Rat Race

Those who blindly join the rat-race,


end up dying a dog's death. 

Says,

READ MORE...

Honesty

Beware of people who are too blunt. 


'Coz their words can cut through your heart most sharply.

Says,


thanks for reading...

READ MORE...

Laughter

If you want everyone to laugh with you, laugh on you.


Absolutely no-one will mind it!

Says,


thanks for reading...

READ MORE...

Critic? Cynic?

There's a thin line between being a critic and a cynic. 


--------------------------------


The former checks for the flaws in your work, while the latter can't see any work beyond the flaws.

Says,


thanks for reading...

:-)

READ MORE...

Some bYtes of reality

Someone may curse you inside, but a word (s)he won't say
You'd get to know however, when their status they update.



A friend got committed, you were perhaps never told
Even as the changed relationship status, is 150 'likes' old.


You upset a friend someway, who has long been sulking
But with "friends" unknown, (s)he might still be chatting.

Been ages since some school friends, saw each other or met
Their DPs however, comments even from strangers get.



In real when you see, most people are what they are not
But online their bio-data you find, written with much thought.

A silly crush's profile, you might time n again be checking
While someone's true love for you, in darkness is lurking.


As the walls within hearts, continue to induce bad feelings
Come birthdays and the same, are filled with fake greetings.


With a smirk we claim ignorance, to what others think about us
But aren't their "likes" on our posts, something we discuss?


It's a world of constant growth, busy lives we say we've got
How then do we, so many hours to the internet allot?


This internet I tell you, in our lives has had a good deal
A world so virtual, but somewhat realer than the real.


There're some things good about it, many that are bad
Wonder if it's gonna stay this way, or is just another fad.


Eating up much time, many people it now has addicted
No wonder it's called the "net"- a trap so complicated.



Whatever be the case, for now the virtual is thriving 
Sometimes I wonder if it is, on our real lives surviving.

READ MORE...

Zzzzzz......wake up kid!

I've come across people who love to dance, others who love to sing, still others who paint and so on-so forth. I've also come across people who don't like to do either of these- the ones who may like dancing, but not singing, who may like sketching but not painting ...so on so forth again. But there hasn't been one who doesn't like to zzzzz.....sleep! And you do agree with me, don't you?


When I was a child, I hated sleep. It seemed like such a waste of time. I thought, there are so many interesting things to do in this world, so many games to play, so many activities to indulge in, why miss it all for something as useless as SLEEP! Just being a set of bones, lying down and doing, doing absolutely nothing! Huh! 


Some of my fondest memories of childhood are of my mom striving hard to make the three of us (me, my kid brother and younger sister) take a nap in the afternoon- tough job it was for her, I must say.
For she was a teacher ('was' because she's now a principal) and thus, the afternoon time for her was much precious- the time when she could take little rest after a hectic day at school and then back home preparing lunch etc 'coz evening would again embark on a new set of chores till the ultimate end (of the day). So basically what I'm trying to say is that she wanted to sleep. And we kids opposed the idea like anything, because she obviously wouldn't sleep with three tiny criminals on loose in her house and so, we were supposed to sleep as well- by hook or by crook. 


So once back from school, we'd change, have lunch together, watch a little T.V along and then sleep- or so we tried.
And failed at it most of the times! It just wasn't appealing an idea. A day at school- some studies and some play, studies no less than play, yet tired. But a child's imagination, curiosity, energy- do they ever tire?
So we would just lie there with her, eyes closed (if not, she'd make sure we did so- moms are smart, you see) and wait for her to start snoring (don't be crazy to believe that, it's just a figure of speech, duh!). There'd be times when one of us would try to escape sneakily, thinking that the way is clear but lo! her sixth sense would suddenly play the spoiler and with all the grudge that it brought, the brave attempter had to again get back to bed.  If one did succeed at such an attempt (that was mostly my clever brother) the other two (actually me :P) would feel jealous and deliberately call out to him loudly. Either mom would wake up or he'd be afraid that she will- in any case he had to come back to bed cursing me. (Probably that's when we began with our fights, with him writing me off as 'mummy ki chamchi' :P)

But we didn't fail always, mind you! At times it did work out well enough- planning always helps, you see. Once in the other room we'd discuss in the softest tone of voice(s) possible on how to 'utilize' the hard-earned time. What to play, what to do. Sometimes we'd take up our drawing books while my brother bravely tried to watch T.V (on low volume, ofcourse). I'd loudly murmur then, "kya kar raha hai! Mummy jaag jayengi hamein bhi sona padega!". That way he annoyed me like anything. No, he always does.


