Away from Bloggerland

That's what I have been forced to do - Stay Away From Bloggerland.

With my Personal Computer playing cruel tricks with me, rendering itself useless time and again, my hopes rest on an alternate system that I have managed for the time-being. However, this machine is a low end device and hence fails to serve all my purposes. I try to write now and then, as I did today, but with the sick net connection and the weird behavior of this machine, I can't go far. I am not able to view other blogs, and read the stories and haikus that my dear friends have posted in their spaces.

In a nutshell, I feel like a creature on the brink of extinction, with no company around.

I hope my PC gets back into life really soon, 'cause I am lacking the life that I so enjoyed on blogger.

Till then, trying to live my life the best way I can, playing guitar, reading books, and yes, office is always there to keep me occupied throughout the week :-)

Be in touch. I will be back soon (sooner than soon I hope).

Take care and keep blogging !!!

Shadows - Chapter 8

Story so far:

Chapter 7
Chapter 6
Chapter 5
Chapter 4
Chapter 3
Chapter 2
Chapter 1


Padmini felt sick and tired with the happenings of the day. Things were really getting worse with each passing moment. She wanted to run away from the house, go to some far away land where she would not be haunted by the curse; the curse that was a result of her own misdeeds.


Repentance was the only deed left for her to perform. The sacrifice that seemed such a noble act then, suddenly brought back feelings of hatred and disgust in her. Why did she even think of doing it? She always wanted to use her powers for the good of man. Why did she commit such an evil act?

She stood before the kids’ bedroom, and then thought gravely. Was this the end of her? Didn’t she deserve to live longer? There must be another way out of this misery. There had to be an alternative step that will lead her to Sapna and her safety.

Padmini turned, and walked back to the drawing room. The shadow of Sapna was no longer there. She looked around. The hall looked as clean as ever. The candle burnt dimly, flickering and trying to gain its strength every now and then. How small its size had become. It started tall, but now limped like a tired soul, just like her. Soon, it will fade away and die.

So will life. Everyone starts afresh, but the burden of the world leads to drooping shoulders, causing the entities to fade away, some in oblivion, some carving their names in gold, but fade everyone had to.

Truth of life. Truth of existence. Truth of death.

Padmini knelt beside the candle. She closed her eyes. Warm tears flowed out of them. Tears of grief and guilt, of selfishness and malice, of hatred and repentance. She had to do something. But first, she had to make sure Swapnil was fine.

She went to his room, opened the door a little, and saw Swapnil sitting with his back towards her. She forced some more weight on the door, and it split wide open.

And along with the door, her eyes stayed wide open too, as if her eyelids had forgotten to blink.

Swapnil was not only sitting on the bed, he was talking animatedly with someone. Someone.



What happens next:

Chapter 9




 
 

Shadows - Chapter 7

Story so far:

Chapter 6
Chapter 5
Chapter 4
Chapter 3
Chapter 2
Chapter 1


Padmini walked towards the drawing room. She passed the children's room and noticed that the door was open. She peeped inside and found Swapnil sleeping on the bed. There was no sign of Sapna.

Panicked, she increased her pace and moved towards the place where she had served supper to the children. The light from the candle still reflected on the walls around. She looked everywhere, trying to find traces of any unnatural events.

There were none. Everything seemed to be normal. Almost everthing. Almost.

Except that her shadow looked smaller than usual. The reflection of her on the opposite wall was diferent from her normal physique, giving an unrecognizable form to her shadow. She came closer to the wall, the shadow stayed still.

And then she realized what had gone wrong. The shadow was not her. Instead, it belonged to Sapna.

Infact, it was Sapna.

The same hair, the same height, the same form, this was not just a shadow. This was Sapna, now transformed as a shadow. Her worst fear had come true. Sapna was now a part of the shadowy maze that had haunted the house since the time of the curse.

She had warned the kids not to play with shadows, but as the nature of children are, they do what they are supposed not to. And now, the suffering had come upon Sapna. Was there a way to get her out of this? Can she again see the light of the day?

The solution came to her instantly, like a flash of light. It was now time to act. The only way to help Sapna was by sacrificing. Sacrificing herself. The curse had befallen becaue of her. The curse would no longer prevail if she didn't exist.

She had to find a way for the sacrifice. It had to be held in the midst of rituals and chants, and the only person present in the house, apart from her, was Swapnil. Can he perform the act?

She turned back and ran towards his bedroom. Every minute was precious.



What happens next:

Chapter 8
Chapter 9

Shadows - Chapter 6

Story so far:

Chapter 5
Chapter 4
Chapter 3
Chapter 2
Chapter 1

Aunt Padmini opened her eyes. Did she hear something? Was it the sign of danger? She stood up from her meditative stance and walked towards the door.

