Dusk in Shanti Colony

Shut the doors
Shut the windows

The mosquitoes will swarm in
The traffic noise will drown our voices

Lock the doors
Lock the windows

Now we are safe
Now we can hear us talk again
And catch what’s being said on TV
Now the dust stays out

But so does the gentle breeze
And fresh air
(Or whatever is left of it)

I sit directly under the fan
And wonder what it’s like outside…
Warm? Humid? Raining?

I drown in sweat
I get drowsy in the stale air and the humming of the fan
My head heats up from the depths of my skull
And is ready to explode
I put out the fire with mugfuls of cool water just before bedtime
And go to bed reeking of mosquito repellant

I crack open the windows and the door to my room
And lie down under the fan
In wait for dawn
When the flat can be opened up again
For a couple of hours
Before the heat takes over.