Revisited bylanes

Meandering through
The shabby bylanes,
Of the big old city,
In pursuit
Of a less congested
Travel time,
Sweating profusely
In an ancient yellow cab,
I peered despondently
At the world outside,
The neatly queued up
Rickety rickshaws,
The air reeking
With the pungency
Of fried fish, and mustard oil
The heat,
The streetdogs,
The jostling crowd,
The confusion,
Strangely I started to relax.

Still some distance away
From my clean, lofty,
Airconditioned, apartment living,
I was comfortable.
As if I was home.
© 2009 Rituparna Das