There is something to every woman that is beyond what is stated and beyond the obvious. With all the spotlight that she has recently been attracting, there are depths to her that are yet to be unravelled, even to herself. While the world has been busy defining, and even glorifying, her role as a mother, sister, daughter and what-have-you, the woman has moved on from strength to strength, enriching old pastures and discovering new ones. She embarks on a new journey every once in while, unravelling little-known mysteries, her own self not the least.
Ranu Uniyal writes a poem about a protective and tenacious mother and her daughter who isn’t courageous enough to speak up in a city steeped in bloodshed, lust and death.
When a woman becomes a mother, the expectations from her go many notches up. And most of the times, there are two ‘shes’ battling within her. Anupama Krishnakumar reflects on the endless dilemma that a mother faces – her children versus her own dreams, accompanied by a guilt that never ceases to be.
Subha Srinivasan talks about the looming crisis of Caesarean-sections becoming the default means of giving birth in urban India. It’s time women start understanding and taking control of how they give birth, she says. Read on for an engaging take on the issue.
A man observes a woman in the darkness of a movie theater, attempting to unravel the mystery that she is, in his own mind. Paresh Tiwari writes a poem on the unravelling while also touching upon how the entire movie is actually mirrored on the countenance of the woman.
A 23-year-old writes a letter to her future self at 30, touching upon things she’s learnt over the years, and where she hopes she will be at 30. Vrinda Manocha’s letter makes you smile even as it can make you feel a lump in your throat.
A mother teaches her child music, even as he wonders about the future of the music that he is learning. Years later though, he realizes the worth of the music his mother taught him and the truth behind her words. M. Mohankumar pens a poem on the music lessons and the conversations between the mother and her child.
Mr. Agarwal, confined to his wheelchair for twenty years now, is a constant attention-seeker from his wife, who, because of his condition, has remained his sincere caretaker. The days are thankless and long and the years pass by, until Mrs. Agarwal’s daughter-in-law, Shefali, intervenes. Jyothi Vinod writes an interesting story on the warm relationship that a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law share.
