Were You There

 

Were you there when the girl was killed
Not in an accident not on a war field
When her mother’s womb was nil-d
3 months into the womb, you knew her gender
Quietly, openly, when the world accepted this blunder
Were you there?

Were you there when the girl was raped?
Sometimes in a night club, sometimes as an infant,
Sometimes from head to toe when she was draped.
The world enquired ‘Was the molester 18?’
The world shed a tear and forgot the memory, clean
Were you there?

Were you there when the girl was objectified?
First dowry then slavery, and then no education was justified.
She moaned, she cried, she looked for help all around
The world kept quiet, no one made a sound.
Were you there?

- Abhishikta