Mohsin64
Dream-Film: An Indian Fantasy
In the mysterious realm of dreams,
three women surrounded me.
I was an old man there-
leaning heavily on my cane,
my back bent beneath the long burden of years,
my spirit exhausted by the distances of passing days.
Then, suddenly-
The first woman transformed
into support for my aching back.
The second became
a warm coat wrapped around my weary body.
And the third turned
into glasses for the road ahead.
And then-
my legs mounted the wind.
I became a bird,
untouched by limits,
light as a wish
that had slipped free
from the grip of time.
But midway through the dream,
thirst awakened me.
Reluctantly, I rose,
gulped down hurried water,
then returned to bed-
hoping the dream
might continue its kindness toward me,
might restore
my borrowed wings.
I drifted back to sleep.
And there it was again-
the same dream.
Except now,
the three women
who had only moments earlier transformed
into support for my back,
warmth for my body,
and vision for my journey,
had transformed instead
into three unmarried women,
their eyes gleaming
with something strangely wolfish.
They began chasing me.
And I ran-
panting like a retired horse
that had already missed
the last train to salvation.
At last, my desperate escape ended
before a locked door.
I surrendered.
And there-
I spent the remainder of that unbearably heavy night
married to three jinn brides.
The prettiest among them?
Darda'-
short, bald, delightfully round,
whose snoring sounded exactly like
an English steam locomotive,
Model 1911.
Ever since that night,
I have made it a habit
to examine my wife's face very carefully
before going to sleep-
for fear that reality itself
might suddenly transform
into an Indian Dream-Film