Dr Shalini’s love poem expresses the lover’s unrequited love and yearning, revealing a passionate mirror image of their hidden devotion, in the Special Feature, exclusively for Different Truths. 

Whenever I am myself and alone,
I usually walk off in my dream world
There I see You inhabiting, my Beloved
From the period when I was a juvenile 
When I dream of being with You
My heart gets overwhelmed with love
And it flows in my psyche through veins.
 
I want to tell You something
What You might not have sensed
I get nervous and shaky
Whenever I am in front of You
As emotions boisterous and unruly
Like the violent waves of an ocean
Go high and low, up and down.
 
I try to retain myself unwavering
Whenever You come face-to-face,
But what happens in reality?
You make me shudder completely,
I don't know why this occurs
But generally, I lose all my senses; 
Be speechless and thunderstruck.
 
I always kept my feelings inside
Locked away like a diamond in the safe
So, it never bothered me before
That You didn't feel the same for me
You know everything now
Butterflies flutter in my stomach
When You gaze at me with love...
 
It's a mirror image of my heart
How passionately I feel for You
In the flight of my imagination
When I am cuddled and wrapped
In your strong and sinuous arms,
And when You shower your love
I feel the happiest on the planet.

Picture design by Anumita Roy

Dr Shalini Yadav

Dr. Shalini Yadav, a multi-faceted scholar and writer, boasts a PhD in Postcolonial Literature and extensive experience across education, research, and literary societies. She authored 12 books, including Reconnoitering Postcolonial Literature, Emerging Psyche of Women, Postcolonial Transition and Cultural Dialectics, Communication Techniques, et al. She’s a recipient of several honours and wears many hats: poet, writer, humanitarian, peace ambassador, and professor. Explore her diverse perspectives on postcolonialism, women's issues, and more.

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