Poetry

Reuters photo

By

Richa Chadha

An ode to Asifa

Tiny steps walked down the street

Joyful, playful like dancing bees

Was thrilled to watch the crowd around

Swinging on the bay or ground

Steep down the lane the wanderers roam

Had she known would have never gone

Out of nowhere, a monster came

Blooded eyes with the thirst of lust

Dropped by the pedestrian, to watch over the crowd

Search for his prey – be it big or small

Those tiny hands were looking for support

Grazing the herd and laughing alone

Just when he dropped by her

Held her to the forest and grabbed her hand

Oh! My little lassie

You want a ride

I’ll take you to the top to view the site

With a smile on her face and glow on the cheeks

The little girl thrilled

The monster took her to a lonely place

Stripped her, shook her head and tied her straight

Grabbed the mouth and twisted her little arms

The little girl cried out loud

The sinful didn’t run away

Rather gathered the crowd of evils

Leaving her to bits and in pain

She was bleeding, swollen and gasped for breath

Hungry since long but couldn’t call out for help

No one pitied that little soul

She mourned for some time and then rest her soul

How painful that hour must have been

I am sorry child but this world is harsh

That evil ran away with no sign of fear

Is freely surviving and roaming around

Enjoying his life and making merry

That little girl was eight who passed away

Now, who will fight for justice is hard to say

Oh, folks wake up now!

Destroy such crime and bleed them hard

Let’s not be ashamed and march ahead

This can happen to you and me

Why wait for that time and then glean…??

Richa Chadha 

Richa Chadha has been a journalist for over a decade, starting her carrier with The Pioneer and leading the ranks with some of the most important leadership positions in nationally reputed papers such as The Hindustan Times, credited for many important stories during her tenure at Hindustan Times. Armed with political in-depth understanding, she comes with a rich of experience of covering national and global issues.