The Fair in My Heart-Ode to My Grandparents
I was just a girl of six or seven,
Stubborn, wild, yet touched by heaven.
Mornings woke with fairs in bloom,
Joy would dance in every room.
Only from Nani’s hands I’d eat,
Her love was warm, her touch was sweet.
We'd stroll through lanes with hearts so light,
The world felt safe, the sky so bright.
But if she left for work someday,
I’d find her...quietly run away.
No one saw, no one knew,
But somehow, she’d smile...she always knew.
She’d say, “It’s dangerous, don’t come like this,”
Yet never scolded, just sealed with a kiss.
At fairs she’d buy me candy clouds,
And balloons that danced above the crowds.
For minimal effort I will never fell
Shhhh!! it’s the grandparents’ love spell
That raised my standards so high,
That now even angels can’t qualify.
The ferris wheel would rise and spin,
I’d wave at her with the widest grin.
From way up high, I’d shout her name,
As long as she was there...I feared no game.
And Nanu, soft and wise and kind,
With gentle hands and thoughtful mind.
He gave me sweets called ‘calcium pearls,’
To me, they were my secret swirls.
I’d sneak a few and hide my face,
He’d smile and pull me in embrace.
“Stealing’s bad,” he’d gently say,
“But listen close, my child, today…
Even Sudama bore life’s pain,
For tasting what wasn't his to claim.
But Krishna knew what hearts conceal
What’s truly yours will find you still.
"Then he would wink, a playful tease,
And hide the jar again with ease.”
He built me swings in backyard light,
Where dreams took off in fearless flight.
He caught me every time I fell,
His arms...a world, a sacred shell.
He brought me toys, and games to play,
And always let me go first each day.
We played on rooftops, cricket and cheer,
I’d never get out...not while he was near.
When things broke, and Mom would yell,
I’d run to them...my safest shell.
Beneath the bed or behind her shawl,
They’d guard my heart from every fall.
If I could wish for just one day,
I’d turn time’s wheel and run away
Back to the warmth of those wrinkled hands,
Back to the love that still withstands.
Back to a time so pure, so true,
Where everything felt bright and new.
Where nani smiled and nanu stayed,
And fears would always fade away.
Copyright ©
Krishika Upadhyay
|