HATING MY BLACK SKIN

I have always struggled with my skin color, 

from the early days of growing up watching bollywood movies

to being fully mature surrounded by the constant skin whitening ads.

Nothing could compare to the hatred that I had for myself at the age of 13.

The age where I was told that guys would only like girls who had fair skin, 

and that dark skin was ugly.

It was something I wished would not happen for my own kin.

The only thing that I wanted to be was fair.

Not even acknoweldging that fact that the color of my skin dictating my beauty was unfair.

The day that I chose to listen to all the voices was the darkest day,

I succumbed to the taunting voice,

choding me to apply the bleach to my skin.

The promise of making me "Fair and Lovely"