When Shammi Kapoor slides down the snow
in Junglee, shouting ‘Yahoo’, they tell you it’s Kashmir
but it is actually Kufri, near Shimla.
When Ranbir Kapoor climbs up the snow
in YJHD, all moon-struck, they tell you it’s Manali
but it is actually Gulmarg, in Kashmir.
So we’ve always got it wrong – grand-uncle or
grand-nephew – and we’ve been like this for long, always
Kashmir without Kashmiris, all for a song.
*
Zeno’s Paradox for Getting Over Breakups
I know the day he went cut you in half
and the day after that halved your half too.
I know it didn’t stop. The next day you
were half of the half of the half of what
you once were. I know on the worst days
how it pained. But notice how after all the
cutting, some of you always remained.
And then it grew one day when it rained.
***