As the mother smiled,
Holding a new photo album,
The family became excited,
They saw some of them;

The father remarked,
His daughter to smile more,
The girl simply nodded,
Her watery eyes fixed to the floor;

The family indulged,
In the album sessions,
To her room she tiptoed,
Her mind had numerous questions,

Last week was her puberty ceremony,
She sat there, smiling,
The function graced by many,
Yet none knew she was tired of faking;

Age old ceremony to welcome menstruation,
Had lost it's meaning,
She heard someone's conversation,
Her body was shivering;

Money poured in was high,
It was to show the whole world,
That they won't be shy,
For spending for their girl;

The prospective groom,
Can expect a grand wedding,
She felt being displayed in showroom,
And where is the society heading?

This was a precaution,
Since she was dark,
She felt she was in auction,
Family cared about what society barked;

Wasn't it dark Krishna,
Killed his uncle Kansa?
Wasn't it dark Valli,
Who married Karthikeya?

Wasn't it the Devas,
Who created Bhadrakali?
She fought and slayed Darika,
Being the fiercest form of Shakti;

Were all these stories wrong?
Was it her fault to be dark?
This was a scar that would remain lifelong,
To her, this was a reality jerk.

*****

Firstly, I would like to tell that this tradition is not a compulsory thing in our family- the ones who wish to do it can do. One of my distant relatives had celebrated this ceremony and when I got to know the real reason, I was aghast by their narrow minded thinking.

So, the story behind this tradition is preparing the girl for upcoming change in her body and life. Basically, special foods are cooked to help gain her pelvic bones the required strength during childbirth. The reason could be the girls were expected to give birth to child at an early age and until they gave birth to a male child which leads to multiple childbirth. Secondly, the function is a way of celebrating the new phase of the girl's life. Also, it was a great way to publicize that the girl of certain family has attained puberty and is ready for marriage.

Unlike olden days where the families would indulge in specific dishes only on special occasions, the current situation is that parents take utmost care of their child's nutrition right from their birth. What it has boiled down to that it has become a way to hide the superficial flaw of their daughter like born dark and their ability to pour money for the impending wedding.

They say that the duty of a poet or a writer is to mirror what is wrong with society and where are we heading. This was one of the primary reasons to write the poem.