My bed is an island
And I, its sole inhabitant
It used to be a coven once
Long long ago
When I used to lay with you
Tangled,  like the headphones you kept misplacing
But now it's almost bare even though
I've placed a thousand fluffy pillows
(just the kind you hated)
And I go to sleep knowing that
Nobody else can get in
Cuz I'm on a freaking island of my own
Isolated even from isolation.

The Whirring of the fan in the dark
As I lay on the cotton sheet
Sleep eluding me, perspiration finding me
This blasted Delhi heat

In the burning orange of the noon
The rickshaw tires play with the dust
And all is silent like a black n white film
It's just screaming in the color of rust

Neem trees, dried leaves
And the buzzing of the evening flies
Time to chase the ice lollies vendor
As the temple bell tolls by

Along comes the night again
Heaving and spewing, choking on fiery stars
Already restless for the next season
Oh why are Delhi winters so far

As I watch her sleep
The moonlight seeps in from the window
And caresses her skin gently, just like I wish I could
Her eyelids flutter, chasing another dream
Causing her eyelashes to touch her cheek and go
Her chest rises and falls, so calm
Unaware of all the world's filth, her innocence hugs her like a white nightgown
She purses and moves her lips in silent speech
Those two rose petals that would be any gardeners delight
And when I say her name Even the sound floats like a feather
And lands softly on her ears
Only to roll off of them as she sleeps
and I keep on staring at my dream as she dreams away

My edges got singed
Like the crisp paper charred
That sizzling noise
Sounded oddly like your voice
And the blackening is spreading
Like a slow poison
Ugly red blue flames licking at my skin;
The skin that used to sing at your touch
Or like a snake's parted tongue
Darting in and out, in and out
Slowly over my wounds
Lovingly licking venom over
The pained oozing blood

*I am singed
You set me on fire
And honey, it's not even the good kind

And then I realised what the problem was
You made me feel
You made me feel too much
And honey that's where it went wrong
Girls like me don't want love
They're too scared, too ****** up
You were like a Tsunami, drenching me
When I didn't even want to go to the **** beach
And so I ran, screaming, burning my lungs
You were too you
While I was barely me
So just take me dancing babe
Take my hand and
Then leave me stranded
It's so romantic.

When the day was dying
I was back to the market.

The last time I was there
haggled with her over the price.

She wanted to sell high
I wanted to buy low.

You win she said at last
I bought high
but have to sell low.

I knew she was lying.

This time she wasn't there.

Someone said
her man had left for another woman
and she hadn't since been seen.

The deepening evening hung like a dagger of pain.

She was never good at bargain.