Many more namastes

I ruled the land, the seas, the air. 

Namaste. 

I’m the Maharaja, 

Turbaned and moustachioed, 

I was royalty in the ’60s and ’70s, 

I ruled the land, the seas, the air. 

I was the air, I was India.

I was a king, I was a raja 

I was Akbar, I was Tipu Sutan, 

I was Prithviraj Chauhan, 

I was royalty,

I served the people, 

I travelled the world… I was a globetrotter, 

I was India. I am India.

I am the various aspects of India—

complex yet simple,

traditional yet contemporary, 

orthodox yet unorthodox, 

I am India. I am Bharat. 

I am the Mahabaratha, I am Ramayana, 

I am Aryabhatta, I am Alia Bhatt. 

I am Vallabhai. I am VP. I am Vajpayee.  

I am the Tricolour, I am a riot of colours.

I am dynasty, I am diaspora,

I am NRI, I am new India,

I am the Chakra, I am a charkha.

Old is gold… or is it?

I went on a sabbatical, an exile of sorts,

for many years, 

A king without a throne,

A king without a palace,

A king with no purpose,

I was replaced,

I was removed,

I was resurrected,

I was reincarnated,

I was re-thought.

I now stand at the crossroads of change, of new challenges,

I can be anything you want me to be,

But I won’t be redundant.

I will not be present continuous,

I will not be a past participle,

I am not a full stop, a semi colon, a comma,

I was a prologue,

I will never be an epilogue.

That’s no way to treat a king.

I will not be sidelined,

I will not be ornamental,

I will not be metaphorical.

I am a feeling, I am an emotion.

But my future is uncertain— 

I am ready to serve,

but where do I stand in today’s India? 

I am an emotion, I am a feeling.

They’re gonna change my garb

They say they’re forward looking, 

In the world of memes… and millennials

What chance do I have? 

In a world of limitless possibilities, have I reached a limit? 

How progressive is progressive?

Where do I stand in the revolving door of reform? 

I am to be revamped…

New clothes?  

A new turban? 

A crown? A golden crown? 

They’re changing my look? 

Can you revamp royalty?

Can you modernise a Maharaja?

I was a feeling… I was an emotion…

Can I be replaced by a golden window?

More importantly, who will open it?

I am AI.

Not Artificial Intelligence!

I am Air India.

Rahul daCunha is an adman, theatre director/playwright, photographer and traveller. Reach him at rahul.dacunha@mid-day.com

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