She had always known that keeping the kids wouldn't be safe here. Yet, that was the only way out of the problem. The children could help her in warding off the evil from the house. The evil of the curse, the curse that had befallen the manor several years ago.

Padmini as a young girl was enamored towards the science of dark arts. She conducted spells and chanted verses that sounded evil, but within her heart she knew they were directed towards the greater good of mankind.

"I am fed up of you. Why can't you leave these and be like a normal girl?" her mother had asked. She was afraid her daughter might be labelled a witch if words about her practices went outside.

And so it happened. Words did not remain confine within the four walls of their house. Stories about her art spread, with several false additions, and people started perceiving her as an evil witch.

Soon, every misfortune, ailment and death in the town were being attributed to her witchcraft. There were cries and hues everywhere, requesting the Mayor to expel her from the town.

During a hard summer, a great plague hit the town. People either died, or rushed out of the place. Surprisingly Padmini survived, but her mother couldn't.

Her mother's death was a big blow for her. She had to make her come back alive. She immersed herself more into the literature of the dark arts, learning the technicalities of the process, and in turn got to know several harsh facts.

To her utter horror, she had to sacrifice a child in order to get her mother back. She was terrified, not knowing what to do. Her morals clearly said that this was an act of the devil. However, the love for her mother overpowered all other human feelings, and she went out in search for a sacrificial candidate.

A few distance away from her home, she found a young boy aged 4 or 5 years, playing all alone in the mud. She made sure no one was around, and walking silently towards the child, grabbed him from behind and placed a chloroformed piece of cloth over his face. The boy tried to shout, but couldn't. He fell unconscious. Picking him up, Padmini ran towards her home.

She started preparing for the sacrifice. The boy was mercilessly killed, and hymns and chants floated in the surrounding. However, there was no sign of her mother's soul. She kept trying and trying.

Suddenly, the boy, who was lying dead besides her, opened his eyes, bright and red, like burning flames. He said in am unheard voice, that grated and pierced her ear drums - "You are getting all wrong. Your chants are wrong. You killed me. Now I will remain here as a curse, never leaving you in peace, like a shadow". He let out a blood curdling wail and fell mute.

An eerie silence prevailed. The room suddenly turned bright, and shadows appeared on the wall, in various forms. Just as soon as they had appeared, they vanished, leaving Padmini in a mix of guilt and sorrow.

Is it the curse again? Padmini didn't know. She went out of her room, and walked towards the drawing room.



What happens next:

Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9

Shadows - Chapter 5

Story so far:

Chapter 4
Chapter 3
Chapter 2
Chapter 1



The children were back in their bedroom after finishing the meal. They were quite infuriated with this sudden change in Aunt Padmini's behavior. She was behaving extremely friendly with them when they arrived. However, since the time Sapna told her about those red eyes, there had been a drastic change in her attitude. The softness in her manner was no more visible. It was now replaced by a brashness which they didn't expect from her.

True, Aunt Padmini had behaved in unusual fashions a few times that they had met earlier. Once, at their own residence, in the middle of the night, Aunt had suddenly started uttering rhythmic chants while asleep, which sounded oh-so-ghostly. Sapna, who was sleeping besides her at that time, had shaken her up until she was awake. However, when confronted by Sapna, she avoided the question by saying it was a usual prayer that she speaks out loud before going to sleep.

Sapna didn't believe her then, 'cause she had clearly heard a few words of the chants, which sounded like "death", "blood", "skull" and "Satan." How could these be parts of a prayer?

Sapna tried to rid these thoughts out of her mind. They were negative thoughts, and wouldn't help them in any way. They had to stay positive now, and try to unravel what was going in this house. Perhaps, Aunt was trying to hide something from them. What that something was, she had to find out.

She looked beside her. Swapnil was already deep asleep. Probably, Aunt Padmini too had slept. This was the right opportunity when she could go out of her room and search for clues for the reasons for Aunt's ill-manners. She got out of bed, wore her slippers, and then kept it aside, as slippers would make noise on the ground. Instead, she walked with barren feet, opened the door of her room, and trudged out in a tip-toed manner.

The drawing room was still devoid of electricity, a long candle fought wearily, radiating the area around. Everything seemed to be in place, but Sapna still felt a nudge of discomfort. Somewhere, something was wrong. Terribly wrong. How would she find out the missing link? Immediately, Aunt's last words resonated in her mind - "Do not play with shadows."

She now knew what could help her find the truth. It might look stupid, but it was definitely worth a try.

She went to the wall where they were making animal forms with shadows. The light was still bright, a perfect canvas for her to exhibit her skills. However, this wasn't about her skill. This was about finding the truth and the mystery surrounding this place.

She joined her fingers, and started making patterns out of them, each reflected perfectly as shadows in the wall. She made a few patterns, but nothing seemed unnatural. Everything was perfectly fine. Disheartened, she started to leave and go back to her room.

