We sit together for lunch
Like every other day.
I open my box, same old food.
You do the same, we all do.
Discussions begin, as they always do.
They are mostly complaints, things bothering us
or maybe some advice.
Today it is a memory.
Of us, all of us on a trip.
We stare at the photo dreamily.
It seems each of us, of all twelve of us, has a story related to it.
For that short while, we all turn storytellers,
And I see your eyes glisten in excitement
When you tell us what had happened.
I hear the excitement in my own voice
When I too, bring up a story.
I hear her laugh, him guffaw, yet another one blush in embarrassment.
Hopefuls that we are, we dream together.
After this year is done, we agree, we'll explore.
Keep Summer of 2020 free, you say, We have to go to Spain.
No, I'll be doing my masters, says she, lets make it 2023, and Switzerland.
No, South India, next year, says another.
Bali, Maldives, Andamans, Copenhagen.
Lonavala, Mahabaleswar, Thane, Chicago.
I hear them all, and join in as we dream together.
We'll save, we swear, and we'll explore together. This life is ours to take!
Hey, hey, chimes in a voice not truly of ours.
We turn to see another one laughing.
Lecture in five minutes, he reminds us as he laughs his way away.
We look at each other sheepishly, and finish our lunch,
like we always do.
We pack our bags and move to another hall,
like every other day.
I daydream, I see her sleep, and another one look on with dead eyes.
And I remember the glisten in your eyes, the tremble in her voice, the excitement in his,
When we dared to hope for our future
Over lunch.
