Her Pyre and His Tomb

Her Pyre and His Tomb

-Avleen Kaur Lamba

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He tells me I belong to fire,

and he to the Earth.

Ritual of my death reserved for a pyre,

While he be buried quenching land’s thirst.

And that’s why we couldn’t love.

But one day both’d be forgotten,

When nothing of us would remain,

Why can’t we carry on our shoulders our passion,

And bury together our egos and pain?

A love story of a Hindu girl and a Muslim boy. The girl doesn’t understand why should their religion affect their love when the only difference they share is in the manner of their deaths? She belongs to fire as her body will be burnt while his will be buried in earth. The futility of the trivial question of inter caste marriages which are made a hullabaloo of are portrayed. And when they are disposed off, nothing of them would remain to be cherished. Why can’t they carry passion on their shoulders like Hindus carry bodies and like Muslims bury their loved ones why cant they bury their egos and pain?