Just as she was about to depart, she heard a strange sound. It was eerie and unearthly, and she wasn't able to identify it. She tried looking all around her, but couldn't find the source of the sound.

Suddenly, her eyes darted towards the ceiling, and what she saw froze every part of her body. Her heart stopped beating, and her skin suddenly felt cold. She wanted to run, but couldn't. Her legs gained weight, fixing her to the ground, rendering her immobile.

Her eyes traced the dark shadows that were crawling in the ceilings. To her shock and horror, these were the same forms she had created - dog, fish, rabbit and cat. Each of these forms had now combined together to form one big mass of cloud, spreading across the ceiling.

Sapna tried to scream, but no voice came out. She opened her mouth again, giving her full strength, when suddenly the shadows came out of the ceiling like a thick bunch of clouds, and dived straight into Sapna's open mouth.

What happens next:

Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9

Shadows - Chapter 4

Story so far:

Chapter 3

Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Aunt Padmini went to her room and closed the door. She looked towards the ceiling, the fan was running at full speed. The three blades rotated in such a fashion that they gave the impression of forming a circle around the central hub.

And yet, she felt as if she was inside a heater. It was suffocating, and her mind seemed to have fallen numb after the events that happened today. True, she had tried her best, but somehow things had started to fall apart. She had to be extra careful now. She had to make sure a repeat doesn't happen.

She looked around. Her room was shaded in grey, with specks of black at several places on the walls and ceilings. She recognized them as ash stains. She switched off the light and sat on the bed. She had to hurry, she had to do something quickly.

Things had progressed quicker than expected. She either had to slow them up, or take a stand and make the harshest of decisions - a decision she knew she might had to take, but feared.

Sapna was in her room, still under the shock of what happened in the evening. Her brother sat silently, looking at her.

You had big, red eyes.

Sapna had checked her face in the mirror. Nothing seemed to have changed, except the lack of smile and gleeful expression that was always there in her features. She didn't have big, red eyes now. But did she ever have them?

She was still in this dilemma when Aunt Padmini called them for supper. "Come on children. You need to eat something. Have your supper."

Sapna and Swapnil went to the drawing room and sat on the dining table. Their meal of cornflakes and fruits were ready, vapor emanating from the hot bowl. A glass of milk stood smartly on the table, inviting with its sweet aroma of chocolate flakes that were dipped into it. However, the electric bulb in the drawing room was switched off, and a large candle was glowing on the table, shining and illuminating the room with its radiance.

"The bulb fused. This is a common problem here. Don't worry, we have the candles," Aunt Padmini said.

The children sat on the chairs and started eating their meals. Swapnil, always a restless child, looked at the wall emanated with the candle light. He stood up from his chair, walked towards the wall, and meticulously joined his fingers in such a combination that the shadow which was formed replicated the shape of a dog. He showed it to Sapna and she giggled. She remembered how they used to make shadows in the wall using candle light back at home.

Sapna got up from her chair and went to the wall too. She twisted her fingers to form an image of a fish, and the shadow appeared on the wall, depicting the structure of the fish. Soon, they were busy making forms and features of several animals and birds on the wall.

They were quite engrossed in their game, unaware of the figure that was lurking from behind. Suddenly, cold hands brushed against their skin and a tight grip found way through each of their shoulders. The kids turned around and found Aunt Padmini behind. She let out a scream of rage, and shouted - "DO NOT PLAY WITH SHADOWS, YOU FOOLS!!!"

What happens next:

Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9

Support - Haiku

The Mother supports,

Carries burden, patiently,

Nurturing with love.

Humans destroy, crush,

Satisfy own selfish needs,

Bleeds Mother Nature.

                                                                                                  
                                                                                  (Image Courtesy: www.scenicreflections.com)


This Haiku is written for Haiku Heights and the Prompt is Support.

Shadows - Chapter 3

Story so far:

Chapter 2
Chapter 1


And then there was light. The room flooded with a pale yellowish glow, with the light bulb shining with its full fury. The darkness paved way to a brighter enclosure, a scene that was in place just a few minutes ago.

And, just as abrupt the appearance of the eyes was, they disappeared briskly.

Sapna was still gasping for breath, sweating profusely, her vision still fixed towards the direction of those eyes, which just a few minutes ago looked so prominent, but now had vanished without leaving a trace of its presence.

"What happened girl, Are you okay?" Aunt Padmini asked, holding her hands.

Sapna was still shocked to speak. She looked around for Swapnil, but he was no where to be seen.

"Where is Swapnil?" she asked, finding her breath.

Aunt Padmini moved her fingers through Sapna's hair, lovingly caressing her, and said, "I sent him to fetch water for you. He was the one who knocked at my door when the lights went out, asking me to come. When I came, I saw you lying unconsciously on this bed, shivering. Did you see a bad dream?"

