This is India,

Where we support equality,

While promoting toxic masculinity.

This is India,

Where we ask our daughters to hide themselves, 

While our sons go around torturing and killing them.

This is India,

Where every spark of hope ignited,

Is quenched by the burning ropes of our society.

This is India, 

Where bottling up our emotions, is considered normal

For every teenager in question.

This is India,

Where depression is synonymous to insanity,

Or is it the other way around?

I am sorry, but I can’t really tell through this muddled reality.

This is India, 

Where we are forced to be ashamed of our battle scars,

While those who caused us pain, run around flaunting them,

As if they are a winner’s tally marks.

This is India,

Where we teach our children how to talk for the first two years,

And then educate them on the art of shutting up for the rest of their lives.

This is India,

Where every student it taught how to stand up for themselves,

But when they finally do, they are considered nothing but insolent and ignorant brats.

This is India, 

Where raising your hands and voice is considered necessary for survival,

While those who are kind and peaceful are weak and the prey of the animals.

This is India, 

Where despite the legends and myths of good triumphing over evil,

It is evil, which always wins since ages medieval 

This is India,

Where they tell us being who we are is not good enough,

Where we are nothing but broken and imperfect parts, waiting to be polished into perfection.

This is India,

Where the capability of a child is not judged by her intelligence or creativity,

But rather on her ability to mug up her entire book steadily.

This is India,

And you haven’t even heard the worst of our ‘Great Land’ yet.

It is sad, isn’t it?

But this is the bitter truth, my love.

This is the India in which we grew up.