Balachandran V's "The Duellists" imagines the end of a love affair as a formal duel. The speaker proposes that the two people walk away from each other, taking measured steps in opposite directions. It sounds calm and almost polite, the way duellists in the old ritual would pace out their distance before turning to face each other.
The turn comes at "paces twelve." Here the speaker says outright that "love is a duel," a blunt line that suggests love is a contest in which both people can be hurt. The final instruction is to look at each other "for the very last time," and that is where the feeling lands. The speaker seems to want one clear, honest look rather than a clean escape.
The mood is quiet, controlled and sad. The short lines and careful pacing mimic the restraint of the walk, while the sorrow sits just beneath the surface.