Author: Zanha K.P

A solitary evening,
Sky felt depressing,
the sun seemed to run out of fumes,
Gave a warm orange tinge to the sky;
I skipped my evening walk to check-
If she was sitting in the courtyard,
but, No!
Mom reminded me that-
Grandma would be sitting here,
Preening her gunmetal grey hair;
On seeing me, she would scold me-
for not taking Shower early morning,
Her voice was weak and fragile at times, but-
had an angelic smile on her face,
Her eyes appeared milky when she was tired, but-
For most part would be gleaming with energy;
I have never seen her wearing shabby clothes on
Rather always clean and crisp,
Erratically, she was unsteady on her feet,
Ageing transfigured her skin,
It’s not soft anymore;
I went to the entrance of my house to check-
If there is light in her house which is few feets away,
But I can neither see any light nor hear any sound,
So I got out to check on her,
I started moving towards her home,
It’s getting darker,
I heard the wolves howling and-
hooting of an owl,
Strangely scaring me a bit,
I moved slowly not to hurt any tiny life-
Trying to survive,
The door was locked from outside,
I opened it with the key Grandma left by,
Gently without making noise,
I wander’d off by myself inside,
the tick tock of clock was too loud,
the bees buzzed outside the window
It was dusty and web everywhere inside,
I went into her room, sat gently on the bed,
I wrapped myself tightly in her blanket-
Regretting the days I let her live here alone,
Regretting the times I failed to spend with her,
Accepting the fate, there is no going back; but-
I’m relieved that she was around us-
In her last days,
Placing back her blanket,
Some papers under her bed-
caught my sight,
It was the postcards!
Some which-
I send her when I was in hostel,
neet and clean, carefully placed under her bed,
Some were written by her,
for she waited eagerly to send me, but, now-
She is gone,
I took all postcards with care but-
got wet with my tears, I said to myself:
‘I’ll keep them under my bed, so-
I can read-
What she left behind for me,
Every night, Before I sleep!’