HAPPY FRAANDSHIPS DAY! **Better late than never :D**

In the age of not bothering to wish at all/ sending texts to wish "happy frAAndships day", a friend of mine really went out of the way and created the cutest card ever, which also happens to be my wallpaper now...

Guess I totally forgot the value of a handmade card... Here's wishing you all happy friendships day through an amazing card done by an amazing friend "Keerti Chowdhry" ..Lou u tons keedi! :* 

Skipping her childhood...

The door was slightly ajar. Aasmita’s little hands were clutching her cherry baby doll very tightly. She knew what was happening inside, after all she had been witnessing this for as long as she could remember. She peeked in and a sudden blast of hot pungent air hit her freckled cheeks and entered her nostrils, only to make her cough loudly. 

“Oh I am so sorry honey, the food is extra spicy tonight, just the way your papa likes it, while I am preparing a special gourmet meal for papa, why don’t u gulp down the bournvita milk I’ve made u?” shouted Nandini, her mom over the marble slab she was working on. 

Aasmita looked at her mom, her eyes pale and sad, and without saying anything, she just sat near the kitchen slab. 

She wanted to cry like any other snooty princess her age and fuss about the situation, but then, she was extremely mature for her age, five years that is. 

“So aamu (her mom’s nickname for her), are you excited about papa coming back? What gifts do you think will he get you this time?” asked Nandini.
Playing with her doll, she nonchalantly replied, “I do not like gifts, I don’t want anything”. 
Nandini completely non-plussed looked at her little one, clad in a sunny yellow polka dots dress and again went back to her cooking, almost obsessing over the perfection of the taste, aesthetics and presentation of the food she was preparing. 

Aasmita got up, let out a sigh,staring blankly at her doll “nano”, she came out of the room perfumed by garlic and spices and sat on swing that was installed for her some two years back. The place happened to be her favorite playing spot.

Her “nana” (as she called her maternal grandma out of sheer affection) came out of the other room and sat with her. Nana was literally mumbling to herself but clear enough for Aasmita to hear it. 

“Things could be so different if Amit was still around, those days were a blessing to everyone in this house, and how I wish god took me instead of my son in law. Everyone calls Nandini mad and tells me to put her in a mental asylum. Oh lord please give me the strength to bear my daughter, please give me the patience to deal with her, please give me the courage to remind her every second that Amit died of cancer two years back and he is not coming back even when she insists on cooking daily meals for him thinking that he is coming home for dinner” and Aasmita turned back, and looked at the large frame behind the swing, with a picture of her papa decorated with a thick rose garland on it. 

“Nana, don’t worry. Don’t you only tell me that papa knew about his cancer ever since I was about to be born. He was strong just like superman” “I don’t think mama is mad, she just misses papa, don’t call her mad” said the little girl, kind of offended by her granny. 

“Yes aamu, he was indeed the strongest and he knew you would be too when you grow up and that’s why he named you Aasmita meaning tough as a rock and he would always tell me how he was sure that once u grew up, you would take excellent care of your mom” said nana to Aasmita. 

“Your dad is here, come in for dinner” came a shout from inside, while nana and aamu, sitting on the swing, looked at each other and smiled.

“Yes aamu, your mom is not mad, she just misses your papa” mumbled nana again almost giving away to the little kid... 

XOXO

Just yesterday, it was difficult to iron those frocks with extra frills

Just yesterday, her hair needed to be decorated with those cute little clips

Just yesterday, her little fingers could not get to tie the shoe laces

Just yesterday, she got scared of seeing random daunting faces

Just yesterday, her chubby cheeks blushed scarlet  

Just yesterday, to her people she was as divine as a goddess on her golden chariot

Just yesterday, she had those cute little bangs in her curly hair

Just yesterday, she celebrated every occasion with equal excitement and flair

She was indeed a fairy tale

She was an angel sent from the sky by god’s special mail 

Oh she was indeed vulnerable

Her innocence was like sacred bible

Looking back, where did the time go by

How did the transition happen when yesterday only she was so naïve and shy

When did the bows transit into slim fit jeans

When did cute little fairy sandals turn to stiletto heels

When did fondness for santa turn to a rock star

When did she start visiting a bar

The cherry cheeks lady turned to a princess

Its time for her to pass on her tenderness

It’s time for the little girl to move further

It’s time for her to make her future

May she breathe love, drink affection and eat care

May she get all good that’s written in her share  

P.S- A dedication to one of my besties, my lovely, who might get hitched sooner than we all are contemplation. Love u "O_ _ _" :P :D

My love for metaphors!

Metaphors are absolutely handsome. If given a chance and slightly heavier brains, I’d rather express in metaphors than talk like an android.

 Metaphors express so explicitly and beautifully, what we feel. They are like a verbal statue carved with utmost perfection and studded with the choosiest and the rarest of jewels, painted with deepest of colors ever present on mother earth to give a result of absolute marvel. 

