A Diwali Night Without Lights

Diwali- yes, you are right! That is a day when both of us didn’t fight, We went to the nearby Dabbu's store to buy sweets and lights And decorate rangoli’s with pinks, yellows, oranges, and whites. Today, I see you on my wall, wiping my tears at your sight. Where are you? The answer to this question is still due 10 years back, when I phoned you on our last Diwali, You informed me that you could not come back to Delhi. I sat near my windowsill, Gazing at the exuberantly dull lights without any delight, While you hid in ambush on a Diwali without any lights. Brother, that day, I was too selfish to put you at fault, For I found in the line of my Diwali celebrations- a halt. It was just that I missed you terribly, And missed even more the days you pulled my hair Where are those days- golden sweet and lovely? I failed to realize your compromise for our country, How you kept getting injured and still fought for justice and victory. The next day, I remember myself standing petrified, When your chief came, Since when, nothing has been the same. He dropped a shock, Every clock in our homes—not houses—stopped. You left us only your memories as you ended your life walk. I can recollect the glimpses of your physicality being wrapped in our tricolor, And your quiet face being covered with a pallor. 10 years have passed and I do not know what has happened since then, All that my heart has gone through cannot be expressed on paper with a pen. Each day till now, I kept condemning you for being selfish enough To donate your pearl life to our country And leaving us with your shirts, gifts, and sundries. We know that we cannot thank these men enough, Their achievements, qualifications and places of war are futile to discuss, For wherever they go, they keep their lives ready, And keep their minds and hearts steady. This is the 10th Diwali after you left us, No noise, no fight, and no fuss. I have decided to be like you, To repay all my dues to the country and you. You would support this right, wouldn't you?