Stolen mint

I looked up,

empty faces looked down upon me.

I tried to look away,

a castlesque house, an oversized  vehicle;

two in fact, looked back at me!

‘Bad photoshop’ I quipped,

‘Home & car loan’ – the ad read;

‘Bad ad’, I shut my eyes again!

I tried to remember something,

couldn’t quite put a finger on it!

Smiled at the sad, rather expressionless faces;

Smiled perhaps a bit for self!

I shut them eyes again, knowing very well

this’d be the last of the naps I’d be getting this morning!

Life has become such; of late

holding bars, looking at faces, looking for faces!

Life has become such of late;

future, the thoughts of it always seem to be crowding the brain!

It’s a mindless scramble this,

a scramble for jobs, placements, salaries!

‘How do you feel on your birthdays?’ he asks.

‘Fucked up’ I reply.

Clearly, this wasn’t what my pal was looking for, as an answer.

Too late now; ‘Bad memories’ I continue!

I can see it in his eyes;

he wants to talk, talk about her;

and so we talk!

I now remember that something I was thinking about earlier.

‘Anya!’

There’s always this yearn, this wish;

just to see her, not necessarily talk, just look at her!

And hence, during this particular stretch,

there’s this childish want that maybe, today, I get to see her!

Today was one such day.

Looking at that ad,

There wasn’t anything in particular

which could’ve triggered the want

yet, here I was, hoping!

Amidst all that; the helplessness, the want, the anticipation

A part of me took it’s turn;

Quite suddenly, out of nothingness,

And said, ‘She doesn’t even use this stretch anymore, you fool!’

I look at my friend.

He is sitting here, alongside me,

staring into nothingness.

I put my hand around his shoulders.

‘Hey! Go watch Little Manhattan today!’

‘Yeah, yeah, seen it ten times!’ he says.

‘You’ll always remain my first love (Anya)’, I say.

He smiles, I join in!