Round shiny

rather heavy

the tiffin box sisters

a small earthquake in my school bag

at the lunch hour

in the aroma-ridden classroom

I reach out ‘ships sailing in my mouth’

(mom’s only  pet

I always get the best)

aloo parathas -2  and a half

achar – a little

miss little tiffin has a katori full of curd

and there is a surprise packet of a besan laddoo

that’s my reward for yesterday’s test

25/25 in mathematics

mom never understands that nor appreciates

mathematics that is

but she loves it when I do good

it’s her revenge against her dad

who thought her dumb

and did not send her to school after 10

I spread the neat turkey towel on the desk

look at her a little shyly

she never looks back that girl with pony tail.

I dig into my paranthas happily

and bite into my laddoo noiselessly

I have to give Raju a pinch from my laddoo

breaking my heart into many halves.

Fully loaded and a little sleepy

I wait till it is home time again

for pakodas and more of those laddoos

at least one more I hope

I walk home  to the music of the tiffin sisters

jingling in my bag

they are a happy lot these two!

after all they don’t have home work!