Lying in his bed

He thought:

.

“I’m getting fat!

Tomorrow I’ll take my blue suit

to the tailor’s 

for alteration

I’ll get a new suit in a month or two

next to the tailor’s 

is that hotel!

It is where 

they make that tasty fish

I’ll have some tomorrow

but the damned fishy smell

sticks to your hands

tomorrow I have to get some soap

I’ll get it 

on my way home

this time Yardley

Lots of work at the office

if the boss is in a bad mood

I’ll take off 

a couple days

and if I feel like it

go see the six o’clock show of

Ram and Shyam

the damned picture’s great

from nine to twelve

rummy at the club

my luck‘s been good for the past two days

won sixty rupees yesterday

thirty today

hope I’ll 

win tomorrow too

Enough, I want to get some sleep

win 

tomorrow too

get some sleep

ace two . . . nine . . .  ten

the queen of diamonds

smell of fish 

cards

joker, joker wearing a suit 

hefty joker – – – –!”

.

..v.~~~

.

Thinking this

He fell asleep

But never got up again!!

Next day 

as his funeral procession 

passed the tailor shop

the smell of fish

From the hotel

Followed behind quite far!!!

.

From:  Āk̲h̲irī din kī talāsh (Search for the Last Day). Allāhābād: Shabk̲h̲ūn Kitāb G̲h̲ar, 1968. p. 12