Chennai Through The Eyes Of a Vacationing Delhiite

Vennakam yepaddi irukka?
Hustle bustle
Blow a whistle
The crowd is noisily pouring
Onto the streets
That carry
A million heartbeats
The sun glaring
Digging holes
Into my bruised eyes
The vendors are shouting
Into my ears
Unimaginably loud
The rickshaw is pulling
Me across
The traffic beleaguered
Streets
With the cars
Honking
Like there is no tomorrow
The beggars at red-light
Cling on to me
With the air
Of inexplicable sorrow
As if the very city
Has raped
Their souls
Of any happiness
Here, I digress
But I must confess
The city
Has an air of mystery
Of ambiguity
That pulls me in
Not because
Of its warm winter weather
Its varied culture
Or homey nature
But because you can
Lose yourself
It’s the anonymity
That is alluring
Especially
In a metro
Where a fast-paced life
Leaves no time
To stand and stare
But a Wordsworth-like world
Where you can
– A stranger –
Stand and observe
How life simply surrounds you
And runs around you
And that gives a sense
Of satisfaction and fulfillment
Better than escape reality
But that maybe
Because I can be me
With no responsibility
And that’s when I say
Nalla Irukken

– Akanksha Gupta