Adrija Jana
Scream of Silence


The sickly sweet smell of excess male perfume
The strong rotten smell of drunken breath
Assault her senses
A brutal assault
He comes closer

She's suffering from the cramps of her monthly cycle
She's tired from the hard labour of the household
She shakes her head no
It goes unnoticed

He comes closer

It is unravelling
She starts chanting "No, no, no" like a mantra
Deaf ears are oblivious
The back of her knees hit the bed
He comes closer.

She screams "No!"
But the hand is strong, too strong
The scream is muffled, the tears are free
But water can't soak a rock
A few bangles break
The shards jabbing into her heart, twisting
Rivulets of blood flow out
More bangles break
Bangles tight and loose
He comes closer.

She screams no more
It's eerily silent
She's no more with him
She's lying on her father's lap
She's playing with her little brother
She's reading his very first love letter-
"I'll never let any pain touch you..."
He comes closer.

The thread breaks
Was it weak?
Who knows? Maybe, beaten down
And worn out through the years
Now it is no more.