Saturday, September 26, 2009

What is Love?

When one is surrounded by love, the feeling of excitement fades away, and one tends to get engrossed into everything with full enthusiasm, dedication & passion. True love is the feeling of oneness; belonging & sacrificing everything for the other. Love shows up in all forms, some even small and miniscule, & there has has never been a model, or a parameter to measure it. It is all around us, we just need to see it feel it, sense it & fall in it… Under this strong feeling, the pillar of true love stands… and that’s life, we lead… Love makes boulders into pebbles, thorns into roses, brutalities into caressing, metamorphosing this journey called life. It really makes the journey worth while, enchanting & exciting.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

The Cocoon of Love

It was her 28th birthday, & she was not as lonely & aloof as she has been on her 26th Birthday. Then she had nobody around to share her emotions with. Today the nostalgia was surging in her like a high tide. She no more was cold & numb as an ice stalagmite, as she had been then. But she was still a bit low today, because on her special day, Karun wasn’t around. He had some official pre commitments & was travelling. She had no emotions on her face, even though it was an important day for her, her birthday. She knew that the void would be filled up when Karun would come back. She sat back recollecting that how Karun became the most important part of her life, when he never meant anything to her in College. She thoughts perhaps it was her shell, that prevented her from falling in love with him, when in college.

It all started from the college. She hailed from a small suburb somewhere in Himachal, & was the most vied after girl in the college. Aptly put the most beautiful girl in the college. She had sharp features, & drop dead looks, with fair color, slim body, & long hair that flew sideways when she would walk. She was even crowned Miss Fresher in college, unknowingly nominated for it. But, Fashion, faking & glitz was not her cup of tea!! She lived in her own world when in college. Many guys had tried to approach her directly or indirectly, students from Mechanical, Electronics, & Computers, from her batch & even seniors. The juniors didn’t have any choice, but to respectfully call her Mam. She never paid any heed to any of them. After all her Mom had make her to vow, that she will upkeep the family esteem, values & respect, & not fall into any of the murky stuff, of romanticizing & love. She would never let her focus drift from studies to any of these distractions. Her roommates from hostel in the mean time were having a ball game, dating & going around with guys. Soon she got crowned Miss Chui Muii (Touch me not).

For her, college meant no ado & pomp, it was a marathon from the hostel, to the classes, library, and labs. She didn't budge much from this path, not once losing track of what she had come there for; studies. She was not only pretty but also sharp at studies, but clearly beaten by Karun every time, in the semester exams. He was a prodigal wiz kid, hardly seen studying in college, but slogging it out in the hostel. Rumors were galore that he would study for 20 hrs at a stretch. But when it came to fun, he would be the biggest pranksters. Anyways he always got away with those pranks, for his exceptional results in exams. He at times tried to get close to Kanika, but to no avail. Somewhere deep inside he had a fonding for her, even though they had rarely interacted. This desire in him was only smothering, it never ignited fully. He knew proposing Kanika, meant igniting 1000 Tons of TNT (Tri Nitro Toluene). He didn't want to be a scapegoat & to be taken for a ride by her. Other Girls were after his bloody life, but he never got along with any of them.

It was during the last semester that the batch had to work on the final year project. Coincidentally Karun & Kanika decided to work on some encryption algorithms for high risk networks. The project mentor directed them to work in collaboration as a team rather than working alone. While they were executing the project Kanika felt that how much efficient, warm & nice Karun actually was, in contrast to his bully image. She could sense that single handedly she would not be able to do as much, as both of them had done in the project. But most of their interaction was limited to the Project work. Neither did Karun dare to do any romancing, nor would Kanika entertain any such advances or conversations. They both scored well in the project. The desire inside Karun was more provoked to get Kanika by hook or crook, but he never could grab enough courage to do so. His desire to say anything to Kanika would fizzle out, as soon as he saw her.

The college had come to an end, & 4 years had passed like snap of finger for Kanika, but for Karun it had been too much of vigor, nostalgia, highs & lows. During the farewell party, Karun asked Kanika for a dance. At first Kanika turned sideways & refused, but Karun stood there, & said childishly, "I need a partner", & lend out his hand. Kanika stood still for a moment, as if scanning something in her mind, & then she held his hand. They both walked towards the floor. Light music was playing, & both of them started dancing hand in hand. Soon they both set the dance floor on fire, & everyone was wondering this pair's pulsar radiating lot of aura, swaying with the music. Kanika as opposed to her sissy image could dance well. But they were both engrossed in each other, looking into each other’s eyes, holding hands, not caring for the whole world, letting themselves loose completely. It was an enchanting scene for some, & a bouncer for others.