Sapna was shocked to hear this. Was she dreaming? Were the eyes a mere prop in a nightmare?

But no, she wasn't dreaming, she was quite awake and in control of her senses when she was talking to Swapnil and the lights went off, before the horrendous view came into place. How could it be that she was lying unconscious and yet seeing things that were more than real?

She looked at Aunt Padmini. She was around thirty five years of age, with long black hair that sometimes swept the ground. She had a face that personified beauty and elegance, and a charm that idolized calm and poise.

"I don't know Aunty. It looked so real," Sapna tried to comprehend the situation, "there was someone, something over here, right behind me. I wasn't dreaming. I am sure."

Aunt's eyes grew narrower. The softness in her face changed to a feeling of hatred and resentment. She looked sharply at Sapna, and asked, "What did you see, girl?"

Sapna was frightened with this sudden change in Aunt's behavior. She, however, replied in a slow, measured tone, "I... I saw a pair of big red eyes."

Swapnil returned with the water. Aunt handed the glass to Sapna, and with a sharp defiant voice, said, "Now look girl. Do not make up stories that will frighten your brother. I do not want these nonsense in my house. So stay quiet about these stupid stuffs, and do not fill your brother's brain with stories that are so unreal." Saying thus she left the room.

Sapna was disheartened with Aunt's reaction. She drank the water slowly, sip by sip, until the glass was half empty. Keeping aside the glass on the table, she asked Swapnil to come and sit besides her.

"Tell me bro," she asked softly, so that Aunt couldn't hear her from the other room, "didn't you see any red eyes?"

Swapnil shook his head in agreement, and said, "Yes. I saw. You looked at the wall."

Sapna was encouraged to know that Swapnil noticed the events too, and asked again, "That's what I am saying. I saw two red eyes towards that direction. Did you notice whose eyes they were?"

Swapnil lowered his head and said, "No eyes on the wall. I saw your eyes. They were big and red. You had big, red eyes."


What happens next :

Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9

Shadows - Chapter 2

Story so far:

Chapter 1

Now Read Ahead:


Aunt Padmini's house was a decent sized two room affair. It was a single-storied apartment, with a roof above. The external of the house was painted in shades of green, complimenting the wide expanse of garden that lay surrounding the house. The interior was beautifully colored too. The drawing room was an amalgamation of light blue and cream, while the room allotted to the kids had a pinkish tinge to it. Aunt Padmini's room, well, let's leave that for later.

"How was your day? What did you learn?" Sapna asked her brother, as they sat on their bed, munching popcorn. They had a good lunch. The meal of rice, lentils and fish was delicious.

It was 5 in the evening now. The sun was preparing to set behind the Pahari Hills. However, she couldn't savor this beautiful scene, that Sapna had so often read in story books. The reason, there were no windows in the room.

Aunt Padmini had retired to her room. She was probably having a nap.

"Day good. Teacher bad," Swapnil tried to conclude in his limited array of words.

Sapna loved her brother. His cheeks were so soft, delicate. Sometimes, she measured the size of his legs and fingers; they looked so minuscule in comparison to her. As such, she was over protective of her sibling.

"Why dear? What happened?" Sapna asked curiously. She loved talking to her brother.

"Teacher scolded," he replied with a sad expression.

"You must have done something wrong, didn't you?" Sapna inquired, teasing.

"No. Rahul's cake.I ate that. he cried. Teacher scolded me."

Sapna laughed her heart out. Swapnil had a sweet tooth. He loved eating all things sweet, toffees, chocolates, cakes, pastries. As such, it must have been difficult to resist when he saw some one else opening his lunch box to unravel a piece of cake. She pressed his cheeks playfully.

Just then, the lights went off. Everything went dark. Pitch black.

There was no window or ventilation, there was no way they could get some light inside. Sapna and Swapnil hated dark places, like all kids do. They feared darkness, and they shouted in restless fear.

"Aunty. Where are you?"

There was no response. They waited for the sound of her door to open, which would mean Aunt had woken up from her sleep and was now coming towards their room. They craned their ears, but couldn't hear any sound.

"Thud!!!" A sharp noise came from somewhere behind them. Yes, in their own room itself. "What was that?" After several moments of indecision, Sapna looked behind, and her eyes met terror.

Staring at her were two red eyes, ferocious and large. Sapna wanted to shout, but her voice disobeyed. The eyes kept staring, unflinchingly, pulling her towards its dreadful reach.


What happens next:

Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9

Shadows - Chapter 1

The school bell rang. It was time to go home.

"Bye Sapna. See you tomorrow," her friends waved and bid her farewell.

The first day of school didn't go as bad as she had feared. The teachers were supportive, she got acquainted with a few girls with whom, she thought, she could be good friends. They shared similar likes and were warm and cordial towards her instantly.

