Slaves of Gold Maheer Ashraf Baba 7 years ago I am a woman. My jewellery is a sign of my slavery. My necklace is a noose around my neck, Choking me, stifling my cries. My bangles are shackles, Tying me to the patriarchy. The anklets that tinkle when I walk, Ensure that I don’t stray outside the Lakshman Rekhas of society. Is the red I wear, A symbol of love and prosperity, Or of the inauspicious blood that I have silently shed throughout my life? As a bride, I ask myself, “Am I beginning a new life, or ending it?”