Color pink was my favorite since long
I had been a lover of pink roses and pink sarees
Pink bedcovers, pink room walls behind pink curtains with pink patterns
Pink was my go to in every situation
“Bhaia wo pink dikhana”
“Ami mery lie pink lana”
And in between choosing from a hundred shades of pink I forgot other colors existed
Then I was introduced to red,
Red roses, red dresses, red curtains, red bedcovers, red stains, Red.
My room is white now,
I don’t know how to love
I don’t know what is love
Last night I went past mirror
And saw my reflection for the first time in years
My cheeks are pale
And so are my eyes
I didn’t recognize the woman in reflection
What I recognized
Is the memory
Of womanhood denied
Image: Astrid Babayan
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