Hyping Up Little Things

My students think Syed Haider Raza

Was a Mughal minister and

Chhayavadi was a rebel group.

I am disappointed.

Not because they answered wrong but

By the fact that the first thing which

Popped up in their minds 

(on hearing unknown names) was war, 

Rather than literature or art.

Same eve, I met a friend,

And spoke the incident to him.

Very calmly he replied,

"Chill bro, stop hyping up little things"

Um... Okay.

//Next day//

I went to the class, here it's 13 April 1919.

My kids are crawling in Jallianwala Bagh.

While I sit in the shadow of a line

'Chhaya Mat Chhuna' by Girija Kumar.

Un-noticing everything I started reciting,

In one motion began 60 hands writing.

How easily I uttered these words I wonder,

"...and that's what happened in the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre".

Blank stares mixed with curious innocence,

Few hands from the crowd raised high.

"Ma'am, what's a massacre?"

Tightly, I closed my eyes.

"Ma'am, what's a massacre?"

They won't let me tell you the truth.

//In my mind//

For ten years old Ravi don't talk to Ahmed

Because he thinks he's a terrorist.

Akshay continues making tally with a razor on his wrist.

"What's massacre?"

Kajal's mother gave her a skin lightening cream

The day before she sat in sixth grade.

Yes, I can see Akshay passing Neha his razor's blade.

"Ma'am, what's a massacre?"

Abdul is mocked and isolated because

He sits with his legs crossed.

Neha's anxiety wins when her soft flesh is embossed.

"What's massacre? "

Jessica hung herself because she thought

Her father was ashamed of her.

Ahmed Googled and readout on my behalf-

"An indiscriminate and brutal slaughter of

Many people, are called the massacre".