29th September, '06

At Mumbai International
his baggage is weighed and
checked in.
“Any carry-ons, sir?”
asks the girl at the counter,
“No, but there will be
at the other end,”
he says.

She looks up at him
and smiles
her rehearsed smile,
reserved for those
slightly odd
passengers, or perhaps
the clearly insane.

The rehearsed smile,
filed under dual-purpose;
to be used
without prejudice
on occasions such as this.

“That's funny,” she says,
still smiling;
he’s not sure if she’s serious
or joking.

She hands him his tickets
stamped and signed,
“Boarding
in 40 minutes,
you will find the gate, Sir,
at the end of the line
enjoy your flight,”
she says,
with her head tilted
just slightly to one side.
A single strand of hair
falls across her face;
he wilts in her freshness,
but this time
he knows-
she’s definitely joking.