I still remember the cross road I stood on,
fragile and numb, unable to gather my thoughts,
I stood there, frozen. Every step outside the confines of the sidewalk seemed to be threatening!
And then, I felt her soft hands grab mine.
Gentle skin, but a damn strong grip.

Oh, and I've never looked back, since.
Not that wisdom suddenly blessed me with all those feathers on my cap. No.
Truth is, I kept freezing on a lot of such cross roads.
I still do. But she's been there, always.

The skin on her palm becomes a bit tougher
with every passing day and her grip, a bit loose.
Soon the roles would be reversed perhaps.
It would be me holding her hands and helping her cross.
But till then, Oh I am sure, I still have a lot
of cross roads ahead and I am sure she'd be there.
The cross roads of my life. The gentle hand of my Mom.

- AbhiN