The two girls sat on the footpath
Which was the center-stage for protest.
Their cheeks were marked with tricolour, like so many others had.
Their pink and red cycles
Were parked next to them holding the Indian flags.
A couple of handmade posters in front of them spoke in their silence.
Sitting there,
They also prepared for their upcoming exams
Scheduled post the winter break.
The younger one showed her English subject notebook,
One of the questions read ‘How did the teacher teach?’
The answer read, ‘The teacher taught politely.’
She would read out,
Then rewrite it in her rough notebook several times.
She was learning,
The state has been successful, I thought, till…
The older girl explained—
For us, It is like an exam,
But it is an unfair exam, you know
The teacher and the whole system she works for
Have decided and planned
To fail us.
The idea is to fail us.
Compartment exams, the second chance,
That too is denied.
Feeling ‘at home’ is denied.
‘Never mind’, our Dadis say, ‘hum dekhenge’!
~ Devika Sharma
Devika is currently pursuing PhD. She enjoys listening to people, and observing rain drops and mountains.