Unlike the hustle & bustle of the evenings,

The neighborhood shopping arcade was deserted that day, 

In the midst of the darkness all around,

Only shops selling medicines sparkled,

Like the brightest star in the night sky,

As they did brisk business of lifesaving merchandise,

Akin to that of fire crackers on Diwali

Or vibrant colors on Holi……..

The shops of essential eatables,

During the so called ‘COVID curfew’,

In my beloved Dilli, as it bears the brunt of the pandemic,

Attract strays with large, innocent eyes, to satiate their hunger,

Asking for morsels of food,

From shoppers shrouded in stress and despair,

As they walk around hurriedly, whispering in hushed tones, …….

In the largely empty spaces of the complex,

The unbridled laughter of street urchins’ echo many times over,

Who, ignoring the desolation unfolding all around, perform their antics,

Celebrating life, as if there were to be no tomorrow,

Joy writ large on their emaciated faces,

Their lithe, though semi-naked, undernourished bodies……….

I mock at my impotence,

Just when a desire blossoms within, like a captivating lotus,

To give up everything, forget everything, and join them,

In their jamboree of happiness and gaiety,

In their crazy dance of camaraderie and friendship,

Bolstered by an unknown, unseen optimism and faith,

As they rejoice in the magic of the moment, which the present ‘presents’,

Neither commiserating in the sadness of the times,

Nor waiting for a better tomorrow…….…….