The Story Of A Dark Girl
Ones upon a time born was a dark girl in a family of light skinned, as the pain of the labor seized someone joked with the mother “who did you do it with” the hall burst into laughter.
Date changed year changed the color didn’t, the mother found peace in the twinkly eyes and shiny skin still wondering may be another month or a milk bath, someone suggested a curd turmeric massage but all disheartened as nothing worked, all efforts in vain she was destined to be dark.
Days turned night and nights made way for the next sunrise the girl only grew shades darker all hell went loose when the next born was a girl as well but at least she was fair, everyone a bit relieved
White skinned fairy so much like the family, a suitable candidate for the future advertisements of “fair bride wanted” but what about the darker one who shall marry her, loomed in the heart.
Loved was the fairer child always chosen upon the darker one, the “brown” skinned naive but understood well though no complains she had her own secret treasure full of love and gifts, the grand pa the grand ma and their bond with the first grandchild.
Parents expected a miracle though not fair maybe sharp like nobody else she shall be but alas the trials don’t run easy the average student she was only made the prospects of a suitable groom only gloomier.
Happy and sunshine that she was running marathons and celebrating medals in sports day only made her look close to the road covered in tar, a beach side home made the situation only crueler.
Every visit back to their state made the mother worry more, the concerned extended family discussed the obstacles in the prospect of marriage for a dark girl and extended helping hand wherever they could.
Excited for the picnic wearing her peachy favorite dress she felt like a flower of winter fresh and beautiful with the morning dew, if only life was as we dream, while returning – someone called “blacky why don’t you carry a light, so we can see your face” for the first time in years broken was the teenage heart shattered into pieces never she ever touched her peachy dress again!
Sobbing for hours, she faced the reality dark she was, and it really did not matter, staying in background would help, if nobody notices her they won’t comment, a lesson for life the teenage had learnt to stay in the “BACKGROUND”.
A fine day at a family gathering someone joked “soak up in bleaching powder and scrub yourself with a brush the color shall brighten” joined others in the fun, the dark girl just smiled, the scarred heart if only somebody she could show.
And then she saw the advertisements of fair & lovely and fair glow gave hope to the heart, adamant she was to try it ones alas several days went by and no improvement it showed, looks like what mom said was right!
It was time for friends to date and have friends for life she didn’t hold hope and neither did she care as she knew well that she was “dark” and the fairer ones always would be chosen before her!
Done were the days in school, admissions in college she took, the pretty lasses the fashion sense, the jingly earrings those short skirts, amazed the little heart!
In years she wanted to break free and try them all and then she did, somebody called in the crowd what a black beauty she is, dancing was the heart – “beauty” did they call, heard it for the first in years of her life and couldn’t believe relished the moment and let it go again after all dark she was she knew well!
The body changed, the face glowed who knows may be the age or may be out of sun for days, don’t be bewildered dear reader as the color didn’t change
However the super powers she had discovered – could carry the heels like a boss and a little make up doesn’t harm much as against suggested by mom.
Experimenting around the ways of the world the girl was sharp and a sweet talker, the friends she found were nice complimented the growing years, surprisingly thoroughly loved and accepted she felt in years inspite of being dark.
The internet days had just begun, a message by mistake was about change the fate, later they discovered a school senior he was, the boy wondered why he never knew her before, the dark girl knew the answer but kept close to her heart, the resolve to stay in “BACKGROUND” ensured not many knew her!
A long distance relation she nurtured, throbbing at the back of her mind always was it wouldn’t last long after all dark she was and not supposed to find love so easily in life.
Over were the college days, time to take a leap admitted to Masters Course awaited the city she never stepped in before.
The city was kind, the people were sweet, in many ways she was swept of her feet, the project grades were great, the presentations ended with thunderous claps, men hopped around wishing for a date.
Amused was the mind nothing was suppose to come this easy, after all dark she was, hasn’t she heard these discussions around all her life.
Pushed to the forefront she was at times, struggling with her own resolve to stay at the background, would cringe inside when had to take a lead, wounds of teenage heart hardly ever heal.
Time to take a plunge again it was, the family was worried no matter how much she earns after all the skin is dark, where would they find the boy however this time the wings had grown and the dark skin didn’t matter anymore, the dark girl laughed inside.
The family of a “fair” groom arrived soon to ask for the reunion of their respective kids, the long distance relationship finally turned to a wedlock.
Years later a baby girl was born, “a boy would have been better” expressions said it all, whom does she look like they all wanted to know, Fair or dark was the question alone.
Releived of the pain she reminded herself, a prayer she had said the day she knew a tiny being dwells in her, never ever will she let this reach the little one, the gender issues, complexion circus and a 1000 other biases that we have manufactured on our own, no matter a “he” or a “she” it would be, would know how to love, would make a the world a better place is all she wished for.
Lost in her thought held the baby close to her bosom when she heard in background “a dark girl born again” this time only to smile and hold the little one closer, a winner that this dark girl shall be is all the mother could say grinning ear to ear.
