The monthly review

--


I am in a meeting.
It started “on time”
2 hours late.
It’s 1:30
by my watch,
I can hear the buzz
in the cafeteria next door
and feel the rats in my stomach
singing their ceremonial
“We are the Vermins” jingle.

The guy next to me
is talking about some
improving economy
and the rats in my stomach
are dying of food scarcity.

They served biscuits;
some creamy, others with holes,
some sweet, others salty,
there are also ‘diet’ ones
for the diabetic big boss
sitting across.
No working-lunch,
“cost-cutting”, they said.

Left-over biscuits
are looking at me
with drooly eyes
waiting for their turn.
“Relax! My friends,
My stomach is not your destiny."

I have had enough of them.

The little devil on my nose
is hovering out to the next door-
“It’s Chole today”. He whispered.
Chole??!!
I slump lower into my chair
and look up to the boardroom
ceiling looking for God.
“I love your timing Buddy!,
But have mercy on the rats”.

The guy now is talking
about some new product
he claims to have designed.
And I see a fleet of Choles
sneaking from under the door.
Choles, with little white wings,
are fluttering around me
in a beautiful symphony.
They look blue in the projector light.
“They took ballet lessons”, says my devil.
Did they just wink at me??!

The biscuits are now insecure;
They are moving closer to me
claiming their right of first refusal
to enter my mouth
“You don’t have any rights,
You are Biscuits!!”
The empty tea-cup in the corner
is having a laugh.
Grr…Chinese!!

Now the rats are revolting.
I hear there’s been a mutiny-
The ex-captain is being
used for a canon ball.
The old loyalists are dead and
he is crying for help.
I hear they were preaching patience.

Markets improving, Biscuits crying,
Competition gaining, Chole flying,
Sales losing, Tea-cup laughing,
People quitting, Devil winking,
“Ms. J,…Ms. J,… Ms. J…”
"Yes,.. yes Mr. K?"
“What do you think?”
“I,…I think we should first consider the implications of blah blah blah……more blah blah blah…….zzzzzzz……”


--

Of food, wrong turns, and discoveries...

--

“Give me a motivation to get up.”

“Don’t start the day thinking like that.”

--That’s how the day started.


“This is one of those days we will look back to 5 years from now and wish we could have it just one more time.”

“(sigh)Yeah.”

--That’s how it ended.



And in between…


A sea-side breakfast; watermelon, eggs, and waffles with maple syrup.
A home-made lunch; Aloo-Mutter, Patta Gobhi, and steaming rice.
An awesome movie; French food, women, and more food.
A long ride southwards; an afternoon wind, October sun, and Sunday roads.
A traffic constable; some haggling, a small bribe, and a guilt-ridden gesture.
A holy shrine; peacock feathers, myriad mirrors, and a religious crowd.
A search for a banyan tree; a wrong turn, new roads, and a city discovered.
A park on reclaimed land; a winter sunset, crimson sea, and reflective silhouettes.
Another wrong turn; winding roads, narrow streets, and another discovery.
A holy tank; temple bells, gaggles of geese, and an urban-village life.
An orgasmic dinner; Vatana Vada, Biscuit-Bakhri, and finger-licking Khichdi.
A reluctant ride back; city lights, a full moon, and truck-driver songs.
And conversations all along.



Happy!



--

Under a new moon

--

We were holding hands,
walking-
feeling the sand between our toes,
the waves-
helping our silence.

Our pasts-
were coming back;
infringing,
threatening,
changing what we had.

I felt your hand tighten.

I ran-
splashing water,
you; close behind-
picked me up and spun me around;
darkness twirled around me.

I pushed my thoughts
into that nothingness,
and our laughter
rhymed with the waves.

You put me down
and touched my smile.
Standing by the sea-
we hugged-
looking into the night.

We hugged-
under a new moon.

The past can wait.


--

Airport

--

I stand waiting.
feet-
restless
eyes-
searching
beyond the sliding doors-
looking through strange faces
asking
wondering
"what’s their story?"

a silhouette-
in the distance
familiar
like home

a smile-
shared
recognized

arms extended

an embrace

"you are here!"

--

zard manzar

--

hum wahshat, zameen. par gire
un tukkdon. ko dekh rahe the;
tabhee ek sili see hawaa ka jhon.kaa
ek peele patte ko apne saath lekar aayaa

woh patta aakar un tukdon. par kuchh
is taraah se giraah, be sakhtah kaan.ch ke
woh saare tukkde peele lagne lage.
woh hawaa kaa jhon.kaa jaate hue
khidki ko yun. halke se hilaa kar gayaa
jaise koi dulhan, apne khiyaaban. ko
ek aakhir baar mudkar alwidaah kah rahee ho.

phir uss khuli khidki se aftaab ki kirne
un zard tukkdon. me yoon. gul gayeen.
jaise hamare wahshat ko mitaane
peele kapdon. me koi dulhan hee aayee ho.


--

We went to Town

--

We took the 2.41 train to CST. You went in the general and I in the ladies'. You were 3 compartments behind mine. You stood at the door and so did I. The train took a left curve and I turned to look behind. I knew I would see you standing there. And I knew you didn't like my standing there. You always cared. You were brushing your hair. You always did.

I smiled at you and you smiled back. We looked at each other for a while longer till the train straightened again. We got down and I waited for you to walk three compartment lengths. I saw you through the strange faces and saw your eyes searching for me. You spotted me and your hands went to your hair again.

You came close and patted my back. You always did that. I smiled and winked. I always did that. We came out and caught a cab to Regal. I don't remember which movie we went to. I don't remember if we even went to a movie. I remember walking on the footpath outside the Wales museum. And stopping by the guys that make pencil portraits. I wanted to get one. You wanted me to get one. You patted and I winked.

I took my place. I wanted to keep my cap on. You thought that was crazy. But that's why you liked me. I sat there looking at nothing. You stood in front of me behind the artist. You kept smiling. Passers by got interested. We had a crowd around us. You liked the attention I was getting and I liked the look on your face. You paid for the sketch. You loved the sketch. I thought I looked better.

We went to the Wales museum. You didn't like that we had to leave our phones at the security. You frowned at the stupidity. I smiled at your temper. I don't remember much of what we saw. I only remember we enjoyed ourselves. We laughed a lot. We went to the Jehangir art gallery. We loved some of the paintings. We were uninitiated about the rest. We had opinions though.

I don't remember much of after that. Movie? Play? Dinner? I don't remember. I remember taking the train back. This time in the same compartment. This time we sat. I took the window seat. I always did. You came all the way home to drop me. You always did. I sometimes didn't like it. You knew it. But you always did. You always cared.

I was tired. I didn't sleep. I waited for you to reach home and call me. You called. We wouldn't hang up.

You waited till I fell asleep. You always did.


--