What more, she noticed a few boys looking at her from the corner of their eyes, stealing sideway glances when possible. One of the guys even came up to her during the Geometry class, but couldn't say anything more than "Can I borrow the compass, please?" She had giggled silently thinking about it in the girls' restroom, but the boy was sort of cute.

Anyways, all in all she had a good first day in Sacred Learning Private School, Javena. Javena is a small hill station located towards the Eastern side of the country. Many who live in the other parts of the country had never even heard of this place, and thus it was saved from any harmful interference by outsiders. There were hardly any tourists, lending the place its quiet and serene nature.

Sapna had started loving this place since she came here with her younger brother, Swapnil, a couple of days ago. The reason, their parents had to fly off to the States for a few months due to some business conference. Though the kids, aged 12 and 5, would have preferred staying back at their Delhi residence, their mom was skeptical about leaving them alone. That was when she dialled up Aunt Padmini's number.

Aunt Padmini was mom's best friend. She was divorced, and had no kids of her own. As such, she had a liking for both Sapna and Swapnil. The kids, though, couldn't tolerate some of Aunt's seemingly unnatural behavior; but then, they couldn't refuse their parents commands.

They had to oblige.

Sapna hopped back home. Her brother must have had also returned home from the school where he was admitted. She hummed one of her favorite tunes and walked along the mountain road, lined with coniferous and pine trees.


What happens next:

Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9

Post Card - Haiku

A knock on my door,

Postman wearing brown, smiling,

Gave me the postcard.

A message from home,

Of love and togetherness,

Tears of happiness.

Thanks to the postman,

For bringing me aroma,

Of my scented soil.

Emails can't replace,

Nor any technology,

Postcard reading joy.

Image Courtesy : youknowthatblog.com

I received a knock on my door. Opening it, I was greeted by the postman, who was there to deliver a postcard. The postcard was from my home, and it instantly brought back all the sweet memories of my childhood, the scent of the soil when it rained, the fragrance of home, everything.

The message was from my family members, and it conveyed love for me. I was overwhelmed by the affection they had. I cried in joy.

Whatever be the technological advancement in the modern society, emails and internet can never replace the joy that we get from receiving hand - written letters and postcards. They add the personal touch which so lacks nowadays.

This Haiku is written for Sensational Haiku Wednesday, and the Prompt is Postcard.

Study Study Study

"Study hard now so that you can get into a good college." - was what my elders used to say.

I was in school then. I trusted their words. I studied hard.

"Study hard now so that you can have a good career." - my elders said again.

I was in college. I re-trusted their words. I studied harder.

"Study hard now so that you can get a better career." - my elders said, again.

Trust your elders, but never about studies. I always believed that studies would be over after I leave college, there would be no memorizing of notes, nor any solving of numerical problems.

And heck, I was wrong. Studies never leave. They go on and on and on, like an unending jet of stream.

I do not know who coined the terminology 'Higher Studies.' If there is 'Higher', shouldn't there be a 'Highest' as well? But no, the guy who coined this term probably didn't pay much attention to his grammar classes in school, thus missing out on the importance of Degree of Comparison.

The level of studies go higher from just "Studies" to "Higher Studies", but there isn't anything called "Highest Studies." In short, you have to study and study and study, till probably death do us, err I mean, you and studies, apart.

Speaking of studies, I am glad that my examinations are finally over. There will be a new bunch of devils shortly within a few months, but till then, I can just relax and do my bit.

And here goes the bits:

1. Read till my eyes quake: I intend to read quite a bunch of novels that are lying in my shelf. Prioritising them, I came across this reading order: Gone With The Wind, Immortals of Meluha, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest and Midnight's Children. There are more, but first let me wrap up these.

2. Write till my fingers break: I will be as regular here as I have always been, aiming to pen down, or key up (whatever you prefer) at least one post a day (it may be stupid sometimes, so please forgive me and do come back for the subsequent posts).

3. Stories that I plan to make: This is one activity I am looking forward to, writing short stories (with really short chapters, so that you don't need to read at a stretch) in this blog. As always, I am relying on your valuable feedback so that I can improve further.

4. Photographs that will not shake: I am not a good photographer, and I do not know the intricacies of clicking quality pictures. However, I will try to be better in it, and hope to learn some new tricks with my mobile camera (5 MP is enough for a beginner, I guess).

Speaking of photography, here is one that I had clicked with my 2 MP camera (old cell phone). The image isn't sharp, but it shows the unity between birds of different colors. Why can't humans be the same, and forget division due to race, religion, caste and creed?

Thus said, hope you all would continue to love and read my writings as you have always done. It's your constant guidance that motivates me to write :-)

Thanks for being there.

Have a great day, and live your life :-)

Poison Love

The candles refused to burn tonight,
Play with me till our passions ignite,
Not a moment to lose, nor no time to waste,
Let us proceed, though with minimal of haste.

