RichiPedia

For the first time in 23 years, I’m away from home on Diwali Thousands of miles away From the lights that adorn my home The marigold flowers that are suddenly more valuable than ever  So far away from the hustle-bustle in markets Away from that mild chill in the air that signals approaching winter Away from the constant chatter of nosy relatives From the madness in the streets So far away from the cheer of this season’s parties From the warmth of hugs and laughter Thousands of miles away from the thousands of calories I’d be happily taking in This Diwali, I’m so far away from my family From my home So far away that, The only lights I have are the ones on my study table The only hustle I know of is me carrying the weight of my groceries So far away that, The chilly winds here make Delhi weather seem like summer The only chatter I’m going to hear is the one in my dorm hallways The only form of madness I see is in the race for a job So far...

An eerie quietness fills the room   Something doesn't seem right today He is waiting for me in bed I slip into the blanket that covers his body I tell him that he needs to be well He doesn't listen to me I am yearning to hear him speak He doesn't talk much I am waiting for his words of wisdom He hardly even says anything I remind him of his strength  His body is weak  I feed him naan khatai and imarti each day He is thinning by the day I bring him his favourite food He doesn't eat two square meals in a day I cook him his favourite mutton biryani He can't eat two square meals in a day I bring him filter coffee from the nukkad of the street He can hardly even drink water  I ask him if he'd like to dance with me He can't stand on his two feet  I try to put him to sleep His eyes are tired of being shut  I stay quiet for a few minutes  He reaches for my hand I can't stop the tears from running do...