Twin Glowworms

The sun was trapped between two concrete pillars, casting fiery glances at one more board which had sprung up a few feet away from our house, announcing one more housing society. Houses abound, so do the homeless, I sighed, looking at the workers getting ready for working at the construction site.

Pots had started stirring, cauldrons had started bubbling, and my heart warmed to see a mother and child bonding over potatoes! The mother peeled the potatoes, and the two-year-old played with the potato peels with the ardor of a miser loving the feel of gold coins in his rapacious hands. On a string cot sat three old men, just arrived, perhaps, from the village, yarning away, in voices still groggy with sleep.

One young man, clad only in a threadbare vest and patchwork trousers, was standing on the scaffolding, looking up at the sky, peering into the foaming tumult of the greyish gloom which had suddenly doused the fire of the sun.  The sky now looked almost like a turbulent sea.

The morning changed mood now, becoming sullen, behaving like an overburdened truck. I almost heard the wheeze of its steering, crushing the grit under its tyres. Heavy wracks of clouds scuttled across the sky, a swirling wind sprang up, and the wind started howling in different keys. Was a storm brewing? The old men looked apprehensively at the sky, a tiny myna, hopped around frenetic, (looking for its mate, perhaps) and a crow cawed its displeasure from a tree.

Suddenly an army of clouds took over. Bustling winds raced past with a howl and a scream, soon thunder started crashing ceaselessly, stabbed by dazzling zigzags of lightning.

The clouds were a million doves caged, fluttering, flailing their fragile feathers. Lightning ripped the sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder. Darkness descended, and dark clouds also started swirling in my mind.
How effortlessly, we have been inhaling the rampant darkness, not even raising a little finger to try and dispel it. Darkness abounds in myriad layers, and even one glowworm is not visible, at times. I had effortlessly slipped into a brown study. The light and sound effects continued erratically, and suddenly the sky cleared.

Morning Meanderings by Dr Santosh Bakaya

I stopped in my tracks as my eyes fell on a peacock, dancing away, unfazed by the tumult all around. I stood transfixed, as the peacock serenaded me with its elegant steps, removing the frowns from my countenance.

On my way back, the potato loving child, chortled a greeting in my direction, magnanimously offering me a potato peel with the air of an emperor distributing largesse. I smiled, he smiled back, the mother smiled, the father who had just come out of the hutment, smiled too. Those collective smiles had the potential to push away all scowls and sneers of a topsy turvy world. I was back home, a big smile, eyes glittering feverishly, clasping  two glowworms to my overwhelmed heart – the child offering me a peel of potato, and the peacock dancing away nonchalantly, I was all set to conquer another day.

(Pictures: Pixabay)

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About the Author

Santosh Bakaya ( 175 Posts)

Dr Santosh Bakaya is the author of three mystery novels for young adults, and a book of essays titled Flights From My Terrace, which was recently published as an e-book on Smashwords. Her poetic biography of Mahatma Gandhi, Ballad Of Bapu has been published by Vitasta Publishers, Delhi, India in May 2015 and has been receiving rave reviews from everywhere. Although a Political theorist, with a doctorate in political theory, it is literature which has been her first love. She was awarded the Reuel international award for language and literature 2014 for her long poem Oh Hark!, which forms part of the Significant Anthology. Many of her poems have figured in the highly commended category in Destiny Poets, a UK based website and many are part of international anthologies. Right now, she is giving the final touches to her satirical novel, tentatively titled Sanakpur Shenanigans.
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