It was ten at night, my parents were late,
They didn’t pick up my calls, so I had to wait.
The bell sang, and the police at the door left me surprised,
And then, I saw what would leave me forever traumatized.
In front of me, laid my parents, cold and dead,
I was numb, I didn’t have any tears to shed,

After their funeral, I went to my uncle’s place,
Felt that I still had a home, ignorant of what I’d have to face.
After a month, my uncle threw me out of the house,
Declaring that he could not provide for my bread,
I had no choice but to cry and beg on the streets,
I kept starving for days, I knew I’d end up dead.

Then, a kind man saw me in that pitiable state,
He fed me in a nearby Dhaba and promised to give me shelter.
I was overjoyed! I finally had a kinder fate,
I went with him, relieved that my life was on track again.
There, I found some children as old as me,
I thought of befriending them and having a family,
But the kind man gave me a secluded room. Why? I couldn’t see.
Little did I know that it was just the beginning of my neverending tragedy.

On the next night, I woke up as a man came,
He undressed me and inserted something in my toilet part,
He shut my mouth with his hand as I screamed in pain,
Amidst the darkness, I was shattered to realize that it was the “kind” man.
Then he took me to the other children and said,
That, all day, on the streets, we had to beg,
We were certain to collect a certain amount of money by begging,
Failing to which, towards a barbaric direction, our fate would be leading.

We gave him all the money we got that day,
He gave us boiled rice, as our pay.
At night I heard some children scream,
I rushed to see, hoping that it was a bad dream.
The kind man was pouring oil into that girl’s eyes,
And laughing,” Blind children make great beggars!”

We can easily extract money from them without telling lies,
I knew, despite the odds, I had to run!
I ran as fast as my legs could carry me,
They were coming after me, I could see,
I begged the bus to take me to the railway station,
On reaching there, I saw the moving train and my fading liberation.

The kind man came after me, ready to pounce,
If I jumped on the moving train, I’d probably end up dead,
Looking at my current scenario, that was still a kinder fate.
I jumped. I miraculously caught the rod. My life didn’t fade.
A couple on the train heard about my heart-wrenching situation,
Through an NGO, they got me admitted to an orphanage.

God did send his angels! Then began the days of my liberation,
Leaving everything behind, I could rebuild my life once again!
After 10 years, I went to college and fell in love.
But wasn’t sure if he would accept me with my past.
After all, I am only made of memories,
Which are nothing apart from miseries and tragedies.
Then, I met with an accident.

The doctors said that I couldn’t conceive,
I was shattered once again,
And certain that my life will never see the light of relief.
I told my love that I was thrown out of the house by my uncle,
I told him that at nine, I had been raped,
I told him everything that the kind man did,
And every minute detail of my escape.
He said that he wanted a child,
But not at the cost of losing me,
He professed that I was the purest soul he ever met,
And with me, the brightest future, he could see.
After eight failed attempts, I finally became an IAS officer,
My love got a job in one of the best firms!
Now, we knew that it was the right time to get married,
My life would finally set, after so many brutal twists and turns.

Two years after our marriage, we adopted a baby girl,
She was the best thing for us, as precious as a pearl,
Finally, I had the family I had always craved,
And happiness, made her way back in my life, through the path she paved.

From this life, I have learned,
That tragedy hits home without any warning,
But such miserable days do come to an end,
The sun rises again, forever shining! 

.    .    .