A is for Adam,
God's supreme creation, the boon/bane of my existence, it's difficult to decide.
B is for Brassiers and Breasts,
2 mounds of flesh that entice Adam, hold him in fascination,
And a scrap of cloth that frees you or binds as per inclination.
C is for Cunt,
Not only a body part but also a synonym, a slur or abuse, sometimes used in the middle of an
orgasm.
D is for Doll,
The toy meant for me, a likeness of everything i should aspire to be, docile and dumb, without an
opinion.
E is for Eggs,
Not chicken eggs, but the ones responsible for the continuation of the human race, frozen fertilized
as per convinience.
These sisters of mine, trying to chart a path in a place strewn with land mines.
The beginning of me, often called Lakshmi, yet unwanted as the plague, aborted at will or
sometimes buried alive.
H is for Hot,
The supreme accolade bestowed on us, a benchmark of attractiveness that causes the quickening of
Adam's pulse.
I is for Independence,
That the country attained in 1947, and we are yet to achieve.
J is for Juggle,
A quality that describes how we live our lives, switching between mother daughter wife, attending a
board meeting and a parent teacher meeting both at the same time.
K is for Kilogram,
The watch word in our lives, dreaded and directly proportional to our happiness scale.
L is for Lipstick,
A wardrobe essential, armour and quite often it's colour, an assessment of my character.
My ultimate achievement. Scientist, Astronaut, Doctor, Engineer, all degrees immaterial if I am not a
wife.
N is for Nirbhaya,
A badge given to me posthumously, for dying after being raped, butchered like even an animal
wouldn't be.
O is for the O word,
Never to be mentioned like Vodemort's name, its existence a fallacy, a state we women rarely gain.
Red bleeding, barred from temples, holy ceremonies, impure and yet existential.
Q is for Queen,
Fierce, pretty, the warrior in each of us.
R is for Rape,
The Armageddon of life, a warning to behave that hangs on my head, it doesn't matter if i am
toddler wearing nappies or a granny in diapers. It's always my fault, mine alone, for being born the
wrong gender.
S is for Slut,
The name i am called, if my skirt is too short or lipstick too bright.
T is for Tears,
An outlet some say for heartfelt emotions, or a weapon often labelled unfair, inextricably linked with
me and my tribe.
U is for Uterus,
It's where i bear a child, it makes me a woman, different from Adam and his pride.
That Kohinoor of jewels, guarded, coveted, grabbed, worshipped, protected, looted asunder.
W is for Waist,
The smaller the better, 24 is ideal. Corsets, tummy tuckers proof that this mindset exists.
X and Y are for chromosomes,
That separate Adam and Eve, a random arrangement that defines who we will be.
Z is for Zip,
That holds my dress and dignity, it keeps my mouth shut and prevents utttering opinions lethal to
safety.
This is the alphabet that I have learnt right through the ages,
And now I am trying to unlearn.
About the Author
Priyanka Modi is a writer, environmentalist and a mother. She loves to read and believes that books can change the world. And that is why she conduct story telling classes to introduce children to this uniquely portable magic. Her fascination for the written word led to her writing a weekly column since 2010. She also writes blogs for health and children websites.
So well written.
So so true and perfectly penned