Do you know what this means?”, she said in a desperate tone.
Her husband looked down with distraught eyes, as if to mourn.
He knew the challenges that lay ahead.
All his thoughts were now filled with dread.
To bring up a girl child in this world,
To protect her from the storms that hurled,
To let her be free and yet be secure,
To let her voice her opinions and yet be demure.
To let her choose her clothes, life-partner and profession,
And yet be a source of society’s inspiration.
To let her dance in the rain and sing out aloud,
And yet be a silver lining behind every cloud.
To let her challenge every status quo,
And yet be a silent wave in the wild ocean’s flow.
To let her save her individuality in the crowd,
And yet make her personality stand out.
How would the tiny bundle in his arms handle this paradox?
How would she survive in a society so orthodox?
[tweetthis]Would she be given respect without dowry?[/tweetthis]
Would she find true love without a worry?
Would it matter if she was short and dark?
Would she still leave an indelible mark?
While he let these random thoughts and fears unfurl,
[tweetthis]He understood now what it takes to be a girl.[/tweetthis]
He smiled patiently at the nurse who had brought her,
And [tweetthis]reminded himself, that secretly, he had always wanted a baby daughter.[/tweetthis]
by
Doa Naqvi
[separator type=”thin”]
An Assistant Professor by profession and a women empowerment crusader, Doa Naqvi, is a strong advocator of issues concerning the society. She has, from time to time, engaged in various social activities- be it teaching the underprivileged children dwelling in slum areas or writing articles on issues such as women empowerment, right to education and environment conservation. Presently, she is teaching post graduate students at Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Urdu, Arabi-Farsi University, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Photo Credit: The-alvianto.com