You are in pain, you are in love, you are very happy, you are cheated upon, anything, JUST ANYTHING can be expressed in absolute perfection. 

Since this post is about metaphors, I want to share some of my favorites; some funny, some insanely deep, created by me, and picked up from various gazhals which I keep on hearing like an addict. They are obviously my interpretations and they might be not so precise...

First is from 1 of my favourite Jagjit Singh gazhals “Mujse bichad k” which goes like: 

 “Mujko sham bata deti hai, tum kaise kapde pehne ho” 

How stunningly and nonchalantly has the writer claimed of how well he knows his muse. He uses “kapde” (clothes) as a metaphor for her mood saying that the weather tells him about her mood, possibly also meaning that the weather changes with her moods telling her that she has such a strong aura around her. 

Second one is from a Ghulam Ali gazhal “Itni muddat baad” which says:

“Tez hawa ne mujhse poocha ret pe kya likhte rehte ho…”

The way he has very beautifully compared “tez hawa” (strong wind) with those strangers who have very bleak interaction with him and “mujse poocha ret pe kya likhte rehte ho” suggesting that these strangers pass by taunting at me telling me where do I really waste so much of my time. What is most beautiful here is how instead of just “hawa” “tez hawa” is used here to make it more impactful. 

Third is again from a jagjit singh gazhal “aadmi aadmi ko kya dega” which quotes:

“Mera kaatil hi mera munsif hai, kya mere haq main faisla dega”

This is the most beautiful one if u compares it with real life situations. It says “the person who judges me is the one who is/can be my murderer. Will his decision be in my favor?” 

I can go on and on about my favorite metaphors from my amazing collection of gazhals and sufi kalaams (Seriously! Vanity no apologies! :D) but this should be ended here..readers (if any :P) can post some they love! :)  

A DIVINE INTERVENTION!

Last night there was a loud knock on my dream doors

While I was in a flurry of heavy snores 

Standing in the front was something bizarre

Beaming such strong light, it looked like a huge star

There came in the lord and gave me a dirty stare

Bombarded with confusion I was in full glare

 Red in anger, he looked like loaded with a complaint

In fear of the extraordinary, I looked like I was about to faint 

With piercing light as his wings he sat on the couch and I ran to press his feet

His anger surfaced and he became serene hence calling defeat 

He took my hands in his with the greatest love and affection

Assured me that all my problems had solutions 

Heart he said I had of gold

But anger always gave it a mold

He looked at me and asked me “what all is this?”

“How can u spoil everything u wish?”

He made me sit with him like his best buddy

Threw light on the patch of life which was really gooey and muddy 

He told me that I had the greatest power i.e. the strength to care

To have command you do not always have to be the mayor

He nudged me to go to you and ask you why is it so wrong if all we did was right?

Why were we never a team but always indulged in a fight?

Let’s be like we were again considering the lord’s order

For ours is right at the death border

We both were hurt and we both cared

We always came back to each other after each fight we shared

The void u made is still guarded

You just have to step in and the first rank will be again awarded 

Never did I make a friend like you

Never ever will I further want to 

I know I lost that position from your life

But I could always give it a strong fight

I can’t live with guilt of not trying

And I have to stop my excessive emotions from this torturous frying 

It still hurts to be away

Just a second’s contact from you makes me sway 

I can’t live anymore in puzzles

For if a team we completely dazzle

If this is climbing everest

Let’s try and give our best 

I can ignore u like I did all this while

But then how will it spice up my bland life? 

I am happy but still sad

For after addiction to good there was disastrous bad 

If this feels silly let it go

If it makes sense open up in front of me like you were before...

My first poem- 23 feb,2009

My first poem, put together for someone very close then , now edited and filled with some new lines.

While the person remains to be the same for me , I’ve lost that rank from their life. Must be mushy, lame, dumb for many but it has been my life from how i remember it to be...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmlBpGF2VKs

I hate the way you get angry, I hate the way you fight
I hate you when you don't have time to talk to me at night
I hate it when you're not there
When you don't even have a minute to spare
I hate it when green turns gray
Makes me feel you're really away
I hate it when I make you upset
The time when I really regret

But..

I love the way you make up for fights
When you actually try to stay up late nights
Love it when you ask for advice
Although it has just happened once or twice
Love the way you care and melt my heart by your actions
A time when you don't get hurt by any of my reactions
Love the way you listen to my non sense and not say a word against it
Love it when you criticize when you actually praise
Love it sometimes when you order
I love loads and I hate loads
It's just that I can't put it to words

I am clingy, I am annoying, I am moody and certainly a bland brain

I am a fool, I am a stupid, I am the worst one

But I am still the same, still stuck in this odiously intense love hate game

I do not know how to kill that in me while u have totally broken free

I care, I cry and I die for the void that seems permanent

I smile, I laugh and I beam when I think about the past times

When people move on and get new people around

I try and stay away from whoever tries to enter my emotional ground

I fear new and cherish the old

Present is horrible while the past was gold

I still believe it was not meant to be evanescent and I still have faith

Something which is broken each day by the wait

I wonder

How difficult is it to move on….

