rosy red tinted glasses see what they want,
No-one can say otherwise,
Delusions, illusions,
They're trapped in their own bubble.
Ascending, inhaling the high
Not realising every high has a low,
A fall.
Time plays a game called life.
Karma is a teacher with shades more than 50,
When it bites, your soul will be tormented to a
Torture worse than hell.
They can't escape, no-one can,
Life happens.
Time, fate, karma all have a role to play.
One you can't escape,
One where power can't save you.
One where you can be discarded like a rag doll
In split seconds.
So don't go gallivanting.
Keep a streak of humbleness,
Life can turn faster than a bullet train.
If time decides to watch,
You can't be saved,
If it's meant to be, it'll be.

-Ridhima Joshi

25.11.21.