Indian summer

Vidushi Bhardwaj

I had never been a fan
of the sultry indian summer
Until I met you

I despised the scorching heat
Sweaty armpits , reeking damp bodies
huddled in buses , water bottles clutched tightly
To their chests ,like a baby to a mother
Children coming back from schools
Drained ,distressed , beat
And a collective sigh of relief
When a friendless air cooler was switched on

I could feel the agony of the street vendors
Frantically fanning themselves with newspapers
Women complaining about the prices
And wiping their foreheads with saree pallus
Stray dogs lying limp with their tongues out
And a beggar's child lying in the same position
Alongside .

And then , you entered my life
Like a king of fruits , mango does
In this sweltering heat
Spreading momentary but prominent cheer

Talking to you felt like
Biting into a rose flavoured ice gola
Or like
devouring a raw mango slice dipped in rock salt
It's juice ,coating my tongue …

Looking into your eyes felt like
A cool breeze ,caressing me
Or like a scent of musk rose
Enveloping me whole

When you held my hand for the first time
I could feel like somebody had dunked me
Into a tall ,rose tinted bottle of rooh-afza
And as if the teacher had announced
The summer vacations in school

Hearing you laugh
Felt like a cool shower in the evenings
And a chilled glass of lemonade
Made by mum

And when you hugged me
It was like a mamma sparrow
Returning to her nest ,at dusk
I felt the winter in my heart
Melting …
My summer had finally arrived