Kolaveri Liars and Smiling Saints: Am I the least of their concern?

Welcome back, fellow rascals. Today’s piece kicks off with a tense street confrontation, dives straight into the heavy psychology of human deceit, and somehow perfectly bridges the gap between deep Christian theology (εν Χριστώ) and iconic Indian cinema. From the biochemical metaphors of cell receptors to the global spectacle of political currency, this spoken-word poem questions the masks we all wear. When the world looks at you with furious rage or an alluring, deceptive smile, who are you really? And more importantly—are they even looking at you, or just projecting their own battles?

Mal pani thinks I’m a bad guy,

He has no knowledge of who am I?

A few months ago, some Muslim guys

Thought they figured out who am I?

They surrounded me, argued, closing the space,

Wanting to beat me up, black and blue, in rage.

I asked them what’s the matter for your rage,

They said they knew who am I?

I was excited, because I didn't yet know,

Deep in my soul, who am I?

I always thought I’m εν Χριστώ,

Yet I was open to know.

What did they see? What thought did they hold?

So I asked them, gentle and bold:

"My friends, tell me, who am I?"

They looked at each other, not knowing why,

Surprised? Or maybe their train of thought broke,

For who I am is the least of their concern when they spoke.

I learned one thing from two different people,

Two different points in life’s shifting shade,

From two walks of life, beneath the same steeple:

Liars, have they a gender made?

They speak white lies, and they know how to hide

Deceit under an alluring smile,

And mask profound love beneath furious rage all the while.

To one I ask: Why is this kolaveri?

And to the other I say, Dil ke tukde tukde karke muskura ke chal diye.

Are these two sides of the same Trump coin,

Released in America lately, minted to join,

And is priced higher than its true worth?

Many buyers they have, across the earth—

Yes, they do, all over the world.

I thought, man, you are the Man,

The Man of Jesus, standing in the light,

And the precious minister of hope glorious,

Still, you have no value in their sight,

And are reduced to a big zero in the night.

A value-giver, acting like a receptor true,

To attach helpful proteins to the cell wall for you,

To ingest them into the system, deep and wide.

You are a receptor, with nothing to hide,

That adds value and makes relevant all the liars,

Who mask their truth, their political manifestos, and desires,

Under their glowing skin and burning lips.

Selah!

I learned one thing from two different people,

Two different points in life’s shifting shade,

From two walks of life, beneath the same steeple:

Liars, have they a gender made?

They speak white lies, and they know how to hide

Deceit under an alluring smile,

And mask profound love beneath furious rage all the while.

To one I ask: Why is this kolaveri?

And to the other I say, Dil ke tukde tukde karke muskura ke chal diye.

Are these two sides of the same Trump coin,

Released in America lately, minted to join,

And is priced higher than its true worth?

Many buyers they have, across the earth—

Yes, they do, all over the world.

I said to myself, in Mohan Lal style,

If I get to meet the lal Bai after a while,

I will hold her lal lal lips with my hand,

With my thumb and index, as I stand,

And tell her plainly, right to her face:

"Your pink-pink lips, in this time and place,

I can turn them red, or burn them black,

If you do too much politics and track!"

And then give her a lipstick, black or brown,

For we don't know what's the new trend down,

That her friends are crazy about in the small town.

I learned one thing from two different people,

Two different points in life’s shifting shade,

From two walks of life, beneath the same steeple:

Liars, have they a gender made?

They speak white lies, and they know how to hide

Deceit under an alluring smile,

And mask profound love beneath furious rage all the while.

To one I ask: Why is this kolaveri?

And to the other I say, Dil ke tukde tukde karke muskura ke chal diye.

Are these two sides of the same Trump coin,

Released in America lately, minted to join,

And is priced higher than its true worth?

Many buyers they have, across the earth—

Yes, they do, all over the world.