no one bothered till the Karuna virus caught the police
chanting the Hindu god’s name and chasing Muhammedans
along with the mobs. the virus had its miraculous debut in
Shaheen Bagh when one by one the policemen stopped in their
tracks and lowered the batons. the ones demolishing the Masjids
stopped work and came down as if nothing ever happened.
some army men who went back to Kashmir, carried the virus
with them and the torture camps were suddenly abandoned.
the army returned to the bases. schools reopened. internet was
established in full. streets were filled with singing dancing people.
the spread of the Karuna virus was swift. it swept across Assam and the North
East. the detention camps were evacuated and people streamed out in joy.
the virus entered China and the Uyghur Muslims were sent back to families
from the concentration camps. pro-democracy protesters were let out of jail.
same good news awaited the Rohingyas in Myanmar.
North Korea ended their sham communism. by the banks of the Amazon
forests, the indigenous people were returned the forests. the wall between
Mexico and the US was demolished. US brought back all its marines from
Syria, Iraq and Aghanistan. Saudi Arabia banned capital punishment. In Iran, the
dissenters were released. aboriginal rights were accepted in Australia.
the natives got their dues in the US. Israeli troops withdrew from Palestine.
all passports and visa restrictions were rendered invalid globally.
the symptoms of the Karuna vius were noticeable everywhere. people
were happy. unburdened by wars, the governments spent more on food
and culture. Happy couples roamed the streets in the cities and the villages
freely, no one bothered them. no one watched anyone kissing.anyone hugging.
me and my beloved entered the bamboo groves in the western ghats
and lay on the ground making love to the rhythm of the creaking trunks.
a snake slithered past our bodies. a bird pecked at her nipples. ants scurried along
my spine. a hundred fireflies lit up our dance of love. A rain of Karuna fell on us.
Ra Sh is a poet based out of Kerala
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