JOIE DE VIVRE.... The Joy Of Living...

Hurried lives, perfunctory lifestyles, often leave us with little time to ponder over the beauty and brevity of life. Our slapdash routines take us away from the primary purpose of life, that is to enjoy life in its complete form, to experience Joie de vivre, the joy of living....

We keep looking for reasons to enjoy ourselves, more so trying to create them. What we forget is that Happiness comes from relishing the moments that bring glitter in your eyes, a smile on your face and joy to your heart. Happiness comes from living the everyday incidents that brighten up your day and maybe someone else's too, and fill you with hope and courage to face whatever may come your way.

I'm thankful my heart is still alive with colours of such feelings that touch it every now and then. Often when I'm depressed, I remind myself of some beautiful happenings in my life that re-instilled my faith in the Almighty, gave me hope when I was at the end of the cliff, gave me courage when I had to jump off the cliff and needed to trust my wings and most importantly, gave me a smile when I had none!

About a year ago, I was walking down a busy road one evening when I realised I was running late for an appointment. I thought of taking a cab(riksha) but couldn't afford one due to insufficient funds. It was already dark and I was getting a little worried. Suddenly, a riksha driver stopped by me to ask if I would like to hire. I asked him how far he could drop me in the amount of money I had in my pocket. He laughed and said that that wouldn't even take me a kilometer. I started to walk away but he kept following me, insisting that I hire the cab. Finally i agreed on the condition that he'd drop me the moment he finds another customer. Since I was already in the riksha, no customer stopped him. He dropped me to my destination which was 8 kilometers away. Embarrassed, I offered him the money I had. He refused to take it, saying that I might need it on my way back home. He told me he had a daughter who was about my age. Seeing me alone on the street, he helped me just as he would have helped his daughter. I was touched. My eyes got watery. In this time, when most people are trying to fool you to get maximum benefit from you, here was a man who helped me in return for nothing but a simple thank you that I couldn't even say properly because of the lump in my throat that developed from the surprise at his goodness.

This incident might not have meant so much to a lot of other people as much as it meant to me but for me, its something I'll take to my grave. I saw the purity in his eyes that people talk of in great and noble men. I saw the selflessness in his tone when he said I was like his own daughter to him. He made me believe in humanity, in love and in God.

I'm thankful I got to live that day. I'm thankful I didn't have money that day. I'm thankful for the smile that spreads across my face every time I think of that man. I'm thankful for the welling up of my eyes then, and now, reminding me of the purity that somewhere still prevails inside me.I'm thankful for the liftman's banter when he takes me up to my class at my coaching center. I'm thankful for the watchman who takes pains everyday to help me find a place to park my car. I'm thankful for the kids in my neighbourhood who gleefully shout my name whenever they see me expecting I would just say 'Hi!'. I'm thankful for some sweet and stupid friends who never go out of my life even when I don't make an effort to make them stay. I'm thankful for that friend who took better care of me than anyone I know ever could when I spoilt his evening by throwing up for hours without an end, then becoming unconcious and leaving him destressed as to how to wake me up and safely drop me back home, making it a night that I would never forget even if he does not stay in my life. And most of all, I'm thankful for having such wonderful parents and grand parents who have literally dedicated their lives to me. I just cannot thank these people enough for the difference they have made to my life. Its hard to even imagine being without these daily doses of smiles. With even the slightest of these influences missing from my life, I would never have become the person that I am today. :)

