The Best Daughter
Pink dress, pink toys, pink room, Barbie?
Congratulations sir, it’s a girl!
Oh so happy I am, the luckiest one!
My daughter shall be a princess of her husband’s house
My daughter shall be a perfect example of a wife, mother, sister
And of course a daughter!
Oh so happy I am, the luckiest one!
Dearest one, no no, do not play in the mud! You will get dirty!
Do not run, jump, play, talk, eat, swim
And shouting? That is not for you!
Waging my tail; oops! no nodding,
am I not loyal like a dog, daddy?
Dearest one, go change!
Those are men’s clothes, your brother’s clothes!
Dearest one, go change!
Such short skirts! Taubaa taubaa
Dearest one, eat no pickle!
Dearest one, no touching them either! Hahaha!
Dearest one, you wanna play football?
No no, Bharatnatyam is the right thing for you
Dearest one, go help your mother in the kitchen, and
You Rohan, come with me to the store. Cooking is not for you
Dearest one, movies? With friends?
I am your best friend, come with me!
A family that goes to movies together,
Sticks together! No friends.
A party? For a girl?
What is that?
Do you know all the Gayatri Mantras?
Oh dearest one, you want to learn theatre?
That’s for people with no respect,
My loving obedient daughter your education is what happens at your husband’s home, which shall be yours too,
one day;
But daddy, I love acting,
I am good at it too;
Don’t you see?
I have been doing it all my life?
Oh dearest daddy, you’re controlling me!
Do you hate it as much as I do?
Dearest daddy, you are not proud but scared
Scared of what people might say and think when they see you
But what about when I see myself?
Dearest daddy, Rohan wants to be a chef
He wants to go to Italy, learn from the best;
And I, I want to…
Run, jump, play, talk, eat, swim, act
shout and fly
Won’t you still be proud of us?
Dearest daddy, periods are biological, no big deal. Period.
Dearest daddy, by the way, do you know what that gunda son of your oh-so-mighty sister does?
He gambles, drinks, smokes, sleeps and
And calls me names, inappropriate names daddy.
Sometimes touches me, too, touches me where he is “not supposed to”
And you love him? How daddy, how could you be so blind?
I know, I know you love us no less
You will give me all the jewels in the world if I ask for;
The best husband, too.
But. I won’t ask for them. I don’t want to ask for them
I rather want you to still love me,
Care for me
When I break all the untold rules
When I make mistakes
Maybe adopt some too?
I also ask you let Rohan…
Let Rohan just be;
Why blues and pinks
When there can be purples too?
