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Alley cats, silent cats
Alley cats, silent cats

Others mistook us for twins

our resemblance too astounding

our age difference only

but one

that nobody knew except

parents and relatives.

We were two naughty cats

at home

played pranks often,

Mom often cane-charging'

us.

We but cried not

silently wiped away our pain

howsoever excruciating it

was.

Outside home we were

two silent cats

mingled with nobody

we heard others whispering

see two alley cats'.

Both wore the same dress,

Both wore specks,

Both joined the same class,

Both good at studies,

Hence darlings of teachers.

From kindergarten to school,

School to college

We grew with time

each attained puberty

each became sensuous and

intellectual beauties

the cynosure of all eyes.

While in college

a classmate

he was handsome

trapped my sister by his histrionics

continuously preying' her.

I warned her of the

lurking dangers behind

such a relationship

but a soft-hearted she

had already fallen for

the guy.

However reluctantly, yes

reluctantly I became her

conscience-keeper

but my heart pounded like drum-beatings

on thinking about the secret.

One day the secret spilled-over

don't know how

reached the ears of

parents.

My fear proved true,

the matter reached the

ears of parents

and all hell broke loose.

Mom took out the

canes from her collections

locked her inside a room

and

ruthlessly, yes ruthlessly

caned her till she

bled.

Unbearable it was

I too felt the pain

entered my room

lay on the bed

and pressed my face on

the pillow wept, wept

and wept silently.

But my sister had the

last laugh,

Pappa and Mom caved in

before her rock-like love

and succumbed to

her silent pressure.

Despite younger than me

albeit by one year

it was my sister who

first tied the nuptial

knot

the local people, the

gossip-mongers flashing

the news of her selecting

a life-partner from

a lower caste.

It was not a happy

function

Pappa and Mom kept

their pain and agony to

themselves

the house bore a

grave-yard silence.

Soon after they

married me off to a youth of

their choice.

I didn't say no',

I am such a type

and

after the marriage

both of us flew abroad

where he was employed.

My sister,

quite unfortunate she was

wrote to me, phoned

me occasionally

about her all calculations

that going awry

about her drunkard, womanizer husband

who had no qualms to

act as a pimp for his wife

about he raining

blows on her each day

demanding dowry, more

dowry more, more dowry.

I saw tears in her

letters

I saw tears in her

weeping voice

her tears were mine too

but both sitting miles apart

under the control of

two men

kind of chained feeling.

Once upon a time

we were two silent cats

others mistook us for twins.

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