Staged

Those nimble feet, those slender arms

With a breathing bundle cosily wrapped in the waist

It does not matter who stretches that begging hand

With a fake grimace on a sweat-soiled face.

The headlights flash, the horns blow impatiently

ID cards tugged flash carelessly

I-pods deafened ears, radio and MP3

Dusty footwear and grazed feet.

The payal does a peek-a-boo

The jasmine bravely looks her freshest until now

Perfumes drowned in the pollution,

One waits for the signal to go green.

The geek in the front seat watches re-runs of some household American sitcom

Sigh! We are so wannabe Americans in thought, action and attitude

Even though, we claim we are desi

And all we do is mind other’s business.

The tramp forgot to beg, the driver forgot to watch the signal

The geek forgot to laugh quietly on ear/head phones

One forgot to mind their business

Humanity forgot to see, they just stare.

The clock struck eight and the signal goes green.

The beggar moves on, the laughs stopped

No life lost, no limb broken

Only limbo crashed, some animation on a thinkpad.

Smiles