Chapter 3

This Tuesday, I'd arrived at the venue, well before time. But didn't register my name, rather volunteered to note down the names on the performance registration diary. 

It was an hour since the event started, but there was no sight of her. 

Another hour passed, 4 cigarettes lit, rather burnt my crevices.

Still no sight of her.

I wondered, if was she an illusion

Wasn't she there the last time, 

Whom did I see the last month.?!

I didn't recite that night, we were almost about to wrap the show, the last poet was left to perform.

Right then a lady walked in from the door. And it was her.

Her arrival turned my dull face into a sort of celebration. 

She was a breath of fresh air

Mesmerized,

My smile expressed the glare

She'd worn a white chicken dress

A thin black leather watch,

A silver necklace hanging from her neck, with a tiny, black, heart-shaped pendant

Her hair perfectly set, covering her ears

Her eyes lit with a bold line of kohl

Today her lipstick was black

She looked like a dark yet pleasant poem

I was excited and awaited her to reach the registration desk. 

But she spoke to the organizers, and was next to perform.

I thought, Of course, I wouldn't know her name today either.

Her poem that night was

"The rage of her nails"

Her voice cried the pain

Her lips sang the ecstasy

I was sure about asking her name.

As soon as the show ended and the crowd started dispersing, I started looking for her.

She'd vanished,

I ran out to look for her, first the smoking zone, then the exit pathway, and finally spotted her outside.

But she'd already caught a rickshaw, I was in no mood, for a next time.

I ran towards the rickshaw and shouted, "Hey you"

Thankfully she happened to peep out, while I waved and asked her to halt.

The Rickshaw got slower, but the vehicles behind kept honking, the rickshaw wouldn't wait, there was a jam already.

I ran faster and reached near the rickshaw, rather ran with the rickshaw and asked in a single breath,"what's your name".??

She replied, "Maya", and the rickshaw left.

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