TIC TAC TOE!

Two made the clap happen
One got to be it's heir
The deed was done in a pair
Still one got it's complete share

The fruit became a rotten waste
Over the years it lost it's pleasant taste
It was like a storm approached a cozy place
Destroyed everything there was in haste

Though permanent ruts were made,
memories were the only active part ending up as useless as bones in a grave
The prophecy went insanely wrong
and neither was the intuition too strong

The sufferer still sees good,
while she broods,
for when she conflates it all,
she feels the years were'nt bad after all :)

My Wish/dream, ahh whatever u call it list :P

We all have wishes, wishes which are dreamy, spooky, wacko, fuzzy, abstract and sometimes totally whimsical. In the quest to create a list of all my dreams 

· Go bungee jumping! 

·  Celebrate at least one b’day night out on the roads (@ 12 pm)  in a car with friends and loud music. 

·  Get totally drunk and bother EVERYONE around me :P 

·   Finish reading Bhagwad Gita! 

·   Start my own brand of clothing. 

·   Get a BB with my own money :D 

·   Go on a long trip all over India with friends. 

·    Learn Bengali. 

·    Slap that bitch (A.S.M) from school!! 

·    Get a masters degree! 

·    Go out on a karaoke night and sing there like a fool. 

·    Convert a wall to a canvas, with my illustrations all over. 

·    Join an oil painting class. 

·   Cook! :P 

·   Go totally bald! 

·   Visit Jaman Shah, Pakistan, my ancestral town and see for myself how it is like. 

·   Talk like I am a verbal thesaurus. :D 

·   Get rid of the past!!! 

·   Watch Cricket in a stadium (NOT IPL) 

·    Make a collection of most authentic and definitely antique textiles. 

·     Try bhang, at least on holi. :p 

·    Attend at least one meeting, which is super business like where I have to dress up all formal and corporate. 

·     Visit a jagjit singh concert (which I have done before but so wanna go for it again! ) 

Hmm so that’s pretty much what I could think of in 15 minutes. It’s a part of what all I think of which I wanna do . :D

human heart's bitter sweet symphony :)

Sometimes tears threaten to drop down

to wash away your face with past memories...

Sometimes eyebrows threaten to frown

to take you back to the bitter sweet chapters of your life diaries...

Sometimes voice threatens to tremble

reminding of old times with soft clarity...

They say you move on, forget what is gone...

They say learn to give, learn to live...

They say tears are bad, don’t get sad...

They say it will pass, for the other side always has the greener grass...

For a moment you feel strong,

For a moment you feel it was wrong

For a while you laugh at life’s satire,

You want to move away and go higher

Every time you feel so, life puts you through with a new low

Every time you feel u were healed, life has something new to reveal

Every day is a struggle when you tend to give away and snuggle

You can never “overhaul” emotions,

For they are your purest of creations

You never move on,

Just distract yourself and show to others that it’s all gone

You know you can never say bye

For the tiniest of things wish for it and cry

You just learn to tackle it all

Put up a brave front and stand tall

If it's pure, it never ends

Never…

A journey from dangerously close to not even remotely close

We all are so bizarre! We make connections all around. Those who are with us every day, those we speak to every now and then, with those we’ve just met once or twice, with friends of friends, with those whom we adore from a distance, and may or may not gather the courage to connect, with those we randomly meet somewhere unexpected, those we work with, with those who work for us and who not. Our little hearts let them enter our world even if it is for a while or even  a tiny moment but it doesn’t mean that we are close to them all. In fact we get close to only 1% of these innumerous connections we make. We meet, we connect, and then we’re close. Now what?  Sometimes things lead us to endings we never imagined or ever dreamt about and there we are, dealing with rocky relationships..

Ideally, we all should get closer, should enjoy together whenever we meet, talk or spend time together but we end up doing quite the opposite. We slip in the coma of taking out faults in our close ones, we start taking them for granted, neglect them. The urge to blame grows so much that we almost can’t bear the ones whom we once tagged as the closest ones! We start judging like we are a microscope reading the bacteria under our lens. It becomes a cruel battle of emotional rage. Guess this is what they tag as the curse of overindulgence. Thinking about this always reminds me of the song “Hazar rahein” by kishore my favorite lines being

Tumhe ye zid thi ke hum bulate
Humein ye ummid vo pukarein

As much as we ever claimed to be close,ego DOES get in the way to end it all and mostly none of us have the courage to fight it…

Hearts go harder

Thinking goes fainter

Tongues go harsher

Guess by the end of it, it’s the “what ifs” that hurt you the most…