Otherwise, we played something- hide and seek in the then-little house or else, the best that I can remember, tent-tent (a more interesting version of ghar-ghar). The best corner in the house during summers was the half-bed placed just in front of the good-old cooler, so we would just take one of mom's dupattas, and tie it to it's window such that the 'tent' alone took up all the air the silly machine (anything like that is silly once you've an  A.C, no?) had to offer. Then we'd get all our toys and take it into the 'tent'. Now the funny part is that once in it, we had no clue about what to do! We'd be simply sitting in there, looking at those toys or each other's faces. If it got cold we'd get an extra sheet to take over ourselves. What next? Nothing! The effort that it all took, the planning, the 'adventure' involved: that itself was the game we played! Once accomplished, the task meant nothing. Sometimes mom would wake up (that must be those really hot summer days making her miss the cold air and hence wonder, where did the coolness go?) at other times we would just get bored of sitting inside and dismantle everything to get back to sleep, finally exhausted- an effort for nothing?! :D


So that was it- my childhood, a sneak peak into it, a re-tour of the best times. Times have changed, we have changed : all because we've, so called, 'grown up'. A peaceful sleep is more precious than anything now, but not so easy to avail. There are tensions, concerns that won't let us be at peace even if sleeping. Those were the times when the body refused to tire, and even if it did, the keenness to learn new things never did and we'd keep going, keep exploring, unraveling new facts and relishing the profound mysteries of life. Nothing seemed like a waste of time, even failures were milestones. A mistake or two no matter how big, and all that the mind yelled was, "Oh! So this is how it is NOT to be done!". THAT was the real spirit of life- forever hopeful, forever learning, forever growing, and never tiring. The energy seems lost, even though we aren't yet old.


There's this boy/girl amongst us crying for/over 'love', the loss or lack of it- sleepless anyhow. Maybe a heartbreak, a betrayal or a mistake- love- it sure brings some happiness, some hurt and a lot of lost sleep, well, so I've heard. 


Another one is going mad wondering what his/her future will be."Will I get placed? What kind of a job will I get, if at all I will? How'll I earn money, and how much will I? Will I be able to have my own stand in life? To become independent and successful? Will I be able to live upto my parents' expectations and do my them proud? But, how? How'll it all happen?!". The future, it worries and eats much of the present- the peace, the life, the time. 


Some are plain busy, too busy to do anything as 'fruitless' as sleep. Some others are not at all busy- but still as sleepless as their busier counterparts, 'coz they're jobless, idle, it worries them. It seems like a loser life not worth continuing with. Everything becomes stagnant when the poignant question is, "what have I achieved?".


The man with no money can't sleep, 'coz he's worried about his family, his children, their future. The man with too much money can't sleep either, 'coz he's tense all the time, "is it safe? What if I get caught?".


Different reasons, different commitments, different concerns but all leading to the same state- of being devoid of that relieving, peace-giving trance. The state of no sleep, no peaceful sleep, to be more precise. Nevertheless, we're still moving on as if hypnotized- not at peace, but at unrest, thus making us only exist, rather than live.  


I never valued that baby sleep as a kid. The funny part, I still could have it, anytime I wanted. And now, I value it, but don't have it, not as much as I need, as much as I want. Funny life.

Lost in the crowd?

This I say after having stayed up in the night for long, sleepless after having slept in the day, wondering (read 'worrying') about upcoming exams, the recently concluded results that flag me off as no more than an average student, the huge question mark flashing over my future-tense (the future making me tense), the cut throat competition apparently tending to cut more than just my throat, as if my nerves... 

But okay, atleast I know now why mom so badly wanted to sleep, back then. But, where's the peace? the hope?
If this is what growing up is all about, how I wish I could forever stay a kid.


But there is a child within, the source of hope when nothing seems to be working, the house of all energy. Let's call out to him .....wake up kid!!!

READ MORE...

Love at first SMILE...

This tale is from Agra, year two thousand whatever,
Yet something to remember, and forget never ever! 

Lonely and depressed, our hero was then

A ray of light sparkled, his eyes met 'hers' when.

'She' was a girl, with a vibrant sweet smile

That never left her face, otherwise rather vile.

But the smile was as if, a thing of beauty 

Joy forever, yet not snooty.

Something happened, when she saw him staring
The embarrassment for him, was sure despairing. 

