I sit on my balcony this quiet morning waiting for the sun to bathe me in his warm glow. A glow that fills me with hope and energy every morning. However, there is no glow today. It is replaced by a dull numbness that is unsettling.
Sun seems to sulk under a thick blanket of smoke, a reminder of yesterday’s celebrations. I am sure my sunny friend would have tried his level best to penetrate the thick toxic cover to reach out to me. He has to meet me, you see, every day. He is a loyal lover. As I sit here, his gentle morning rays caress my skin, implanting a thousand kisses. Sometimes he is naughty, you see, just as any lover is. He pierces my skin leaving it flushed and tingling. I play along, you see, like any lady love would. I smile, my eyes close in delight, my heart beat rises, and I break into a warm sweat. But, today is different.
I wait in vain. My lover is on his way. I know it. But somehow he has lost his way in the wild and blinding maze of poisonous smoke that hangs heavily overhead. Even my chirrupy friends who are a witness to this clandestine lovers meet seem to mysteriously hide behind their feathery retreat. Silence. A deathly silence weighs me down. What a contrast to the eruptive celebrations that kept me awake well into the night.
Diwali, the festival of lights! Alas, it seems to have stolen the light of my life from me. I sit here and mourn the absence of his warm presence. My beloved Mumbai is enveloped in poisonous firework fumes that is choking the life out of her. Year after year, she coughs, she chokes and almost dies. Nothing much seems to have changed. Will the next year be different? Will I get to see and feel the brilliance of my lover post Diwali? Will my feathery friends celebrate our everyday meeting? I am hopeful as my lover instils hope in me, every day of my life.
Meanwhile, I wait eagerly for his presence. I know he will come out in all glory and meet me. Soon.
On the go... 