DRIVE-IN-PARLOUR

POEM

Driving down a tarred road 

of an unknown village

enjoying the greenery all the way

he came across a board – ‘Drive in Parlour’

with an arrow painting

towards a building a few feet back

which seemed like  beckoning him.

Though a teetotaler since fifteen years

the scent of nostalgia overpowered him,

enveloped him

while recalling the days

he had spent with his close friends 

in several bars and toddy shops

got intoxicated and danced with them

singing aloud.

While on his way

to maturity and subsequent marriage

he decided to put a full-stop

to his wayward life.

But now after fifteen years

on his way through

the unfamiliar, beautiful

landscape of the village

which enthralled him, enchanted him  

a temptation took hold of him

to visit the ‘Drive-in-Parlour’.

True,

his conscience red-flagged him

but the temptation meant temptation

even Jesus had fallen a prey to it

thus wrote Kazantzakis.

He applied the break

and halted it in front of the Parlour.

Cars were parked in the parking space

must be owned by different

visitors to the Parlour and

the watchman led him to a convenient -

place to park his vehicle too.

After coming out

gifting a smile to the watchman

the smell of toddy, fish fry

fried chicken and beef fry….

welcomed him while  even before entering.

And inside he saw his friends

of yester years

who too had pledged to be teetotalers

enjoying merry moments

who were in high spirits

and they, upon seeing him

looked at each other

blushing……

‘Now that, I am caught with

my pants down

now than they too are caught

with their pants down

let me enjoy the maximum’ – he was talking to himself…….