My platter was served with

a Demon's Cupcake—

a mischievous confectionery

ruining my sweet appetite.

I questioned the restaurant's

pastry chefs

and line cooks in my mind,

as the mixer buzzed and veggies chopped

in the background's preparatory chaos.

I took my situation

as an uptight challenge

to my taste buds,

while my fine dining etiquette

compelled my hands

to bring the sweet horror to my mouth.

The next moment,

my alarm whistled, perfectly synced

with the European timeline.

I silently thanked

my six-year-old nephew,

who had toyed with my phone's settings,

saving me just in time

from the cupcake's cream—

wildly whipping my red lipstick

and launching sugary assaults

on my tooth line.

It was actually 5 a.m. in India.

Through the window,

I saw grey-haired individuals

adjusting their worn bodies

through various yoga postures.

Among them was my octogenarian

paternal grandfather,

stretching gracefully in Bhujangasana,

the classic cobra pose.

In my eyes, he was the hard bark of the tree,

a force I could only nourish

by sowing his seeds in new planters and pots.

I see my father’s generation,

in a symbiotic bond with him,

reaching his heights like vines swirling around.

Now, the question remains:

Am I bound to follow the same swirl,

or will I become a new tree,

standing alongside him in his ground,

with my nephew as a young shrub beside us?

Now it's time to help my nephew

get ready for school.

My morning routine is knocking me,

and I soon find myself checking

his bag with requisite books, as scheduled,

disposing of his Dairy Milk wrappers

in the wastebasket before his parents catch

him with his secret delights.

As he gets ready,

I wheel my scooty down the ramp

built into the stairs.

Next, he settles himself

in the backseat and clings to me like a pillowcase.

It signals me to be ready

for his next demand,

and he gestures toward a new bakery opening.

I can visibly notice its front mirror

displaying scones, croissants, and muffins,

and then a glance at its nameboard:

Demon’s Cupcake.