Ifs

If I had seen you arguing over
Extra coriander with the vendor.
We could have met that way for
The first time, happy to have settled
Over decent discount on
Vegetables we bought.

Maybe elsewhere I could have
Seen you, swinging on a swing
In the local garden-
We could have met while
Buying an ice cream there.

I would've caught you watching
The moon if we had our
Flats in opposite apartments.
And we could have met
While you thought I eavesdropped
On your high-pitched phone
Conversations.

Or maybe we could have met
At a remote junction waiting for
A shared auto or we could have
Met in a lit-fest fancying works
Of the same poet and bonding
Over his underrated verse.

In this imaginary game of 'ifs'
We could have at least been
Childhood friends who eventually
Marry or A Hindu Muslim who
Elope to finally get killed.

But no I had to be born in this
Grounded village and you in
Some a posch street of Chandigarh-
Only to meet on the Internet and
Have half of everything-
Love, lust, dreams.

Our love was a Schrodinger cat
You know. Alive and dead at
The same on the other side of the door.
The door was a screen and we were
2500 kilometers apart when it was on.

Now that it's been off, I fail to
Measure this thing between us.
Sometimes it's just longing and
Most of the time, a void.