HERO

My heart breaks seeing you break
Please do not I pray for my sake
Just get going, sit up & wake
Flutter your wings & just give a shake
I have seen you maneuver
A diligent cruiser
Navigating the vehicle of life
In happiness & in strife.

Life is a puzzle of some happiness
Enhanced with bits of dreariness
Don’t let the momentary despair hurt your sentiments
Move ahead dear do not be hesitant
Be optimistic & persistent
When gorges make you feel disheartened
Look towards the sky
And just fly high, high..

You are a smooth rider
Moving ahead amidst hardships & danger
Do not let the bumps & pits
Drive away your everlasting grit
Spread your wings & surge ahead
Cheat on all your fears, do not dread
Be carefree, leave all your doubts
Hang on to your faith & all about
Living it up & loving what you do.

Do not let other’s views,
Or opinions bother you
So do away with the blues
Start all fresh anew
For all to find a new, better you.
You are a fighter, my hero
The most wanted, never a zero
Life is a game of ups & downs
Smile; do not let in the creases & frowns.

Be deft and agile
The moment is delicate & fragile
Rediscover your dreams
Let your eyes gleam
With the abundance of success
In your heart you possess
The will & the strength
To retouch, reinvent
All that is within your reach
Nay dear! I do not sit here to preach.

I want to marry your dreams too
Share all & see them come true
Let’s bid farewell
To any thought abominable
Draw out new parallels
In this life ephemeral
You have to leave behind a heritage
For generations to narrate
And to bravely follow
When we aren’t there tomorrow
A path of dreams, intelligence
Courage, perseverance & diligence
I know you can & will
Succeed, braving the heat & chill
Win, get over it all & be victorious
Be remembered as a fighter laborious,
Meritorious & glorious!!

-Madhumita

KASAULI

After living life on the (super) fast lane for almost an year, there was this urge of slowing down & getting away from the time schedules, the daily routines & grinds. I needed break free of all this & wanted to live life in the slow motion, without any pressure, no deadlines to remember, nothing to rush for. I wanted to have time at my will so that i could live my days , my way.
That’s exactly what I did. Packed the family bags, coaxed & cajoled the “Oh So Reluctant Hubby” & sped off to the most sought after, the most loved , sleepy hamlet of Kasauli.


I was anticipating life in awesome solitude, watching butterflies & birds, clicking away beautiful pictures of the hills & nature ,which I hardly get to do in Delhi. Walking up the market, trekking to Manki point or just lazing around, soaking up the sunshine, hanging out in the small Tibetan shops buying trinkets or just lying in my bed in the hotel watching TV or just doing nothing.
Will this heat end? The weather was kind of tropical, humid. I really can’t remember the last visit when it had rained because , the rains have been scarce but Kasauli in during rains is heavenly.
I think Someone up there really heard me this time , because by the time we reached Jabli ,I saw intense lightning outside. I heard threatening thunder in the far distance & the roaring of dark clouds as they welled up in the sky above us.
All signs of the rains rolling in?
Will it bring in some much-needed relief to the thirsty & parched up hills, will it quench up the trees, the plants & the forests & make all nature dance in tune & derive pleasure?

