Petals of Life

मैं चाँदनी उस निखरे चाँद की, मैं साहिल उस अगाध समुन्दर की, मैं पढ़ाव उस  बीहढ़ मंजिल की, मैं इनाम उस अद्भुत खोज की, मैं भंवर उस भयंकर बवंडर की, मैं गजल उस शौकीन शायर की, मैं समा उस...

At 12 I thought love was To be mom and dad And have a bunch of kids And live that life in fad At 16 I thought love was To tease and flirt along And make gooseberry eyes And sing that one duet song At 20 I thought love was To stick to one another And to overlook the faults And compromise together At 24 I thought love was Just having someone to love And fix the shattered pieces And pretend it a treasure trove But now I know what love is It's a promise of two souls To share every thick and thin To score some perfect goals To praise upon our triumphs And look beyond our mistakes And understand our strengths To help overcome weaknesses To flirt and tease each other Yet pledge unwavering loyalty To become the best of friends Yet respect just like royalty To sing those many duets Yet stick to just one song To perfect all the rights Yet never find each other wrong This love surprises me Because I never actually knew That there is not true love Ju...

Symmetry is perhaps the most suitable tagline for our world. We have day and night, light and dark, good and bad, trust and deceit - basically, Yin and Yang. Even the Earth gets one side daylight while the other is plunged into the darkness of night. You have a flip-side of everything - even people.  Especially people. We human beings have always been fighting with two primeval instincts - conscience and desire. And history tells us how desire won most of the times; actually nearly all of the times. Had it not been our submission to desire, mankind would still be living in caves and running wild. Modern man has got so many cravings that its taking toll on his life. His desire to live in luxury is making him pay the price by depriving his peace of mind. You eat a bagel and immediately feel guilty about cheating your diet plan. You make gooey eyes at the handsome actor on screen and immediately feel guilty for your boyfriend sitting beside you. You scowl at home food and imme...

When a girl of ‘age’ posts something sad on her social network profile, nearly everyone jumps to the conclusion that she either suffered a broken heart or had a fight with her BF. How lucky such a girl would be, to be having lover’s tiffs at the age when she should have them! And then I realised, how lucky people would be when right things happen at the right age... You take your baby steps and fall down often, break you teeth, but that’s okay. They are baby teeth, they will regrow. You throw away your pencils and go out to play instead of doing homework, your mother scolds you when you come back, but that’s okay. School Life is when you learn, play and grow. You battle your eyes at guys, you notice someone who cares for you, you develop crushes on random strangers, in midst of all this you fight to get a good score to get into a college, you study long hours, but that’s okay. You are young, you have a great health, you can endure anything. You fall insanely in love, yo...

A rustle of wind, caught her hair, it swirled her tresses and a skimpy skirt, she fluttered her eyelashes at bypassers, smiled invitingly, trying to flirt. It was a hot summer’s day all around, yet she could feel a chill in her heart, a gaudy suited man, stepped in her porch, she brightened her smile, quick and tart. It was usual for the men she bedded, they came and went, satisfied to core, but in their wake she cried and wept, she felt like a mermaid washed ashore. She was not endowed with wealth aplenty, Nor was she blessed with a parent’s care, She was always a prey, an exotic bait, Never sheltered from stranger’s stare. She never dreamed, for she just knew, She would never have a ‘proper’ life, She will be a bedsport, a playtoy, She would be a whore, never a wife. Her life was someone’s game of dice, Yet she lived, she didn’t know why, She still smiled at her new ‘customer’, her present still lived, letting her future die. ...

She stares at the rising sun, her chin up, her hair's a tight bun, They wonder where her femininity hides, 'coz none know her spirted girlish side. She waves compliments unconcerned, when peers praise, for she is learned, they wonder of what stone is she made, 'coz none look behind her tough facade. She walks with supreme disdain,  her fury can have a dragon slain, they wonder when her attitude will fall, 'coz none feel her affection for all. She faces problems with might, solves with intelligence and insight, they wonder how she keeps her calm, 'coz none notice her inner storm. She mingles with incredible grace, wears make-up thick on her face, they wonder who can resist her charm, But none keep her wintery life warm. She laughs at little things, She flirts and talks of flings, they wonder why she smiles a lot, 'coz none see her broken heart.

After all the "AWWW", "So Sweet of Youuuu", My Darling Koochie Koo", "My Babbbieeee", "My Angel", "You are my Life", "Can't live without you", "I will go to the ends of the world with you" etc etc, there comes a phase in a relationship when you need to be more practical and stop imagining-expecting too much. Once the initial enthusiasm wears off, you start seeing the real side of the love. Not always can you meet each other as planned, not always will both of you can stay awake all night chatting, not always can you keep smiling when together and not always can you be honey sweet with each other. We live in a world where stress, anxiety and competition are a major part of our vocabulary. Depression, work and health are catching up too. For the initial few months, you will be happily staying awake all night and texting 24x7, flirting and sending love notes, gifting on even his/her dog’s birthday and cam...