Queer people I met in life,

I am not ashamed to tell about them.

A fifty year old man departed this life without

seeing the marriage of any of his sons.

His three sons were living abroad.

They were earning good wealth there.

He nurtured his sons whole life,

And earned his livelihood and cooked for them.

Because his wife bought the farm right

after five years of marriage.

He passed away without eating the food

of his would-be daughter-in-laws’ hands.

Three boys on hearing the bad news

came back promptly from abroad

with the emergency air tickets.

I was also there on the eve of mourning.

I sympathised with the boys,

And kept listening to their talks keenly

and some domestic commitments of

their father that he couldn’t accomplish

before death.

People who had visited on mourning

were surprised to see the sudden arrival of sons,

That is to say, their copiousness!

Many came there to collect the information about foreign countries for their children’s bright future,

A few ones had got there with their daughters

for matrimonial purpose.

After religious sermons, the manager of the temple was expecting heavy amount on such eve,

With words- May God rest his soul in peace!

Whereas he had performed no process there except attending few sermons as he came laggardly.

Now the manager was debating with the sermon teller after blanket, pillows and bed sheet.

On such eve people had reached there

with their own commercial point of view.

Because some people try to extract benefits even from someone’s sorrows.

                                                                     ~ Harjeet Singh

                                                                          India