By: Snigdha Agrawal

Moving: Simple because they can

I asked Ma
for a TV of my own,
to watch
Wimbledon reruns,
Netflix movies for teens.
anything…just anything
to prevent from joining
communal watching
in the living room
with family
simply coz.
our tastes collide too often
but I saw her face stiffen
before she even spoke
that look which said
absolutely not
and I could almost read
her thoughts in cursive handwriting
An enabling act.
One more excuse
for her to disappear into herself.

never mind.
I know the tricks
of manipulation
…skip meals at the table,
…clang the drums loud enough
…bruising high-octane conversations,
…with guests visiting
making this house feel
the weight of my sulking

it worked before.
it will work again.
and honestly,
I don’t even care about the FIFA matches
I want the Discovery Channel
oceans, deserts, migrating wolves,
roads curling around mountains,
tribes crossing frozen rivers,
anything which keeps moving
simply because they can

Life’s Contradictions

right across my window
an election rally swells,
loudspeakers blaring impossible promises,
feet lifting in dhamaal rhythms,
dust learning to dance,
celebrating triumph.

just behind…
a funeral procession
waits
with measured patience
outside the crematorium gates,
bearing a loved one
towards fire,
towards release.

the air thickens…
with smells of withered marigolds,
tuberose,
sweetness of sandalwood paste,
infused with sulphurous smoke

and for a moment
the living and the dead
move in the same procession
one seeking power,
the other peace,
while the drums continue,
drowning the difference.

Dhamaal – high-energy, fast-paced drumming

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Snigdha Agrawal is a septuagenarian writer with five published books, including Fragments of Time, her deeply personal memoir. A lifelong lover of storytelling, she seamlessly blends fact and fiction, guided by a keen eye for detail and emotion. Her works span diverse genres, reflecting her rich experiences and insightful observations.