Between the lines

Sandwiched between

Every two words

There is a word

I dare not utter…

Metaphorics

Never worked

With you

Never will it be…

To proclaim it

I am too shy

To admit it

I am too proud

-I miss you!

What I told you

A squirrel has built its nest on my windowsill. I want you to come and see my forcibly adopted kiddies, when they open their eyes.

 I fell from the bicycle and scraped my knees.

 I picked a fight with the bus conductor, because I caught him leaning on a schoolgirl.

My hair had grown two more inches. There are a few grey hairs, emerging here and there. Is growing old at 24, premature?

I cleaned my table and found a wrapper of a chocolate we had shared ages ago.

My slipper was scrapping again. Perhaps it is the roads I walk on-or is it just me?

My umbrella has grown frail, it cannot hold the rain anymore; perhaps, what it sends inside for me must be the the most gorgeous raindrops.

I broke a door handle, a tap and dropped a cup from my mother’s most treasured set-thus I was banished from the kitchen for two days.  Why is china worthier than the services of an efficient kitchen aide?

Hindi songs are my new lovers. Like the midnight hunger, that sends you down the stairs at the twelfth hour of the day, I creep into my desk, switch on the machine and listen to the same songs over and again. Please do thank the person who invented the earphones, on behalf of my family members.

What I didn’t tell you

My mirror has gathered dust. And I have forgotten what my face looks like. Perhaps you remember.

I miss the shoulder against which I fall asleep, the hand that disciplines my uncurbed hair and the tone of guilt in your voice when you say we are home.

I miss the scent of your perfume; you rub off on me when we hold hands in our usual Friday walks.

I see your face in my morning tea. Perhaps, this madness has  long lost its method.

What I carry around is a memory; a collection of days and minutes I took a lot for granted.

It serves  me right!

Dear earth, I promise…

When many lovers walk down the aisle and pledge love and dedication for each other for eternity, I will make a pledge for you, the day I get my chance; for you are part of me and I am part of you. Dear earth, I promise not to waste many papers on guest lists and no overprinting of invitations, cake boxes and thank you cards. I may not be able to save an entire forest with my attempt, yet, it will give me the satisfaction to know that another tree could live one more day, before going to the axe. Dear earth, I promise that I would not celebrate fulfillment at the expense of others’ bliss. Thus, I will not allow loud music to leave me with a thundering headache on the day that is supposed to be special for me.  Like you, I also do not understand the logic behind making glaring noises to say you are happy when silence or soft music would have conveyed the same message, perhaps, in a more elegant manner. Dear earth, if I am to have a cake, I promise that every part of it will be edible, unlike the expensive Regiform structures that will devour a portion of you, the day they are discarded. I might not have anything as grand as the showpieces, yet, my cake will be a real treat-not just a feast to the eyes. Dear earth, I promise to keep away plastic and undegradable materials that choke you. Hence, my wedding will not have liquor, no plastic bottles of fizzy drinks. I may displease many by being stubborn, yet, it is a good way to find out who love me more than they love the bottle. Even if the world laughs at me, perhaps you will understand my disgust at being kissed by drunkards, because a bride of any kind should not be humiliated in such manner at her wedding. No one takes seriously the wishes  coming from such persons, as it is hard to go by the word of drunkards. Dear earth, I promise not to be over-indulgent and go against nature by picking artificial flowers. Whatever I carry in my hands has to be natural, that withers with the dying sun. Thus, I will carry with me the ultimate truth of life and the lesson that, nature cannot be cheated, let down or ignored. Dear earth, I promise to plant a sapling on every anniversary, and many more whenever time permits.I may not be the most attentive and thoughtful person to have walked on you, yet I will care, the way I have been caring. Dear earth..till death do us closer, I promise!

The world beyond your doors

You wait for years, months and days and finally you have your wings fully grown. They stutter to the sound of wind the sight of the high skies. You are ready step on the window sill, spread your wings and take off! And you realize that, life is all about taking off’s and safe landings.

Despite the reasons that make one walk away and whatever the theories that justify such departures, it takes a lot of courage and soul-searching before someone decides to get out of his comfort zone.

It is hard to let go of die-hard habits, the familiar desks and chairs, the friends and villains and everything else that have been greeting you every day for the last four years. If you have any regrets, that would be about missing your good times with friends, the lazy Friday afternoons spent in front of the Television set watching cricket and of course the familiar food outlets within the vicinity.

Whatever the pundits say, those who proclaim their departures and act on them are thousand times better than those who say they go without a hint of courage to walk out. Announcing departures may be a convenient way of attaining favours or a better way to climb up the ladder. Yet, it’s a bargain, a lot of people cannot be comfortable with unless your conscience is deaf, blind and mute.

