Annadaatasukhibhava – “May the provider be HAPPY”

Abandonment is such a punishment , seldom did I realise about it until I stepped into an orphanage this morning to enquire on a service offering. As we sat in the art cafe, reading the Ravi Verma biography , a sudden idea to visit an orphanage crossed my mind and I voiced it out to my best friend. I chalked down the things I would do when I get there and I was super-excited.  I had worked with under privileged children at government schools in the past but this was the first time I had decided to visit an orphanage.

Early next day, as I rode to office I decided to drop-by the orphanage for a general enquiry on the offering.  I parked my vehicle in front of the gate and looked happily at the pink building that stood in the corner of the street. I pulled the small gate that had a board hung on it with the words “Push” on it,I smiled at my foolishness and opened the gate . As I walked by, voices of children singing prayers lingered in my ears; I entered the house and searched for the receptionist but unfortunately there wasn’t anyone who could help me out.  

 As I continued to look around for someone to help me out, a pair of twinkling eyes caught my sight. Looking straight into my eyes, she smiled at me as her lips continued to sync with the rest of them in the group  “Annadaatasukhibhava” – “May the Provider be Happy” and that is when I realized  that it was their breakfast time. I went a little closer to get the glimpse of the whole gang, as my registered the count, my eyes did it’s job. The kids formed a circle and sat in front of their plates with a lady in her early twenties sitting in the middle serving them the food. A big vessel  with half-filled rice with some seasoning was their breakfast for this morning. As I stood observing, the lady walked up to me and greeted me with a smile. I looked at her and told her that I would want to visit them the following day, she readily agreed and thanked me as the rest of the eyes continued to look at me with a broad smile on their face. I was already delayed by half n hour to office and ha to rush out immediately I complete the conversation with the lady. I looked back and smiled at the girl who had caught my eyes and left the place.

I passed by the orphanage and hit the main road; tears started rolling down my cheeks and my stomach twitched. For the first ever time, I did not understand the meaning of the emotions I was experiencing. After a bit, my memory flashed a thing it had registered while the number game was on; the phrase “Annadaata Sukhibhava” – While we utter these lines after we finish our meals , the kids in the house did it before they put the morsel of rice into their mouth.  They wished good to the providers even before they tasted the food. My mind hovered around and there were many questions that emerged and I knew that I could find answers only to a few of them.

The only thing i kept thinking throughout was how lucky are we who are blessed with loved ones around us – ultimately it is the power of love that makes us humane and nothing else.

“Abandonment is such a PUNISHMENT” – I understood the reason behind the tears but I still can’t figure out the meaning for the ocean of emotions I went through. 

“ SERENE AMALGAMATION OF BOTH THE WORLDS”

Far above from the sky; came a pair of lovely hands , Twinkling eyes and a lovely smile – I know  you, - I cried in glee

A short body with a hairless head, stretched out arms to hug me tight, come to me I shall show you the world , called the voice – I know you -  I cried in glee .

Amalgamation of several emotions; I looked into his eyes, I sprint like a hare at the pace of light, just to reach him, come called the voice – I know you -  I cried in glee.

Behind him were another pair of hands, with a charming beam and a wide palm – stretched were both the pair of hands – baffled was I – I know you “BOTH” - I cried in glee

Glimpses of them I tried to steal, warmth of their hug I wanted to  feel;  an end of a long wait is what I thought; until they smiled and showed my way back – I know you “BOTH” - I cried in glee

Stood there in the mist, a vague face lending me his pair of hands; pleading me not part ways; perplexed was the situation  - I know you “ALL” – I cried in glee

Stood I between the two worlds; voices calling on either sides, tough was the choice to make, vague was the face on the other side, yet I followed the directions of the voice – I know you “BOTH” – I cried in glee

A wonderful dream it was, the harmony of the two worlds I saw;  guiding light are the voices I heard, “ANGELS “of my life is all I know – I know you “BOTH” – I cried in glee

"ACCEPTANCE"- We are all "UNIQUE"

I am a complaint bag; I fret a lot – I may panic, I am restless and my mood swings endlessly–  I am just different from you -  I accept you the way you are and I expect you to accept me the way I am – “I AM ME”

I do not do things the way you want me to; I have my personal style – It may be very different from the rest of the herd ; but I still do things that you want me to do – I accept you the way you are and I expect you to accept me the way I am –“I AM ME”

