Her New House…: A Poem by Amrita Mallik

Decked up with sparkling gold and the choicest dresses,
The new bride enters the illuminated new house,
Wishing to be lovingly accepted and treated well,
Soon after the joyous celebrations come to a screeching halt,
What did she fathom as the deathly silence enveloped the house?
She was always a bridesmaid, and never the bride,
Considered more an outsider than a family member,
She was too naïve to become a part of the family,
Yet, she couldn’t understand why then,
She was held responsible for every bad in the house?
Why did her husband enjoy disrespecting her?
And, as her husband screamed at and threatened her,
Others remained blind, deaf and dumb,
Amidst the hypocrisy cloaked by principles and high morals,
The once mehendi-adorned soft bright hands,
Itched to become brutally cold and blood-stained.