Whose turn was it?

When we were young
Mother splayed some dung
On the wallCalled it upla
And we Put faces on,
Eyes, earsA nose

The upla with a turban
A cap
My upla
Your upla
We named them as we pleased
Chosen after our hearts

The playful sun
Spread its warmth each day
On our uple
And when the chulha was lit that night
We gathered around it and waited

Whose turn was it going to be tonight?
Who would burn to ashes?
There goes Pandit
That was Munna
This was Dhashrath
Years later
I'm at the crematorium
Tonight, I watch

As another friend is lost to the burning chulha
One more upla reduced to ashes

.. (A gulzar's petal)