The college was over, all the students bid bye; signed the white shirts with nostalgic, good, bad messages; exchanged contacts, & left to newer greener pastures, for hay & grass. Karun & Kanika had got placed in different software companies, in different cities. For a while the batch mates tried keeping in touch to share their experiences, but soon they became too engrossed in the vicious life, that the mails started dwindling. Everyone got engulfed to prove their mettle, & worth in gold & diamonds. Kanika had a fertile brain, & hence was able to dwell in her career, becoming a Team leader, in just 4 years. She had travelled abroad, had a good lifestyle, money, all necessities of life, but still something was amiss in her life. She knew what it was, but hushed the truth beneath the carpet, trying to shy herself away. The hard faced truth was that she had kept herself in the shell till now, & because of that she was alone, single, isolated & aloof.

One fine day while she was at work in the office, she received a message in her account from a social networking site. It was from Karun, & he had enquired if it was really Kanika, he knew or someone else. She was puzzled at first, how he had found her but even exited to hear from him. She replied instantly. They shared the contact details, & chatted for a while. For rest of the evening she kept looking at her phone, anxious to talk to Karun. Obviously she wasn't going to be the first one to call. She had her own inhibitions & apprehensions, even though Karun was a college pal. He was working in a software company in Techno Commercial Profile, involving a lot of travel, & was actually doing well. Karun’s call didn’t come, so she was back to her usual chores at home.

She went to bed at 11pm & her phone rang at 11:15pm. It was Karun. She got up, brushed her hair with her hands, as if he had come in person. She pounced on the phone, & picked it up. They talked for a while, & he said that he was coming to the town, for some official work. She couldn't believe that, it was happening so fast. But she liked it a lot, Karun was a really mellowed down person now, in contrast to what he used to be in college. He had matured a lot from that nasty college lad image, more finished, subtle, chic & classy. Spoke in an accent in a low pitched tone. There was something in his voice that magnetized Kanika to him. She got out of the bed, & went to the mirror, looking at herself. She exclaimed "No, I can't meet him like this".

First things first, she took an off the next day, & went to the parlor in the morning to get her hair & face done. It was after a while that she was in the parlor, pampering herself. She wasn't a regular there. She came back home, cleaned the home thinking that she would invite him for dinner, rather than feasting outside. She thought “he would anyways be fed up of eating outside during his travelling”. He called her to tell that he would be free by 5pm, & that he would pick her up at 530pm. She was enthralled, & joyous.

Karun came, 15 minutes before time; he looked good in his business attire, & his cute bespectacled face. His face looked more matured with a tinge of innocence to it. He shook hands with her; shared some niceties for a while, & then they walked to a coffee parlor nearby. They sat there chit chatting about work, life, college days, projects, friends, old memories, teachers, canteen, library & what not. Time just slid by, & it was already 8. She offered to cook dinner at home, & Karun unhesitatingly agreed upon it. Before they were about to leave the restaurant, he gave a big Box of Toblerone chocolates to Kanika, her favorite. She was shocked, as to how he knew these were her favorites. He said, he knew about her likes & dislikes right from the college, & hadn't forgotten them since. He was hammering her shell hard now, the shell that she was in, since the last 26 years. The shell was giving way, rupturing & shearing slowly. She could feel; a fresh lease of life. They walked back to Kanika’s Apartment, where she cooked him some nice Himachali delicacies. Karun assisted her in chopping the veggies. They enjoyed the dinner together.

After dinner they went to the park for a light stroll, but now they were discussing only personal things. It was as if the wall had been brought down, & Kanika was talking to her own mirror image. He listened, without interrupting. They walked & talked for a while, & it was time to bid bye for the day. Before leaving he said, "Kanika, I so hard wanted to say this, right in college… I like you a lot". She felt as if her knees had melted; a shine came on her face; 1000 butterflies flying in her stomach; her heart wanting to come out; her breath warmer & faster. She just stood there, he came close & hugged her. Kanika held him in her arms. This butterfly had finally come out of her cocoon, with wings, wanted to fly in love; feeling it; falling in it. He had broken her shell, & instead wowed the cocoon of love, compassion & warmth around her.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

When I Slid in her arms

The newspaper banged on my door with a thud, waking me up from my slumber. It was already 15 minutes to 7 & time for me to get out of my cozy, warm bed. I love my sleep & waking up early in the morning has always been a daunting task for me, right from the school days. I wish my bed had an inescapable gravitational pull, just like Bermuda triangle, so as to hold me back not letting me leave its clutches. I wish I could hide in its leaps; folded mazes of the bed sheet & the pillow embracing my head till it was dark again.

The radio went off, with its automatic tuning alarm set to 7am. The song that played was a soul lifting peppy number from the latest block buster movie. I sat on my bed yawning & stretching my arms, wanting to reach out to Naina's Photo clung on the wall, & kiss it. First things first, it was time to wake up Naina too from her deep slumber; an accord between the two of us, that I had to wake her up every morning except Saturdays & Sundays. More than for her, I did it for myself, because I loved to hear her muffled voice in the morning. Her cell phone rang, & she picked it after a couple of rings. She answered "Hello", & her voice was very heavy, she still in doze mode. It took a lot of motivation to wake her up, & when she was up & out of her sheets, it was time to wish “Have a Good Day” & hang on.

