Who Is Dead?

By Kalpana Kumar

Who is dead ?

You asked

as you walked into silence

to hysterical laughter

from a bunch of us staring at each other,

just burnt out detailing wedding plans

Hey, I am stepping out to have a drink with my friends….

You said

knowing it was the best chance of a response

from the inattentive me

when i am deeply involved in something

You don’t study Math - you know it or you don’t

You said

nonchalantly

when caught watching TV

before the board exams

You know I am not a magician

You said

when you overheard me

boasting that your thesis on biodegradable (?) concrete

was published in an Asian Journal.

Victim complex

You chided

when you saw me

squeezing into a bed

hogged by our 4 dogs

Awesome

You said

polishing off my misshapen koftas

My sketch of a disproportionate parrot

My crooked cross stitch of the beatles

Brilliant

You said

motivatingly

looking at my ranking in an obscure,

hyperlocal bridge tournament

You had a different take on situations

You had a rejoinder to statements of mine

You had a priceless answer to my questions

Today,

There is silence wherever I go

and I ask

Who is dead

You

Or maybe me ?

By Kalpana Kumar