Dole monn akarono horshe!

“Get up fast, fast!” Nobonita said as she pulled Shriya out of her chair.

Shriya reluctantly got up. “Girly, you are crazy. It is still some time for the bell to ring. The sky won’t fall if you enter the class 5 minutes late.”

Shriya continued talking, “Have you got the assignments completed? That old Gupta will be pissed off if you go without it in his class. Last week he kicked that Suman guy out remember na? ...”

But Nobonita was not listening. Her mind wandered somewhere else. She seemed confused, looking for something around. Something very important.

“Now will you walk faster? You got my lazy bum off the canteen chair and now you can’t even lift your leg?” Shriya complained.

Nobonita smiled but still walked at the same slow pace. She had nothing to say, but was deep in thoughts. She checked her watch. It was just moments for the bell to ring. She slowed down even more.

The bell rang. Anush picked up his bag and ran out to meet his friends. He rushed past the group gathered around the professor out the door.

He didn’t see her coming, bumped into Nobonita. In the process, she dropped her bag. Already in a hurry, he looked into those eyes, and the world slowed down. But his mind was flooding with thoughts. He had to rush, he was late, but he was lost. He gathered his stuff, looked back at the sparkly, Kohl eyes. Damn Bong girls!

“Sorry!” He said and ran again.

Nobonita’s world still ran in slowmo. She would love to rewind and relive it!

When snapped out of her state of trance, Shriya teased her, “Mission Successful?”

“Huh? What mission? What are you talking about?”

“Oh come on girl, I know you feel the butterflies! I know why you run everyday to make it on time! I am not that dumb a girl!”

Nobonita still wore a smile! Her mind was intoxicated. She remembered the lines her granny would sing, Rabindra Sangeet, Mor bhabonare ki haway matalo, dole monn dole akarono horshe!!!

(My thoughts are confused by which intoxicating winds? My mind sways for no reason, with a delight!!!)

Goodbyes are not forever!

She was sitting in her room when she heard a squeaking sound of the brakes of a car. She went back to the pondering state.

Minutes later, she heard the doorbell ring and her mother opened it. She heard his voice. “Hi ma’am, I just wanted to meet her once. I hope you don’t mind. Is she home?”

“Yes. She is in her room.”

He walked to her room with heavy steps. As he stood there, his heart raced as it always did when she was around. For her, she did not know what she felt. On one hand she felt reluctant to open the door, on the other hand, she prayed that he would bring the door down if she didn't open it. Her hand trembled as she held the doorknob. She could hear her breathing, and also his on the other side. With some efforts, she opened the door and saw him staring into her eyes.

He stood there, mere feet away from those beautiful, unblinking eyes. He took a step closer to them. And said, “Uh… This is a bit awkward but you know I am leaving. I just wanted to hug you before I did.” She opened her arms to receive him. After what seemed like eternity, they separated. She would not say a word. He took the hint and said, “I’ll take your leave now. Stay blessed!” She walked to him to the door. Her mom said, “You are leaving? Wait for lunch at least.”

He replied, “Actually, I am in a hurry. I have double parked too. Maybe some other time.” He knew there was no other time. He looked at her for one last time and walked away.

She saw him walk away. She said to him, “I know that!” He looked back and smiled. And went on.

As she closed the door, she sat on the couch staring into emptiness. Her mother broke the silence. “I had warned you. I had told you this would happen. This path would not take you far. It wasn't long before you realized it.” She replied, “You know it very clearly Amma. I could hear only what I wanted to.” Her mom argued, “Yes. And I always said that your paths intersected but they were never parallel.”

“Can we not talk about this? You are patronizing me.”

“As you say. You take some rest. I will call you when lunch is ready.”

He sat in his car and looked back at the window where she would stand. The time he saw her felt like a Sunday afternoon. He could cherish it only over the rest of the day & perhaps sleep over it. But he'd have to get up early the next Monday morning. As if shaken to wake up after a good dream.

He looked ahead of him and started to go farther. He looked in the mirror. Some things in life were best for you when seen in the rear-view mirror.

Forever

“My lord, we need to abandon the citadel. We are outnumbered.”

“No! I must stand. Leave if you all wish to. Gather more men and come back. Come back to help me save this place.”

“But my lord it is not an intelligent option. We cannot fight without a king. We need you.”

“No Gallus. I cannot leave the love of my father when it needs me. I promised my father that I will protect her forever, I cannot see it fall.”

Gallus knew the Emperor was blinded by the darkness of fear. He had stood alongside the Emperor since the day he was enthroned. Never had he seen those eyes so dark.

He remembered the day the Emperor was standing beside his father on this death bed. He could still see the fire he saw in the dying man’s eyes. His last words were etched on the Emperor’s mind. “Son, your father has worked his life to build this city. Take good care of it. Promise me, that you will safeguard it with your life!”

The Emperor, looking at the burning pyre, took an oath. He would protect the city forever.

Gallus remembered this as if it was yesterday.

His Emperor would not budge. He was known in the land as a man of his words. And he would rather die keeping his oath. But his oath was to protect the city forever.

FOREVER. It might’ve seemed impossible for Gallus, men are mere mortals. But for the Emperor, there was still hope. His gaze travelled east, where he saw the golden banner of the rearing horse against the darkening sky.

His men were arriving, for his aid. To help him keep his promise. He would safeguard the citadel, forever!

Forever. Yes…

Ere the tree falls...

Thou wist thy heart beats hard,

Thou canst feel it race,

Thou canst feel it against thy chest.

All it doeth is take away thy sleep,

And the open, teary eyes showeth nightmares.

                         

It might've been thy truest part,

It might've been thy life.

