The gage was thrown down,
The eyes met,
laced with vengeance,
And the fight begun.

No one was sure where it was headed,
But their egos played,
In myriad forms,
And devised ploy to make the opponent shudder.
But at the end,

No one won,
All that was left behind,
Was bruised souls,
And disheveled dreams.

Copyright © Shantanu Baruah