Autumn fun - Nov 8

it was the autumn of 2016

the famous delhi chill was yet to come

girls were still roaming in tank tops and little pants

and babies were out without their caps

but one day after diwali people woke up to severe smog

they were mystified because it didn’t feel cold at all

they first blamed the Chinese firecrackers

and then they blamed Hindus for lighting those

and then they come to know that the real culprits 

were the fire-happy farmers and no one can really blame them now

so schools were closed after much deliberation

And a few people were encouraged to work from home

But the great pollution lasted for more than a week

and while the government decided on shields & sprays

one little boy had a brainwave

he asked his mom to make him a tent

She first looked at him a bit strangely 

but then saw the mischief in his eyes and said okay

So she got those old crutches saved for an emergency and tied them to the big round chair

And she draped it with a flowery bed sheet and they pretended it was in the jungle

And the little boy went inside the tent

with captain America & the new pillow & scratchy the blanket and a little USB lamp

But he still created some space for his grandmother and for a new fairy tale

And at bedtime he was still in the tent, tossing & heaving and pretended to snore

but after a while he climbed on the bed & slept peacefully then

In the morning he went back to his tent and picnic-ed with popcorns & books & his toys and remianed there until his next break

So next time when you think of the summers & winters 

think of the boy in the tent having fun in the autumn of 2016