Prejudiced

"...the rivulet was singing a melancholy,the sky was spotless but for a flock of gulls striking a line on its easel,the trees being caressed by the wind as the leaves frolicked on their twigs.
She didn't care.She once cared though.
She looked at her reflection-her eyes filled with prejudice,asking a thousand questions .
"Why did I do that?He is my father and he spent his whole life making my dreams come true.Just a simple "Yes" and I would have made him happy."

"All that he wanted me to do is to marry Ravi.I can spend a life with a stranger.I will surely like him.Pa gave so many sacrifices and I just have to give one.I will do it.I will marry him."

And she stood up.Walking slowly ,she tried something that she never had done.She tried forcing the gratitudes over her dreams,she let her father's tears drown away her screams,she nailed his picture in front of her eyes to ease her bothering conscience.

Suddenly she stopped.A piece of glass had slit her toe.The pain had pushed her out of the delirium that was walking with her.

"Why ?Why should I do this to myself?",from no where a stream of voices barged on her.
"No.I have to say "yes"."
"No .I can't.How can I let him do that?I just can't."
"But he is my father.My FATHER !."

A battle she fought with her self.The blood streamed from her toe,tainting the wet stones ,the cold pebbles sent a chilling sting down her spine and the cut was the ingress.But she ignored it.


"Yes .He is my father.My father and as a father he should understand me.I have my dreams ,my desires,even I can "demand" something from life.I am not some piece of flesh to be thrown around.I breathe the same air he breathes so why can't I live the same way he lives?Don't have I right to live free?
He never stopped me from making the smallest of decisions then how can he not let me make such an important one?I know myself better than him,I know when I want to marry and I will tell him what I think."

And again, everything went blank.
"What was that?Where did that come from?How can I think like that about my father,about the man I admire the most?I am not a worthy daughter."

She looked up.The door gaped,the house seemed to bear a look of anger.
She slowly stepped into the house.With specs on his eyes,he sunk his face between the leaves of the newspaper.
Sidling along the sofa ,she stood in front of him.Like a child she bore the guilt on her face.The same way she used to say "Sorry" when dad had found out her lie.

"Pa...",she choked.Tears broke waves in her eyes but sh stopped them.
"I..."
"What?Arre Shilpa did you hear,these U.S. people have made it even more tougher to get a VISA !I wonder how will I get you in U.S.", he chuckled.
Her heart pounded like a drum.She was surprise but a sweet shock it was.
She muttered,"Pa.Ravi..."

"Arre I have talked with Sharma.Bol diya usse,meri beti badi ho gayi hai.Aaj kal meri baat sunti hi nahin.Aakhir beti kiski hai?", a laughter filled the room.

"I love you Pa."she was in his lap.
"I am proud of you my angel."

He was still the man she admired the most.

She was proud that she was his daughter.she was proud she was a daughter.


"The world respects her.She can no more be chained.She can no more be forced .She is understood.She will make them understand.Coz she knows ,she is everything.She is a woman."