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.