On a cold, winter night,

In my beloved Delhi,

Peppered with some scotch,

Cocooned under layers of woolens,

Sprawled in the cozy comfort of my bed,

I browsed through my favorite author’s latest bestseller,

Even as my best half watched the next episode of a show on OTT….

Slowly, ever so slowly, I slipped into a deep slumber…….

Next morning, as the Sun struggled to rise from the eastern horizon,

I also decided to stay put,

In the comfort of my blanket,

My entire being full of warmth, satisfaction & gratitude,

As I savored the aroma of the hot tea, which only my wife can brew………

Instinctively, I unfolded the newspaper,

Only to be hit by the banner lines,

With the might of a sledgehammer…….

‘350 dead in the intense cold wave sweeping North India’

‘No night shelter for homeless in Delhi’

‘Five killed in fog related accident on NH65’

’35 dead in train collision due to fog’

The not so enthusing information, that too at the start of the day,

Seemed as a precursor for the times to come,

I thanked my spiritual masters for their abundant blessings,

And sought the uplift of the less privileged………

But definitely, turned off by what I had just read,

Planned the Great Escape,

And on the sly, dropped the headlines page,

To pick up the entertainment section,

And become a part of the bold- and sometimes- not so beautiful people…..