Tag: memories

hide & seek

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the affinity is strong with a few
usually those aged, and convoluted
many secrets tucked away neatly
some stories told, shaped
a handful are welcoming

one such lived at the end of the road

almost unassuming from the outside
entirely unalike most museums, most homes
like a good book waiting patiently
just for you to turn its pages
and, find

dreams you didn’t know you had

perforated corridor walls
little courtyards between rooms
awash with an earthy pink
punctuated by lines of white
pale sea greens and faded lilac

occasionally teasing the air

trailing those cool floors
getting lost in those passageways
discovering a history, and wondering
about hidden yarn, i knew i could
stay forever and never meet

the end of narrow staircases

Damn Koka

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‘Bhoot xupa ahili!’
(You ghosts have arrived)
His usual greeting, as
he peered out from under
the pile of blankets
come winter, come summer

Small in stature,
hairless as a newborn
almost harmless, you’d think
especially after you see
that charming smile,
those twinkling eyes.

He was known by many names
Damn Koka, a favourite
among the extended family
after his signature, the
reverberating, unforgettable
Damn Kahakar!

‘Angry Young Man’ was called he,
by editors of local newspapers
either patronizing, or envious
lauding praise upon praise.
After all, how often do you meet
an 80-year-old marathon runner,

who when not terrorizing
his innumerable family members,
proudly ploughed
through the city’s dirt
capturing and cataloguing
its eventual downfall

His anger, legendary
tiffs with wife of over 60 years
a daily occurrence, despite
his jovial nature they said
you could fry an egg clean
oh his shiny, bald head.

B’s pekoe

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twenty-five chickens
fed a hundred people
twenty-five chickens
and two men on a rickshaw
pull into silpukhuri

the rolls could easily
beat calcutta’s nizam’s
and there was nothing
like the mutton singras
that was her specialty

every thing
had to meet Kaka’s exacting
impeccable standards,
(including this poem)


then, when you could’ve
try the afghan paratha
it’s secret is minced meat
another one of b’s tricks
something else she brought

for the people of 1976 gauhati
a pioneer of fast food,
innovation and creativity
no wonder the little tea retail centre
grew to be the beloved,

ever-memorable b’s pekoe.
four children and two parents
together, now a community of
strangers, familiars,
forever sharing a lost space.