MARY MAGDELINE

Night.
With pounding heart
like that of drum-beats
with butterflies in her belly
while all inmates
whether asleep or not
or deeply immersed in thoughts
heaving deep sighs over their
accursed fate
that of getting crushed
under the weights of
nameless persons
since years
she sat on the cosy
bed
dressed up for the occasion
inside the four screens
frequently running her
eyes in her watch
in the dim-light.
Seemed to her
her watch like
a lazy student
is ticking slow
each second ticking by
like an era
with anxiety burning in her eyes
like embers
for his promised arrival
to lead her to
man-wife relationship
atlast
unburdening the weight of
a sin-stained past
and
emerging pure from sins
after dipping in the Ganges.
Time ticked slow.
Still sleep evaded her
her eyes still wide
and bright
but no sign of him
got up from the bed,
looked around,
none around,
she moved to the front
door stealthily like a cat.
Heard she the footsteps of
Somebody nearing her
from behind and
within a split-second
an iron-hand
caught hold of her
gagged her
lifted her
threw her out
down the window
from a multi-storeyed building
into the urban ghetto
ending in a heavy thud.