But lo what happened, was no less than magic!

For what he had thought, would end up being tragic.

She smiled at him, leaving him struck!

Twice she smiled, he couldn't believe his luck!

A third time and he was too glad!

A fourth smile and it was driving him mad!

A bulky man suddenly entered the scene

Held the girl's arm, o' it looked obscene.
'Come with me,' he shouted at her

She resisted, with the smile still so pure.

'Such an angel!' thought our hero

But the man was as if, at wrestling a pro.

"Hey you!!" our hero roared 

"Pink Floyd?" the near-wrestler joked. 

"Leave my girl!" our hero commanded 

"Your girl??!" the 'hulk' demanded. 

"She likes me, and I like her too, 

so better stay out, she no more belongs to you!"
Saying this, our hero proudly smirked

A flashy smile, on the girl's face still lurked. 

"And how do you know?" asked the bulky man;

Why he giggled, the hero failed to understand.

"Well, look at the way she smiles at me;

It's clear with who she wants to be!"

"You want to be with her?" fatness asked

"Yes of course," came the reply too fast.


"Then come along!" the man grabbed hero tight.
Making him once, doubt the orientation behind his might.


"Are you sure?" our hero murmured
"Yes of course!" his heaviness smirked.


"You two would look great together!
I now realize, you're made for each other!"


"Happy realization!" hero remarked with a twisted face
Glad to finally get a girl, but somewhat still amazed.


"So where shall we go?" he sighed
"The place you both should be in," heaviness replied.


"And that is...?" hero asked again
"Where she ran away from!" fat-(m)-ass tried to explain.


"She ran from where?!" our hero was shocked! 
Pitying how badly the girl, in her house must've been locked.


"It is Agra's famous Pagalkhana;
Where you too seem to deserve an aana-jaana!"


Hero's heart broke to pieces, his happiness faded
For the only girl who smiled at him, was mentally unaided. 

READ MORE...

The love maybe lost, but its memories are not – PART 3

PART 2 Here

A month later

That day, their classes had got over at 2 in the afternoon. An easy time-table is sure enough to make the day for any student.

"Jahnvi, we need to talk. Like, right now!" Aditya said in a rather grave tone. She was standing with some of her female friends in a semi-circle and before he had even uttered a word, they started tingling and teasing her with naughty giggles. 

"Irritating chicks!"Aditya mumbled. "I wonder why does Manav find this hee-hee-heeeeee CUTE!" 

"Addy, I know we've to talk but could you just wait for sometime, we..."

"Oooooooooohhhh... hmmmmmm..... yeaahh....oye hoyee," the chuckles refused to halt. 

"Shut up girls! It's nothing of that sort," Jahnvi kept saying, as if just for the sake of it, even as her blushing cheeks had another tale to tell.

"What's so funny, girls? I'm not proposing to anyone of you to marry me, am I? Then what is it that's driving YOU chicks so crazy! Or are you giggling for no reason, just to fetch attention? If yes then this eeeee-aaaaaa-oooo-heeeheee won't help, trust me!" not for nothing was Aditya known for being outright straight with his words. And then the girls had been testing his patience a bit too much.

And that worked! The giggly girls left in all frustration, as if humiliated by the truth they won't ever expect anyone to utter, not guys at least, for they may make fun of girls and girly habits amongst themselves, but when talking to a girl, it's like they're the sweetest, politest angels on Earth. (A guy's says, "I love it when you giggle, it's so cute!" to a girl = "Such a wannabe I tell you! Laughing and chuckling all the time for no reason at all! Attention seekers...grrrr...these ggggirlsss!!" among fellas. Talk about double standards, eh?)

And the way Addy had imitated them, got them grumbling all the more. "We'll see you later, mister smarty!" one of them warned him before leaving.

"Oh! You know what, you just got me trembling with fear!" he joked, "Ugh ugh, am sooo scared!!... heee heee heee!" never before did he so thoroughly enjoy teasing someone.

"Addy, grow up! It's not fair!" Jahnvi told him once the gigglers left. 

"Grow up? Ask your birdies to do that miss. And don't deny that you were struggling to hold back your laughter all the while too!" he winked.

"Alright alright, the way you enacted their giggles, it WAS, umm...f.u.n.n.y," she confessed. 

And they gave a hi-5.

"So, you came in a rather serious mood, didn't you. We need to talk?" she reminded him.