The wind picks up, the clouds sound more powerful & the lightning became more frequent and more intense. Lo there is a lovely drizzle which surprisingly within minutes turns into a heavy downpour. Sanjeev , my hubby is delighted, because loves the rains. In his eagerness to be in one with nature he drives faster & we reach Kasauli, bathing & drenching in the torrential (at that moment it looked like) rains.
I love nature & I love to watch the streams of water flowing down to the ground below as if uniting the heavens & earth. I often wonder how something as natural as the rains can be so amazing.
It was kind of a thunder storm. It was a little scary, because the Ladakh tragedy was very fresh but fascinating too. I loved the intensity of what’s happening outside. It was in a strange way very comforting & soothing. The more nature got intense the more the inner calm engulfed me.
Of all the feeling that was overpowering was, I have time now..
To breathe, to think, to take in the beauty & the serenity, take every day one hour at a time, to enjoy,recharge & relax and to just sit and read .
To be silent, stand still and listen to all the sounds of the birds, animals, insects etc & get enveloped in the silence of that sleepy cantonment.
I was eager to take in the breath taking experience, so as soon as the downpour turned into a drizzle all four of us took umbrellas & went out. The place is not so sleepy because we found all the shops open & some people still out enjoying the rains. There were very few tourists. It was very pleasant with the cool wind blowing bringing in the much needed relief to the warm people around. Moti & Shera our four legged friends who seem to be eternally there in the market , came running to us wagging their tails , as if always cherishing the bond of love between humans & animals. We get a few packs of biscuits from the Fatafat stall & share with them. Leaving them enjoying their treat we walk further towards Arhat bazaar & stop at the way side tea stall near Anchal hotel.
It’s a typical hilly stall, smelling of everything possible but a warm host & the tea at that point of time really welcome. The warmth & the pleasure from the greasy, oil oozing bread pakoras & the overtly sweetened tea was wonderful & inexplicable. It was like going back to childhood, enjoyment without any care or precaution. The clean, pure air was cleansing all the dirt & grime of the city from my lungs & refreshing me, filling me up with a zesty energy.

The three days there passed like a dream of which I was not willing to come out. The beautiful grey clouds intermingled with glimpses of blue & silver, the green clean hills, the clean cool breeze, the lovely flowers, the chirpy birds, the naughty monkeys, the squeaky squirrels all seemed to enjoy the beauty & rains with me. The “Himachali” folk tune played by the unknown boy still is ringing in my ears, so soulful & binding, as if calling the beloved to join him in the rains to dance like Radha & Krishna in the dancing water.
I had time to spend at my will but alas time flew by & it was time for me to return....
But not with a heavy heart but with new hopes & promises to return for more
Promises I made to the Morning store to come back for more sandwich & hot coffee, to Anand Dhaba to come back for a sumptuous homely meal, to the hills to come back to see them more beautiful. A promise to Shera & Moti to come back to enliven our friendship. A new promise to come back to the fresh, lovely & serene surroundings to come back & learn to live life my way in tune with them & get refreshed & rejuvenated.

So here I am sharing my wonderful experience with you, who is reading this & waiting with eagerness to fulfil my promise of going back to the calm, solitude of beautiful Kasauli to live Life a little more......

TOGETHERNESS

Last night I sat in my balcony for a very long time.
It was a beautiful evening, and intense pictures of darkness embracing light (lightening) in the most romantic way, in the tightest possible hug.
The sky was dark, a gloomy brooding mixture of black & grey, then bright silver streaks, the fiery gold flashes & the zigzag of all possible colours amidst the black and the grey.
I sat there, mesmerized, wondering about the ways of “Someone Up There” & nature, and breathed deeply, taking in the freshness & with it all whiffs of fragrance the air.
It was just me, the heavy curtain of water spread down to the parched & thirsty earth, the wonderful quietness, the swimming pool down below, colourful & flooded with lights. There was this beautiful feeling of me being in oneness with the surrounding.
It was so quiet there. Only the soothing sounds of the music, the pitter patter of the rain drops, the croaks of a frog nearby in unison with the music of water, & the oh so lovely sounds of nature around me.
This space as if of the entire universe universe; the musical, empowering silence& the pure tranquillity.
I just sat there and soaked it all up, and felt that wonderful youthful freshness.
Mamta,my cook called me before leaving, but I still didn’t stir. Didn’t even make an effort of listening to what she was saying.
I sat there instead, and drenched myself in the entire feeling as I watched the world go to sleep.
Darkness crept in step by step; a few nocturnal birds & bats started circling the open areas of the campus.
I stood up, to leave, but somehow could not just yet.
The scene was magic. I wanted to encapture the entire moment as if there was no tomorrow. The swimming pool was there last night, is there every night. But how beautiful it can be when left alone in unison with nature, I found that again.
Before I stepped inside my room, my gaze, my soul & spirit wandered across the almost dark surrounding once more. Again trying to relive the time spent together with everything and my solitude in that one moment.
“Thank you & goodnight dears” my heart said to all & everything that was with me. Thank God for making me realise that even in the so called loneliness, one has so much and so many to share with.