I am forgetful; I whine over trivial matters– I blow things out of proportion – my emotions are not the same as yours; something that may seem a grain of dust to you may mean a mountain to me – I still respect your views – “I accept you the way you are and I expect you to accept me the way I am” - “I AM ME”

“ELIANA “- The most beautiful girl I ever met

He was a kid when he first saw her; he did not much realize the beauty of her until she became his lady one day. As years passed by, she transformed into a beautiful angel and the boy into a handsome man. While everyone watched her movements in awe; she waited eagerly for her man to seize the heart away. She was the princess of the plateau and everyone who met gaze with her skipped their heart-beats in admiration while she stood smiling in reminisces of thoughts of her beloved love. She stood out angelic amidst the country of Gods.

As it rained beautifully outside; the day she had dreamt of being together with the love of her life had finally arrived. She stood by the window evoking the euphoric moments she had spent with her man; she recalled the way he had ran his fingers over her curvaceous body; his moist eyes that sparkled admiring every inch of her gorgeously with an everlasting curve on his lips as she waited for him.

She was in trance; as she opened her eyes, she noticed him standing just a foot away admiring her exquisiteness. The world stood amazingly still with the music of just two art-beats playing rythimically and waiting to unite in bliss.

As the jourey started, the earth disguised herself into a lovely green bed of love; while the sky showered flowers in the form of rain, the duo danced to the tunes of thunder and the path unfolded by itself as the lightning kissed the sky romantically. It was just him and her; as she stood like an angel with her dusky skin shining – he sat speechless admiring the beauty of her – he discovered that she is his SOUL; – She is “ELIANA” – “The love of "HiS" Life”.

It's ME in my "PUREST: FORM - Look beyond my BODY - There I am "SOUL"

Polluted was I, deep cleansing is what I need; cried the body – I am still in my purest form, laughed the “SOUL”

Sins are numerous; medium I was to persuade many people for pleasure; burning is the escape to purification; cried the body – I am still as pure as the fire laughed the “SOUL”

Abundant scars; I have been ripped and stripped; the beauty of me was just in the lust of their eyes cried the body – I am still a love of pearl untouched in the beautiful shell of Life, laughed the “SOUL”

Aged and wrinkled; with all the charm and glamour lost; useless I am cried the body – I am still as tender as a new born baby; as beautiful as a new bloomed flower ; ever happy and effervescent, laughed  the “SOUL”

Dead and decayed; burnt and buried; I am just ashes now; cried the body – I am still a bud of flower ready to bloom; an egg in the eaglet’s nest ready to hatch;  I do not die – I am the flame of Love – Off I go – Laughed the “SOUL”

"I peek in and I found you" - Life

Showered was I with endless Love and hankering admiration; I loved to fall in love with you– it’s worthy I know

Blessed was I with plenty of kisses and hugs; greedy was I; I chose to feel the warmth of you – it’s worthy I know

Live the moments; regret not for the past; enigma is the future – passionate were you and I; just the moments had to fly; I am your honey-bee and forever will be- it’s worthy I know

Freedom is what I wanted; love when you live is what I learnt from you; I choose to be a part of your existence even after the ultimatum decides to part my ways with you– it’s worthy I know

A free spirit you are, rarely found; a class apart with euphoria as a state of your mind; be the way you are – it’s worthy I know

A friend for life is you; a passionate traveler I knew , go round the world; live your life is all I wish for you; a part of me is what I leave for you; I live in you – it’s worthy I know

" Fear of Losing" - I miss you

A lot of people I am surrounded with; yet my eyes meander  seeking your smiling face – “I miss you”

Loads of hugs, kisses and love I may be showered with; yet my heart longs for the warmth of your palm on my cheeks – “I miss you”

Tears at the brim of my eyes , scared I am that you may weep in agony looking at your little angel whimper; yet I cry – “I  miss  you”

Fear of losing strikes me; the ultimatum parted you and I; transitory is the  state; I know we will unite again; yet I can’t wait –  “I miss you”

Souls I see many,  irreplaceable you are; yet I wish to see you amidst the crowd, I am your little girl – “I miss you”

"Forgiveness"

 Taming heart was a severe endeavor; being a prey for a beast was not a wish; it just happened - I forgive myself

A million times I warned myself that it’s a hallucination; life isn't all that fair; it just happened – I forgive myself

Thoughts kept alarming me; it’s just an act of deception, do not thaw out; it just happened – I forgive myself

Indications weren't great; approach was callous; rejection was the mode; it just happened – I forgive myself

Forgiving myself was sturdy than I forgave others; master it screamed my heart and yes; it’s a beautiful piece of art that ever emerged – “It just happened” – “I love myself “ – I forgive myself

UNIQUENESS - Celebrate it....