I have waited for this hour throughout,
Since the time I saw you, I dreamt us making out,
The carnal desire finally took me over,
This is my place, but I am lost forever.

Love or lust, I couldn't differentiate,
Who the hell cares, it's all my fate,
Lucky me that I have you in my arm,
I will love you until the ice melts warm.

Pigs sweat, and so do I,
The animal in me makes you shy,
I hold you up, and hug you tight,
How lovely it seems, it feels so right.

We lie down together, you by my side,
Your lifeless body silent with pride,
I look at you and tears fill my eye,
Why couldn't you do this when you were alive?

The lover in me you did refuse,
What problem was there had you been my muse?
You should have let me perform my art,
And then had tasted the magic in parts.

Relenting is futile now,
In absence of soul, your body still looks wow,
Painful it was to steal your life,
Bitch you deserved it, you failed as a wife.

The venom had been a faithful servant,
A resolution so natural you couldn't prevent,
Your heart paused, but my beat began,
Every night I will savor you again and again.

You stare at me with long lost gaze,
I kiss your lips and go down the maze,
Picking you up, I place you in,
The coffin I close, will unlock when I am keen.

Waiting

Time flew, my age grew,
The hair once black, adopted a whitish hue,
Looking at the hands, I noticed wrinkles,
Even in this cloudy night, the north star twinkles,
I gaze at the memories, I can't stop debating,
Yet I am intent on waiting, waiting, waiting.

A never-ending wait, it turns out to be,
The lock still intact, never used the key,
My mind all blur, except the stories within,
A sweet world of hope, of love, melody and rhythm,
I gaze at the memories, I can't stop debating,
Yet I am intent on waiting, waiting, waiting.

                                                                                                 (Image Source: Internet)

A crack ran through the mirror,
Reminding of the day that divided us forever,
Yes, it was the moment of failure, of loss, of tear,
Now so far, though we always dreamt of being near,
I gaze at the memories, I can't stop debating,
Yet I am intent on waiting, waiting, waiting.

Years have passed, 'm weak and frail,
Life could have been heaven, and I made it hell,
I'm sorry for the pain, the trust that I broke,
I couldn't find words, my voice did choke,
How much I wished you would come back to me,
With arms wide open, I would have welcomed the we,
I still have hope, a bit of expectation,
Of you and me back again, in our own sweet nation,
And thus, I look out of the window, at the gravel path,
The same route you had taken, when you did depart,
I gaze at the memories, I can't stop debating,
Yet I am intent on waiting, waiting, waiting.


This poem is written for One Single Impression, and the Prompt for this week is Waiting.

A Post A Day Keeps The Writers Block Away

An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away.

Is blogging the new apple, keeping at bay the "Writer's Block" that haunts so many writers?

Trust me, I was never a voracious writer. I aspired to write big stuffs, poems that would leave a lasting impression on the minds, prose and stories emulating real life events and their solutions. I dreamt of writing for the society, for my people, helping them with my words, soothing the exhaustion with my melodies.

And I couldn't.

My excuse - "I'm suffering from writer's block!"

There isn't anything called writer's block. It's just a decorative term invented to hide our laziness. The truth is, we can write whenever we want. Well, the quality may not be the same, but then, you don't need to produce master stuffs each time.

Again, a question arises. If we do not write quality, who will read us? This is a tricky query, which can't be answered easily. Rather, you should look at your preferences. Why do you write? To gain praises or to express thoughts? Most of us would say both. True indeed. We want our work to get appreciated and loved.

But then, if we are not criticized, then how can we know where to improve?

Writing is all about expressing your thoughts, with yourself and the outside world. I am addicted to writing now, and I hope this addiction continues. I want to be criticized, improve my work, and then get appreciated for it.

After all, none of us are perfect. None of us can ever be perfect. But all of us can strive together and try to attain perfection in our words, action and thoughts, in every sphere of our lives.

Only then, we can have a perfect world to live in, a world that would be our home. A world that we can embrace, with joy and hope, and without any fear.

Studying The Rain

It was only yesterday when I decided to study. I took out my books, laid them in order, and started jotting down points in my notebook. With examinations attacking me from all directions, this was the only alternative I had to save myself from being wounded.

And then the clouds roared, the skies blazed, and the darkened night gave way to rain.

Thick, thunderous downpour. A satisfying rain.

Rain is lovely when you are sitting at home and not stuck outside, eager to get home or some other destination.

I decided to take advantage of my position. Studies can go to hell for the time being. It's not always that it rains like this.

I went to the porch and started enjoying the rain. Droplets fell on my face now and then, rejuvenating my tired soul.

I closed my eyes and submitted myself to this beauty of nature.

Wisdom - Haiku

Wisdom can't be bought,

It's better grasped with time,

Brightening our lives.

