LINES / लकीरें

Lines... they are a kind of mark. Where there is only space, walking endlessly doesn't create a 'here' and 'there'. But drawing a thin line creates a 'here' and 'there'. And the mark, instead of just being a spot, starts forming and growing within us. And sometimes, that very thing stands out, everywhere, in everything. This poem is made from a voice grappling with such a line. A line that is drawn a little deeper by the fact that she is a girl, whose home address is a troubled land, who now understands and knows the troubles of home, family, and school in a different land. Yet, she wants to hold on to the thread of hope. The illustrations by Kripa embrace every color, every address, and every 'here and there' of that line with extreme sensitivity. Their illustrations deepen this book. They also create a parallel avenue of expression alongside the text, where only pictures could go.