He said
I wanted to meet
The man with such a smile
Said the stranger
Asking for a selfie of us
Shortly after
He paid for my lunch
And we talked
Of countries and cultures
Of love and religion
And politics and travel and life
Then we parted
Never to cross paths again
But two worlds a little richer
For the single crossing
Later, I straddled the median
Of Chandni Chowk Road
Photographing the east bound traffic
Faces in the crowd
Of multitudinous faces
And every one different
In appearance
In countenance
In presence
Only months later
Would I put together
The differences
And their effects
I remember the moments
I photographed the smiles
The engaging eyes
But lost utterly to memory
The moments
I photographed the scowls
The disengaged minds
Which brings a thought to mind
I choose my path
I choose my fate
I choose my friends
I choose my world
Consciously or unconsciously
With something so simple
As opting between
A smile and a scowl
Chandni Chowk Road
Chandni Chowk
Old Delhi, India
Taken during travels, 2017