Swings of a rhapsodic mind

"Surrender is not giving up control, it is knowing you never had control" I came across the afore mentioned quote the other day and all of a sudden I felt something shift within me. The foundation of my thought system received major jolts as I frantically searched for answers. Until now, what I thought of surrender had association with being something that sounded like giving up when you knew not anything else would work . Imagine thinking it as, you knew all along about the result at the end of the journey that wouldn't be yours but rather than panicking about what that lay ahead ,you chose to enjoy the process for you never had the control to begin with. This is how life should be, I realise. We keep on panicking about what lies ahead so much so that we miss out our chance to relish on what we have today. There's a constant fear of being left out, a fear of not receiving validation. But, the present time is the only truth that we have in our command. You trea

वह आई सुबह की धुप बनकर, मेरे अँधेरे से बंद कमरे में रौशनी बनकर कुछ धुंदली  तस्वीर नजर आने लगी कुछ रंगों से पहचान होने लगी कुछ लर्डखर्डाते कदम अब सम्हल रहे थे कुछ टूटे तार जुर्डने लगे थे लेकिन वह तो कभी रुकने आई ही नहीं थी। हम इस सुबह से इतना प्यार कर बैठे थे की हम उससे नही हम, हम से रुठ बैठे थे , कुछ खोने का एहसास था जिसको पाने का आस था हम अब भी समझ न पाए की सुबह कहा जा चुकी गयी! खिला हुआ कमरा फिर बंद पर्डने लगा उस तसवीर ने फिर खुद को छुपा लिया, मेरा  टुटा दिल तर्डपा नही इस दफा इसे टुटने की आदत जो थी, किसी गैर दोपहर, समय एक लफ्ज गुनगुना गया उसकी आहट कुछ ऐसी गुंजी… वह सुबह अब शाम हो चुकी थी वह सुबह अब शाम हो चुकी थी। Photo credit: Sheempe

"At your age, do you really have REAL problems?", quirked my fellow traveller whom we had met a few hours back. It was the month of January when I decided to answer my call: a trip to Pondicherry, a long awaited one. I had been to Pondicherry once as a kid with my parents and the place had stayed back in my mind. I refused to let go off the memories but with time I had begun to lose some threads, amnesia wanted to play tricks until I decided to surprise it with a visit once more. You know, we as kids have little dreams but as we outgrow our sleeves, we tend to outgrow our dreams as well. But, in me Pondicherry had always stayed as a dream. This time, me and my friend Sheempe have carried Pondicherry back in our hearts from the trip. The French colony, the exquisite beaches, the unending coconut grooves, the Idli dosa peppered air and the smelling mogras out of plaited hair; there's so much to remember and so less to let go. But, the lanes there cook stories of all ki

My home lately has been amused, The rooms echo with laughter spiced with love There's endless chatter over old photographs as stories steam by the hearth. Old pickle jars are being emptied out of window sills Carrom and chess boards have spring to life as Time lies in a standstill. My father misses his Honda rides, My maa perhaps her morning stride, I , out of everything have been chasing butterflies. I sleep through noon hugging my story books That I had read as a child, God! I miss my gap tooth. I remember licking ice-creams out of that old freezer Which lay in the store room, my new found treasure. I know my home wonders if we remember it enough, But, my friend I still know the rugged wall paint hides my measurements Of growing from a toddler to a teen. It hides my doodles and my sneaky sketches. It's still lovely, I mean the worn out edges. My house wonders, where had we been When it was left threadbare When pickle was rotting and flowers drying, When