The City Has Become A Stranger

Irani chai at Alpha,
Batakhani with friends,

A film at Liberty,
A stroll through Sultan Bazaar,
Life in the public garden
The city was lively.
Full of spirit,
So charming, so dear.

A playful harmony
Telugu and Urdu mingling in a
Jugalbandi of words and warmth

But now
They’ve carved designs into the city,
The dwellers have learned their airs and poses.
Forty-five floors of towers rise skyward.

Everything’s high-fi
Wi-Fi spreads all around
Yet breath feels tight,
The heart gasps for air. 

It doesn’t feel like the city anymore
It feels like I’ve entered a foreign land.

Image Copyright - Varala Anand