Look within your soul,

All answers lying beneath,

Purify your world.

                                                       (Image Source: Internet)

Wisdom is not a material object that can be bought or bargained with money. Rather, its a quality that we imbibe with time, growing with our experiences. The wisdom gained brightens up our lives.

The answers to all our problems lie within us. We can solve them through our wisdom by looking into our souls and finding the relevant solution to all our troubles. If we learn to solve our problems, we can live our life in a pure and pleasant way.


This Haiku is written for Haiku Heights, and the Prompt is Wisdom.

One Month Of Blogging

Yes....1 month has passed.... 1 month since I wrote my first post in this blog.

And to be honest, it feels great to be a part of this wonderful world with all the fellow bloggers whose posts I have read and enjoyed.

I know celebrating 1 month sounds really funny when there are people who have been writing since ages; but then, don't we feel exhilarated and think of celebrating 1 month of relationship, with our new found love?

Yes, love this has been; a journey that I have traveled and am looking forward to go on and on, thanks to all the comments and encouragements that I have received on my posts.

The page views are not just a number, they show the time and attention all my blogger friends have invested in reading my posts, even though those might be silly at times.

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Thanks to all my friends who have clicked on the "Follow" button on my blog, providing value to my page that otherwise is just a junk of my random thoughts.

And thanks to all of you out there who go on writing and writing such wonderful posts and blogs. Your writing and way of putting forward your views really help me in learning the subtle nuances of life. Your blogs portray the variant shades of life, that I believe, will help me grow as a better human being and excel in the race to survival.

Finally, 3 cheers to blogger and the blogging world. There may be social networking sites, but nothing connects to my chords as reading the blogs and posts of others do.

Reined In Rain

It rained today. What a joy.
A sign of relief.

She looked out of her window and clicked the picture of the heavens pouring in full flow, blessing the world with a weather that the people had prayed for since the last couple of weeks.

The gods had finally relented, providing solace to the burning planet and relief to the thirsty souls.

And along with the rain came lightening. And thunder.

                                (Image Source: Internet)

And memories.

Memories that originated in her grey cells, streaming down from her eyes in the form of tears. The unwanted thoughts of togetherness, of resolution and promises pricked her heart, with her arteries bleeding internally, giving a reddish tinge to her swollen eyes.

Yes, it was the rain, that had brought them together.

And yes, it was the rain, that sang when they drifted apart.

Rain had been a boon then, it no longer was.

"Do you know how much it hurts, when you speak like this?" she had asked, shouting on top of her voice, as the thundering of the rain made them less audible to each other.

"I know, and it equally hurts when you keep on doubting and misunderstanding me, all the time, always," he had replied, his voice breaking, yet clear.

They couldn't face each other. The rain had obscured their visions. The tears poured down, from eyes, and from heaven.

"We promised to be together, Raj," she tried one last time. It was too difficult to let him go. How could she, after all the dreams she had woven, of their marriage, honeymoon, kids and so much more? How can she let her dreams mortify into deathly nightmares?

Raj stood silent. His head hanging low. With a strength that would even have ashamed the great lords, he said, "We were not supposed to be together Aliah. Though I love you, I can't be with you. I am sorry. This is not going anywhere. This can't go anywhere."

Aliah knew the truth. This couldn't go anywhere.

They were not two normal human beings in love, especially when religion plays such a vital role in defining the modern existence.

They were a Hindu and a Muslim in love, a crime way beyond comprehension, a sin that deserved no forgiveness.

Raj found his voice again, he came closer to Aliah, and said, "I tried. You tried. We tried. But perhaps this is not what the world had tried. There isn't any place for our love Aliah. We are bound to depart, and we have to depart. The only choice that's left is to elope."

Aliah knew this was true. Their relationship would never be accepted by the society. Should they elope? Or in other words, should she elope and ruin her parents' happiness?

None of the two would do this. They didn't need to reply. They both knew the answer.

They had met 5 years ago. It was raining then too, and Raj had provided lift to a hapless Aliah in his car, dropping her home safely after their classes got over. They studied in the same college, but never exchanged words till that eventful day.

And then came "I love you."

And now it was "We have to depart."

They looked at each other for one last time, resisted the urge to hug and cry, turned their backs and moved towards their opposite destinations.

Life went on, time passed by, but memories keep pouring back again and again.

Specially on days like this, when the rain brings with it the reflection of their unity, the image of their love, and the portrait of their falling apart.

Is this why humans are considered to be the most intelligent planet on earth, just because they can discriminate on grounds of religion?

Hiking in the Highland of Haiku !!!

I was going through the blogs of some fellow bloggers, and noted short poems of 3 lines in them. The poems were not of a rhythmic nature, and the words seemed disconnected. However, when I re-read the poems a couple of times, I realized they do have a deeper meaning. Quite interesting though, this practice of illuminating 3 lines, in a much brighter way than usual.


