An evocative love poem by Smita.

We finished with every trick in the bag.
If someone watches closely, almost like a halo,
Calm, radiates around us.
The meaning of excitement has changed.
It’s no longer arousal, sea-food, heavy metal . . .
We’re happy with dim lights, hand-holding,
The live band crooning, “I just called to say
I love you . . .”
Long drives in our Innova over
Tricky mountain terrain,
Arriving, at an isolated spot,
Granting us an unrestricted view of
Trishul, Nanda Devi, Panchachuli . . .
A clear winter sky, the strong
Sun pumping us with warmth,
And you, pleading –
“Let’s stay a while longer,
Please, please, please . . .”

• Picture design Anumita Roy, Different Truths

Smita Agarwal

Prof Smita Agarwal is a prominent Indian poet writing in English and a culturally active person. She is the author of three collections of poems: Wish-granting Words (New Delhi: Ravi Dayal, 2002); Mofussil Notebook (Calcutta: Brown Critique/Sampark, 2016); and Speak, Woman! (New Delhi: Red River, 2021), which has been shortlisted for the Sahitya Akademi Prize, 2025. She is the editor of Marginalized: Indian Poetry in English (Amsterdam and New York: Rodopi, 2014). She is also a trained singer who has performed on radio, television, and various government-sponsored cultural festivals. Her songs are available on YouTube. She is our National Editor: Literature and Music.