At The Other End

She said receiving me at her doorsteps,

‘You were to reach here two days ago where did you hide?’

She was grossly mistaken.

I left Delhi only last evening

For the overnight journey by the Rajdhani Express to Mumbai.

The train was punctual as usual.

Why should I clarify her doubt

She had been busy reading my recently published novel,

She knew I had arrived.

She had superimposed the main character of the novel upon me;

That of a simple small-town school teacher

Still trying to find his way in the wicked world.

Romantically inclined she is, she was already in love with the school teacher.

Real things work this way, with no twist or turn;

Truth is easy to understand than untruth.

I loved her she could be an old student of mine.

Who knows?