I am a slave of emotions, I am not always a happy-go-lucky-kind, my heart has seen the ebbs and flows of life – it is black and blue; it has been stretched beyond limits; yet I choose to be flamboyant

Try not to make an entry from the underneath always; try to penetrate into the heart and soul and that’s the opening which is sexier than the one you could ever think of; dignity is a paradise and that’s where I choose to dwell in

I am a package of the deeds I have done in the past; my present is the corrected mistake of my past I am molded by my past to be what I am today; I live in the present moment but I always have a past, I choose to live with it sometimes; I am a derivative of my past

My life is not a mirror of perfection, it’s a water ripple, the situations may get fuzzy but I stand still; none of us are perfect

Amidst a lot of impediment and adversity; I choose to rise above the opinions of several and stand tranquil; I choose to celebrate my independence and uniqueness – I am “me” – I am Unique

I am beyond everything– “I am LIFE”

The splendor of my eyes lies not in the face; look beyond it – I have you hidden in there; I seldom cry for I may lose you. I blink my eyes not too hard for you may cry in twinge; you are mine – I love you my “LIFE”

The beauty of my smile lie not in the lips, look within – I have you hidden in there; in the sexiest curve you can ever think of; every time I smile it’s in your name; you are mine – I love you my “LIFE”

My love for you lie not in my heart, look within – I have you hidden in there; amidst the most bruised and shattered piece your “SOUL” twinkles  embracing me elatedly; you are mine - I love you my “LIFE”

"Castles of Sand - Constellation of Peace"

Sound sleep had become a rough mission; pleasant dreams turned to nightmares. No state of mind is as dreadful as insomnia is what she realized then. She woke up at frequent intervals; assuming that she suffered from sleep paralysis. Almost every single soul who visited in her dreams either begged for pardon or cried for forgiveness Going deeper into those dreams and contemplating them was out of scope and she cared the least to know more about them. A couple of weeks passed by and sleep being the quintessential need of one’s life to sustain; she had to find a way on her own to come out of this painful situation.

 Plethora of flowers bloomed in the garden; she lay on her back looking at the starlit sky with mind peeping into the old and dull books of her days gone by. She had come to the garden seeking solitude. She closed her eyes for a while trying to ease her mind and body from the hectic schedules life threw at her when she heard a gang of little girls scream and dance blissfully ; they were busy building sand castles and running around it singing rhymes taught at school. She wanted to move away from that place the very next moment but slowly she realized that their voice in unison was feast to ears. She opened her eyes and smiled involuntarily thinking, this is the place where one has to be to be to move away from melancholy; the sky was merely a vacuum and the stars bejeweled it. Castles in sand were meant to be gone by the wind but the girls built them with ease and celebrated every bit of it.

The little girls sang and danced with delight bringing out the lovely sound waves into space; she found no difference between the little angels and the sky. Both were just space and so was her mind. Inadvertently her mind started creating freedom that she yearned for; she was lost in stupor; her mind traveled slowly to take a peek at the closed books of her life; peacefully it read the lines – Peace is within you – Your mind is a sky and the thoughts you sow in it are the stars; create a lovely constellation of forgiveness like the music tweeted by the little girls around the sand castles.

The bright rays of the sun danced on her face waking her up; she opened her eyes to find the little girls and the starlit sky; gone were they leaving her in the state of trance. She had forgiven everyone she held a sense of vengeance on; she smiled looking at the mirror and said –

“Songs of tranquility is what I heard looking at the starlit airspace; I let go every bit of retaliation from me; the constellation of Peace is what I outline in the garden of my mind and let the flowers of "Love" blossom at all seasons"

"Scarred Soul"

A striking carved cot with intricate designs stood in the drawing hall; it was a lovely piece of work, the black color of the wood complimented the sky-blue painted wall of the bed-room. The legs of the cot were carved round with a glossy finish on the surface. We all stood spellbound looking at the wonderful art and appreciated the skill of the old carpenter who stood smiling at the door. We thanked the old-man for his dedicated hours of work and rewarded him handsomely for his craftsmanship and bid good-bye. While everyone stood admiring the wonderful artistry of the carpenter, there was one person who did not have a single word to speak about or appreciate the beauty of the lovely piece that stood a midst us. I was awestruck and this reaction from her was the least anticipated one.