I was out of my comfort zone on to take on the real world, with the bear cub slippers that Naina, my Girlfriend had gifted me. The slippers made my shoes look like bear feet but they were really comfortable, & soft on the feet. I headed to the Wash room to get ready & there I was up & ready in 30 minutes. I made some fresh juice in the mixer, & light breakfast for my self. It was already 7:45am, & I had to leave for office in other 15 minutes. Today my itinerary was full & had some important meetings to attend to, for which I had to do some pre presentation arrangements & some last minute editing. It was going to be a challenging day at work, & a tough one too.

While having breakfast, I just scanned through the newspaper. I just flipped through a couple of pages checking on the headlines. There was drought in Punjab, because of meager rainfall. The PMO had declared funds for the drought stricken farmers of Punjab. I scanned the weather section of the newspaper, & the MET (Indian Meteorological Department) had issued, that the skies are clear & it is going to be a very hot day. I had put on the best of my attire, as it was an important client meeting & also planned to meet Naina after the heavy, demanding day. Her appearance itself would lift my soul & spirit with just a snap of the finger. She had surely hypnotized me, with happiness, satisfaction & much more.

I was in the office, & started my day with systemizing the clutter on my desk from the previous day. My desk had been empty, with just a few notes, a few months back, when I joined & today there was no space to keep even my cell phone. It had a stockpile of reports that I had created during the last few months. The desk also had a stack of books, a framed picture of me & Naina, hanging on the corner partition. The day had begun, & soon it was an array of scheduled meetings, presentations, brain storming sessions. It was all happening fast leaving me with not even an inch of bandwidth to go & have a sip a coffee or talk to Naina. She tried reaching me on my cell 4-5 times, & I couldn't even message her back. Thank God she knew of my work commitments & was compassionate not to bug me later in the day, unlike most other girl friends. The Client was happy with the prototype that our design team had developed, exactly as per his needs & specifications. He was more than happy but this was only half the battle won. It was unknown how many more consultants he is consulting, so as to get the most desired & robust design for his product. It was a very aggressive cut throat market there. You take a breather & you would be elbowed out in a split second.

I had a gratifying day, & it was time to wind up. It was already 8pm, & already dark. Ohhh !! I had miserably failed to call Naina, So I picked up the phone, & gave her a call. I could sense that she was quite a bit upset with me, for not even having messaged her once. We decided on the meeting spot, & bang it was just near her place. So I was there at 8:30pm sharp, well on time. She was looking wearied & sheared just like me. But now when we sat & started talking to each other, the excitement returned. Both were rejuvenated, forgetting about the day, we were in the present, neither thinking of the past nor planning for tomorrow. By the time the food arrived we were pepped up, laughing, cracking jokes, & discussing the day, but on a lighter note. Naina had some work commitments for the next day to be executed after the dinner, so we decided that we would make it as fast as possible. The dinner was quick & we were about to depart for the day. I wished we could sit back for some more time, even though we had been sitting there already for the past almost 2 hours.

Time just slid by so fast when Naina was around. I held her hand, & was listening to all that she was saying. Somehow I loved being a mute spectator, just reacting to her talks, with gestures on my face, & not interrupting her in between. She could go on & on till the end of times, & I simply Loved her for her simplicity, innocence & blabbering. She would confide in me for everything, & always made me feel so special. Smile endorphins were flowing naturally.

We were almost done, & started to leave the restaurant. She looked much prettier now, than when we met 2 hours back. I never liked this separation between us, & not to mention, bidding bye to her. But today I just wanted to unify with her, with a sense of oneness & belonging to her. As she said goodbye to me, I held her hand, & she sensed my anxiety. She smiled at me, & opened her arms, for me slide in to them. I slid like a kid in her arms. The embrace was so warm & magnetic, that I felt as if I was reincarnated, with a new lease of life. It was a new beginning, for 2 souls to unify & merge into becoming one.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Achyutam Keshavam

Achyutam Keshavam, Krishna Damodaram
Ram Narayanam, Janaki Vallabham,

Kaun Kehte Hai, Bhagwaan Aate Nahin,
Tum “Meera” Ke Jaise Bulate nahi

Achyutam Keshavam, Krishna Damodaram
Ram Narayanam, Janaki Vallabham,

Kaun Kehte Hai, Bhagwaan Khate Nahin
Ber “Shabri” Ke Jaise Khilate Nahin

Achyutam Keshavam, Krishna Damodaram
Ram Narayanam, Janaki Vallabham,

Kaun Kehte Hai, Bhagwaan Sote Nahin
Maa “Yashoda” Ke Jaise Sulate Nahin

Achyutam Keshavam, Krishna Damodaram
Ram Narayanam, Janaki Vallabham,

Kaun Kehte Hain, Bhagwaan Nachte Nahin
Gopiyon Ke Tarah Tum Nachate Nahin

Achyutam Keshavam, Krishna Damodaram
Ram Narayanam, Janaki Vallabham,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzYhdVjRdBM

If Only

If only you kept your hands on your chest
If only you heard the voice deep within
If only you felt the heart’s pace
If only you saw the aura on your face