A Dark Outline With A Darker Shadow

At dusk i saw an outline
A dark outline with a darker shadow
I could see it moving
I could see it approaching
With fear there was a curiosity in me
To see the face that belonged to the outline,
That belonged to the shadow

I expected it to be dark
I expected scars, marks of stitches
I tried to lean in to steal a glimpse

Even when my legs were shaking
Yet something about the way the outline moved
I felt the danger wasn't so grave,
Yet my heart was pounding

Was my strength because of my faith in the divine
Or was it only the curiosity building up in me
That momentarily overlooked the danger that lay in front
Is something i don't have answer to
I couldn't take a step forward
But back also i went very little

The figure finally came there
A few steps away
I stood fixed
Hoping to see the face
And praying not to be seen
I hoped the tree hid me well
I prayed to be the chameleon hiding in the dark

To my relief i wasn't spotted
Or was i simply overlooked i don't know for sure
As the figure ran past me
The dead leaves crushing under his soles made noises
That didn't simply die after him
It only increased manifold
And it approached him in a speed faster than his

He had tilak on his forehead
And his eyes had burning flames
The ones that came after also had eyes bloodshot like his
But they had kohl adding black to the red
It was a war, a war of religion
Whose fault it was i don't know and have no interest in

For all i know i was spared
Spared of potential danger
When my mind itself had stopped working
I was spared by a stranger
My curiosity could have ended me in a situation i pray everyday not to land in

Yet i was standing there,
Just to see what was happening

It's been years since,
And i ask myself this question everyday without fail
Why did i want to see what was happening
Why did my eyes want to give a face to the dark outline
All i know now to my satisfaction is
There once was me in a dangerous situation,
Saved by a probable culprit, a possibly dead stranger....