"Oh yes! Shall we go sit in the garden? I lack the patience to deal with some more of your loser girlfriends."

"I'll kill you, jerk!" she pinched his ear, "let's go."

Half an hour passed in utter silence, with the two of them sitting besides each other, doing absolutely nothing. All that could be heard were occasional sounds/noises from somewhere in the vicinity, of some friends celebrating a birthday and yelling songs or a gang of guys barking abuses or either of them coughing or yawning, et al.

"Look, I know that all mushy mushy love stories call it a very beautiful time when a girl and a boy just sit together for hours together, gazing at each other, the 'silence speaking better than words' and shit. But trust me, this is getting really boring now," she tried to break the ice on a lighter note.

"Right. Hey Jahnvi, do you remember what day it is today?" he asked, unaffected by her joke, thoroughly examining her face.

"Umm yes, it's a Monday, no?" she still wasn't out of the playful mood.

"No. Precisely, it's one month after that particular day," he hoped to see her remember something.

"That particular day??" she pretended to be confused. 

"Oh come awn! Am serious, one month ago we had a long talk, in the very same place we are in right now, remember?" he seemed a little impatient this time.

"Oh yeah, one month ago was the date that comes one month before today... right?!" she cracked a pathetic one.

And he was least amused.

"Alright, yes I very well remember that day. A bit embarrassing to narrate, but believe me I do," she assured him.

"Hmm. I never mentioned anything about my feelings after it, in this one month, did I? I stuck to my promise. The promise to not mention it again except for the day a month later..."

"Yeah and...," she tried to speak.

"No. Let me talk now. Don't say anything till I've completed or I won't be able to. Okay?" he demanded.

Rather rude, she thought. But sensing the gravity of the situation and intensity of his expressions, she let go of it.

"Hmm..." she nodded.

"Fine then. Look, Jahnvi, we've been friends for more than a month now. And unlike what you, or even I had expected, it's all been pretty good, pretty pleasant."

"Hmm..." she nodded again, the maximum that she was allowed to do.

"I understand that after my first crazy proposal, it must've been difficult for you to 'stay normal', as the silly me had demanded."

"Hmm," went another nod. Though she really wondered why did he call that proposal crazy, or himself 'silly'. But he seemed too nervous to answer further queries then.

"But it went on smoothly!" he continued, "I remember the beautiful time we spent together in college—stuffing our tummies in the canteen (from each others' plates), bunking classes to simply laze around (against your will, ofcourse), at times flirting... with the books in the library, that is," he had suddenly turned so nervously expressive that one could know where the brackets were to be inserted, in all that he spoke.

"And everytime I succeeded in dragging you to the library, you'd call me a nerd," she added, unable to hold back from speaking this time, getting all nostalgic. "These were the times when we behaved totally like the two ends of a rope, pulling apart but still bonded," she concluded with a warm, friendly smile.

"Yeah yeah, true that. That and lots more, to count in the beautiful memories of us, together." 

"Why memories, duh! Our friendship still exists, prettier than ever. Memories belong to the past and the past need not be called till the present turns ugly!" she philosophized

"Do you remember, that day I said something else too?" he so ignored her beautiful words.

"What?"

"That, that after a month I'll make the proposal again? For you to decide if we can be together or not, for you to know me as a person, which you said is important. And personally, hoping to see you develop a soft corner for me in your heart," he sounded intense, a bit worried.

She blushed.

For though she didn't tell him, but it had been a long, desperate wait. Each day cursing herself for having kept him waiting for so long, each day telling herself, 'no one is perfect, silly. It's love that makes someone seem perfect, for us. And he is the one, for me.' At times she thought if she herself could take the step, but then gave in to the lack of courage. This one moment was, hence, long awaited and precious for her. 

"Ohkay... so? Why don't you say it now, that which you've got to say?" she unintentionally sounded impatient this time. 

He kept mum.

"Say it, silly!" she commanded.

"Jahnvi, I...I..."

"Sayyy!!"

"I am really very sorry for everything," he broke the stinging silence.

"Sorry? For what!" she seemed surprised enough, though still smiling faintly.

"Like I said, for everything."

"Be specific Aditya. I don't get you and it's getting a little scary now, you know," she remarked, somewhere hoping to see him burst into laughter very soon and yell, "SURPRISE!"

Unfortunately enough, that wasn't the case.

"I've understood now, what you said then. That's why you call me a tubelight, don't you?" he tried 'lightening' the situation.

She gaped in disbelief. "Understood what?"

