Smile

I can never forget that smile.
It certainly was a smile…
She was in great pain.
Her body was writhing,
Almost convulsing.
Face wet with sweat,
Hairs disheveled,
Teeth clenched,
She cried in agony.
Suddenly,
The pain worsened,
She went into a spasm
Her fist gripped my hand tightly,
A loud cry we heard,
Lusty cry of a baby.
She looked at me
A brief glint in her eyes
Just for a moment
Her lips curved upwards
And the dimple in her cheeks deepened.
It certainly was a smile….
I can never forget that smile.

Body

Thakur Padam Singh was looking at his third bride, in utter disbelief.
There she was lying, calmly in his flower-decorated bed.
Ranno looked beautiful in the red banrasi sari.
Her face had a strange look of peace and agony.
The chit he found under the bottle of rat poison was still in his hand.
"You knew that I loved Lakhiya, still you forced my old father into marrying me to you.
You took fancy to my body, so here is my body for you.
Feast on it and satisfy your hunger.
But my soul belongs to Lakhiya and only he will have it,
We will meet, if not in this life then in the next one."