It was a hot sunny afternoon, we had walked all the way back from school and it was a tiring day. We ran into the kitchen to gulp a glass of water and munch on some cookies. My friend ran into my study-room and started finishing her home-work while I threw my shoes and bag on the floor and relaxed watching cartoon show on the TV. I had dozed away until I heard my mom knocking at the door. She asked me about the school and gave me a bar of chocolate and went upstairs to see if the old-man was working. The old-man smiled at her and said that the cot was being made as per the instructions and he said he would be delivering it as expected. Mom smiled at him and came downstairs, I then realized that my friend had disappeared for quite some time then and went to the study-room to find her. I was a little surprised to see her books lying on the floor without her, I went to the other room where the old-man was working, he looked oblivious of the situation and I came downstairs to check with my mom if she saw her.

My friend had started to behave very strange towards me, I felt ignored and lost. I cried to mom about her behavior towards me. Mom was quite surprised to see my best buddy abandoning me, it was more than a week since she had even walked back from school with me, I missed my dear friend but I had got accustomed to it now. Almost a couple of months passed by, but my friend was never the same.

45 days, and the cot was completed as promised, the old-carpenter stood with his master-piece with smugness when my friend walked in. My happiness knew no bounds; I ran to her and showered her with kisses and hugs. I looked like a pup running and wagging its tail out of happiness by the sight of his master. My friend stood still while I still smiled and screamed with joy bringing the roof down. The carpenter left with his sum leaving his beautifully crafted cot to us with his usual smile. I grabbed my friend by her hands and pushed her on the cot, tears rolled down her cheeks. I was startled looking at my friend sob. I sat beside her, she was lost.

I slept watching cartoon, when my friend went upstairs to the study-room to finish the homework; the old-carpenter had exhibited his skills on the girl behind the closed door. The girl wept in agony, I was dumb-founded. I looked at the cot that stood in the huge bed-room of my parents and I looked at my best friend weeping. The carvings on the cot  were no more designs that appealed to my eyes just a few minutes back, it was a piece of blemish that reflected the old-man’s thoughts and his scandalous act.  

Heinous was he, shameful were his actions; with a monster dwelling in him, a facade of forged smile he wore, skills he had not to just carve designs but leave the body of my friend and my soul scarred forever.

"I am boundless and Unconditional" - I am IMMORTAL

I am born; I’ll die – I am not immortal. The ultimatum is death and what I want to do in between is only a greater consequence.  I was born out of love and I am taught that love is the only thing that is eternal.  When I said “I love you” to people; I could speck different reactions; some faces went blank, some readily accepted and some had the Acceptance in denial” way of acceptance some uprightly rejected you but spoke about it to their friends and their dear ones.  

There are some peculiar things about Love that has till now left me mesmerized; things that I am unable to contemplate or comprehend about even after trying it for a zillion times  - people thanking-you for your love, people trying to explain their limitations for not reciprocating it, trying to make us understand what they feel about us, trying to explain their situation back at home about relationships, trying to estrange you by calling you, “You are incomparable, You are too special to be loved like a normal girl-or a boy-friend” you deserve someone really best, trying to term you as a role-model or even sometimes, Oh no! I have never had such thoughts about you; the funniest of all I have encountered is about people bragging on how others go gaga over them and how they are turned-down upright. Well, has anyone of us sat back and thought, “LOVE”, who are you?

Most of the times you tell people that you love them, they immediately jump into a conclusion that they have been asked to get into a relationship, is that what Love really is meant to be?

After a very long time I had met this friend of mine; undoubtedly he was a man any girl would dream to be with. I knew him since my school-days and I guess taking the liberty of telling him that I liked him was not a great deal, it was a light-heart statement I made and the repercussions later were unanticipated. Things went intangible; I was in dilemma if he really understood what I meant or most of the times I wondered if I made a terrible mistake of expressing my thoughts to him.  Every time I tried explaining thing, it always took different digression. He promised things that were meant to be broken, he made me wait and laughed when I fumed; I did it all because I connected with him emotionally and loved him whole-heartedly. Never did I ask him to go out with me nor had I the intentions of being romantic with him, my intentions were pure and I believed that opportunity comes once and I did not want it to go empty-handed. I was not interested to know justifications or did I ask him to devote his time for me, all I wanted was not being judged and ignored, a friend who would stay besides me like he always said but everything fails is what I realized after I got to meet him.  Love was in the air and the fragrance it gave out was the most pleasant, drew all my energy and passion towards it and left me with just the bitterness of ignorance and humiliation.

