Darkness so Brutal

By Tuhin Ghosh

That evening was sultry,
but from her office desk,
she noticed dark clouds on the horizon.

There was a lot to do,
before she could leave for home.

Night seemed to have come early,
bringing with it a downpour.
the streets were deserted,
except for the canines shivering, wet, and exposed to the elements.

Those boys,
they waited for their quarry,
in the dimly lit lanes and by lanes.

She ran as fast as she could,
skipping, falling, but pulling herself up each time.
Those footsteps were closing in swiftly,
a pack of ever starved hyenas hunting down
their innocent prey.
She screamed, she yelled, she fought with all her might,
kicking to set herself free
the muscled forearms pinned her to the ground,
she could no longer bear the pain
until she fell unconscious.

With trembling hands, the old lady removed the sheet,
letting out a profound shriek which pierced the silence of the night;
her daughter,
she lay there, barebones.

Grief thickened the air,
a pall of gloom encapsulated an overarching feeling of mourning,
the fear of the unknown was back,
snuffing out a promising life forever.

She was the sole breadwinner for the family of four,
her father bedridden for years,
and her mother infirmed,
a little brother who looked up to her for support.

A big void that can never be filled,
profound angst and trauma,
ripping apart the befuddled mind.

The skies opened up briefly,
shedding tears for the beloved soul,
the rustle of the leaves had fallen silent,
mother nature mourning a promising future cut short
by the cruel hand of fate.

We remain perturbed,
yearning for justice to prevail,
initiation of measures for
women empowerment and equality,
safety and security of women in all societal spaces.