Talking to my mom.
Over a video call.
Chatting about spices and food.
And my expedition on discovering new food stalls.
At a sudden, in the middle of the call,

We both started dreaming of eating pakoras
In our old home's hall.
We remembered that day — a day of our daily chores —
When we got a visit, sudden, from our relatives loved by all.
We sat in a similar setting,
Like we do on festives —
Some on sofa, some on chairs borrowed from our neighbours who just came from a wedding.
We all greeted each other, embarrassingly happy to receive those gifts.

Anxious but with a speed of light,
Mom went to kitchen and started the festival of a besan's savory delight.
She wrapped all the vegetables she bought for dinner
With the spicy yellow coat.
Fried them in wok where oils danced, praising the deity of fire.
Praising my mom for this ingenious delicacy,
The guests started to pick the pakoras served on their silverware —
Yes, the one — sacred and rare.
All my cousins started devouring pakoras plate on
plate,
Making my mother more anxious — how to cook and serve at this pacing rate.
And her eyes keenly watched the bottle of depleting tomato sauce and a bowl — half-finished, freshly made — pudina chutney.

Suddenly, our Sunday turned back to Monday.
Since,
To her rescue, Dad bought pakoras from our local shop.
Varieties were similar, same as served as early —
Onion, potato, mirchi — served with a differently styled red tamarind chutney.
I am in grave danger adding this line in the end,
For I can be receiving a flying chappal from a distance.
Legends say — always skip saying "they were delicious" in front of Mom if you can (Dad, himself, said it).
A well-fed holiday.
And that's how we celebrated the festival of pakoras
Which our stomach felt reverend.

Sometimes my heart writes.
And yes, sometimes it's my brain.
They both write on a paper—creased and plain.
I have no control
Over the logic I unknowingly challenge,
Or the fleetings that leave me emotionally stained.
Conflicts and peace—
Both try to corner each other
In an effort to weave a lovely piece.

Betting chances—
Will it be might over disdain,
Or will create something so lame,
I'll only die with shame.
My nerves are paining in this wistful fight.
They both pen what they feel is right.
Hands, erasing and rewriting verses all the time.
Will I ever be able to complete this endless rhyme?
Stop scuffling with my thoughts—
Just for one single time.

Holding bags of varied items
I stand in a street—thin.
Flea, but not free,
A place where dreams are sold for a fee.
Watching—negotiations of a lifetime,
Sweat and effort, all in a fading line.
A market where kindness is weighed,
And in return, greed is paid.
Humility and humanity are just low-quality commodities.
I stand in a street—thin.
Love has lost its chances;
It cannot win.
Hatred is the ruler,
Taxing your thick and thin.
It's different from the market of my idealism—
When my finger used to hold a hand,
Without fear and away from this nervous tree.
When letting your heart fly freely
Was an honored deal.
I stand in the market,
As a mannequin—useless,
Bought and sold in ways—pointless.
When will this trade of lives end,
And real shoppers return to sight?
I want to stand in a street—thin,
Flea and free,
Where love and art are traded in a harmonious deal.

Why moon ?
Why you talk to me ?
Is that some fairies' order.
To converse with slave of time.
You play this interlude on the wind chime.
Looting my soul away- the unwarranted crime
Why you make me wander in whims and fancies?
Oh! Now I hear a chorus from that garden of pansies.
Why you make me watch beyond these lenses?

Raising tides! That's the job.
Why you raise my hopes, are you a snob?
These dreams will get shattered by realism's chop.
There comes a cloud vouching your words.
Letting me hear, what's uptil now remained unheard.
Rustling leaves on that tree mock my vision.
My ears blame you.
You penned those lyrics
Unblurring the vision-
Which this canary, now sings along.
My heart knows to play this song
Can't stop my fingers to string along
The whimsical,  legendary
magical moon song.

A deep dive in an ocean alive,
which hugs swimmers sweeping up the waves
— a water tribe.
Fishes, eels, and creatures massive.
Today, ocean is calm and not the usual—aggressive.
Looks like it has found the leisure within.
A real possession, delectable and obsessive.
Today, it reflects the sunglade like a golden rim.
A photograph rare,
capturing pinnacles fair—
translucent and regressive.

Honking house of light,
asking boats to row towards the right.
Did they find something stormy?
Oh! Now, watching this discomfort, my heart felt a bit light.
Strange, isn't it?
Is chaos his new delight?
Not even knowing about the rough,
without gauging his beats on my nerves,
he started pumping the adrenaline rush.

It was a whale—bigger in size.
I said to my heart,
“You are not a character of Moby ****
or Captain Hook.
Nothing would happen, don't try that tiny knife.”
The whale then took a jump high,
diving back from that serene sky—
back to the discomfort, taking a sigh.
Stupid heart, please don't even try.

I asked a golden leaf — a leaf old —
"How did you get this colour?"
Sarcastic leaf said,
"The same way you get your hair grey.
I am also stuck on this Earth like you,
Living a life — bittersweet."

Taking essence of that sarcastic tone,
I murmured to myself,
"Ami, bro!! Better, let's run away.
Let's take a leave."

The moment I put my step away,
Leaf said in a sly manner, "Hey, stay!
If you want to hear my story,
Sit near me on that boulder."
I sat over that stone, shrugging my shoulder.
And he started his story with that ancient line —
"Once upon a time!"
Once upon a time, there was a guy with a book with cover of colour — wine.
With this sentence, I got a frown on my crown.
I interrupted him in between and said, "I found resemblance with that described being."
"It's you," said the leaf.
In a disgusted tone now I said, "Thank you for the brief."
The leaf replied with a grin smile, "I know why you are wasting me-time.
You are waiting, longing for someone from a long time.
I don't know but why?
Oh! That cupid's design.
Adding to this further note."
He blessed that I will meet that someone soon.
I can have his note.
In this conversation, this is the first time we both smiled.
Since then, I visit that leaf and we repeat this nonsense garbage
All the time.

Even when no one on earth
wishes us together—
still, I will stand by you.
Facing the scorching sun,
without the aid of shade—
just a greenish feather.

I adore your might,
your lenses, and your sight.
However—what's on the façade?
Don't bring the cat out of the bag.
There is no need to be shy.
Let the world think they can defy
what we suffice with:
capabilities, resonance, and affection.
Like true pathfinders,
let's take that action.

Perplexed and astonished—
conjuring both of our minds.
Doubts and fears
are there too,
moving us out of the line.
Shed the scare.
Let's brim through the darkness,
out of the lair.

The path forward is something
you’ll never know until you walk on.
With a mightier pen in hand—
and no swords—
we challenge, we fight,
despite the odds.