Swati Khatri

There is this woman I like,
She sits behind the ticket counter at rush hours.
People say she doesn’t know how to dress well,
They say she walks noisily in her shoes.
She never applies any makeup – they point out.
Just look at her sharp nose and thick jaw.

Her face shines with confidence,
I see her strength when she manages the crowd.
That smile is always there,
and mind you, she looks sturdy the whole 12 hours.

There is this woman I admire,
She can be seen in the balcony every morning.
People say she doesn’t work,
And wastes her husband’s money.
She watches TV all day,
Why will anyone befriend her?

But I see her daily watering the plants,
Later she takes her daughter to the music class.
Her hair carelessly tied in a bun,
Yes, she is never late to her mother’s therapy session.

There is another woman I applaud,
She is the one winning through the keys of her laptop.
People say she has got it easy,
They say she just sits on the chair and leaves.
She shows an attitude,
Must have slept her way to the chair.

I see her slogging behind the laptop,
She is the only one who takes the work home.
The no nonsense leader,
Who makes sure deadlines are met by everyone.

There is another woman I appreciate,
She sells knick-knacks at the corner of the street.
People say there is nothing significant about her,
They say she is greedy.
She refuses to give a discount,
How can she charge so much at a dingy little shop.

But I know she comes every morning at the same time,
She sells those clips the ones you get for ₹20 each.
I came to know her husband died last year,
She takes care of her 2 children from that dingy little shop.

Also, there is this woman I eulogize,
She dances to the Instagram reels.
People say she puts an effort in her looks,
Must be vain, sitting in front of the mirror whole day.
She looks too glamorous to be hardworking,
They think she is dumb.

She is the one with those makeup skills,
That’s how she pays her bills.
She also pays for her sick mother,
I saw her with grocery in one hand and medicines in other.

People say their life is easy,
But I know that woman.
I know, you too know that woman,
Their life is far away from easy.

The woman I know,
The woman you know.
Yes, that woman.
The woman you are!
The woman I am!
Aren’t we all that woman?