Love needs to be celebrated, rejoiced, it comes from different people from different places at unexpected times, all you need to realize is that it is as precious as your existence; you are just here to spread it without any excuses being made.  

Small things in life make a significant impact; so is Love. Spread it, feel it, rejoice it. It is boundless, unconditional, effortless and the loveliest.  Love is Immortal and not us.

A “BEAUTIFUL” – SOUL-MATE

My feelings for you are mayhem and I am not worried that it sways between the pinnacle and nadir. The harder I try to direct them they flee from me.  Trying to veil them will only bury them alive, at a snail's pace I realized that my thoughts were looked upon disjointedly from me. Losing rhythm in comprehending about someone you closely trust and love is a state of sheer failure.

Lending a helping hand when you are in distress do not make me a charity worker, I can still be your soul-mate

Cooking delicacies that tantalizes your taste-buds do not make me a master-chef; I can still be your soul-mate

A painting on a canvas especially on a special day made solely for you do not make me a well-known artist; I can still be your “soul-mate”

I make you smile at times when your heart wants to let a violent cry out do not make me a clown; I can still be your soul-mate”

Beautiful lines from my heart flow in the form of a poem just for you do not make me a writer; I can still be your “soul-mate”

I do not need an adjective prefix to be happy. I have abundant qualities but that is not who I am, they do not define me. They are just skills I may have developed over years with lot of efforts but today when I do it for you I feel laudable. I am not a bag of adjectives, I bleed too when injured, I sob too when life defeats me at times, I do everything you do but still I lose myself finding the essence of my life in your arms. Anything I do for you are not for the lucrative titles you bequeath me with; abundant love, an everlasting curve on your lips, a soft kiss on my forehead, a gentle hug when distressed and shattered, a hand that holds me until the ultimatum parts us away, a voice that can proudly scream to the world and say, Here she is - “MY SOUL-MATE” is all I need.  

Angels and Demons

I traveled all the way with you just to be a part of you, I trusted you. I wasn't trust-worthy to my angels then.  I was fine being deceitful to my angels about my whereabouts; I wanted to gain your conviction. I was fine losing the years of confidence my parents had on me just for the months of acquaintance with you, the smile in your eyes was all that I noticed camouflage myself to remember the moist eyes of the old couple who battled their lives to raise me.

My dad held my tiny hands while I was a toddler and enjoyed teaching me cross the roads but I was enjoying holding yours when his trembling hands needed my support. My mum cooked the delicacies I loved and treated me every day while I was lost jotting down and experimenting with the food you loved completely forgetting that she now needed a helping hand in the kitchen. Restaurants, shopping malls, ice-cream parlors; I roamed with you with no interference of time leaving the two old souls wait late night. I was in gay when you were with me and I had all the time of this world to give away to you without any regrets but I frowned when the two old birds wanted to have a small talk with me. I wanted to look my best in front of you with the choices you made for me while I completely forgot the two dwindling eyes which still hoped that I wore something he had chosen for me then.  Your phone calls never went unanswered despite of me being held up in a serious meeting or conflicts but my parents rang to speak to me, I always disconnected even before they could finish the sentence.

Every joyous moment I spent was just with you, I devoted my life on you until you decided to break the wonderful castle where you dwelled walking away from me leaving my dreams shattered. Unprepared was the situation; unseen was the day, unheard were these words.  I pondered for a lap to bury my sorrows, two angels walked towards me, they were no stronger, their skin sagged, hair had turned gray, their face had lost the charm and their eyes were buried in the sockets, cheek bones were more prominent than what I had noticed the last time. They now walked at a turtle’s pace with a stick in their hand, the smile had died long back, and they looked at me as the tears rolled down their cheeks. As they walked closer to me, I smiled with joy; the tears disappeared letting the magic of smile talk to the angels. Again, the beautiful garden with the wild flowers blooming and the leaves rustling which I had abandoned once rolled in the eyes of my mind, I relived the moments I had masked; the places I wandered with my dad and the fuss I made to have food while my mom narrated stories and fed me, the moments I cherished as I wore the red and white laced frock and the handmade doll mom presented to me on my birthday.

