An intense woman-centric poem, where she struggles for her identity, exclusively for Different Truths.

Ever since I married
My name was such a bother
I had a ready package deal
In exchange for the name of father
Added to my looks and name
One layer over another
Sari bindi bangle sindoor
Daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, mother
Had even lost my given name
When a surname replaced the other.
It was never a big trouble,
In the list for my mother
She had a son to raise,
Had to marry off a daughter,
It had never been an issue
For my friend or my sister
That the title of the shared name
Was given to the brother,
And while my man had heard this through
“Not again!” had said his laughter.
Ever since I married,
My name was such a bother.

Visual by Different Truths

Dr. Jaya Kapoor Chadha

Dr. Jaya writes along with travelling and doing theatre to explore pathways to her innermost self. She is a mother of a spirited fighter 12-year-old son for heroes can come in all sizes. She is teaching in the
Department of English at the University of Allahabad.