Barricades For Questions Poem by AAHAN VARMA

A student stepped outside,

Holding nothing but doubt.

Two years of sacrifice,

And his future was wiped out.

His mother skipped her needs.

His father worked extra shifts.

He believed hard work mattered.

He believed effort existed.

Then another headline came—

Another paper leaked.

Another exam cancelled.

Another future weakened.

Within a few hours,

Barricades filled the streets.

Police stood everywhere.

Every road faced restrictions.

The system moved so quickly.

The response came so fast.

As if asking questions

Was the real threat at last.

The question isn't

Why students protest.

The question is—

Why scandals pass every test.

The question isn't

Why roads get blocked overnight.

The question is—

Why leaks survive despite the spotlight.

An exam wasn't lost.

A year wasn't delayed.

Trust was broken.

Faith was betrayed.

We don't want conflict.

We don't want applause.

We simply want to know—

Where was this urgency before?