Translated from the English to the Marathi by Urmila Pawar
काय विचार करत होतास तू
जेव्हा तुझं आयुष्य संपत आलं
तुझ्या हृदयाच्या अंतिम ठोक्यापर्यंत?
या बद्दल विचार केलास तू
कधीतरी …
काय तू त्या चोरलेल्या क्षणासाठी व्याकुळ झालास
ते शब्द …
जे तुझी इच्छा पुरी करण्यासाठी फुसफुसलास (माझ्या कानात)
आठवतात तुला ते?
कारण मला आठवतात
तुला कधीतरी वाटलं का
की त्या तृष्णेनं तुझ्यावर आक्रमण केलं नसत
आणि तुला बेडी घातली असती
किंवा तुझ्याकडे असं काही पुरेसं नव्हत का
ज्याने भरून काढला असता तुझ्यातला रितेपणा
तुला कधी पश्चात्ताप झाला का?
मला विचार पडतो
मला खंत वाटते
की मला कधीच संधी मिळाली नाही
तुला क्षमा करण्याची
तू या जगातून जाण्यापूर्वी
Urmila Pawar was born in a small village of Ratnagiri as the youngest child of a Dalit family, Urmila Pawar learned early in life the meaning of her subordination as a woman and as a Dalit. The lesson she learned about the needs of self-confidence, and the courage to overcome these forms of discrimination has stood her in good stead in her attempts to break barriers and reach the stars. Among her ten published books are three short story collections. Some selected stories have been translated into English as
Mother Wit by Professor Veena Deo of Hamline University, USA, and published by the internationally renowned feminist press, Zubaan Books. She has won many prestigious prizes for her sensitive exploration of the lives of Dalit women in India. Her Autobiography
Aydaan, in particular, continues to touch the heart of all lovers of Marathi literature. Additionally, a commitment to bringing about change in the lives of women has made her a member of many organisations.
