I saw a turn

In an uneven and narrow

Misty alley

That belonged nowhere

I saw a turn

Behind which I was sure

I would find

Two white coloured clanking cups

Filled with a sweet concoction

Of steaming Irani chai

The faded blue wooden door

Still creaking under a pointed arch

Wandering gold and ivory threads

From the intricately embroidered elephants

On your pashmina, that I had borrowed

On a particularly cold winter evening

And never returned

Words from Rumi and Hafiz

That you read in one tongue

And I in another

The fragrance of musk

That my body had learnt

To associate with yours

Spaces between fingers

That were not for a moment

Left empty

Stars

That had travelled

From light years away

Only to reside in your eyes

Seconds

That turned too quickly into years

Time

That turned too quickly into space

And distance

I thought I would never be able to cover

But here I was

In an uneven and narrow

Misty alley

Just a turn away

From where I was sure

I would find you

But I never took it

Because, what if

I was wrong?

Mahek Jangda

Mahek Jangda’s debut novel Against The Wind will be published by Hachette India

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