Akeli Main

Laakhon hain duniya mein chehre, phir bhi ek akeli main

Sabka jeevan suljha suljha, unsuljhi paheli main

Sabke kitne dost yahan par, apni hi saheli main

Laakhon hain duniya main chehre, phir bhi ek akeli main

Main hi khud ka dard samajhti, apne aansu pochu khud

Main hi khud ka dil behlati, apna sukh dukh sochu khud

Main hi khud ko lori gaa ke sapno ki duniya me lapetu

Main hi khud ke tute hue sapno ko sawaaru aur sametu

Main hi apni raah banau, raahon pe chalna khud seekhu

Main hi khud mein shamma jagau, parvaano se jalna khud seekhu

Laakhon hain duniya mein chehre, phir bhi ek akeli main

Sabka jeevan suljha suljha, unsuljhi paheli main

Sabke kitne dost yahan par, apni hi saheli main

Laakhon hain duniya main chehre, phir bhi ek akeli main

Main hi khud ki berang duniya me titliyon jaise rang bharu

Khud me himmat baandh raah ki dushvaariyon se na daru

Main hi khud ko phulon jaise dil jeetne ka hunar sikhau

Chanchal mann ko saahas du main, lagan-karmathta apnau

Main hi khud se pyaar karu, khud apne se rooth jau main

Main hi apne aadarsh banau, khud ko jeena sikhau main

Laakhon hain duniya mein chehre, phir bhi ek akeli main

Sabka jeevan suljha suljha, unsuljhi paheli main

Sabke kitne dost yahan par, apni hi saheli main

Laakhon hain duniya main chehre, phir bhi ek akeli main

I WONT BE LEFT BEHIND....

Quit, Give up, You're beaten....

Are things I hear in my head...

Weary, disheartened, disappointed...

Alone, I lay in my bed...

Those voices say I'm a loser...

They say I'm no good...

I'm told I should try no more,

'Coz I'd fail if I would..

But somewhere inside my heart,

The flame of hope still burns...

It says I should keep trying

'Coz pain and pleasure take turns...

My heart tells me to spread my wings

And give it another try...

Its time I let myself be...

Its time I don't be shy..

Its time I follow my dreams..

Its time I listen to my heart..

Its time I let go of disappointments,

And once again I start...

Its time I play with butterflies

And let the flowers bloom...

Its time I let merriness

Rightfully take over the gloom...

Its time I rejoice in my being

The person that I am...

Its time I give up indolence

And pep up for the glam..

Why waste my time crying

Over things that fell apart...

When I have the choice to let joy

And gaiety play their part?

Quit, Give up, You're beaten....

They still shout in my head...

But I don't give in 'coz I know

I can win the race instead!!

EVEN THIS SHALL PASS AWAY......BY THEODORE TILTON

ONCE in Persia ruled a king
Who upon his signet ring
’Graved a motto true and wise,
Which, when held before his eyes,
Gave him counsel at a glance
Fit for any change or chance.
Solemn words, and these were they:
“Even this shall pass away.”



Trains of camel through the sand
Brought him gems from Samarkand;
Fleets of galleys through the seas
Brought him pearls to rival these.
Yet he counted little gain
Treasures of the mine or main.
“Wealth may come, but not to stay;
Even this shall pass away.”


’Mid the revels of his court,
In the zenith of his sport,
When the palms of all his guests,
Burned with clapping at his jests,
He, amid his figs and wine,
Cried: “Oh, precious friends of mine,
Pleasure comes, but not to stay —
Even this shall pass away.”


Lady, fairest ever seen,
Was the bride he crowned his queen.
Pillowed on his marriage bed
Softly to his soul he said:
“Though no bridegroom ever pressed
Fairer bosom to his breast,
Mortal flesh must come to clay —
Even this shall pass away.”


Fighting in a furious field,
Once a javelin pierced his shield,
Soldiers with a loud lament
Bore him bleeding to his tent.
Groaning, from his wounded side,
“Pain is hard to bear,” he cried.
“But, with patience, day by day,
Even this shall pass away.”


Towering in the public square,
Twenty cubits in the air,
Rose his status grand in stone;
And the king, disguised, unknown,
Gazing on his sculptured name,
Asked himself: “And what is fame?
Fame is but a slow decay —
Even this shall pass away.”


Struck with palsy, sere and old,
Standing at the gates of gold,
Spake him this, in dying breath:
“Life is done, and what is death?”
Then, in answer to the king,
Fell a sunbeam on the ring,
Answering, with its heavenly ray:
“Even death shall pass away.

LETTING GO....

As children bring their broken toys with tears for us to mend
I brought my broken dreams to God because He was my friend.

But instead of leaving him in peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help with ways that were my own.

At last I snatched them and cried, "How could you be so slow?"
"My child," He said, "What could I do? You never did let go."

FOR ONCE......

For once………

If I could just hold you and not let you go…

How much you mean to me, I’m dying to show…

Every beat of my heart, to you, I owe…

For once…

I wish to live my life with you by my side….

