A Rough Draft of an Assault

Nivedita Rao

A rough draft of an assault 

Lack of sugar or salt 

Lead to weekly assault 

A kick here. A kick there. 

The footprints of his thunder 

Everynight, landed on her threshold 

None could bear the sight it behold 

*

He never picked up the plate

Dried. Smeared with remnants. 

He would sit by the sofa, hold it

Like a trophy and wait 

Questioning, a hard slap landed on the face;

Names were called: Shameless. A disgrace. 

*

She ripped her blouse 

And blamed him; 

Pelted stones on his house 

Her incendiary remarks 

And a lifelong scar 

were his commitment’s rewards