The Black Tie

“Ranjani! I can’t find the black tie.”

Ranjani groaned. “Did you check your tie drawer?”

“I obviously checked my tie drawer. Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“Yes,” she said under her breath, as she got up from the sofa. “Couldn’t you wear any other tie?”

“Why? What did you do with that one?”

“Why would I do anything to your tie?” She entered their bedroom to find him wearing his coffee coloured shirt and an annoyed expression.

“Then where is it?”

Ranjani shook her head and started looking through his wardrobe. “You literally have seventeen ties here.”

“And yet, none of them is black!”

“Here it is. How did it reach this drawer?”

“Maybe you put it in the wrong drawer!”

Ranjani glared at him as she helped him with it. “Maybe you don’t realise this doesn’t go with your shirt!”

“This is my favourite tie! I believe it helped me win you over, fifty years back.”

A faint smile played on her lips as she walked back.

“You loved me more back then.”

“I love you the same.”

“We used to talk much more,” he muttered, slipping his glasses under his pillow.

“Ranjani, have you seen my glasses?”

Our time

No, don’t make me smile

My eyes shouldn’t get used

To crinkling like that

Etched permanently

Dim lights

Chocolate

And the wind

Whispering in my ear

Will remind me

Of our time

No, don’t point it at me

I’ll be the same tomorrow

But that violet sky

Disappearing

Slow

Heavy with remorse

Will remind me

Of our time

No, don’t come so close

I suffocate

In the air around

Denser than that chilli mud pie

Gasping

For one sweet breath

One kiss of life

Will remind me

Of our time

No, don’t look at me like that

Those gorgeous eyes

Staring into my soul

Getting lost

In that deep black abyss

Tumbling down

Into the dark infinity

Until I’m no one

Will remind me too much

Of our time

Rains

It starts out slow
Dripping through the skies
And then it grows,
Spreads lazily like most things around
Except for fire
And clicking tongues
The Sun hides behind the clouds
As if he’s ashamed to see us
Doused with grief
Rains bring out the worst in us.

A helpless doe
Peers around with frightened eyes
At a blur of colours
Feet skitter, splatter and smiles drown
Pure ire
And cocked guns
Go off in the bitter crowds
And falls, thus,
The last leaf
Rains bring out the worst in us

Quid pro quo
The cunning demon devised
To sell my soul
To bog the downpour down
Liar
As water fills lungs
A sudden roar amidst the chanting sounds
Flaming eyes
And wiry hands help me up
My heart chokes with relief
You saved me from the rains
That bring out the worst in us.

LDR

Long distance relationship.

It’s hard.
Especially when he’s asleep,
And you’re awake.
You try to let time pass by you

You watch as time slows down,

On purpose

And snickers at your torment.

It’s hard when

The street corner phoolwala

Has a fresh bunch of red roses

Dressed up in sparkling dust.

The smell reminding you of the first time

He nervously gave you one

And ran away

Before you could smile.

It’s hard when

You pass his favourite chaat stall

Where he had once beaten you

In the pani puri challenge

And you couldn’t stop giggling

Through all the puris in your mouth.

You crave for one now,

But you just turn your back

And walk away.

It’s hard when

Your song is on the radio

And you can’t decide what you want more –

To sing along till the end,

Remembering the time you danced to it

Laughing, in his arms,

Or to just make it stop

And go hide the radio in the basement

Like everything else.

It’s hard when

Every knock on the door

Makes you jump up

And you rush to open it

Thinking he’s home again

Only to realise it’s just the mail

And he had left

Years ago.

It’s hard when

Every time you wish to see him

You have to travel

Back in time

To when he was awake,

When he hadn’t left you

For the dark,

When you were the reason

For his beautiful smile,

When he loved you

More than anything in this world,

Those moments

Are worth the distance

When you finally meet him

In your dreams…