 The angels were again successful in their job; they bound me with a wonderful spell of love they had used long back when they decided to show me this beautiful world, they invited me with open arms, wide smile, a paradise is where they took me. I left them behind, let them weep in vain while I enjoyed with you but later I realized that their heart longed for me to reunite with them. There were days when my heart swelled in pain for I had lost his sight, there were days when I let the angels cry in pain though I was just a feet away from them.  Abandoned was I? No, the angels would have been abandoned had he not abandoned me.  Pain is what I know now, for I lived it and the taste of it sometimes reaps the sweetest fruit letting us dance with our "ANGELS" once again, thanks to the demon that made me dance to the tunes of his just to differentiate between the dirge and eulogy.

"A beautiful Unconventional Bonding"

“I am clueless to even comprehend what exactly is a phase of life this is but all I know is that I am enjoying every bit of it”. I always admired the beauty of monochrome pictures about life; I thought it was just elegance that mattered but very slowly did I start appreciating that colors are just not fun but they are the best tranquilizers of heart.I had started noticing that the funny bone of mine had retired long back. Getting lost in words had always been an enduring passion; and it was one such day while I was at a coffee shop working on an assignment on my laptop I felt alive again.
A tall guy with fairly dusky complexion dressed in a pair of blue jeans and black half arm shirt with roll-up sleeves approached the coffee counter. At first, I did not notice him as I was busy making points for the upcoming story-writing competition but the battery on the system ran out and I had to go to the manager to check for the options and that’s when my eyes caught the glimpse of this man standing at the billing counter. He was an average-built guy, tall with broad shoulders and deep-set eyes. It looked like; he was there just to get some coffee packed for his friends who waited outside. I was in a hurry to complete my task; I was getting agitated waiting till the order of this young man got over. I looked at the counter guy frowning, he immediately acknowledged me with a smile and nod, and I immediately pounced to check if there was a charger point as my system was running out of charge. The guy still smiled but did not answer, when I was about to open my mouth for the second time, the guy at the counter looked at me and smiled and told the counter boy to first attend to me and his order could wait. I smiled at him and thanked him for his generosity. I found the charger point; I was drowned and lost in my work again until I heard a roar of laughter from a table that was outside. I felt it annoying initially till I spotted the guy at the counter with his bunch of friends.

They were all laughing their heart out, for a moment I thought I had to tell them that they are worrying me but it felt nice to hear a lot of young birds chirping after a long-time. It reminded me of my school days; I sat down quietly, put my laptop aside, called the store- keeper and ordered a cup of cappuccino. As my drink was getting brewed, I looked around again to spot the young man, he was smiling as before, but this time it was slightly a different one. It had a long curve than before and his eyes sparkled like a star, his cheeks glowed and it felt like he was very happy from within.

He was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a black roll-up sleeves shirt. His fairly dusky complexion shone while he spoke. Right opposite him was a lady, his classmate must have been; dusky complexion with a contagious smile and a pair of bright eyes that spoke a thousand words. As their eyes met, it felt like a thousand of words spoke without any dialect, they admired each other, he cared for her a lot and that was quite apparent but it was more beyond care and concern. She stole a glance of his at frequent intervals, she smiled with joy and it was obvious that she was at ecstasy too. Everyone else were busy talking to each other, they exchanged a lot of old stories of school-time. The lady slowly got up from her chair and moved to the one adjacent to his. She started chirping away to glory while he quietly listened to her, she was an epitome of fun, easy-going and full of life. He was quiet, he was letting the information he gathered sink into his system. He looked at her constantly while she looked everywhere around. She often addressed him as “Formal Fish”, probably he was calm and his gestures were very minimal and prescribed. From a third person’s eyes, it was much easier to tell that it wasn't formality but also his way of being romantic. Series of photos were clicked with different postures but he maintained his decorum, lot of stories got exchanged across the table but I could sense another story in the making beyond the actual stories told. After a long time, I removed a pen from my bag and scribbled the lines.

“Gazes meet often and leave you but when the sight strikes with the right he heart beats in its own rhythmic fashion – leaving you to revere throughout your life, an enchanting experience this was for a broken heart of mine and a dose of bliss to the young hearts involved – you came in as shot of tranquilizer, leaving the heart and mind at bliss”.

