Those dirty, narrow streets of slum ,
Surrounded by skycrapers .
Where a world lives in dark.
We were in search of gleam .
Met a gray hair woman
Sitting at doorsteps of her house ,
Torn palms and feet ,
Just in her late 20s .
Wrinkles of poverty evident on face,
Her eyes were red, pale in fever .
Mother of family ,
Has 2 little sons to embrace .
We were astonished by
a male , in the kitchen.
A responsible, loving husband ,
shamelessly does household chores for sick wife .
His manhood feels no less,
Instead trains his sons to practice the same.
Next
Spoke to a middle aged woman ,
Hardly passed , elementary school .
Just 2 daughters ,both graduating from DU.
Lasses 's achievements is father's delight .
Conscious of , tomorrow is bright.
Then
Converse a dull swollen eyed woman.
Works as housemaid ,
Barely earning her living .
Anxious for her son ,
Who couldn't pass high school ,
for 2 years .
Unable to provide him private tuitions .
Herself, unschooled, still knows ,
Better future through education .
They are illumination ,
to the gloom around .
Strong heads dreams difference .
In new moon night, they are stars.
Their spark draws attention ,
Twinkle, breaking into black sky.
Ending our exploration ,
We found lights of change ,
in gloomy lanes.
Aditi Rawat
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