Crossroads
His two years old son
Needed treatment for stomach pain
But he had no money
His wife needed to pursue
Her BA course
He couldn't afford to
I can't help he would say
I must be happy with what I have
He would say to himself
Somewhat stoically
But his days were otherwise happy
Ferrying people between
Two metro railway stations
In his motorized auto-rickshaw
The road was straight and bare
Just earn and live from hand to mouth
A youth of twenty with no anxiety
The season changed
One day after dropping the last passenger
His eyes fell on a purse lying in the rear seat
Inside it, he found some cards
A bundle of currency notes
One lakh Indian rupees
That would amount to
Around eight hundred dollars
For the first time
He was on crossroads
The right-hand road he looked at
The right brain itched
Lucrative and lovely
The left-hand one looked logical
Take care it warned
The left brain he scratched
Folds on the forehead
The choice was difficult
Unlike Robert Frost
Perhaps the purse owner
Had withdrawn the money from a bank
To meet some emergency
He rationalized
Rummaging the purse
He got a useful telephone number
He dialed it
Answered a suave voice
The caller narrated how he had got the purse
The responder melted in gratefulness
" I am busy in my office.
My wife will see you in an hour.
Do please visit us one day and have lunch
with us"
Handsome looking
Auto-rickshaw owner smiled
Looked still further handsome
Mrs. Dasgupta arrived at the appointed hour
He returned the purse
A month later she gave him a return gift
It was almost a love at first sight
This time
He was at a really difficult crossroads
September 17, 2019
Crossroads Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Silent One
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