What is your dream?

The world has changed drastically over the course of the last year. There is much uncertainty, apprehension and suffering all around. Still, we hope that the trail of destruction left behind by this wretched virus soon makes way for better days to dawn.

All the events of the recent past have made me dwell on what our dreams for the future are, assuming that we have one. I was talking to a friend the other day who told me that his dream in life was to own a super bike. I was left dumbstruck because to me, that sounded really absurd. To spend lakhs on something so materialistic as a bike sounded too pointless for me. I was quick to judge him. But then, he shot the question right back at me and I found myself fumbling for words. Then I came up with ‘travel and go see places’, which was actually something I wanted to do. And he seemed to be content because he made me spill out what he wanted to hear. He asked me how it was okay to pursue my dream but not okay for him to pursue his, simply because it was materialistic. I dwelled on the topic but couldn’t come up with a retort.

Why is it so difficult to digest the fact that someone wants to achieve something in life that is materialistic and not experiential or beneficial for others?

Should dreams be measured on a yardstick? Do dreams always need to be noble and benefit others? Tell me what you think.

Guilty Pleasure

Now that I stand at life’s threshold,
I often delve into the guilty pleasure,
Of reminiscing the days of old
When countless carefree hours I spent in leisure,
Untouched by the vile or villainy of the world,
Bathed in childhood innocence, I stood so pure.

I often rewind to the days long past
When my mother’s kisses were the balm to all my scars,
All the endless chatter,
And the lively laughter
Still reverberates in my ears
When I think of the days when
Bruised knees were the only known pain.

Even in the midst of the hustle and din,
Countless memories keep flooding in,
Of unclear faces and foraging hands
Plunged into a single lunch box.
The earnest pleading for an hour of games,
The immeasurable joy that a free hour gave,
Are all still fresh in the stock of my memories.

Oft when I return home tired and weary,
I sit back and dwell on these memories,
The simple moments, the days of joy
When all I ever wanted was to be good
And never even hurt a fly.

Random Rantings

Why do people leave? Just like that? Out of nowhere? It takes so much time and effort to open up, to build a strong bond with someone and all they ever do is to leave. And not just leave, resort to some really unreasonable reasons to do so too. Yes, it’s heartbreak if you are wondering what it is. But no, it’s not a lover.And no.. This is not the first time this is happening either.

Any friendship is forged on mutual trust and acceptance and when you realize that acceptance to be complete and selfless, you begin sharing shades of yourself that you haven’t with anyone, in a long time. You begin to trust them with your life and what do they do? They do what they do best- leave.

Without considering the aftermath, without giving a second thought, attributing humongous importance to their already bleak self respect, they leave you shattered. Without realizing the importance they have carved in your heart, they conjure up a mirage of a friend for life and without much delay.. Poof.. They are gone, without leaving a trace.

One advice I would like to give such people is- do not pretend to care, do not pretend to be a friend, do not make us believe that you will take a bullet for us, do not seem dependable if you do not have plans of sticking around and most importantly, do not push us to a point where we begin to question the credibility of friendship.

Books- A treasure trove!

“What is the most recent book you read?” Someone asked me the other day and I found myself fumbling for words to answer them. Being a student of literature and a lover of books at the same time, it struck me hard that it had been ages since I had read a complete book. It made me probe into the reasons underlying this slow but evident shift from a habit that I had once cherished so much.

In course of time, I realized that the only written material many of us came across everyday and were unconsciously forced to read were the umpteen posts on social media websites and the few notes that we managed to gather and cram into our heads, a few hours before exams. Even the books prescribed in our syllabus, if found to be thicker than two or three centimeters, scared the living daylights out of us and would only lie in a corner, gathering dust. This aversion to reading is also fueled by the unexplained urge to check the phone every fifteen minutes or less.

The other day, I saw a WhatsApp status update by one of my close friends in which she had put up the picture of a book with the caption “#1 of 100”. Curiosity got the better of me and I asked her what it was all about. She told me the book had been lying around at home since a decade and all she ever did over the years was to change the position of the book from one rack to the other (given the increase in inflow of textbooks generously added to the shelves over the years), in the process of organizing her room, without so much as turning a page. It being New Year, she told me how she had made the resolution to read at least a hundred books over the next 365 days. I do not know how successful she will be at it (the doubt emerging from my complete faith in the brevity of new year resolutions!) but the idea very much struck me. I felt this urge to reconnect with my lost love for reading.

I also realized that it isn’t just me who felt this way. Many of us were once avid readers but now, either due to time constraints or myriad available options of things to do during leisure time, have had to give up reading. Another friend of mine told me the other day that whenever she put things in order in her room, she always put out one or the other book onto her study table with the intention of reading it but somehow such plans never materialize.

Most of us have this strange connect with books. Whenever I enter a bookstore, I simply cannot contain my excitement at seeing so many books- of different authors and genres. I am almost always engulfed with this desire to own every single one of those books,neatly arranged on racks. I feel the intrinsic desire to touch them, turn the pages, take in the smell and carry it off home to read in a cosy, comfortable corner of the house. The thought itself is so fulfilling.

Reading not only adds to our store of information but also gives us fresh perspectives on things. It give wings to our imagination and gives us the power to conjure up places and characters in our heads,which is an experience in itself.

This New Year, I too would like to resuscitate the habit of reading and as an initial step towards that goal, I have laid my hands on The Book Thief by Markus Zusac. Do let me know about your own experiences and also,any book suggestions are warmly welcome.

Have a great year ahead. 🙂

Love.

Counsels to a Grieving Friend

• 

Friendship and love-hailed eternal,
Are but transitory
Nothing permanent, nothing indelible,
Nothing uncorrupted by the ravages
Of time’s fury
So it’s better to let the dead bury
Past their dead,
And look for the light at the end
Of the tunnel.
Leave old pictures in the past,
Create new memories and etch them deep,
In the bottom of your heart.
Do not let the pain and grief seep
Into the breath of your being.
Welcome each day with a warm smile,
And stay strong to endure every trial.

Live each day as if it was your last,
Because each day is a gift and not a given right.
Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind,
And try to take the path less travelled,
For the first step you take is the longest stride.

Don’t cage yourself behind bars,
And know that it’s never too late
To shoot for the stars,
Regardless of your strife.
So do whatever it takes as there is
No second try nor rewind button
In this game called life.
Let nothing stand in your way,
Cause the hands of time are never on your side.

First post

Here goes my first post on my maiden blog.

I vividly remember how excited I was about starting the blog and actually doing something productive with my time, which is in ration, thanks to the multiple apps you have nowadays that help you kill time, quite literally. I realised how easy it is for us to get excited about new things and also how easily that excitement wanes off after a while. How difficult it is for us to follow through and how easy it is for us to give up, without really trying.

Writing is something that makes me happy. How liberating it is to fire your imagination, to play with words, to put your thoughts into words and to conjure up new thoughts in the minds of the readers! The one thing that held me back was the fear of being judged and to be honest, it still lurks at the back of my mind. Yet, I decided to give myself a chance and I believe that it wouldn’t be a bad decision after all.

And this one is dedicated to my friend who actually helped me through this and also helped me overcome the many apprehensions I had about this whole blogging thing. Notwithstanding his sarcastic comments on my “dead blog”, I only feel gratitude. 🙂 It is through his continuous prodding that I actually set to the task, without which I would forever have prolonged this, blaming it on a “starting problem”.

Throwing my doubts to the wind, I here embark on a new and happening journey! 🙂

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton