On the 15th day of October each year, you
ask me the same question
what is my favourite conversation of us that I cherish the most
I have been reiterating the same answer for the past 15 years
That’s only cause you are my darling sister and I don’t wish to break your heart on your birthday.
At 6:00 am when you wake up to the sound of birds chirping
in the garden,
when maa is busy in kitchen making her signature
strong ginger tea and the smell of it
wafts across from kitchen and makes your heart happy,
when the sun’s rays enter your window
and you stand beneath, drenching in it,
when I see you smile wide and that makes me smile wide,
when he takes your hand and walks along,
and both of you cross the signal together
seeing you together, in love, smiling
when your heart raced while you described your first kiss,
when you baked your first cake,
and when you hugged me wishing my 11:11 wish list come to life.
that’s how the colour yellow looks like.
Like the sound of birds chirping
Like the smell of maa’s ginger tea
Like the touch of sun’s rays on your face
Like your smile when you are with him
Like my smile when I see you happy, and in love, together
Like the sound of your heart racing
Like the taste of that first kiss
Like your wish for me to live my dreams
That’s exactly how the colour yellow feels,
Happy, cheerful, bright and full of life, like you.
You were 5 when you had asked
me what did the colour yellow look like
and here’s what I remember, adding up one character
to the colour with each addition of happiness to your life
if you ask, it has been my 11:11 wish to feel the
colour yellow just like you do
in sounds
in wafts of ginger tea
in touches
in kisses
in hugs
in wishes
cause no one else sees the truest colours of yellow
better than you do.