The afternoon

Walk
Into the lounge
Filled with unknown
Faces, scanning for the duo,
Searching and straining I look around.
Decide to wait at the one well-known bookstore,
Standing there leafing through the books, feel eyes straying
Afar, towards to the flood of people walking towards me.
Where are they? Mind wonders, trying to spot the two.
Two unfamiliar faces, yet familiar to me
Am I early or are they lost?
Do I call or wait?
Look up,
Smile
Breaks out on
my face, relief setting in.
There he stands tall, with
Her small and petite holding two bags
Rest the book on the shelf, taking long strides
Make my way across the store with hands extended,
Recognition setting in and Hello’s exchanged
Talking a dime a dozen, we make
Our way out into the
Parking Lot…
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The warm
Tuesday afternoon.
Beach looking so deserted
Kids and hawkers lingering about
Selling peanuts, chat, and ice cream.
Stroll along the sand reaching the ocean,
Enjoy the cool splash of waves on our feet
Catamaran n fishing boats resting on the shore
Tree stumps lying on the warm sand covered,
In Fishing nets, as if to say, “Rest on me”.
Two friends pick the perfect seat
Rest their feet and savour
The beautiful ocean
Waves, they dance
In unison to her tunes
Swaying to and fro.
What a day! Sigh!!

Aarti @ 4/5/05
Wrote this after meeting a friend n his daughter and spending the evening with them at the beach