Kala Ramesh

In Plain Sight

Ours was an all-girls’ day school. I’m not here to complain—school was fun and we bonded well, which is the most important thing. I liked all my teachers, although I vividly remember my history teacher for her oft-repeated line: when leaving our class, she would put her finger on her lips and say sternly, ‘Girls are not to be heard.’

People might say that society’s touchstones have changed since then. . .
              Are girls not to be seen, either?

acid throw—
her scarred face speaks
of his jealousy

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About the Author

Kala Ramesh is a renowned pioneer in the field of haikai literature in India. Her 2017 book Beyond the Horizon Beyond was awarded a Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize Certificate. Her latest book is The Forest I Know (Harper Collins Publishers, 2021).