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We are a generation of displaced anger and 140 characters.

my grandmother tells me in their times⁣⁣ when ‘Mahabharata’ was telecasted every Sunday morning⁣⁣ neighbours crowded in our house from two hours ago⁣⁣ the only building in the entire colony with a black and white TV set⁣⁣ so you had Sardar aunty’s saag⁣⁣ and Aiyyar uncle’s uttapam⁣⁣ with Shreemad Bhagwatgeeta playing in monochrome in the background⁣⁣ and i sit before Netflix alone and ⁣⁣ stare at the screen all day⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ my grandmother tells me⁣⁣ in their times they never left the people they loved⁣⁣ and always stitched back the holes⁣⁣ in their skirts⁣⁣ waited five months for⁣⁣ the mango pickle to relish⁣⁣ putting it out on the shared terrace⁣⁣ every afternoon under the sun⁣⁣ she says there was no YouTube back then⁣⁣ and recipes were passed down tongues⁣⁣ she says they awaited replies of letters⁣⁣ for two months⁣⁣ without a flinch of doubt of being replaced⁣⁣ and i check my phone⁣⁣ for the tenth time⁣⁣ in an hour⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ she tells me they cycled miles to schools⁣⁣ which the Britishers had built⁣⁣ and in the barter system⁣⁣ you could get orange candies⁣⁣ in exchange of two hands full of grains⁣⁣ my grandmother tells me⁣⁣ houses back then did not have calling bells⁣⁣ and i have realized love⁣⁣ does not come ⁣⁣ with a barter tag⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ she tells me they used to walk holding hands with friends⁣⁣ and i carry people inside glass screens in my pocket⁣⁣ she tells me people had less resources back then⁣⁣ and my grandfather still remembers theorems he had learnt forty years ago⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ every elder in my family⁣⁣ reads the newspaper every morning without the need to prepare for a GK section exam⁣⁣ and my best friend⁣⁣ returned drunk last night⁣⁣ for the nineteenth time in a week⁣⁣ and still does not recognise⁣⁣ her surname⁣⁣ as of now⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ my grandmother tells me⁣⁣ she has found her long lost friends on the internet⁣⁣ and has been speaking on the phone non-stop⁣⁣ to her classmate she called⁣⁣ after thirty years⁣⁣ my grandmother often tells me⁣⁣ i have started speaking less ⁣⁣ as i have been growing up, and⁣⁣ in a muted whisper i scream⁣⁣ we are a generation of displaced anger,⁣⁣ and 140 characters.

<a href="https://poemsindia.in/poet/ankita-apurva/" data-type="post_tag" data-id="720417952">Ankita Apurva</a>
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