Nestled among the row of houses
Adjacent to the fitness park
Is a 'Little Paradise'
Where the sound of flute plays in the street
The tender coconut vendor calls loudly
Just as the sugarcane juice vendor tinkles the bell
The portable idli dosa vendor plays his recorded message
While the vegetable vendor sells till the wee hours of the night
The blush rose pink room is home to paintings
Two Ganeshas silently blessing the house
The youthful monk paintings fills the house with unparalleled spirituality
Echoing the vibrations of the backyard mandir
The wild lilac walls speak of dreams and desires
Offset beautifully by the Banaras ghat painting
A mask here, a dreamcatcher there
Miniature serial paintings and a message of 'The Simple Life'
The satin blue walls welcome a quiet peace
Just as the photos of Ma, Pa, Nana , Nani
And a vivid 50th wedding celebration collage
Bring alive the true owners of this "Little Paradise'
The bhagwa colored wall beautifuly offsets the OM painting
Just as the quadrant Mahamrtunjoy mantra defies death
And the refurbished dining chairs in deep rose velvet
Beckon guest for a hearty meal
The front verandah is the juxtapose of commotion
A witness to the the excited pre Diwali crackers by eager kids
While the snakelike plants in colourful planters
Bow in gratitude for a fresh lease of life
The mandir room is the sanctum sanctorum
Guarded vigilantly by the Panchmukhi Hanuman in white and gold
Ma Jagdamba stands tall framed by the crimson chunri
As the devotee squats on the floor to light the five flames
The first floor breathes in silence
Glad to be rid of the evil eye
Silently waiting for the eventual day
It will explode with happy voices
The kitchen elegant in the rose theme
Sighs happily, "This is my happy place'
Happily a melange of old and new cookware
Even as the prasad is cooked on the fire
The second kitchen hugs old memories
A ray of commodities once in use
Showcasing the wheelchair and the walker of the lady of the house
A silent witness to the sands of time
The adjacent park seems like a friendly courtyard of the house
Pipal, Neem, Jamun, Bilwa, Champa, Guavav breathe happily
The Cluster fig tree extends a heady fruity fragrance of the peach figs
Just as the morning grass is adorned by the fallen Parijat flowers
The rooftop is sheer bliss
Open to the Sky, Sun stars and the moon
Here sitting on the love seat I go in trance
For this 'Little Paradise' is none other than Mum's precious home.
BIO
Aabha Rosy Vatsa is an author, poet and former teacher. Her literary journey started a decade ago with her blog 'Daffodils'. She has published several books of poetry, a travelogue on Amanath a short story collection titled MONSOON MUSINGS and a collection of love poems titled YESTERDAY ONCE MORE. The culmination of her literary journey was the publication of her autobiography in 2020, titled THE GIFT OF LIFE. She is a quintessential student of life and a die hard optimist. Her life's philosophy is simply Karma. She lives in Faridabad with her family.