India – The Woman I Pretend To Be

Not one not two- there stood a queue never-ending
Each one splendid with joy
Holding a spot for the friend beloved-
For a gathering dressed down- a little too rugged
Ushering the loved ones gleaming with joy
What was the occasion! I could only wonder as a passerby.

Curiosity led me to the front of the line
Whilst I heard the intense remarks of a day being gracious
Oh to my surprise! It was a celebration
Oh to my dismay! An ill served meal was the occasion .
Hungry stomachs and tired hearts were being fed
But what happens to the day that comes next?

Coins scarcely managed for a day of survival
Shall now be kept aside for a daughter’s dowry dragged till the law-approved age
Or even better saved for a son’s education
Empowering him to work at a humble position in an office barely fancy-
An upgrade worth aspiring from the startling slums!
With dreams being fuelled- indeed, the meal was scrumptious.

Oh no! This isn’t a sight the artists would paint pretty
But the one the poets would run away from in search of peace
Yet the writers would love to stumble upon the chaos-
For the “rush” that inspires an early mid-life crisis or a moral turmoil once in a while.
I might speak otherwise, but the city- it has my heart;
Born here- you’ll never realise the difference
Travel a step or two: within this city you’ll come across abundant hues.
The roads here are always rushing
The streets crave for pin drop silence-
Alas! All they accomplish is pitch dark corners;
Harbouring a new crime or conning a judge for an event soon to be deemed “historic”.
History here once was a matter of gallantry and pride-
Memoirs of war heroes; battles- now merely “narrated scars”,
Monuments standing tall and wide; Crossroads named after idols who once had a future bright
But how come the present is dusted with a “phenomenon” called smog?
Is it a roof over head for those who are “forced” to sleep beneath the stars on the umpteen footpaths?
Men and women torturing each other inside homes, keeping themselves vocal
But no one to raise a voice against the unjust!
Oh yes! Communities for festivities and fancy parties
But in times of hardship are we all alone?
I might speak otherwise, but does the city have my heart?

Tag: India

A Meal So Scrumptious

The Chronicles Of The City Called Delhi