It was a gloomy day
Though the weather was pleasant
Sunrays covered the garden
And showered the colors of joy
But the house was not that happy.
It’s been one month
The mother and the daughter were suffering
From sickness, one after one
Caught in a trap of diseases
Feeling sad, depressed, frustrated
The household became a whole mess
The kitchen was being used for
Only to prepare the hot water
And the Oatmeal
Sometimes, to bring a new packet of biscuits
Or fill the bowl of soup
Or pour another cup of tea
That’s it.
For days after days, no meal was cooked.
For the family members were bringing food from outside.
Sometimes, roti from the market,
Sometimes, ordering dishes from online food delivery system,
Sometimes, having dinner with sweets and bread.
And meanwhile, there were going continuous doctor visits.
The house was full of painful screams,
Day and night, there was pain,
Burning sensation, and a silent fight
To survive this phase.
Wherever they looked,
Was a medicine or ointment.
Given by the doctors, with a hope
To give them some moments of relief.
Sleepless nights made everything even worse.
Such was the situation of the house.
That day was not different
Or perhaps, it was.
I had my breakfast,
Gathering all my strength,
Somehow, I could raise myself from the bed.
And went to the kitchen to wash the bowl of my maggi.
When I returned to the room,
Suddenly, I saw outside the window.
There was an orange hibiscus
Dwindling with the gentle breeze
It seemed like someone pressed the pause button
So the time could freeze.
At least, for some moments,
I could forget my pain, my month-long suffering,
Oh, the beautiful flower, I tell you
The orange hibiscus
Adorning an aura of crimson at the edges of its petals
The red thread from the center
The green leaves embracing it
With love and affection.
It was dancing with joy
The sunrays made it glow
And the slow rhythm of its dance
Seemed like a bright smile
And a warm hello from the room of hope.
I remember how Lord Ram was overwhelmed

seeing the astonishing beauty of the Pampa Sarovar
And I could realize what it meant.
The orange hibiscus
Amidst all the gloom
Healed me,
For a moment, at least,
For I saw the bloom
That offered me solace in the mundaneness.

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(This post is part of the series ‘Solace in the Mundaneness’ where I try to tell stories of the everyday things that capture a special place in my heart and they make me feel privileged to live a simple and ordinary life with contentment and peace. This post is also part of Blogchatter A to Z.)