Thursday, February 21, 2013

THE SHADE


There were moments galore
in her life
whenever he was by her side.
Like a protective covering
she used to recall a
giant banyan tree
in front of her street-side house
on the other side of the street.
The banyan tree,
a large green umbrella
provided shade to
lots of pedestrians and villagers alike
who in the course of a tedious journey
used to take rest in the shade of the umbrella
to escape from the searing sun raining fire from above.
It was her hobby, watching them
through the window sills
right from her childhood, teens
and a part of her youth
thinking over the great relief
provided to them
by the mammoth umbrella.
Lying by his side in the thick of nights
she lay sleepless, while he got drowned
in deep slumber, recalling the picture of the
giant green umbrella
far away in her native village
did reflect in the mirror of her mind frequently
which is a museum of
bountiful memories.
The feelings of love, care
and protection provided
by him overwhelmed her
with joy and like a dancing
enchantress enthralling a large audience
she lay rejoiced with her hand around him.  
Now that he is
far, far away from her
she feels like a
lady left alone in a desert
under the burning sun.
And though the giant
umbrella - the banyan
tree which stood with its head held high
with pride and delight
already disappeared
from in front of her street-side home
which was uprooted
in the name of infrastructure development in later years
which she happened to
learn from the letters reaching
her from her siblings
once in a while.
The picture of the banyan
tree still appears before her
like an uninvited guest
making her weep like a baby
in her moments of solitude.
He, the banyan tree
of her life once
who provided her love,
care and protective covering
often appears in her dreams
and consoles her
with a beaming smile:
‘I am with
you. Don’t worry ,dear’.
The dreams always makes her
cry with tears pouring
down her cheeks….      
   

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