Nalini Shetty
Behind the Curtains
The alley smells of damp earth and stale incense. A neon sign flickers above a doorway where a girl leans, chewing paan, her lips stained the color of hibiscus. Inside, the air is thick with cheap perfume and the low murmur of bargaining. Somewhere, a radio plays an old Lata Mangeshkar song, her voice filling the cracks in the walls.
midnight rain
she wipes kohl
from the mirror
a face appearing
as another fades
About the Author
Nalini Shetty is a stay-at-home mom who writes Japanese short forms. She is published regularly in haikuKATHA, Haiku Dialogue, and other known journals, and is an active member at Triveni Haikai India, where she workshops with masters and fellow writers.