She was an epitome of fun and he was a mysterious gentleman with a dash of mischief . My heart was broken long back, the ray of hope had diminished leaving me in dismay, but only today did I realize that something beyond everything still do exist and I did not want to give it a conventional name and hold it captivated again. Let it fly high and only the ones who experiences it will feel the joy of it's existence – “Yes, THIS is SOMETHING beyond EVERYTHING” - "A Beautiful Unconventional Bonding"

I packed all my belongings and left the place, as I left; my eyes sparkled looking at the two blooming flowers, recollecting all the lost memories buried deep down inside my heart.A tall guy with fairly dusky complexion dressed in a pair of blue jeans and black half arm shirt with roll-up sleeves approached the coffee counter. At first, I did not notice him as I was busy making points for the upcoming story-writing competition but the battery on the system ran out and I had to go to the manager to check for the options and that’s when my eyes caught the glimpse of this man standing at the billing counter. He was an average-built guy, tall with broad shoulders and deep-set eyes. It looked like; he was there just to get some coffee packed for his friends who waited outside. I was in a hurry to complete my task; I was getting agitated waiting till the order of this young man got over. I looked at the counter guy frowning, he immediately acknowledged me with a smile and nod, and I immediately pounced to check if there was a charger point as my system was running out of charge. The guy still smiled but did not answer, when I was about to open my mouth for the second time, the guy at the counter looked at me and smiled and told the counter boy to first attend to me and his order could wait. I smiled at him and thanked him for his generosity. I found the charger point; I was drowned and lost in my work again until I heard a roar of laughter from a table that was outside. I felt it annoying initially till I spotted the guy at the counter with his bunch of friends.
They were all laughing their heart out, for a moment I thought I had to tell them that they are worrying me but it felt nice to hear a lot of young birds chirping after a long-time. It reminded me of my school days; I sat down quietly, put my laptop aside, called the store- keeper and ordered a cup of cappuccino. As my drink was getting brewed, I looked around again to spot the young man, he was smiling as before, but this time it was slightly a different one. It had a long curve than before and his eyes sparkled like a star, his cheeks glowed and it felt like he was very happy from within.
He was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a black roll-up sleeves shirt. His fairly dusky complexion shone while he spoke. Right opposite him was a lady, his classmate must have been; dusky complexion with a contagious smile and a pair of bright eyes that spoke a thousand words. As their eyes met, it felt like a thousand of words spoke without any dialect, they admired each other, he cared for her a lot and that was quite apparent but it was more beyond care and concern. She stole a glance of his at frequent intervals, she smiled with joy and it was obvious that she was at ecstasy too. Everyone else were busy talking to each other, they exchanged a lot of old stories of school-time. The lady slowly got up from her chair and moved to the one adjacent to his. She started chirping away to glory while he quietly listened to her, she was an epitome of fun, easy-going and full of life. He was quiet, he was letting the information he gathered sink into his system. He looked at her constantly while she looked everywhere around. She often addressed him as “Formal Fish”, probably he was calm and his gestures were very minimal and prescribed. From a third person’s eyes, it was much easier to tell that it wasn't formality but also his way of being romantic. Series of photos were clicked with different postures but he maintained his decorum, lot of stories got exchanged across the table but I could sense another story in the making beyond the actual stories told. After a long time, I removed a pen from my bag and scribbled the lines.
“Gazes meet often and leave you but when the sight strikes with the right he heart beats in its own rhythmic fashion – leaving you to revere throughout your life, an enchanting experience this was for a broken heart of mine and a dose of bliss to the young hearts involved – you came in as shot of tranquilizer, leaving the heart and mind at bliss”.
She was an epitome of fun and he was a mysterious gentleman with a dash of mischief . My heart was broken long back, the ray of hope had diminished leaving me in dismay, but only today did I realize that something beyond everything still do exist and I did not want to give it a conventional name and hold it captivated again. Let it fly high and only the ones who experiences it will feel the joy of it's existence – “Yes, THIS is SOMETHING beyond EVERYTHING” - "A Beautiful Unconventional Bonding"