I am back in my big, chaotic office today.
Missing my experience of yesterday night, but still happy, cheerful & refreshed in an expectation to experience the same again , or else finding pleasure in reliving the moments again when I see a dark gloomy sky, see the colours of the night gone, hear the raindrops & the croaking frogs or see my dear pool every evening......

RAHI

I don't believe in the song JEEVAN KE SAFAR ME RAHI,MILTE HAIN BICHHAR JAANE KO, AUR DE JAATE HAIN YAADEN TANHAI ME TARPANE KO...
Instead I love to put it this way: JEEVAN KE SAFAR ME RAHI MILTE HAIN BICHHAR JAANE KO, AUR DE JAATE HAIN YAADEN TANHAI ME MUSKANE KO...
Afterall life is about meeting so many lifeforms.
Living with some, playing with some, eating-drinking with some, growing up with some, walking the road of life together with some etc.
Each an every Rahi leaves an impression in our lives in one or the other way, inturn helping us in our process of growing.
I remember all my fellow travellers in this journey of life with happiness. Their memories whether good or bad always light me up (one should learn & see something good even from bad).They fill me up up with happiness, joy & revive me with a strange kind of energy.
Whenever I am down,feeling low, just a trip down the memory lane is enough to zest & boost up.
As I write this I remember two travellers & am really compelled to write about them.

The first one who brings a smile & a strange sense of wonder is TANI SINGH. I met her at her parent's shop (In & out) at a PETROL PUMP enroute to Shimla.We had some problem with our vehicle & while my husband got the problem rectified I walked into the shop & was looking up for small lil things to carry &just pass time.
"Aapko kya chahiye", was the enquiry I responded to with my gaze. There she was a small, tiny structure,9-10 years old,a special child. I was smitten by the lovely smile.I told her I was looking for something, nothing special & walked ahead.
"Aapke bachchen nahi hai"?
"Hain", I replied in the affirmative.
"To aap ye le lonaa", & she handed me a lovely book, followed by colour pencils, chocolates,& all that she could possibly think of.
Like a dedicated follower I received her advice, the happy gaze in her eyes was wonderful as she was being listened to.Her ways, her smile,her care & affection was very special for me.Everything about her was so infectious. Her mother tried to take her away but I insisted on her being left with me. "No she is not at all troubling & bothering me. You have a lovely child,"was my response to her mother getting a little worried about her customers being troubled by her small lil girl.
What still amazes me is the small lil selfless girl, who seemed to know me since ages, giving me motherly & friendly advice, treating me like a small girl. I learn from her memories to be responsive, to care & of all to have a lovely heart. The thought of Tani Singh always livens me up. She must have grown now but her memories stay with me & will continue to enrich me forever.
The other life form is of a wayside dog,but did not seem like one( let me name it Happy).He was cute & fresh.He was a bundle of energy & joy with lovely cheerful eyes & very playful ways.
Happy came across me in Mashobra, came jumping to me & started tugging at my T-shirt. An animal lover that Iam,I could not just resist the teeny weeny pup playing with me. My entire family was drawn to Happy. We got some biscuits for him.He started nibbling but as soon as he saw me take out the camera, oh my my...
to the utter dismay & disbelief of everyone ,Happy started posing for pictures. He turned his face, changed his posture & did everything possible to ensure that I get a good shot.Every tourist, every passer by was enthralled & captivated by his charming ways & stopped to have a look & give a lovely pat or a stroke.It was an experience in itself. At the end of the so called photo shoot Happy would not let us leave & coaxed us to continue playing with him. It was as if we shared some invisible bond & he filled my heart with love & joy. But sadly we had to part ways.
Like Tani, Happy will remain in my memories forever & will continue to enrich me with love & happiness.
Tani & Happy have taught me how to care,& impart love & happiness to everyone selflessly, even to strangers. They have taught me to be happy in any situation & will continue to fill my life with happiness & pure love through their memories forever & ever.
So I say happiness is everywhere, one just needs to see it &embrace it.
Three cheers to evergiving, ever enriching happiness.
Isn't this Lifeamrit

happiness

happiness...

Sheena was at home.She had availed the much awaited leaves, but could not go anywhere because Sanjay was away on tour. 

She spent the first day sleeping. Ah!!! What relief she got....

