Puzzled Dreams

Through those steps of solace Rise the moments of despair Speaking of one unanswered question "Why?" When the nights blind away With those chirps of silent pray From the crickets humming their way "Why?" For, those dark corners Seldom return a face to mark The happiness reveals with a big "Why?" And under the lights We picture our doomed agony Like shadows in perceptions of "Why?" Often, we turn around and look Behind our steps of grace To picture the realm of safety "Why?" Fear, the detestation from reality For those who keep onto it Often keep repeating endlessly "Why?" The time of redemption arises With moments of glory in dreams A glimpse of light again, a change "Why not?"

On a fine Saturday evening, I decided to catch up with a late night movie. Not too mainstream, not too popular either. It came up as a random strike in the mind, and when I checked up online, it was playing at a suitable time. A few couple of finger tip punches later, I was heading for the 9-pm show, technically called the Second Show (which I still don’t get by what logic that name has been come up). Two-and-a-half hours later, I step out, with a smile on my face. The reason – unknown for its existence. The movie did go well (for those who would like to know). Probably, there was this brimming lot of energy within, which felt good, for the least. Right after the moment I was out of the gates of a movie hall, it struck. Just at the steps of the movie hall, I saw a set of cops standing beside their official ride. The mission – only they knew, and I didn’t bother. I was mesmerised by the sight which I had in front of me. With the vast span of road in front, practically empty at...

The ambience of the hall is of joy and happiness, with the whole gathering smiling and glittering. There are smiles everywhere, the bride and groom are happy on stage, and everyone has this feeling of fulfilling their objective for the day. The camera pans up to the wedding scene. The bride and the groom have tied the knot, and exchanged garlands, and are enjoying their official step towards spending a life together. This feels like a climax scene lift-off from a Bollywood movie, but in reality, is somewhat vaguely what happens at every wedding. The scene is calm, till now. The professional photographers for the function have been calm and quiet all this while. They were happy flashing their torches and light exposure equipment into the wide ambiance and capture the happy moments of all those who were present there. And just as the main custom of tying the knots has been done; they get into a frantic nature. Their only mission then becomes – to get candid photographs of the bri...

It was started off as just another Whatsapp group, but fortunately it ended up as something which materialized into a get-together. With couple of months of planning lead by our very own planning commision head, Mr. S, a trip to Ooty, worked out for the long weekend clubbed with Labor Day. The agenda was clear: A visit to our alma mater, a drive through the valleys of Ooty, and an overnight stay, and then the return day after - and yes, celebrating Mr. A’s homecoming as well. The plan looked simple, but the eagerness towards it wasn’t such. It had been a long time ever since the whole of Troublers (yes! that’s the name of our group), had sat down together, and talked like there wasn’t an end to the world. And The Trip was surely going to be a mark up for that. For me, it happened to be a rush through with missing out on the first day to The Trip. So after the hiccups with the month end closure and between the hurried heartbeats decrypting the excitement into smiles, I boarded t...

We are a species. A collection of people, who strive to make this world, a better place to live in. Well, at least, that's what we are believed to be on course. For some reason, out of all these different species in this world, we have 'supposedly' been given the highest intellectual capacity. Apparently, all that needs to be flushed down the drains! It's only when we travel the world, or the country for that matter, that we discover how actually it's all a cocoon. A shell of freedom, where in only few can crawl in. The lack of choices, where - having no choice, is the only choice, becomes the primary stratagem. When many of us delve inside the opulence of metro cities in this world, we often fail to consider that it's just a meager percentage of the cities existing in this world. A major portion of the society is still lurking in the darkness, waiting for that last crumb of bread which will take them out of their misery. The expectations are always ther...

The various miles through the tracks, across numerous destinations, capsule into a great journey. All throughout the ride, the core thing which drives it through, are those people which breathe with the journey. And that pulse is the basic necessity of every journey. A gentle, yet required heartbeat for maintaining the sanctity of the ride. Whenever I travel in a train, the best thing to notice and to learn from, are the people in that train. In our country, trains are a famous locomotive, and it ends up being the precursor to various dreams, sometimes nightmares and a handful yet pleasing list of wonders. Every train, essentially has it's source and destination, for what we miss to notice is, that these end points evolve one thing -  a Culture. We have trains traversing through different corners of the country, and still for some trains, its possible to recognize them just by a look, and not by their name plate. Some stand out with their generosity, their devotional capacit...

It's been a while since I've put my fingers to the task, but it feels good to be back. This time, I'm along the lines of Batman - yet, a little into philosophy though. Yes, I'm talking about the Night (without the 'K'). Often we are moving from one place to another, as part of work, or as part of our personal chores. And almost all the cases, the mode of transport are our favorite Buses and Trains, which we rely on, more trustfully even than our own toothbrush! So during one such various tours, the thought struck me that a wider population is being 'in transit' during the night hours. Some taking hours in single digits, and some in double. The reason for destinations may be many, for family, for work or be it anything. Amid the rush, there dwells a night life! Across these nights, several interesting caricatures surface with their own stories. There's the lady who has drawn the beds early, settled in her comfort zone. There's the...