Delphi Gymkhana Club Ltd.
The Small Bar

I
There are two bartenders
Shankar and Ramshahai Singhvi Yadav.
Both of them are competent. But given
the choice, I prefer Ramshahai Singhvi Yadav.
Yet, each time one needs a drink,
I call for Shankar , even though I
know Ramshahai Singhvi Yadav will be quicker.
Why? Good question.
Shankar is easy to recall.
This is a truism.

One's name must be simple,
as in the case
with ones' personal philosophy.
And poetry.

II
What do the inebriated talk about?
Relationships.
The unipolar world.
Economic liberalization.
The Congress versus the BJP?
And of death.

Towards the end of the evening,
most people are into long-lasting relationships.
Liquor never lies. It amplifies.

III
There is an unwritten
law of liquor.
No one disagrees with the person
who pays for the round: his word is Law,
usually, till the end of the drink.
But, if one is with friends,
should it be so?

by Sanjeev Sethi
from Nine Summers Later
Har-Anand Publications, Pvt Ltd.1997