The price of silence...

Hum lavoo se keh na paaye unse haal ye dil kabhi
aur woh samjhe nahin yeh khamoshi kya cheese hai.....
(I could never tell her what my heart echoed and she could never understand the language of my silence.)

Silence is golden, they say.........So -
Is the silence of a mother, who has lost her son in a road rage - golden?
Is the silence of a girl child, who is repetaedly being molested by her neighbour - golden?
Is the silence of a widow, who has lost her husband (an innocent victim of terrorism) - golden?
Is the silence of an officer, who is a witness to corruption in his organization - golden?

How long do we live in fear and avoid realities of life?
How long do we act 'brave and smart'?
How long do we stretch our lips till the muscles pain - when the world inside us is crashing down?

If silence is golden, then what is the price that we pay for it??
The pain - suffering - agony that becomes a part of our life?
The death of dreams where hopes are just an illusion?
The trauma of a forcefully forgotten childhood?
The conflict of inner and outer voice??

Its time we stood up for our rights. It's time we say 'all is NOT ok and I have the right to complain.'
It's time we realise that our vulnerability is not our weakness, it is our strength.
It's time we appreciate the fact that it is OK to reach out for help, it's OK to mess up, it's OK to feel like a crap, it's OK to complain......and
IT IS OK TO EXPRESS.

Yes - it is time we accept that we are humane.