Special Mention - 2024

A Young Girl Irons the Collars of an Old City

In the Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh,
breathes my city- Khandwa
which has footprints 
of an old town, 
fading slowly within the boots 
of today's time. 

Its roads are half-built 
and half-balanced 
on the gossip mills 
of grandmothers' stories.
Its residents are victims of capitalism turning assets into liabilities.

Let me clean up the dirt 
from Kishore Kumar's 
Ganguly House
and organize a fun fair 
within the cemented arms 
of history.

Let the graveyards of grief 
bloom into a nursery of celebrations 
as the award-winning movie Lion 
is played to tell the tale of
Saroo Brierley- a 5-year-old boy
who was lost in 1986.

Let his thirst for reunion
with his blood relations
after seven years of search 
on Google Earth 
be fruitful to adorn 
the chromosomes of technology.

Let Nimadi Sev 
replace popcorn
and Matka Kulfi replace softies
because we have tastebuds 
inherited from 
our ancestoral tongues.

Let me make sure that 
the paper cups are recycled 
and are used for Makhanlal Chaturvedi's 
old magazine Karmaveer's publications.

I hope someday, 
my city will be in magazines
and newspapers.
I hope someday, my city will
be a giant dot on the country's map
sprouting into an emotional boulevard.

Author: Khatija Khan

This piece is part of Nagrika’s Annual Youth Writing Contest. Through the writing contest we encourage youth to think creatively and innovatively about their cities.