It might be thy history.

But it is not thy destiny.

Ere the set of sun,

Ere all changeth to memories,

Where the place, whither we meet,

There nigh the tree that hath now been hewn!

Metrolympics!

The sports fever is becoming an epidemic with the London Olympics kicking off today. And as a warm up today's Express (Washington Post) (07/27/2012 Friday pg. 8) has an article titled:
Medal in Metro.

In a self-centric world, the journalist makes a statement about the audacious metro riders in Washington DC. Basic idea being that ‘riding on Metro must be an Olympics sport for all the efforts it takes!’
Bitch please! Wait till you see the Mumbai locals!
1.       When you say doors in the Metro close pretty fast; are not like elevator doors; and you need to get in before they shut on you, how about getting on a train with forever open doors and if you are late, you can still manage to catch it by running after it? (PS: though the doors are open, you could be up for a wall of human bodies).
2.       When you say you need to make your way through an entire school band that is clogging up the doorway, how about people pushing you to literally shove you inside?
3.       When you say maintaining balance while holding to anything requires core muscles of steel, how about the crowd so dense that scratching you own @$$ seems like an impossible feat? Or for that matters the BEST bus?
There are many more points which can be mentioned as to why the local trains are an adventurous yet mundane facet of Mumbai. And I am confining myself to making a very general statement.

And with all of the struggles for a 6”x6” square to stand on, you see that fourth person on a seat for three; you see couples standing against the side walls; you see the opening human wall with the sight of you running in after the train proving to be the magic words ‘Simsim’! You see the abuses and the calls asking people if they are blind, while the simple gesture to seek forgiveness if your feet touch them! And the festivities, and music, and the smell near the luggage car, it is quite difficult for someone observing it, but for someone inside, it is full of life! You may go away from it, but it can’t be taken away from a true citizen of the city!

As far as the Olympic game status goes, bring it on! It’d only bring some better hopes for Gold for India!!!

Sunshine!

Ever noticed the smile I get on my face when I look into your eyes?

Why do I smile?

Why do tears roll down my eyes?

Why does my heart beat ever so fast?

Because it is you who make me feel so special.

So blessed I am to be there for you.

So lucky I am to know that you will come to me.

That you will call out for me.

That you will run to me when the world is lonely.

That you will find refuge in my arms when it is dark everywhere.

That you can sleep peacefully with your head on my shoulders.

That when all roads are blocked, the one to my heart will always be open for you.

That when the world is against you, I would get to kiss your forehead and make your worries vanish.

That when you need someone to understand you, I’ll be summoned.

That when you feel like sharing a word, my ears will be blessed by your voice.

I feel proud when you say that I’m the only one to have accepted you for who you truly are.

But the reality is that you are the one who has actually understood me.

No one ever has touched me so deep, nor do I have any expectations from anyone else.

I’ll never find anyone like you.

You are like my guardian angel, looking over me at all times, happy or sad.

When you look at me, I see my world smiling at me.

When you give me that sweet smile, I see the stars shining down on me.

When you shine like the stars in glee, I feel I’ve been blessed.

When I feel blessed, I can’t hide the smile.

So every time I smile at you, just know that I love you.

And will always do.

Forever and ever.

I’m forever yours my Sunshine.

Keep shining on me.

Be Bold, Take Risk!

He could see the spark in her eyes. It was difficult to explain the vibes he encountered with every glint. He thought of them as glowing fireflies. When she looked at him, when their eyes met, the fly glowed and then she looked away perhaps shy. But that moment felt as if the firefly disappeared, only that he realized that it was not the glow or the firefly that diminished, it was his world growing dark when she looked away.

He knew this time that she was the one. He should not lose her. He’d been shy earlier and now he repented every moment of it. But now he could not afford to be bereaved of the magic moment he would share with her because of his coyness. If he’d learnt anything from his earlier afflictions, it was this; to be bold. If you don’t ask her out, someone else would. You would need to take risks. “To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure. But risk must be taken because greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing”. He could feel the words coming from an unknown source in his mind. He would realize the miracle of life only when he’d start to live an unexpected life. We have to convert the mundane to extraordinary and that takes courage. Risks need courage. He remembered Paulo Coelho’s word: Magic moment. “…that (magic) moment exists – a moment when all the power of the stars becomes part of us and enables us to perform miracles.”

He mustered all the courage he had and walked up to her. He feared nothing but being away from her for being a coward under the pretext of being shy.

He got up to walk to her desk. She looked at him getting up and smiled. That smile gave him some confidence. He rolled back his shoulders and held his chin high.

His heart hammered against his ribs. He took a deep breath and said, “Hi!” She smiled. He smiled back coyly and continued, “Would you like to go out with me tonight? We could have dinner together and catch a movie perhaps. If you can’t or have some other plans, it is okay. I won’t feel bad. I completely understand it’s such a short notice and I’m not sure if I’d be the best company to spend a Friday night with…..” After the first two sentences, his manly voice had micrified to a feeble mumbling. She cut him out and said, “Actually I do have some plans for tonight, so I can’t really go out with you for a movie.” His face still wore a smile but he was despondent inside to the core. She continued, “I need to go to my friend’s pretty late tonight so maybe we can go out for dinner!” his heart was now racing. He wanted to say a lot of things, wanted to act as if it was not a big deal, and he was cool, and he wasn’t really excited, but true emotions can hardly be hidden behind a mask. He was ecstatic and it reflected on his face and in his voice as he said, “Thanks! See you at 7:30 then, I’ll pick you up!” She gave him an ethereal smile as he turned back towards his desk.

It wasn’t that difficult, he thought. Perhaps it was a magic moment!