Here’s a heart-wrenching tale of a young widow of Benaras by Sarala, in Different Truths.

The young widow in white attire
Wrapped around carelessly
hardly married for six months
Sitting under the shade of a banyan tree
In the most sacred place of Benaras
Lost in her own little world of no hope
Tears rolling down her sallow cheeks
Forced by her own parents
To beg for her living whole life!
Her dreams died a young death
When her young groom
was crushed under the
wheels of a truck while returning home!
No compromise came forward
In keeping her at home, sweet home
Bcoz she is a bad omen to the house!
Oh dear Lord when will you
wipe out this superstition
prevailed for years and years
forcing the young widows
to beg for her food to attain
salvation?
She sat and cried for days
no tears left to shed
looking into the abyss of deep sorrow!
A young man came by
Offered her food and wrapped her
With new colourful clothes
She looked at him with her sad eyes
He fell in love with her innocence
at the age of sweet seventeen 
and said do you want a new life?
She forgot she was a widow
as her childlike heart leaped with joy
They both walked hand in hand
to the surprise of awestruck widows nearby forced to go through begging!
They entered into a solemn wedlock
With no priests nor chanting of mantras
to live a life of sacred love 
calling off the word superstition
from their life!

Picture design Anumita Roy

#Poem #Widow #YoungWidow #BenarasWidow #WhiteAttire #Superstition #DifferentTruths

Sarala Balachandran

Sarala Balachandran was working with an import-export organisation in the administrative department for 38 years. She retired eleven years back. Married, with two sons aged 43 and 36, she took interest in writing recently. She writes free verses.

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