Only fools rush out
We took six rights and two lefts
Through lanes that satellites forgot
To reach a tiny bell that screamed “press me”
Ignored by an open wooden door
Past carpeted rooms
Chased sunlight till it was cornered in a courtyard from where you couldn’t see the outside but you could hear everything
Children yelled at each other except at the one with the bat, men yelled at children to come back inside and old ladies yelled “good morning” at men. One armed with a red hose
missed a potted plant on a grill
Drenching me and an oversized cane chair
Maybe she didn’t miss, I mused
The chef smiled with her eyes and pointed at a chalk board menu
We ate eggs and sunlight and toast
And butter and scones and butter
Two tiny feet grew impatient
She pointed at leaves and shadows
At masks and bigger feet
Found the most circuitous way to get between two places, pointed at a lemon, climbed stairs
Everyone shuffled around the table
For a spot, to see pretty shadows, but not be blinded
I drank an espresso and ate half a scone
And then the other half
The most beautiful butterfly ever
Weaved through giant potted plants
We collectively gasped as it disappeared into the back of a fan, what remained lay mounted on a rusty grill on the other side
We knew we had overstayed
That the old lady was planning another attack
So we hurriedly retreated, through a trail of bougainvillaeas and face down white flowers
It’s quiet windy roads coiled slowly around us
We ran faster and faster
Till we made it back into dust and traffic
Leaving behind
Those damn by-lanes of Bandra