That Night Poem by Neeraj Kumar

THAT NIGHT
I HANDED HER, HER RIGHTFUL MONEY
AND THEN SHE LEFT MY APARTMENT
I COULD CLEARLY LISTEN HER WALKING DOWN THE STAIRS
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPEND TO ME
I GOT UP FROM THE BED
ON WHICH WE TWO WERE SLEEPING TOGETHER A WHILE AGO
I PUT ON MY CLOTHES
AND RAN DOWNSTAIRS

I STARTED FOLLOWING HER
I KEPT ENOUGH DISTANCE FROM HER
SO SHE COULDN'T KNOW SHE'S BEING FOLLOWED
I FOLLOWED HER IN STREETS
THEN SHE GOT INTO A TAXI
I DID THE SAME IN ORDER NOT TO LOSE HER
AFTER GETTING OFF FROM THE TAXI
SHE HEADED TOWARDS SLUM AREA
I KEPT FOLLOWING HER
AND FINALLY SHE STOPPED AT A SMALL HOUSE
I KEPT THE DISTANCE MAINTAINED
SHE KNOCKED ON THE DOOR
A LITTLE BOY MUST HAS BEEN 5, OPENED THE DOOR
AND I WAS EXTREMELY SURPRISED WHEN SHE CALLED HIM SON
SHE GOT INSIDE AND SHUT THE DOOR
I TURNED AROUND TO GET BACK MY APARTMENT
SO MANY THINGS WERE GOING ON MY MIND
SUDDENLY I TURNED BACK AND RUSHED TOWARDS THE DOOR
I KNOCKED ON IT
SHE OPENED THE DOOR
I SAW AN OLD LADY WAS LYING
MUST BE HER MA
SEEMED LIKE SHE WAS GOING THROUGH SOME ILLNESS
HER SON WAS HOLDING THE MONEY I GAVE HER A HOUR AGO
SHE WAS LOOKING STRAIGHT INTO MY EYES
I GUESS SHE WAS JUST ABOUT TO CRY
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO AND WHAT TO SAY
SO I WALKED AWAY
THAT NIGHT!