Happy Birthday to you!
How happy was the birthday girl!
Everyone stood by her.
The gifts piled up.
Her favourite dishes around.
Then entered someone,
With the exact bicycle, she always wanted.

She screamed in joy,
Ran towards it and stopped.
She saw the face of the man.
The man lifted her in arms.
Her smile faded as his hands started to move.

She looked around helpless,
At her parents sharing some laughs with him.
She cursed herself.
Unaware of what is being happened to her,
She felt choked,
Smiled, because she was told to.
She cried in front of the mirror,
over the books,
With her head buried in a pillow.

Uncle 1, Uncle 2, Neighbor 3, Tutor 4,
Distant cousin 5.
She grew up,
And her trauma too.
She hardly spoke,
Never played.
Then her parents feared
Something is wrong!
They asked her to be cheerful.
The little girl who got bullied for keeping silent,
Whose confident was shattered,
Gathered the courage.
Bold now. Learnt to laugh.
None but only she knew how fake she was.

The happy girl in the teenage,
Whom everyone thought of most outgoing,
Was the head girl, whom everyone praised.
Who was termed often bold and beautiful,
Entered a prince into her life,
Boyfriend 6.

She didn’t shatter this time.
She still smiles only she doesn’t know herself.
She still has all kind of friends only she wants to talk to none.
She still loves, only she doesn’t let anyone in.
She still breathes and lives, only she questions her existence.
She still hear people telling that she is the strongest they ever met,
Only she knows there are not even broken pieces inside her.

She is turning to an adult now.
Who seeks for others’ happiness.
Want Independence,
Aware of the fact,
She can’t love any but
put an effort for those who love her
Who needs her.

Today, on her eighteenth birthday,
She feels safe but
The memories of a dead child,
The memories of a real smile,
The memories of unshed tears,
The memories of unheard cries,
Haunt her still.
And probably always will.

Photo from the Internet