I want to make up to you with smiles for all the tears you’ve cried…

I want to bring to life every part of your heart that has died…

For once…

Wish to relive those hand grasps, those hugs, that stupid silly fight…

The way we’d do anything to steal each other’s sight…

Just loved it how your kisses made the gloomiest days bright…

For once…

Want to go back to the time when we were high…

When we spent days together but didn’t know time would fly…

When the hardest thing on earth was to say good bye…

For once…

I want to live a dream where you are completely mine…

Where love would abound, where ecstasy would shine…

Where troubles would be far and happiness shall be thine…

For once…

I love you not for who you are but for what I am when I’m with you…

I’ve heard people say this, but now I believe its true…

If I could just feel like a princess for being loved by you…

For once…

That sneaking into empty parking lots, and in moments, catching someone stare…

That time when we did not bother if anyone was there…

I want to feel that feeling again when we lay on the bed, bare…

For once…

For once, I want to close my eyes, hug you and say I Love You…

For once, I want you to tell me you love me, even if it is not true…

For once, I want to wear my white dress, have you by my side and say “ I Do!! “…

For once…

What I feel....

In love, its not about who came first or who has been there longer. Its about the one who came and never went ♥ :)

.........

You may charge of me of murder
or want of sense.....
We're all of us weak at times,
But the slightest approach to a false pretense
Was never among my crimes!!!

The older we grow, the more we need a person we can be a kid with,someone who knew us when we were young....

WHEN I DIE…

When I die, no one should cry

Shed no tears for tears would dry!

Just remember me for the smile on your face

That from the good memories, you can trace

Remember me for the little talk

The one we had when we went for a walk

Once in a while, do miss me for sure

And remember my gossips from the days of yore

When you happen to hear my favourite song

Just think of me and dance along

When you feel you lost, when you think you are beat

Embrace my enthusiasm and don’t accept defeat

When you feel lonely and have no one by your side

Close your eyes, feel my presence, with the rising tide

Feel my warmth in the sun rays, my stillness in the moon

See my smile in the flowers; your fatigue would be gone soon

Think of our conversations that touched your heart

And how we cherished them when we were apart

And whatever happens, be sure to smile

And believe how being together was always worthwhile

And when I’m gone pray for my soul

And wish to the Almighty to keep me whole

And when I die, don’t you cry

Shed no tears for tears would dry!

LOVE YOURSELF….AND SMILE!

One can accept being hurt by a loved one’s behaviour (or actions) when they are unaware of it. What hurts is when they know about it and still don’t care.
They say, when you trust someone, trust them completely. You’ll end up having a wonderful relation or a wonderful lesson. But what do you do after learning the lesson? Do you trust that person again? What do you do when a part of you wants to trust them blindly like you’ve never been hurt but suddenly, another part of you refuses to accept similar deceit again? When it comes to ourselves, when we make mistakes, we would surely advocate being given another chance because we humans learn from our mistakes. But aren’t we sceptical in giving others that chance?
At times, it’s not our scepticism that stops us. It’s the other person himself. If a person makes a mistake and realises it, he would be careful enough to not repeat it but it seems meaningless to give another chance to a person who cannot even see how he traumatised someone with his behaviour. It’s the indifference that is difficult to swallow.
However strong we may believe ourselves to be, we cannot walk this big wide world alone. We need our loved ones by our side. And eventually, we all give them chances, over and over again. And at times, let ourselves down with such decisions. But life doesn’t stop. That one person you think you cannot live without today might not be there with you tomorrow. The one person, who was never supposed to let you down, probably will. That love which was supposed to comfort you for the rest of your life would probably go away. That relation which was expected to decorate your life might end up destroying your soul.
But the show must go on! Have faith in the Almighty! Trust Him. Love Him. Give chances to people you love but with a pinch of salt. Trust them but keep an eye. Walk out before it’s too late. Get yourself treated well because those who don’t respect you don’t deserve you. And your life will never stop for anyone, unless you let it. Be happy. You are totally worth it. Love yourself even if no one else does. And smile! You don’t own all the problems in the world and you never will!

GROWING UP

At times you realise that you have to keep all your emotions locked up inside. No matter how much it hurts, you have to hide the pain. No matter what someone does to you, you have to smile back to that person because that relationship is essential in defining who you are. You can’t hold anyone close to your heart. You can’t force them to stay with you. You have to understand that if they want to leave, probably it’s best for them to leave. Probably, you could not make them feel so loved that they would want to be loved by no one but you. Probably, you have to understand that some things are just not meant to be. Probably.
You eventually reach a stage where you no more cry yourself to sleep because you don’t have any tears left to cry. You don’t share your pain because you know no one understands it the way you do. It’s all a part of God’s master plan. It’s a part of growing up. Loving. Getting hurt. Moving on. Growing up! This is what makes a man out of a boy. This is what transforms a girl into a lady. Probably, I’m ready for it!

