Reading..

The moon casts its soft glow..
On the lovely silent night..
The clouds gather, the winds blow..
I feel my worries take flight..

Some comforting.. some inspiring..
The words take me to a world so new..
I live lives many.. in a short while..
As I turn the pages few..

Retrospection

It’s that time of the year again.. when I think of what happened and how could I have handled it better..

2013 has been a mixed bag of sorts.. brought in its wake.. Anxiety, Confusion, Marriage, Love (in that order), Despair, Homesickness, Restlessness, Hope, Joy.. and what not! It has been a year of change.. of uprooting.. of moving out of my comfort zone.. of accepting someone and a whole family as my own.. of coming to terms with unemployment.. of realization that there’s a lot in this whole wide world that I am yet to learn..

You win some, you lose some.. that pretty much sums up 2013 for me..

Wins:

A wonderful partner for life..

And a huge warm family..

Discovery that life outside Mumbai can be beautiful..

Knowledge that I speak my mother tongue quite well.. [Brag.. me? Never!]

Losses:

A few close friendships to misunderstandings..

Geographical proximity to my parents..

Confidence in ease of finding a job as per my terms..

I wondered at the confidence some unexpected people showed in me.. and faltered at the lack of support from certain quarters..

There is so much to explore, adapt and learn in life.. I thought, I know and I have experienced a whole lot of things.. Reality is.. No school teaches you to be prepared for shocks in life.. You learn from experience..

I am hoping that all this has helped me learn and there hasn’t been any year as eventful as this in my whole life.. atleast the part that I remember..

A roller-coaster.. an emotional one at that.. 2013.. you made me.. a wee bit more enlightened..

You..

You amaze me..
You stun me..

Such an unassuming look you air..
Capable of making me think why do I dare..

I could look at you all day..
At the end of it, I still pray..

Six yards of bewilderment..
You bewitch me and scare me!

[after a nerve-racking "successful" attempt at wearing a saree]

 

First rains in Kerala

The wind sweeps away..
The coconut trees sway..

Raindrops create music divine..
With weather so fine..

Moments which you shouldn't fetter..
How I wish I could pen this better..

Mausam ye Awesome bada

Saying Goodbye..

It had been lying in my drafts for a long time.. painstakingly chosen words which had to convey what I meant.. they had to be just right, not too sentimental and not too dry..
To whom were these words addressed to? A whole bunch of people.. some of whom who mean a lot to me.. who have helped me out in times of need.. some who have brought some laughter and relief.. some who have been partners in crime.. and some who have made me pull at my hair in despair..
They say you learn to take the good with the bad.. I can say I have tried my best.. not without my share of bitching and cribbing.. I have not been perfect, I know that.. but who doesn't like a ego-boosting farewell..

A smattering of saccharine, well-meant words, some applause, some smiles.. and some genuine tears.. was what I got on my last day at work.. The last day at work of my first job.. Four and a half years is not a lot.. for me.. it was a lot.. It wasn't easy.. but someone made the decision easier.. and I thank that person for his undying support..

A crowd of faces who smiled back at me, waiting for me to say something.. what do I say.. You can't encompass your feelings into a few words.. which sound appropriate.. I didn't want to break down.. The cake saved the day.. the sumptuous, absolutely lovely looking chocolate cake.. which had to face the unlucky fate of being smeared on my face! :)

I will miss everyone and everything.. the laughter, the food, the leg-pulling, the fights, the cribbing, the pressure, the sleepless nights, the excel & ppt tips.. all of it! Couldn't have asked for a better start to my career than what I had.. I hope I have been able to measure upto the set standards.. and I apologise for the mistakes, inadvertent or not..

Long day

I haven't been writing much for a while..

So, here goes, a very good friend of mine, who writes a lovely fashion fashion blog herself, lends me a hand..

She is super-talented: She writes, paints, is an amateur photographer, and we share a common love of reading..

A guest post from Shubhi! :)
Do let me know how you like it..

Long day

Long days come by every once in a while
They are excruciatingly slow, and have an unending style.

They are unexpected, sure, but you can sense its on its way
When nocturnal thoughts disturb, and keep sleep at bay
As I toss and turn about at night
The sun, inconsiderate as always, sneaks up, glaring and bright.

And aah...now the wretched day has begun.
Breakfast swallowed, Bag packed, I am on the run.
Blinking dimly, I trudge along..
As the world goes by, singing its all familiar song.

The evening falls, casting a gloomy glow
Oh why is everything so painfully slow?
The night nears, on my face there's a glimmer of smile
The long day is over, it won't be coming back for a while!

- Shubhangi

The Long Wait..

Everyone was out in anticipation. The orange sky was streaked with lightning. The ground was parched and dry. A fierce gust of wind blew the dust and dry leaves in circles. And then it started - the rains.. It started with big drops making the ground smell divinely. The boom of thunder made him shiver. And soon he was completely drenched as was everyone around him. All of them shouted in joy and leapt all over the place. He smiled ruefully, one thing was missing.. Her..

He was with the crowd, but lonely..  He had a smile on his face, but he was sad..

Last year, she had been with him. Playing and jumping about in the rains.. Singing bawdy songs, splashing water on him.. Enjoying the feel of the rains as much as he did. And how pretty she looked.. How could he ever forget that! Those huge eyes of hers looking at him with so much love. How could he not miss her! She wasn't even scared of thunder and lightning. She had once joked – ‘if I kiss you, would you turn into my prince?’ He laughed silently and looked around. Everyone was happy and she would have wanted him to be happy. She had not come back after the deep sleep she went into. He realised he would never be able to forget her. Will she come back? That was a question he didn’t have an answer to..

And then he heard a rustle among the bushes behind him. He turned around. And there she was - Eyes shining, a broad smile plastered on her face and both of them said the same thing - "Croak! Croak! Ribbit! Ribbit"

Happy Monsoon, people!! :)