baby steps...

A few months ago,wrapped tightly in a blanket
you were a little fragile fairy,

One bright morning a bigger and stronger you
decided to change how you looked at the world
or how the world looked at you.

You mustered all your strength to get up,
and standing confidently,
basked in the glory of your new status.

Now you stood on your own little feet,
and the pride in your eyes was complimented by your smile.

The anticipation now sizzled,
shoes of different hues,
toys to lure you to take the plunge,
and jokes about wobbly legs filled the air.

Then it happened...
you took your giant leap,
your first shaky steps.

and as you looked up to me
for acknowledgement,
my pride filled my eyes,
and a prayer escaped my lips.

May you walk all avenues of life
with faith and confidence,
and whenever you falter or fail
may HE hold your hand!

Delhi Metro

On a misty cold white sleepy winter morning in Delhi afterI shared the wooly fog blanket with many others ,I stepped into a wonderland.Every one was in a rush as if the world was about to end and there were multitude of things to accomplish before that.
Looked around,the wall across had a huge map with destinations marked and named.I quickly spotted mine and went ahead.The elderly lady sitting next to me looked at me so curiously that I was almost forced to look at myself critically and check what was wrong.Though apparently nothing was,she was just a curious old lady whose curiousity in me or my attire died as quickly as it had been engaged.
She was now looking at the young couple on the seat across,holding hands,wearing a little less than delhi winters require and basking in the warmth of love.They were engrossed in each other and were loudly debating about a new fb friend.
The old lady didn't seem to be too happy about their attires or conversation and so she shifted her gaze outside the window behind them.And lo! we were no longer in the earth's lap but back in our fog blanket.
I was awakened from my blankness by a familiar baritone announcing a list of do's and don'ts.
It felt good,this voice was from a thing from the yester years called doordarshan.
Was it time travel for me again!
No,it wasn't .
I was back to present ,the journey was over,the wonderland of Delhi metro was telling me to exit so that I could come back again to enjoy being blank.

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.
Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the windo w could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.
As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by.
Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it. In his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed.
One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside.

He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.

It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window
The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.
She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Epilogue:

There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.
Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.
If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy.
"Today is a gift, that's why it is called the present."

For old times sake..........

"Life is a race,If you do not run fast you will be like a broken anda",says Aamir in his latest flick 3 idiots.A broken anda that is what I have been feeling like recently. I realised that in this mad race called life I have lost touch with the harsh truths of estranged relationships.I did not understand the class system of modern relationships,where regular status updates are not only required on your facebook wall,but also in real life.
As I enthusiastically tried to get in touch and eagerly searched for phone numbers and addresses,I forgot that we had been separated rather abruptly a few years ago and since then a lot had come between us--time ,space and status.I was following only my heart which did not see any other reason or logic other than re-connecting with an old friend.Every time my satanic mind tried to put forth the question "what if",I lulled it to silence and was hopeful of a warm embrace.
I am happy for your success friend,and I will always be proud to associate myself with you as your old college/hostel mate.You will always be a part of my friendlore which I pass on to my daughter,and despite the fact that you think I am no longer worthy of being in touch I will always send prayers your way,I will always wish you will.
I will always hope that since you didn't live my life you you would not judge the rights and wrongs of it and some day you will call me ,hug me and we will walk down the memory lane together for old times sake.

winter and friends.....

It is queer,how our mind functions.How the simplest of things get us flagged onto the maze of memories,relationships and the intricacies of life and how the most weird and complex things leave us numb and blank.
Winters in Delhi ,and all the paraphrenalia associated with it (hot cuppas ,steaming momos,rajaais,peanuts and FOG)are a very complex event at times.At other times it just means mercury moving further north and it is very cold.
"COLD" a word that gets stuck in my mind nowadays,every time I sit to 'meet' my online friends on social networking.I ask myself ,is this winter the coldest as all the news channels are screaming or is it because most of the faces one meets in virtual space are as cold as ice.All of us derive a lot of pleasure in looking at peoples profiles and don't hesitate to give the cold shoulder if a "friend"t tries to come too close for comfort.
I am lucky ,because most of my friends are people I know or knew in real at some point in time.But I get a
cold shudder when I think about you Sonee.A few years from now ,when you will be able to use the word and understand the feeling FRIEND,will there be time and space available to have real and true friends.
I'll pray for you and hope that none of your winters are as cold and the warmth of glowing friendship will extend beyond an electronic screen in your life.

A lesson in friendship

 I once had a friend, a soulmate

with whom I walked a long lovely patch of life .

We parted ways , as time went by....

rather abrutly....still don't know why....




Days went by and weeks rushed,

And before I know it, a year was gone.

And I never saw my friend again.


Years rolled on....

and all I had was memories bright,

refusing to be worn

by the tides of time.




Every day as I went to bed

I resolved to call my friend the very next day,


But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,

And distance between us grows and grows.


Today I am a lonely soul

reaching out and crying in vain....

Wish I had seized the day

and before a friend became a stranger,

wish I had made that call

and saved myself all this pain.