What its like being an Indian daughter
With my words I must slaughter
Slaughter the societal truths
With the utmost ruth
The ruth that comes from within
And some will call it a sin
A sin to values and culture
So go ahead call me a vulture
For all I need those wings
To fly away from the reality that stings
We say the world has progressed
so why don’t I feel blessed?
For all I know I am captured
The reality you know is tampered
We are still an inferiority
And the male preference a priority
Its like everything is allowed to men
And somehow ghar ki issat is embedded in my hymen
Your skirt is too short and your shirt too revealing
Why is this taboo still prevailing?
gandi nazar is their excuse
so, my freedom they refuse
come back at 7 it is a house rule
because Indian khandan aur unke usool
don’t offend you grandfather and dad
but I am allowed to feel bad
why cant I fight back
what privilege do I lack
we make them feel entitled
like they are meant to be idled
At home we do whatever they say
To the outside world the feminism card we play
why are we that scared to rebel?
Or barely avoiding that bombshell
as my grandma would say
don’t go out in the midday
the cafés and malls are empty
grandma they are packed with your generation’s productivity
oh no we say this because we care
please don’t you dare
dare make these excuses
and leave me with the bruises
don’t hide behind “I love you”
show me what you say is true
worse are the Indian relatives
who put forward unasked perspectives?
she isn’t fair, her belly is too thick
oh, ho how will she find a suitable dick
this isn’t the limit of their audacity
here is an example of their mentality
they blame having a daughter on women
because apparently, they possess that y chromosome not men
why must I take all the blame
was I the only one born with shame
but oh yeah sons carry out their legacy
so, they must be shown some courtesy
is your brother coming home at eight?
why is he the one allowed to stay out late
At night its mostly guys in the crowd
That’s because girls aren’t allowed
Tu abhi bachi hai kuch nhi bolegi
Kya Ab baron ke samne zuban kolegi?
We are married to the boys who are older
Because otherwise we’ll be the one who is bolder
They will celebrate sex at your barat
And call that night your suhagrat
Her son is following me everywhere I go
But nhi apni beti ko sambhal lo
This is our society's propaganda
And to fight this my new agenda.
Growing up, I went through a lot of emotions when people my age were able to do things that I couldn’t. I come from a family of a lot of men, and being the first daughter of the family has been very overwhelming. Dealing with being the first daughter of both my parents and grandparents for the first time, I have always been an experimental child. I have seen them struggle with having a daughter, but that too, a highly Gen Z daughter.
I wrote this when I probably felt at my lowest, being this Indian daughter.