Smt Kunjamma Wd/o Late Sep Joseph

Cheques, neatly printed, issued in favour of Smt Kunjamma Wd/o Late Sepoy Joseph Smt Nalini Pavithran Wd/o Late Sepoy Pavithran Smt Chandramathy Wd/o of Late Swr Gopalan and so on and so forth Cheques of the Army Welfare Board, Doles, for the survivors.

Scrawling my signature over them, ticking, rapidly glancing Back and forth at the PC and cheques At the amounts, dates, and other details I flip through the leaves Cursing inwardly at the mounting work And my aching eyes and having To fix a glassy smile on my face – suddenly -

Before my eyes appear the mountains, the deserts The gullies and ravines I feel the numbing cold of the snows And the searing heat of the sands I see blood and gore and hear The booming of cannons And the sharp barking of rifles And men shattered and blown to smithereens I see Joseph and Pavithran and Gopalan.

I slow down the speed of my scrawl, pause And consign the cheques gently into the basket.