Poetry

Pixabay photo

By

Debjani Mukherjee

The Rape

The word “yes” slipped through your teeth almost silently, as the result of the enormous revulsion trying to gush out of the heart.

The depth of devastation within is rotting you from inside

The place between your legs is hurting with a throbbing pain

Your body is burning with all the wounds marked on you brutally

Eyes are spilling all the rage captivated in relics of your ravaged self respect

“Yes” you said to the men in uniform

“Yes they did that to me“

Your lips barely moved and your voice was almost inaudible

The man sitting opposite flung the question to your skin

“And what kept you away from home so late??”

Your face turned scarlet as the sky display in some outrageous evening

Your eyes shed hot lava as any volcanic eruptions would have

The question was unfair yet you answered with a trembling voice

A Voice as meek as a startle rabbit

A Voice as vulnerable as the drop of rain dangling from a blade of grass

Trying to recount your assignation that evening which started wonderfully but ended ripping out the flesh off your body

The man in the uniform threw an expression of disgust.

And you sank more to your core

Your ripped out clothes could have

Covered your dignity more

Than that one sight of disdain

The FIR demanded more details than you could remember

Who touched where? For how long who was inside?

Questions and questions one after another wresting off the last cover from your honour

The doctors again unveil you and took the evidence of the dreadful act

As in this logical world you need to give evidence of every unfairness happened to you ever

You need to show the proof of all those knives slaughtering you inside out

As which you don’t have proof of has never even happened

If you don’t have proof no cloth has ever been stripped off from your body, no part of yours has ever been penetrated with force

No one has ever murdered your soul

No, nothing happened if you can’t evince it to all those eyes which are yearning to penalise you, yourself, for whatever unjust happened

Because you are woman and you are wholly blameworthy for all your dishonour from the dawn to dusk of eternity

And once again you felt the slaughter of your dignity hard on your body

Because you have all the responsibility to justify your innocence even if an atrocious crime had been committed against you

Days after days the court sessions are no less vicious than the crime itself

Days after days the horrid leer of society or even your own family are no less savage than the crime itself

But what is that you wanted oh woman!! What is that you demanded which is so very difficult to approve!!!

For all you have craved is nothing but justice, all you have wanted is nothing but to see those barbarians behind bars

But what do you get instead you woman? What are you rewarded with?

A lifetime imprisonment from all your happiness, all your smiles and the very last bit of your dignity!!!

Now when you walk on the street passing those eyes showering disgust you feel no better than naked

Those eyes ripping off every bit of womanhood you own, converting you into a mere piece of flesh

A mere piece of flesh which could be slashed as many times as one please

Of course the way could vary each time

Even your own mother loathes you for your yearn of justice

All the world keeps on asking you in silent screams why why why you woman didn’t kept your mouth shut

Why you didn’t hide all your tears from the whole of the world

And now you are rightfully sentenced to witness the ramifications throughout your lifetime

Now you yourself gave the license to the entire universe to rape you over and over as many times as they please

But again of course the ways would vary each time.

Debjani Mukherjee

Debjani Mukherjee is a poet and a writer who got published in various international anthologies. She did MBA on applied management and also loves to study human nature.