Dear Shilpa of 2010, This is Shilpa of 2022
I know I will never get to meet you again
But I picked up my pen to talk to you today
To talk my heart out about all the bitter truths
You are now just a pampered introverted teenager
A teenager who is chasing grades more than real-life experiences
A girl who loves books and poetry more than singing and dancing
A teenager who even thinks of the buds as flowers
You are now protected from the worldly demons by your parents
You celebrate your birthday for over a month
Those glittery gift wrappers and balloons make you feel like a billionaire
You love ice cream and chocolates more than green vegetables now
Your glass is filled with Bournvita today and tomorrow you will fill it with Beer
Your chubbiness will now not be tagged as “fats” but rather “cute”
But your dark skin tone will always be labeled as “ugly” and people will advise your mother to soak you in Haldi and Besan
You are lucky now that the only stress you have is of exams
You are unaware how you will have to swallow antidepressants one day
You will feel that the darkness of the night is filled with million screams
Soon you will fall in love and feel that you have met your prince charming
You will feel butterflies dancing on your stomach when you see him
And the day when your fairytale bubble of love will burst
You will find yourself alone amidst the crowd
Shilpa I will never meet you again
But this is an ode to a younger self
Adieu to the past meeker self!