"Understood that love isn't so easy, isn't so shallow, isn't so stupid. That it's important to completely know someone as a person before concluding that we're freaking in love with them! There are a hell lot of things involved! People are oft not how we think they must be!"

"What. Are. You saying Aditya?"

"Am sorry for having come and pestered you, Jahnvi. I really appreciate your patience for having borne me all this while. I had been feeling a little off-color since quite some time, like it wasn't exactly how I had imagined. Then I tried seeing through your perspective and everything seemed crystal clear! Clear that we can't be together, that we're not 'made for each other', that you and I are oh-so-different!" he completed.

"You're not serious, right? You can't do this to me!" she gasped for a breath.

"Of course I am! I'm letting you free, isn't that great!?" he seemed relieved, totally unlike her.

"I can't believe you can say all this! I can't believe you can appreciate 'my perspective' of love, when I lost mine long back, to yours! As I learned to see it the way you, used to... free spirited, letting it find its destination itself, not imposing rules and directions on our feelings! 

"What I also can't believe is that you're thanking my patience for having 'borne' you all this while, when I've actually been dreaming of being always together, no matter what!
I can't believe that you think you're letting me 'free', when I've been blissfully bound in chains of love. Your love! 

"I can't believe I fell in love with YOU!". 

She broke down into tears miserably after the last words. It was helpless, miserable. 

"No...no..! Look, it's not like that! See, you're giving in to temporary attachment, think the way you used to, be practical, yeah? Am not the one, seriously!" he tried to comfort her, nervously. 

But it only added to her helplessness. 

"I AM NOT YOUR SLAVE!" she yelled, "not your puppet!"

"You've cheated me!"

"I haven't. We can't be responsible for the way we feel, can we? We don't direct emotions, to go this way or that. And if mine changed, it wasn't intentional. Don't hold me responsible for it Jahnvi. I am guilty but it wasn't in my hands! And then, we're still friends, aren't we?" he sounded unbelievably at ease. 

"I do not know who is responsible and who isn't.. I do not know what went wrong, I also do not know why you, or your feelings, changed," she went on, "What I know is that, you've left in my life a stigma that'll stay for long. Real long."

"As for us being friends, I wish feelings were so easy to rewind."

"You may leave now. Your so called 'love' is over, and care mustn't be faked. It may raise hope for someone," went her last words, blank and expressionless. 

And he left. 

Everything turned upside down. Feelings got 'exchanged' literally, leaving the one least at fault, suffering. Still, no one can be blamed.

Shall we call it a love story?

Back to PART 1

By,

thanks for reading...

READ MORE...

Friendship, trust, honesty and....blah, whatever!

Why's it so hard to see
That everything wrong ain't in me
Why's it so easy to blame
And in everything amiss, to drag my name?


Why?


Why can't you understand
I can be right, you can be wrong
Why can't this blame-game cease
For we are friends, not the police!


Why?


These discussions, these debates
Hellish muddles, they tend to create
Pals ought to forget, not to forgive
Is it a fact, so tough to believe?


?


Not that am rightest, not that you're wrongest
Just that 'right'-'wrong', are concepts I can't digest!
You might say back too, all that I am saying
And that's how the grudges, shall keep piling.


You ask for honesty, in the friendship we share
Trust me I fail, to that everytime I adhere
'Coz my uncensored words seem to "hurt" thee
But isn't that why, frankness ain't everyone's cup of tea?


Innocent ignorance, I don't claim, no never
Neither do I expect you, to be friends forever
But while together, among us peace ought to stay
And such minor tiffs, we got to be kept at bay.


I'm not emotional here, I don't even intend to be
Your holding me wrong, I call a game of 'relativity'
'Coz you point the finger at me, I can do the same
Aye! If only, 'friendship' was a bond so lame.


Sarcasm applies to strangers, not friends, my dear
- a simple principle, in my life I like to bear
Hadn't it been so, I promise I could be meaner
But please I'm a friend! Not your competitor!


Well...


Maybe when you said you like an honest opinion
You meant so only for your dressing and times of fun
'Coz that apart, whenever my issues I tried to discuss
It all ended up in a huge huge mess.


Alas....

About thy anger, I can't help not caring

When it's not valid, I happen to be knowing.

For the beauty of a bond, lies in the trust entwined

With that missing, every  gesture you shall mind.

And who is "you", may I now reveal

It's ANY friend, candidness to whom doesn't appeal. 

READ MORE...