The next morning she helped her Maa-in-law in the kitchen for sometime and sometime, she just spent staring out of the window. By the evening she was a lil bored. She saw the same notes of boredome in the eyes of her mom-in-law too...and  then an idea struck her.

"Maa.. chalo"...She said.

"But where beta"...her mom in law asked.

Chalo to.......

In a jiffy she got ready & helped her maa get ready with her small lil tips, got the car keys & sped off to Bengali Market.

She could see the surprise in her mom in law's eyes and was enjoying every bit of it.

She stopped the car right in front of Nathu's her mom-in-law's favourite joint.

"What will you have maa?"

She could see the childlike glee in the smile of her maa , that felt heavenly.

She helped her mom in law choose from the vast array of chats other than the ones she loved. Her laughter, her small squeals of delight & her narration of the old times spent with her friends , her family & Sheena's paa-in-law, made Sheena venture into her life , a life which she had withheld from everyone; a life she shared only with herself in her room.The glimpse of this side of  maa left Sheena a different person altogether. She never knew her maa-in-law was so full of life. She had seen her shrouded in her sadness( her paa-in- law had passed a few months back & Sheena was married later), embedded in her own world.

The warm glint of happiness in her eyes, that rare vision of independence and the overall joyful & happy woman in front of her, made Sheena enjoy 'her', as well as the evening all the more.

That very day a deal, a secret, non vocal, non verbal deal was struck between these two women, one a mother, the other much junior & like a daughter. The deal was of friendship & trust.

Till this day Sheena has her best friend around. She does not need to wait for 'her Sanjay' or her motley of friends for any kind of support, sharing anything or for happiness. She has her mom-in-law with her, beside her.

The experience of that day made Sheena a fuller, happier & enriched person beacuse she too believed in the old ways of life, was old school and so was a lil wary of her maa-in-law . Her total outlook changed that day( she still thanks Sanjay for not being there that day). The bond between the two of them( the two women) strengthens day by day; and the happiness in their lives increases manifold.

It's so very true, that a mother is a mother after all & will always remain a mother and no 'law' or 'in law' prefixed or suffixed will make a difference.

It is also true that there is an abundance of happiness, in the small, big and not so big things.

To look for happiness you just have to look around you!!! It is easy..........

©®Madhumita

aab

Hum to chalen the bahkar banke dariya,
par naa karne di humen athkheliyan
Hum to sub kuchh saath me lekar,
bari muhabbat se ,seedhe se jaa rahe theSanam saagar
tujhse milne;Kinaaron ko chhukar,
saafgoi se, tinkon ko apne me samet te hue,sub saath lekar
Par zaalim ko ye manzoor na hua
Paththar phenk ,phenkar
aakhir baandh hi diya
Par manzil ki ore bahte aab ko
koi bhi kabhi, badal naa paya,
naa sakega thahre hue taalaab me.............

lovely morning

People say that due to the sky rises.... oops!! Imeant because of the high rise buildings the beauty of the mornings is gone...
But no.... its our vision and outlook that has changed , not nature, nor the sky, northe birds nor the flies.
I love going out in the mornings, taking in the air, breathing in the freshness into my lungs, viewing all the green and lovely colours of flowers all around ( be it in the park near my complex, the garden in my complex,or even in houses). The chirpy sound of birds, early in the morning is music to my ears , its so mesmerizing!!!. You really don't need to travel to a faraway hillstation or a village to experience all this. All you need to do is just leave your bed early , pull on your socks and get into your shoes. To enjoy life more, carry a few leftovers and a few grains / corns if u can, for all the tailed and the winged friends you are going to meet enroute, and move.
I promise, you will love the experience then. The red , yellow, orange hues of the big red ball of fire coming out from behind the stray scattered clouds will catch your gaze and vision like a magnet .And to top it all you will love the wags of the four legged creatures , and the birds( you are sure to find them everyday, and i assure you gradually you as well as these friends will identify eachother) and the love shown by these small lil creatures will overwhelm you, and with each new day your longing for all this will increase manifold. Moreover your proximity with nature outside will always enrich you and will give you more to look forward to.
After all this is what is lifeamrit
So chao till next time.