The Tibetan in Mumbai

by Tenzin Tsundue

The Tibetan in Mumbai

is not a foreigner.

He is a cook

at a Chinese takeaway.

They think he is Chinese

run away from Beijing.

He sells sweaters in summer

in the shade of the Parel Bridge.

They think he is some retired Bahadur.

The Tibetan in Mumbai

abuses in Bambaya Hindi,

with a slight Tibetan accent

and during vocabulary emergencies

he naturally runs into Tibetan.

That’s when the Parsis laugh.

The Tibetan in Mumbai

likes to flip through the MID-DAY,

loves FM, but doesn’t expect

a Tibetan song.

He catches the bus at a signal,

jumps into a running train,

walks into a long dark gully

and nestles in his kholi.

He gets angry

when they laugh at him

“ching-chong-ping-pong”.

The Tibetan in Mumbai

is now tired,

wants some sleep and a dream.

On the 11pm Virar Fast,

he goes to the Himalayas.

The 8.05am Fast Local

brings him back to Churchgate

into the Metro: a New Empire.