So what's new? I have been writing poems since quite some time. How is this different from those? I got the answer as I read a little further in their blog posts. They had clearly illustrated the meaning of the poem, along with a note saying that this is a haiku in response to a particular subject and a hyperlink pointing to another blog. I clicked, clicked and clicked, and was instantly drawn towards this new arena.

                                                                                    (Image Source: Internet)


A few Google search and going through articles online (thanks to Wikipedia and Yahoo too), I got a basic understanding of how to frame a haiku. Leaving aside the history and origin of it (that you can easily check by a simple query on Google), this is my comprehension of the process:

• There are generally 3 lines in a stanza, and they seem to be non-rhythmic in nature.
• The haiku follows a 5-7-5 syllable format, that is 5 syllables in the 1st line, 7 syllables in the 2nd, and 5 again in 3rd.

The 1st rule appears simple. It's the 2nd one that kept me guessing for a while.

I know it sounds silly, but yes, I wasn't able to understand what the word "syllables" actually mean. Are they referring to the number of words per line? But no, that's not the case. Most haikus didn't have 5-7-5 words format.

Again, Google came in handy. Thanks God for Google.

Just came across a thought while writing this: There are two powers who have the answers to all our queries - Google and God. Isn't it?

Anyways, going back to the topic, I quickly comprehended the meaning of this key word. Let me put it in this way.

Syllable, in simple lay man term, is an uninterrupted segment of speech (copied from dictionary.com). This means the number of continuous sounds that we can find in a word.

Let's take a few examples:

Consider the word "Haiku." When we pronounce it, we make two sounds - "Hai" and "ku". Thus this is a two syllable word.

Similarly "thank" is a one syllable word while "arena" is a 3 syllable word (a-re-na).

Hope this helps all newbies like me. There is still a lot to know about this, and I am studying a bit more on the same.

A request to all - please contribute with your inputs regarding haiku so that "freshers" like me can know and enjoy this further :-)

And as always, live your life and love your life :-)

Wishes Lost Among The Falling Star

Time awaits our glorious days
And yet we parted these promising ways
Unraveling tears hidden so far
Wishes lost among the falling star.

Time stopped flying way back in the moon
The month of despair when it ended all so soon
Never did I imagine a termination so sudden
Full of pathos and an unwanted burden.

Summer gave way to Monsoon
Droplets of rain humming a song and playing a tune
A music for aching heart, soothing the malady within
Is it really the rainfall, or are the Gods crying?

I looked out of my window
And gazed at the neighbouring oceans
I wish I could wear my raincoat
And row away in the sailing paper boat.

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Gauzing my indifference, the Rain God relented
Trying to cool my burning heart, it commanded
"Enough of heat, weary of rain,
Go October, November, December, provide solace to the pain."

Thus came winter, inviting the cold waves
Knocking at my doorstep, with frost and flakes
No response, and no answer
My heart was now a heap of unwanted cluster.

Winter defeated, it was time for Spring,
A season of joy, for the birds to sing
Look how merry it was all around
Yet the lover stood his ground.

Summer, Spring or Winter
Are just different names for the same semester
Life is now an unending Autumn, insensitive and ruthless
With leaves falling off and trampled by dusty legs.

Time awaits our glorious days
And yet we parted these promising ways
Unraveling tears hidden so far
Wishes lost among the falling star.

Doomsday???

It's June and another 6 months to go....

Is the world coming to an end???

No, no, no, do not get me wrong. I am not being a pessimist with a negative perception towards life, waiting for mass destruction to happen and wipe out our existence. It's just that am worried about my forthcoming examinations. With so little time left and so much (almost everything) to study, I can't stop myself from hoping for the 2012 magic.

And no, am not praying for a destruction either. What I had heard (and what was not shown in the movies) is that December 2012 (I forgot the date, it's somewhere near the winter solstice) will bring forth a new world, a world of knowledge and enlightenment, of contentment and fulfillment. It sounds straight out of the pages of a  mythological feature film, with rays of light emanating from heaven and showering on us, bestowing mankind with the much needed wisdom required to live in the modern world. The evils will be eradicated and good will flood the hearts of everyone.

                                                                                       (Image Source: Internet)

In that case, where does my exam stand? If I indeed am bestowed with that knowledge and wisdom (I will make it a point to stand on the roof when these will be showered on us, so as to absorb the maximum amount), I will not need to toil much. With this increased skill and intelligence, I may be able to score high marks in the examination without much of a labor.

But until it happens, I have to study and toil and mug up and work hard. So yes, I need to get back to my fat books and get rid of my time-wasting nature. Probably, I can re-invite this habit next year (if all goes well as expected).

Till then, keep living your lives the way you have lived till now. Enjoy the fullest and have no regrets :-)