The Fate

Maybe it might’ve been decided that day,
The day the second standard students were
Gathered up to be taken to the temple grounds.

The rules were simple; from the banyan tree to
The stands were people sit during the festival and back.

All of us were lined up and the teacher hollered, ‘one, two, three.’
All ran, and me too followed suit, panicking.
When I reached halfway I saw them coming back;
Friends, classmates, neighbours, but not as friends, classmates
Or neighbours, but as a single unit, frighteningly aggressive.

I overcame the momentary confusion, halted myself, turned back
And ran towards the banyan tree holding on for dear life.

Maybe it might’ve been decided that day.
Maybe everything grandma told about fate might’ve been true.