Shhh…
Come closer.
Not too fast.
I don’t shout—
I whisper.
But oh, child… my whispers echo louder
than any war cry you’ve ever heard.
Turn my pages—
Not with haste,
but with reverence.
For each one holds a ghost.
Here—can you feel it?
That heat?
That’s a pyre.
A woman once stood upon it,
wrapped not in cloth,
but in the silence of those who called her sacrifice.
Her scream lives here.
But so does the verdict that set her free.
The law—me—I wrote her story down.
Not to bury it.
To swear: never again.
Turn again—
ah, yes.
You’ll see the stain.
It’s faint, but it’s there.
It’s the footprint of a man
who was told he was “untouchable.”
He walked miles just to hear the word “justice”
and found it…
eventually.
Do you hear that rustle?
That’s not the paper.
That’s the thousand footsteps
of those who were never allowed to march.
Now, I carry them forward
one ruling, one section, one bold Act at a time.
I remember what you try to forget.
I remember the pain you’d rather not teach.
But I must.
Because if I don’t—
who will?
I am not holy.
I am not pure.
I am a patchwork of human hands and trembling truths.
I have failed.
But I have also risen.
And every time you dare to write a better law—
I breathe again.
So, don’t just read me.
Listen.
To the widow.
To the child.
To the voice that wasn’t allowed to speak in court.
I am their echo.
I am their fire.
And though I whisper—
I shape nations.
Shhh…
Hear that?
That’s the future turning my page.
Let’s make sure it finds something worth reading.
About the Poet
I’m Trupti Maruti Muntode—an author, researcher, and advocate driven by a deep belief in the power of education, law, and literature to transform lives.
As a writer, I pour my heart and purpose into every page. My book National Education Policy 2020: A Comprehensive Handbook is more than a legal guide—it’s a tool meant to help educators, students, and policymakers navigate the changing landscape of Indian education. My poetry collections, A Little Respect and Life’s Ephemeral Beauty, reflect the emotional depth of my experiences and observations—offering readers a space to pause, reflect, and connect with the world more gently.