An Apology…..

For the past few days, I’ve been upset about the way things were shaping in college. I’ve been angry with people or rather sycophants who get their way through anything. Who butter polish every one they know of, precisely everyone having the authority to do them some good. Flying like bees around faculty members, going out of their way to flaunt their skills (which I doubt exist!) and leave no stone unturned to make sure they get the best of marks. It does get upsetting at times seeing how blind our mentors can be.
Since its not good practice to hold grudges against people, I decided to apologise. But to whom? I realised I did them no harm. They probably are unaware of my resentment. It’s me who is being tormented by my anger. As it is said, anger eats nothing but its own heart. I realised my anger is actually stopping me from doing any good to myself. It’s preventing me from seeing the bigger picture and believing in the beauty of the life God has created for me and that everything that’s not killing me is making me stronger. It’s preventing me from seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and walking towards it with the faith that everything will eventually work out fine for me, just as it would for everyone else.
It’s actually a time for me to concentrate on making things better for myself, rather than deciding who is worth what they’ve got. In the end, I know it’s me I owe an apology to. For wasting time and energy and fogging my vision. And my best apology would be to live so well that everyone around me would aspire to be in my shoes. And now, I’ll do just that!

Just Me……

Last year(2009)…..My b’day…..Switzerland…..
Time halted…. Wanted nothing more…. I was in heaven…. What more could I possibly ask for? It was the most perfect weekend of my life. At times, we soo need a time out…. A time just for ourselves….. The long walks in the evenings. The Sunday afternoon by the lake, family and friends, some wine, a good dog, kids and PEACE! A time when I could clearly reflect on everything, just everything in totality, going on in my life. When I could just so sort my self out. Somehow I didn’t want to come back home. All the home sickness was gone. I dint want to take any calls. Just wanted to be alone. That was one time when I felt I needed no one. No family. No friends. Just myself. A time when I could talk to myself. When I could hear the sound of silence. When I could hear the music in the air. I had the most peaceful sleep I remember in the recent past. I haven’t felt that peace ever since. Feels like I’m losing myself and need such a time out to reconnect with the real me. The me that is still innocent, all so beautiful, who smiles at bill boards and loves to watch flowers by the street, whose eyes start gleaming seeing the smile on a child’s face, who walks past strangers in a distant country feeling blessed for the fortunate life she lives, who loved shopping in the smallest of shops and felt extreme happiness on imagining her mom’s reaction on seeing everything she bought, the me who is just so strong to keep her head up and be proud of herself even against the worst of the odds, who enjoyed a train ride as if for the first time, the mountains, the scenery….Ahh sooo beautiful!!
I can re-live every moment of that trip in my mind, in my heart. I want to thank God for giving me such a perfect, well timed break whose memories rejuvenate me and give me strength even today. I feel blessed for having connected to nature and to myself in such a beautiful way!

Where are we heading?

It’s a confusing time. We, the youth, believe ourselves to be in a state better than any of the previous generations. We believe we are awakened; we are revolutionary in our own ways. But are we not missing out something in the bigger picture? Are we not over looking the fears of our previous generations who feel we are losing our way? There’s a part of me that wants to defy these fears to fall in line with my peers. But then, there’s a part of me that cannot help ponder over the missing ethics, the loyalties in friendships that once existed, the respect for the Gurus who treated akin to God.

We live in a time where the whole of India rejoices and celebrates the death sentence of Kasaab, a terrorist, who, according to us, deserved this death sentence more than anyone else. Are we not following the principle of “An eye for an eye”, forgetting that it would tantamount to leaving the whole world blind? Everyone is eager to voice their opinion on how apt this decision was (though delayed) but what about the million things going wrong all around us day-today? We choose to overlook the greed of men who molest every woman they come across, if not literally, at least with their eyes and their dirty comments. We choose to overlook acts of domestic violence, bribery and casting couches. And all this is because we are busy criticising a misled youngster who thought he could serve his community and become deserving of the blessings of God for having done what he was told to do.

