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68) Diwali

I sit reclined on the sofa, my dad sitting beside, The “Kandil” and the twinkly lights giving a warm, welcome glow, Diyas surround, there is a smell of incense in the air, Diwali once again feels like a warm hug of care. As I sit quiet, I wonder, what the magic of this festive is, Year on year, it almost never fails to live up to the hype, The rows of kandils lining shops, rangoli & diyas on carts everywhere, Provides a warmth in the hearts as you enjoy a soft nip in the air. As a kid the festival just meant masti with cousins, Plates full of yummy food and holiday from school & studies, Lots of gifts from relatives and a chance to dress up, Late nights, games and never-ending fun. But as I grew up and moved out of the city for work, The rituals, the customs felt more significant, Faral, Rangoli, diyas, pujas found time within hectic schedules, Celebrating every aspect of Diwali made me feel closer to home. And as I returned home now, the festival ...
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67) Time Heals?

Does time really heal as they say? I used to believe that’s true Now I feel that maybe it doesn’t really It may just create a protective layer A mask over the wound and hide it For the time being, from you From the others, So they don’t know you are hurting, And if ever you sit down and think Recall, remember, talk Have a trigger to the past, To that memory of heartbreak, Or of losing someone forever, The mask is off, the wound is exposed, The tears, the pain, the anguish is back, Maybe not in the same intensity as when it was fresh, But its still there, not healed, just hidden, So what does time do really? How do we heal? Do we replace? Ignore? Forget? If only there was an answer to that, To heal completely, Or maybe it’s our heart’s way, To keep the hurt intact, So we do not take any person or moment for granted, Because when they are gone, They create a wound, And time they say heals everything, But they leave a scar, a reminder, Of what you once had, Of what you lost, Forever!
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66) Happy Independence?

Happy Independence Day A wish that feels hollow & empty to me today as a woman! As even today, 77 yrs later, it is a woman who is questioned  No matter how heinous the crime, the victim is at fault Because she has no freedom of clothing, of work, of time, of location, No matter how free the country is, she is restricted If not by her family, then by the society, by her own fear of safety. Today I am lucky Yes lucky - because I've the freedom of life, of work, of speech, of choice And I'm lucky that I get these basic needs which are every person's right  But the freedom from fear - who can grant me that? The curfew & restrictions on me ? I doubt it! Because if they can breach places of love, of work, of worship, They can breach those curfews Because the problem is not me! And when the basic right to life is in jeopardy, the right to happiness is only a dream So if there is no true independence for all And in light of continual horrifying incidents - no happiness as w...
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65) Mountains Calling

A slow gradual climb, step by step, Crossing babbling rivers, forests & valleys, Up and down mountain ranges, Cold breezes and warm sunlight playing peekaboo, Camping in tents under the clear starry night sky, Layered in sweaters & jackets, cuddled cozy together, Late night rains, winds and thunderstorms, Giving birth to rainbow against the bright blue sky, A clear first view of the snow clad peaks around, Daily climb to newer heights, Walk through rains and chilly winds, Long nights of card games, gossips & several laughs, Finally ending at that last climb, Huffing & Puffing out way to the top, The peak with an endless landscape around, Lush green meadows, clear blue skies, And ranges of snow clad mountains surrounding you, Trying to soak it all in - the view, the cool weather, Wondering if it's all a dream or a reality?!
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64) Ajoba

He has gone someplace you think Because the truth will take its time to sink in A couple of days, a couple of weeks, maybe more Even though you saw it happen  Right before your eyes Saw him pass in front of you You were with him those last few moments As he was restless and in pain Seeing him hurting, not knowing this isn't the usual pain Not knowing these are actually the last moments And then suddenly he is no more Just like that Sleep eludes you that night That image of him taking his last breath etched in your mind And when hours later Sleep finally overtakes your tired exhausted being You manage a couple hours of restless doze And you wake up, convinced this was all a nightmare You will see him pottering about the room Brushing away at imaginary dust Humming some random melody Oblivious to the world around  But ofcourse he isn't there He is away you think, travelling, visiting someone But you see his spectacles sitting in its usual place on the table, His room slippers an...
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63) A Silent Cry

Yesterday I saw a kid cry around the corner, Pulling at his mother's hand, And I envied him, Envied the ease with which he could cry, Envied the ease with which kids can cry, Howl, throw a tantrum, Gasp for breath as they release more tears, At the drop of a hat, For any reason - big or small, And then just as easily be comforted, With their mother's kiss, With their father's hug, With a lollipop from their elder sister, With their favourite toy, With a swing in that garden, With a few soothing words, And those tears dry up just like that, A smile slowly forms, And soon turns into a heartfelt laugh of pleasure. So different from now, From the "adult" version, Where we are knocked about as we go through life, Taking up responsibilities, Going through struggles, Without that ease of or freedom to cry, No matter what the emotion, how big the pain, Because if we dare shed a tear we are told, To be strong - for someone, To be brave - tears are a sign of weakness, To be...
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62) The Festival of Homecoming

All lights were dimmed around the house, All except those twinkly starlights, And the warm glow of that lantern fluttering in the window, A solitary lamp remained burning, It's wick flaring up as it neared it's end, All around is cool, breezy & quiet, Interrupted occasionally by the chirp of a night worm, Sometimes a steady conversation flowed, Intermittently and in whispers, Small titbits about daily mundane incidents, Juicy gossips about some people in the know, Cherished childhood memories refreshed, Some of them for the umpteenth time, Some random jokes, some soft laughter, Some long pauses in between, no awkward ones, Just some people enjoying the moment, The vibe and the company of loved ones, Abruptly a new topic of discussion starts, And the pattern continues for quite some time. Eventually sleep overpowers someone, One by one they retire to their rooms, eyelids drooping, A solo being stays back in the room, Soaking in the light, the warmth, the feel, Then she goes ...
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