Cascade of poems and Rivulets of fiction

She came into the world, On the day of full moon, Black curls falling on her forehead, Brightness of moon pales, Fairness incomparable, Long eyelashes border, The blue viscous of her eyes, Black eyeballs dance to see, The world; her abode to experience, Love, pain, joy, disappointment. Fulfilment; a complete circle in essence. Her mother is petrified, A girl child once again, His ultimatum hammers, Diktat she has to follow, To murder her Purnima, A day old new born, Whose eager lips, Waiting for sustenance, The fountain of milk, Dimpled smile make her weak, A prayer to the demon for mercy, Blood oozes out from her lips, Purple is her face, Crippled with fear, A turmoil so intense. Purnima is naked, Sleeping on a charpoi, Freezing night, Even the stars hide, Bereft of tears, Waiting for her death, Agony of helplessness, Disdain and in shame, A listless existence, Whirlpool of thoughts, Tired, tired are the eyes, Drifting into sleep, Near the in...

Photo credit: Sudip Bhattacharya I jump up high, Beyond the realm, As if the sky is beneath, Twinkling are the stars, A carpet of infinite, My dainty steps are afraid, Quivering I, a step up, My feet on his hands, Leads me to a window, My dreams unravel, Flowers of gems, An ice cream mountain, Melted chocolate dripping down, My happiness knew no bounds, Another window, a palace, Butlers and maids rushing towards me, Each room is a splendour, Velvet curtains, upholstered chairs, A king size bed draped with a veil of lace, A marble topped table, Beyond that a small window; A hamlet I recognize, Huts with holes on roofs, Stuffed with plastic, A wail so familiar, My brother's cry for milk, My father's hunched frame, Shaking with bouts of cough, My mother's reddened eyes, Blank and crestfallen, Rag picker I am, Conscience reminded, The few I earn, Relief; a hapless mother feels, Tears trickle, I beg...

Painting by Sejuti Biswas Sweeping across is the gentle breeze, I walk along with a pack of sheep, Following the narrow dusty road, Wondering; what I gained, what I lost. Never knew a mother's love, Never slept on her lap, Never cuddled when trapped in fear, Never tasted her delicious platter, Never the fingers boxed the ears, Never the handkerchief brushed away the tears, Never heard those words of encouragement, When down with misery and discontentment. Never ever going was easy, Step mother's cane was always ready, Spineless father's pin drop of silence, Every day a bowl of gruel, Bled, when begged, Reckless with hunger, For a loaf of bread. Grueso me ten years, Then a flight to nowhere, Walked and walked, Met the shepherd, Grandpa he is, Tears cascade, A plate full of rice, Gatte ki sabzi and fries, Grandpa's fingers, Playing with my hair, A toothless smile is always there. Next morning, A bag full of books, Taking his hand, ...

In the silence of night, My soul awakes, To reflect, To redefine, To reaffirm, The dialogues, I respire, In the daylight, In a hurry! In a hurrah!, In a trauma! And what not! The rocking rhythm, The soul resonates, Truth is you, Trust is you, Empathy is you, Whatever good is you, Relinquish the doubts, Untie the knots, Assimilate and assimilate, Until tranquillity descend on you.

When time is ten, A little respite from everyday chores, I stand at the window, Wiping droplets of toil, with one end of saree, I am awestruck to realize, Never I thought of different livelihoods, people pursue day in day out, Boyhood disappears, Pouring tea in cups, with yell of haste in the background, Bulging muscles with 'no rest' curse, pulling van loaded with cement bags, A distressed silence washing utensils, in a space infested with mossy green, Passionate speeches for alluring votes, democracy at its best or just a façade? Heaps of bananas, apples on Haruda's head, Keluda's fish basket with his rattling of names,  prawn, rohu, hilsa, A hundred kilo Mrs... on a hand pulled rickshaw, causing his veins on the verge of rupture. Suddenly, a screech in sync with Amma's shriek, Driver being pelted with a rapid fire of cuss and smash, Comes 'Yellow ganjee with shredded jeans' to resolve the ris...