We live in a time where at least some of us care to listen to the stories that our parents and grand parents have in store for them about their school and college days. I’m sure at least a handful of us must be wondering what went wrong that brought us to a stage where we call our teachers names, take pride in abusing them behind their backs and some of us do not even care to respect them when they are around. I cannot deny that it’s not a one sided road; many teachers today don’t match up to the standard of our parent’s Gurus. They feel that being overly friendly with students or pestering them for marks would earn them respect, forgetting that respect has to be earned, not demanded. They probably are not aware of the fact that a teacher can be respected only for his knowledge; for everything else, he can be loved.

We live in a time when almost everything under the sky is justifiable in the name of Progress! Be it our so called ‘relationships’, late nights, the bizarre dress sense or just the way we address of parents i.e. the openness, the answering back etc. I realise how pessimistic I may be coming across as, but honestly, I term it as thoughtfulness. I still believe in the integrity of the youth and myself. Deep in my heart, a fire still burns under the name of ethics, humanity and love. I fuel this fire every time I see my friends go out of their way to help the underprivileged, every time I watch how the youth united to help the victims in tragedies like the Mumbai terror attacks or the floods, every time I have a heart to heart (eye wetting) conversation with a teacher who might rightly be called a Guru for not only teaching me some subjects but more importantly how to live. I still believe that we may be a little off track but we are still close to the path to be followed and can hop on as and when required. I still believe in the beauty of the dawn that gives me hope for a better tomorrow!!!

The function of science is to reassure; the purpose of art is to upset. Therein lays the value of each.

Science is the servant of the mind; Art is the ruler of the heart. Since the days of yore, man has used science as a tool to effectively understand the concepts beyond his normal reach and create and enjoy luxuries not bestowed to him by nature. On the other hand, art has always been used to express the emotions he was going through. It is used as an outlet for the immensely strong whirlpool of feelings a man experiences.

Science is based on observation and experimentation. It emphasizes on a rational line of thought and renders itself to establishing facts and principles that are universally acceptable. If we say its function is to reassure, we mean it helps us find answers to the various ‘how’s and ‘why’s that nature poses in front of us. It defines eternal theories and concepts that reassure us of our essential beliefs and initial thoughts on a subject.

Art, the other side of the coin of human nature, nurtures our soul and caters to our inner being that is far from the reach of logic and factual establishments. As it is believed that our most beautiful art pieces express our saddest thoughts, the purpose of art is to serve as an outlet to those innumerable feelings that we fear talking about even to ourselves.

Just like every situation in life is a shade of grey, i.e. a mix of black and white, the human existence is incomplete without the rationalism of science as much as it is meaningless without the beauty of art. Both these aspects of human behaviour and existence complete the cycle of the growth of an individual’s mind and the development of his soul!

As we acquire more knowledge, things do not become more comprehensible, but more complex and more mysterious.

Ignorance is bliss! The less we know, the more content we are; the more we find out, the more disappointed we are at how little our knowledge is. This universe is like an ocean of knowledge, information and facts. When we gather little drops of knowledge, we are overwhelmed by the vastness and diversity of this mesmerising ocean.
The old aged believe everything, the middle aged doubt everything, the young know everything. This maxim aptly describes the journey one undertakes in life pertaining to acquisition of knowledge. When we know little, our mind is free from doubt. As one progresses in this journey called ‘life’, he finds out that the bigger picture is actually ‘larger than life’.
When I was in grade 7, I first studied the Newton’s laws of motion. They were taught in away that was easy to comprehend and remember. As I reached higher grades, I learnt the same laws in much more complex ways than I had learnt before. The same laws could be expressed in a further detailed manner when I was pursuing engineering. I then realised that as I climbed up the hierarchy of the educational system, there was detailing involved in whatever I studied.
Such complexity is not only limited to the subjects one studies at school or college, but also to the other aspects of life. Taking the case of human behaviour, it is an established fact that every individual is unique and that declaring statements about human behaviour would not be relevant to every individual. Studying human psychology in depth ultimately leads us to the conclusion that it is next to impossible to predict an individual’s behaviour, no matter how much study one puts into the subject.
Thus, in the short span of time I have spent on this earth, I have come to realise that imagination is more important than knowledge since greater the imagination, more is the zeal to transform it into reality. What is already present in this world can be easily found out, and more often than not, the more we find out about something, the lesser is the clarity of the concept in our mind. To reach one’s maximum potential, discovery of the unknown depths of wisdom is required.