By Poulomi Bhattacharya
When I became independent
from the mind, I thought how
our mothers should have been,
And lived her life differently
Only for herself.
When I became independent monetarily and
Could finance myself and others around me,
I thought how our fathers
must have been, only acting
like a support and serving
dear ones economically.
I thought I was fulfilling
Needs of others like my father,
and still, I can never be him,
I will still be judged for my
Inability to put others'
choices before my own...
I will still be judged for my
ambition and desire
to remain so free...
I am a woman of the 21st century,
and my agony thus lies in the
non-performativity
of my gender role.