You spend your last few days, cherishing every moment of them. You talk to everyone because you know you might not get another chance. Your desk already looks empty because you have taken away the jokes, the poems and inspirational quotes that used to adorn your sidewall. You have started emptying the place of your presence because you will leave only the footprints and many memories that won’t die with time.

They say, despite the strengths of the individuals, goodbyes are always hard. Thus, you learn to uproot yourself from one place and plant yourself elsewhere. There is a pride that blossoms within you, because you act on your own will without letting someone else decide the fate for you.

With every goodbye comes a greeting for a new beginning. Thus, you begin to grow friends, spread goodwill among them and learn the proper way after trying out so many ways to do something.

If you have to cry, you will do so in secrecy and smile to the world because, it is your choice and you are about to reap the fruits of your hard efforts. Perhaps, after a long voyage, you will come back, like a wise, old sailor coming home.  After all, the world is still  round and small.

Bliss

Bliss is when you can go about your daily tasks on a rainy day without being depressed. It is all about understanding that weather too has its moods and that does not give you the excuse to change yours accordingly.

Bliss is when you can appease your empty stomach with the last two bananas in the comb without cursing the empty refrigerator. Gradually you will come to know that the temptations that lead your heart and eyes are not necessarily those of your stomach.

Bliss is when you can keep your head high when people try to pull the carpet beneath your feet. It is all about understanding that we are not here to change the world, but to change our individual selves for the betterment of the world. As for those who act like the “serpents” under the “innocent flowers,” you will come to know that their days at the helm are numbered, and one day you will meet them on a different platform- if that is meant to be!

Bliss is when you can get lost in a crowd and still be at peace with yourself. You will reach a time when you feel that making conversation with strangers just for the sake of it, is cheating. You will get tired of being nice to strangers just because society demands it. Hence, you will opt to the method of being cordial to everybody without being a public entertainer.

Bliss is when you are grown up enough to let go of childhood grudges and forgotten birthdays. You will come to realize everybody else’s lives do not spin around yours. You will gain the maturity to understand that, being there for a friend does not give you the authority to expect the same from him/her who received your support at their hour of need.

Bliss is when you know love is not synonymous with expensive roses or perfumes. Hence you will come to love selflessly and remember to treasure people you have earned more than the possessions you have got.

Bliss is when you can give your mobile phone for repairs and not miss it or go on for a week without the fear of getting your mailbox clogged with mail. You will draw a line for technology and still learn to do things on your own without trusting the computers way too much.

Bliss is when you learn that happiness does not depend on those who are around you but within yourself. Hence, you will not let it be disturbed or shattered by the words and actions of others.

Bliss is when you smile knowing that the world smiles with you when you spread good cheer and love.

Dear heart I am sorry

I know I have been foolish. I was selfish. Several times, I took you for granted. Today I would want to say sorry for everything I did or did not do that made you hurt.

I let down my guard easily and let the outsiders toy with you freely. I would have listened to my mind, yet I was not too wise then. I let them misuse your mildness and let them keep you hostage. I would have rescued you. But I was too blind then. I would have realized that it was torture, when it felt like it was acceptable in love. Dear heart, I am sorry.

I tried to imprison you in social conventions. I did not understand the gravity of the most innocent dreams you nurtured, nor did I take seriously the thoughts that triggered me to do the impossible. Instead of going by with what you preached, I took the safer way of listening to the mind more. I ignored you when you said I was strong enough to walk out of my comfort zones. Instead, I decided to take the easy way. I was deaf to your craving for adventure. Instead, I kept doing the same thing over and again. By doing so, I not only deprived you of the chance to soar high with jubilant feelings, but also I let myself get used to the sameness of life when I had every means to change it the way I want. Dear heart, I am sorry.

Too often I underrated your judgment and did not let myself trust your choices. I gave too much for rationale and thereby forgetting the simple truth that the most valuable things in life are the choices that were made with the heart wide open. I thought your pick was not good enough. Too often, I questioned your choices when I failed to see reason in it. When everything turned out perfectly, suddenly it dawned to me that this is why you led me through that route. So, today, I know better. Dear heart, I am sorry.

I have ignored your voice when you tried to alert me on a coming danger. I thought your voice was a sign that says I am going mad. I got scared in the vicinity of people who tried to talk to you directly. I knew you liked the sensation of it. Yet, I feared they were trespassing of my emotional boundaries. I did not know then that you were strong enough to be broken several times to emerge in one piece. I feared cynicism would violate you, a heavy dose of which would leave you blind to the romantics forever. I know today that you were much more than that. Dear heart, I am sorry.

I let you dictate me poetry, the only time you get autonomy over myself. I would not mind being led by you, for I know in most cases, you can hardly go wrong.  Dear heart, thank you for remaining unbroken.