The spell that you cast upon me
Slowly dies out like the flame you once ignited in my heart...
As I watch you moving away
Word by word...

-

I know not those landscapes
Neither your face that I see there...
but I know it was you again.
Did you sleep, last night?

Like forever, you swayed into the frames
Grinning from one ear to the other,
Pinching my cheek to annoy me
Adequate to make my nose twitch
You weren't alone though
But it was MY dream!
So I guess I was allowed to be there.

And just when I thought
I were on the brim of the dream
I extended my hand for you to hold...
To spill out into our reality with me
And like our forever, you abondoned me
And chose to stay behind
Perhaps until...
I don't let you sleep again some night.— % &

-

It's not a big deal. I've dealt with your ghosting before. The sound of you slamming the door on my face is loud and clear in my mind, even today. The nights that wept into my pillow, and the hopeless mornings that mourned about waking up to yet another day... Each hour distinct in my head, screams within my burning sides. So why did I let you do this to me again? Why did I ever think you would behave any different this time? Why do we forgive the ones that don't deserve it?

-

The Bookmark

He took out the bookmark and placed it on the page that she had fallen asleep on. The same bookmark that he had bought for her years ago, when he came across it while he shopped miles away from her. The same bookmark that he was hesitant to pull out from the paper bag that contained some more gifts for her. The same bookmark that she said will make her move back from her kindle to the physical books. The same bookmark that she safeguarded all these years even as it moved from one book to the other every second week. The same bookmark on which she had scribbled their names together when they read her first novel together. The same bookmark that she dried with her hair dryer when it had got drenched once upon a time when their daughter spilled her glass of water on it and got scolded for it.
He smiled and pulled out gently the glasses that were still on her eyes. He started to walk away when he felt her hold on his hand. He turned around and looked at her smiling back at him as she spoke, "Keep that book on the topmost shelf of that sideboard there... lest our grandson behaves like our daughter did sometime back. I don't have that dryer anymore."

-

The Proposal




The book that I had been reading wasn't half as entertaining as to what I saw when I looked behind. He stood there, bright in his orange pants and strummed his guitar vigorously in a failed attempt to play the tune. I laughed hysterically at the movie scene he had been trying to recreate.
He made every passing by head turn around as he screamed out his lungs after three repeated rounds of the rhythm-less strumming, "Marry me, Dia! You should know by now how much I love you. Who else would enact such a crazy Bollywood proposal?"
I got up from the bench and walked towards him still giggling uncontrollably. "Not done. It was supposed to be yellow pants!"
He sulked dramatically and spoke again, "But I played the tune well?"
I chuckled, "Oh yes! Even the original song wasn't this melodious."
After a brief round of laughter he slipped a ring onto my finger with the same amount of calmness as that of his loudness with which he had proposed. I didn't go back to the book. Our story had just begun.

-

My wings are him.

-

drown me in your
resplendent lust tonight
let your gaze stray,
like you've never before stared.
let me break out on you,
like an avalanche!

-

they block
my desires
with their
prejudices
and i move
towards the
clandestine

-

24th May 2027
Dear Sneha,
It's been 10 years now since you've been insanely in love with this awesome man. Does he love you with the same intensity as he did in 2017? Does he still read your mind within a few minutes of your disquiet? Does he still tell you after every few minutes that you're pretty? Does he still make you mad when he doesn't speak out his mind immediately when you confront his confusion? Does he still like everything you do? Does he still hold your hand and swing it unconsciously? Do his eyes still bring in the coffee time in the mornings?
I am sure you both have kept all of this alive. I'm sure your love has only grown in the last 10 years!
Keep loving him the way you do 'cos he's the best thing that's ever happened to you!

Love and luck,
Sneha of 2017

-

Jingle bells, Jingle bells,
Jingle all the way
Oh what fun it used to be
When life was young and gay!

Darkest lips I wore
And the blush would be all gold
All hairdos would take hours of mine
When the sun wasn't this old!
Flab would never show
In the skimpiest of outfits...
Wrinkles never jogged around
Nor were eyebags such misfits!
Hey!

Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way
Sprinkle golden dust on me
And keep aging at bay, hey!

-