What Remains?

Four hundred and fifty nine sarees, fifteen crisp new
Tants mostly, but also cottons, chiffons, silks,
Scarlet, ruby, crimson, vermillion, red-chilly red, tomato red, cherry red, berry red,
Brick red, electric red, wine red, setting-sun red, melting-sunrise red, blushing red,
Love red, menstrual-blood red, red,
Pink, maroon, black, white, blue, turquoise, indigo, navy, orange, brown, yellow, cream,
Ochre, lilac, purple, beige, coffee, chocolate, golden, silver,
Green-chilly green, bottle-gourd green, pointed-gourd green, bitter-gourd green,
Sky green, sea green, parrot green, peacock green, newborn-leaf green,
Mother-earth green, green

Forty five pairs of shoes: all high heels
Sixty pairs of gold earrings: cuffs, studs, danglers, chandbalis, jhumkis,
Jhumkas, tops, drops, hoops, loops, all

Five shelves of books
A lifetime full of learning
Four diaries full of conversations
Stray sheets of paper full of instructions

Three cell phones full of about to be made calls
A pair of socks about to be washed
A well-worn soft cotton bra about to be discarded
Albums with photographs from forty-six different trips safely guarded

What Remains?

Two sling-bags stuffed with 500 rupee notes
A kitchen full of utensils
A fridge full of food
A notepad full of recipes
Two hearts full of inherited secrets
A house full of memories hanging from every chair
Endless words unsaid whispering from every particle of trapped air

Numbers. Stats.

Creatinine: 2.3
Blood sugar: 85
Blood pressure: 58/43
Body temperature: 32.3

Numbers. Stats.

What remains of people when people are gone?