Today I saw a divine beauty 

Sleeping on the pavement along Grant Road

Just behind the railway station 

And near the 155 bus stand kiosk 

Under an extended parapet

It wasn't even a real parapet; it was just a tin shed.

Hardly two and a half feet wide

Below that was sleeping a girl of barely two  

Unaware of heavy rain and loud thunder

It was early morning

Her mother must have gone to freshen herself up

Because 20 minutes later, 

I saw her standing, wrapping her saree

All before not-so-prying eyes

The newly freshened woman of 30

With black hair and large eyes

Her bosom was heavy, and her face was oval.

In a light blue saree her toenails were red

Her neck open and nothing dangling  

She wasn’t smiling but eyes in a daze

Half asleep, her dark, piercing eyes looking at me

Our eyes met, but nothing happened

No love no sympathy 

But I’m sure our eyes loved each other

I found the universe alive in those few seconds

We saw each other every day, so she tried to smile but couldn’t.

I hid my face in the umbrella

Watching two beauties at once

My eyes trying to keep the image alive in memories

On this road, I find several characters 

From Krishn Chander’s novels and stories

Roaming around, living unbothered, making love, 

And producing dozens of children, 

Their wives are always pregnant; the only pastimes

Children are born here, how, I’ve no idea

Life is really tough here

And there is no future 

Here, life just floats on the pavements

With a white canvas and a few red lines over it

I could read all the words and phrases 

And the reddish canvas conveys 

Only helplessness and no anger

If you really need to see a divine beauty

Come here at Grant Road

Early morning, my friend.