From The Quill of Suranya

Water over the head  Drowning in a sea of blood, Sweat and tears, blurry vision, A voice echoes in the chaos Of screaming bodies, silent minds.  Ideas do not die.  People do.  Ideas build societies.  People break them.  Ideas cause rebellion.  People suppress them.  Ideas are loud,  People silence them.  But when enough is enough  One idea multiplies into thousands, The silence screams into deafening noise Of resistance and protest; A cause brings about a crowd  That always hopes  It can change the world.  ~ Suranya

"Are you man enough?" Someone sneers, "You walk like a woman" they say. "Are you really a woman?  You talk like a man." They say. They stare, laugh and bully, I turn to their ignorance as I answer - "I am Brihannala. Cross dressing in disguise."  "I am Shikhandi who battles his enemies."  "I am Yuvanashva. The pregnant king."  "I am Ayyappa, Son of Vishnu and Shiva."  "I am Bhagiratha, born of two queens."  "I am Aravan." "I am Mitra."  "I am. I am. I am."  Respected and accepted In a society  That once was. I wonder as I put on the rouge,  Dance my heart out in the pride walk, Never feeling more seen, More liberated, more validated; Do they really care? People stare, people judge, people are mean. But never before did they ask us, Prove who you are, biologically. What about my feelings? The way I identify?  What about my choices of sexuality and vibe?  A test to confirm who I...

The cry of the peacock haunts me  The scared call of the animals beyond  What have you done, mankind?  Where are your moral grounds?  We watch them burn  Being grazed on the grounds  Thousands of homes,  Millions of hopes abandoned.  All because Man wants  War and progression;  To develop a planet  Where only the rich survive,  Buy oxygen to breathe,  Make synthetic food to eat  And boast about a healthy life. ~ Suranya

Every morning I go for a walk,  Mothers keep an eye  If to their children, I dare talk.  Alert as though I am Danger.  I am a Man, not a kidnapper. Every day on my way to office,  I avoid brushing against you in a crowded bus  Fearing someday you will turn and accuse,  Conscious of every move thus,  But I am a Man, not a groper. Every time I swipe on Tinder,  Buy you a drink, I notice the fear  You hesitate with information Your suspicious eyes often wonder;  I am a Man not an abuser. Every time you walk alone on the road  And I walk behind you, unaware,  In the dark empty lanes of the city  You let me pass, scared;  But I am a man, not a rapist. Every day, to office I go,  As the hours seem really slow,  I can't stare even in subconscious at you,  Or have small talks sipping tea,  Lest you press charges and am sued. I know those animals,  I know the threat "Men will be Men" And all the t...

 I AM A FEMINIST IN INDIA.  I FIGHT FOR EQUALITY,  TYPE "ME TOO" IN PROTEST.  YET EVERY NIGHT WHEN I RETURN ALONE I FEAR, MUCH IN DESPAIR,  LIKE I AM LIVING A NIGHTMARE EVERY DAY. I AM A DAUGHTER IN INDIA. THEY SAY I AM THEIR PRIDE.  YET THAT STRANGER'S DROOLING EYES  STARING THROUGH MY CLOTHES  IN A TEARING GAZE  SEEMS TO MAKE ME FEEL  LIKE FRESH MEAT INSTEAD. I AM A GIRL IN INDIA. YOUR UNCOMFORTABLE TOUCH  MAKES ME FEEL LIKE A BAG OF DIRT  YET YOU WHISPER THAT  IT'S A PLEASANT SECRET.  WHY DON'T I GET TO TELL  WHAT IT IS INSTEAD? I AM A WIFE IN INDIA.  EVERY DAY I COOK,  CLEAN AND WORK,  EVERY NIGHT I WEEP IN SILENCE SCARED,  ACCEPTING MY FATE ISN'T IN CONSENT WHILE YOU RAPE ME IN CONVENIENCE. I AM A MOTHER IN INDIA. TODAY MY SON HAS RAPED A WOMAN.  HE DIDN'T SEEM UNNERVED WHILE I WEEP,  NOT FOR HIM, I DARE TO CLEARLY CONVEY,  BUT FOR THE DAUGHTER  THEY DIDN'T LET ME KEEP...

 A storm lashes outside, Of change and acceptance. Another lurks in my heart, In hope, love and joy. Windows of every heart open. Today, the soil welcomes the downpour. Not denying the rebellion any longer. The Gale whispers of new Freedom. Finally, the doors of the mind are ajar, With a tiny lamp of Hope flickering In the strong wind of resistance. Equality is not a myth, Justice prevails after every war And Nature celebrates the Natural. In a destructive dance of ultimate rebellion The thunder screams for all of us, "Accept me for who I am." ~ Suranya

The canopy of the best flowers was laid. She had walked to it with her parents. Smiling faces. Heavy dresses. Picture-perfect Wedding. A murder happened that day. Sadly, the evidence was none. Neither were the murderers punished. Because killing dreams left no clues. Picture-perfect Killing. ~ Suranya

The vermilion on her hairline doesn't give you the right to abuse her soul. #MeToo has been doing the rounds. We don't often talk about abuse. Like that relative whose touch is uncomfortable. Or perhaps those guys who hoot at you. And the most obvious ones. Abuses in relationships. Marital Rape and Abuse, physically and mentally, is something that is less talked about. We all talk of rapes, but those inside closed doors without the consent of the bride are considered valid by society. Why? Putting vermilion on someone or signing a few papers doesn't make them your property. The issue of abuse is not only physical but also mental. Many across the world don't face scars on the body, but the scars on the mind remain. Society doesn't hold candle marches and media coverage for them, nor do their own families support or protest against it. No, such crimes are not normal. A man, a lover, a husband has no right to be forceful with anyone as their property. It is important t...

"Don't go out alone." "Don't wear that dress." "Don't come late." She was raped. In front of a guy friend. In a Salwar. One Evening. Teach them not to rape. Not us to fear them. ~ Suranya They say justice can come late. But it is always served. We hope so too. We won't forget you, Nirbhaya. Neither will we forgive such animals who make us fear darkness, lonely lanes and wearing our choices. We won't forget and forgive those who make our parents worry if we are even a little late. We won't call them men who don't treat a woman as a respected equal. Those who never know the word consent. We won't forgive those parents who don't teach their 'ghar ka chirag' the right way to treat women inside and outside the house. "Woh toh ladka hai" ... Ha, ladka hai Bhagwan nahi! Change starts from Home. Hoping to see justice served soon.