70 years of supposed independence
Yet no real freedom for women
In a society dominated by men
Drowned, is a woman's voice
We need Azadi from Patriarchy
Money and power aren't everything
Without love, life is nothing
Above all, are relationships and life quality
Is there no end to ****?
Why is marital **** legal?
Our system is so feudal
Marriage is such a shame
Marred by domestic violence
Divorce, a traumatic experience
No freedom to choose her career
Family is supposed to be better
No freedom for inter-religious marriage
If she does, it's labelled Love Jihad
Frankly, we are tired
Demand an end to this carnage
She can dress as she pleases
She can roam at night
She can marry anyone she loves
To question her, you have no right

All days may not start well
Things may not go to plan
Punctuality monsoon will tell
Start as early as you can
But not always in our hands
Things at the mercy of rain
Is there any place to stand?
In a Mumbai fast local train?
More so when it is late
Leaving you at the hands of fate
Men push, jostle and bicker
Place to stand is a premium
At your expense, they snicker
For a while, it’s pandemonium
To and fro, back and forth
Swung for all your worth
Then the train stops when it shouldn’t
Getting further late when it shouldn’t
When time comes to alight
You are expected to defy gravity
Jumping a moving train with no clarity
Changing over at Dadar is no delight
Later greeted by grime and muck
Rain at Lower Parel adds to bad luck
Noisy motorists on a narrow street
Make your mind admit defeat
Reaching office is a relief
Your sweat beggars belief
Just the start of a long day ahead
A miracle not to lose your head

People come and go in our life
Most make an impact
True friends help you in strife
With no need for a pact
Some are truly special
They last forever
Bound by rules never
There was one such girl
Whom I met at office
Lively and innocent as a kid
For whom honesty would suffice
Took a mere month it did
For a friendship to bloom
Moulded in an old school of thought
For me she fought
When my office seemed to be my doom
My scooter became our companion
Her family on my side
In a storm, we would turn the tide
Slowly my family became part of the union
My home a second home for her
Our joys and sorrows intertwined
Office politics sadly intervened
For them, it wasn't a friendship mere
I stood my ground in support
My family pulled their weight
Her courage and strength ensured no taint
There were times we fought
But our friendship always won
A better job came to her rescue
For her talent, long overdue
One for all, all for one
Our friendship endured and grew
A strong union of the middle-class and poor
Ensured by hearts pure
No matter where the winds blew
My family a bedrock in her hour of need
Symbiotic our relationship indeed
Soon her wedding bells rang
My mother and I responded
With great hospitality we were rewarded
At her home, to us her family sang
To this day, remains our friendship
As no rules in such a special relationship