Long long ago….
I came across your kind of place
With abundant curiosity, great caution
And a little bit of hesitation,
I peeped inside

After initial strife and tiffs
I seemed to like the place
And I sought the permission to stay on
Without realising the difference
Between spontaneous invitation
And getting oneself invited.

Another fact which went unnoticed was
That the place welcomed all and sundry
And I was no exception

The days flew by
The mischief, the teasings, the jokes
The thoughts, the discussions, the philosophy,
The topics never seem to end…
And I loved everything immensely…

But I did not realise that
I was the guest in the place
A guest, who is treated with respect and served well
With utmost courtesy in tune with the traditions
And yet, who remains only a guest
Never to be the part of the household

The days passed
And the guest became lonely
With everyone engrossed in his own work
And still the guest stuck on like a shameless leech
With no one paying any heed

It was high time to leave and
Thousands of times, the action was
Rehearsed, only to be a sheer mental exercise…
And the feet lingered, the mind wished
to stay on and on

Then one day, with all my might
And gathering all my strength and courage,
I tried to step out gingerly…

The realisation dawned upon me just then…
All the while I was thinking
I was inside the place,
I had been thrown out of it
Long long ago…