Edited by: Maitree Jain
It is so hard for people to believe
That I was once like those shy little girls
Oh, I used to be so naive,
I was happy with my ribbons and fake pearls!
But then that shiny coat caught my eye
And it was love at first sight!
For this, a few puppies had to die
But, really, that’s quite all right!
The line between wrong and right blurs
Inevitably so, to satiate ambition!
[Horace! Jasper! Where are my furs?!]
I really love being a menacing imposition.
They call me narcissistic
They call me vicious
Apparently, my views are antagonistic!
Truth is, they just aren’t ambitious.
They have repressed that part of them
The part of them that glowed
They’re lucky they found me to condemn
Otherwise, they’d be left exposed.
Because we all hear that tiny voice
Telling us we can do so much more
I was strong enough to make the right choice
Thank cruelty, at least I’m not a bore!
My tormentors are shadows
Of what they could’ve been
Their life plateaued
At the age of seventeen
So you – yes, you!
Hear me out, and then you see!
I’ll tell you a story true,
You’ll be glad you listened, I guarantee!
I am Cruella de Vil, the one and only
Even in the heights of fame, I felt lonely
But one companion never left my side,
It is her – Ambition personified.
Here it is – the tragedy that is my life. I know what you all call me – a ruthless, murderous villain. I’ve always hated that word though – V I L L A I N.
Anti–Hero sounds so much better, don’t you think? As Taylor Swift (Yes, I listen to her music religiously) sang in her new song ‘Anti-Hero’ – I’m a monster on the hill. I never truly fit in with my peers (out of no fault of my own, of course). They were all just so ordinary, happily going about their mundane lives. They had the means to do anything they wanted, but chose this humdrum existence instead! And I – oh, here is the tragedy! I had a vivid imagination, a strong sense of self expression, but not the means to make my dreams come true! And so, just like that, I was stuck with all those prosaic minds!
And then, one day, just like that – my life changed. Ambition, in all her glory, knocked on my door. She visits everyone at least once in their life but rarely do people welcome her with open arms. I did that, though. In fact, in doing so itself, I became extraordinary. I worked day and night, and as for Ambition? She became my guiding light. So yes, I am a bit mean, selfish too. But so what? Yes, I skinned a few Dalmatians here and there, but so what? Leave me and my “vices” alone. Oh, if only you would touch my spotted fur! So soft, so luxurious! Worth every penny, and every dalmatian!
So, what have you learned today?
Okay, I won’t make you guess.
Keep your inhibitions at bay
And climb that ladder to success
And then what to do with that success?
Maybe you’ll solve the world’s problems.
Maybe you’ll create some.
I sometimes wish I had done the former
But anyway, it’s too late for me.
Go find your own niche, evil or not.
All I want you to take away from me is this,
Forget the word ‘cannot’
And take the plunge!
Maybe you’ll end up being revered
Maybe you’ll become an anti-hero like me.
But if you never do anything
You’ll never be anything.
Whatever I have done in my life, I have owned up to. I have lived quite the life, truly. And do you know how?
By being the Anti-Hero I was born to be.
Because I am Cruella, uninhibited and ambitious.