Original Piece written in Hindi: By Akhil Khatyal Translated: By Jagdeep
Today I spotted a childhood picture of yours on Facebook today. You must be 6 or 7 years old. Brown shorts, and a tucked-in blue shirt Its half-sleeves swaying unabashedly at your elbows. Yes, only we, the children of the 90s were capable of such fashion disasters. Now that I think of it, we looked so ridiculous. But we reveled in our looks back then, Strutting around like that, all over the neighborhood. And if we saw a neighbour strolling by, how we chirped 'hello uncle', or 'hello auntie' In our childish wisdom, feeling so "cool". Our well- combed hair, bearing our parents’ status Trying to impress people with our English. In this picture of yours I see the same clumsy me – when I was 6 or 7 Just before this picture was taken, it appears like The barber had put a bowl upside down on your head And trimmed what laid outside of it. In this bowl-hair-cut, when you laugh in the photo You look just like a monkey So how do I believe that just last night, I had played with your hair, ran my fingers from one side to another And with you, My face seeking solace in your hair I had lived an eternity...