Her name was Kalindi,
she thought she wasn't pretty,
dark complexion
and unappealing face,
no one wanted her,
still she wore a bindi, earrings
and dressed smartly,
because she liked it...
She used to smile
when someone smiled,
would respond lovingly
when someone asked something,
no misbehavior,
no hot talk with anyone,
calm and soft-spoken,
but she had few friends only,
would stay away from the crowd, because she liked it...
She didn't mind when
someone didn't appreciate her,
but she would start
seeing some shortcomings
and flaws in herself,
when someone made fun of her
or called her "Behan ji"*,
she used to go to the washroom
or to get wet in the rain,
she liked to wash away tears
in the rain...
All three of her siblings also
considered her inferior and weak,
but she preferred to be ugly
rather than weak,
she had been fighting
since childhood for her rights,
for her parents and for siblings,
because she liked it...
Not breaking
anyone's heart or trust,
a simple life
away from deceit and stealth,
taking other's troubles as her own,
that was her way of loving,
she had firm belief
that she was in no way inferior
to anyone,
and that was her strength,
that was her beauty,
different from others,
because she liked it...
*P.S. Behan means sister in English, but Behan ji was used as a nickname for simple-looking, innocent girl. This is the real story of Kalindi, named after a river in India.
--Kaushal Kishore
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