I packed all my belongings and left the place, as I left; my eyes sparkled looking at the two blooming flowers, recollecting all the lost memories buried deep down inside my heart.A tall guy with fairly dusky complexion dressed in a pair of blue jeans and black half arm shirt with roll-up sleeves approached the coffee counter. At first, I did not notice him as I was busy making points for the upcoming story-writing competition but the battery on the system ran out and I had to go to the manager to check for the options and that’s when my eyes caught the glimpse of this man standing at the billing counter. He was an average-built guy, tall with broad shoulders and deep-set eyes. It looked like; he was there just to get some coffee packed for his friends who waited outside. I was in a hurry to complete my task; I was getting agitated waiting till the order of this young man got over. I looked at the counter guy frowning, he immediately acknowledged me with a smile and nod, and I immediately pounced to check if there was a charger point as my system was running out of charge. The guy still smiled but did not answer, when I was about to open my mouth for the second time, the guy at the counter looked at me and smiled and told the counter boy to first attend to me and his order could wait. I smiled at him and thanked him for his generosity. I found the charger point; I was drowned and lost in my work again until I heard a roar of laughter from a table that was outside. I felt it annoying initially till I spotted the guy at the counter with his bunch of friends.They were all laughing their heart out, for a moment I thought I had to tell them that they are worrying me but it felt nice to hear a lot of young birds chirping after a long-time. It reminded me of my school days; I sat down quietly, put my laptop aside, called the store- keeper and ordered a cup of cappuccino. As my drink was getting brewed, I looked around again to spot the young man, he was smiling as before, but this time it was slightly a different one. It had a long curve than before and his eyes sparkled like a star, his cheeks glowed and it felt like he was very happy from within.He was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a black roll-up sleeves shirt. His fairly dusky complexion shone while he spoke. Right opposite him was a lady, his classmate must have been; dusky complexion with a contagious smile and a pair of bright eyes that spoke a thousand words. As their eyes met, it felt like a thousand of words spoke without any dialect, they admired each other, he cared for her a lot and that was quite apparent but it was more beyond care and concern. She stole a glance of his at frequent intervals, she smiled with joy and it was obvious that she was at ecstasy too. Everyone else were busy talking to each other, they exchanged a lot of old stories of school-time. The lady slowly got up from her chair and moved to the one adjacent to his. She started chirping away to glory while he quietly listened to her, she was an epitome of fun, easy-going and full of life. He was quiet, he was letting the information he gathered sink into his system. He looked at her constantly while she looked everywhere around. She often addressed him as “Formal Fish”, probably he was calm and his gestures were very minimal and prescribed. From a third person’s eyes, it was much easier to tell that it wasn't formality but also his way of being romantic. Series of photos were clicked with different postures but he maintained his decorum, lot of stories got exchanged across the table but I could sense another story in the making beyond the actual stories told. After a long time, I removed a pen from my bag and scribbled the lines.“Gazes meet often and leave you but when the sight strikes with the right he heart beats in its own rhythmic fashion – leaving you to revere throughout your life, an enchanting experience this was for a broken heart of mine and a dose of bliss to the young hearts involved – you came in as shot of tranquilizer, leaving the heart and mind at bliss”.She was an epitome of fun and he was a mysterious gentleman with a dash of mischief . My heart was broken long back, the ray of hope had diminished leaving me in dismay, but only today did I realize that something beyond everything still do exist and I did not want to give it a conventional name and hold it captivated again. Let it fly high and only the ones who experiences it will feel the joy of it's existence – “Yes, THIS is SOMETHING beyond EVERYTHING” - "A Beautiful Unconventional Bonding"I packed all my belongings and left the place, as I left; my eyes sparkled looking at the two blooming flowers, recollecting all the lost memories buried deep down inside my heart.A tall guy with fairly dusky complexion dressed in a pair of blue jeans and black half arm shirt with roll-up sleeves approached the coffee counter. At first, I did not notice him as I was busy making points for the upcoming story-writing competition but the battery on the system ran out and I had to go to the manager to check for the options and that’s when my eyes caught the glimpse of this man standing at the billing counter. He was an average-built guy, tall with broad shoulders and deep-set eyes. It looked like; he was there just to get some coffee packed for his friends who waited outside. I was in a hurry to complete my task; I was getting agitated waiting till the order of this young man got over. I looked at the counter guy frowning, he immediately acknowledged me with a smile and nod, and I immediately pounced to check if there was a charger point as my system was running out of charge. The guy still smiled but did not answer, when I was about to open my mouth for the second time, the guy at the counter looked at me and smiled and told the counter boy to first attend to me and his order could wait. I smiled at him and thanked him for his generosity. I found the charger point; I was drowned and lost in my work again until I heard a roar of laughter from a table that was outside. I felt it annoying initially till I spotted the guy at the counter with his bunch of friends.They were all laughing their heart out, for a moment I thought I had to tell them that they are worrying me but it felt nice to hear a lot of young birds chirping after a long-time. It reminded me of my school days; I sat down quietly, put my laptop aside, called the store- keeper and ordered a cup of cappuccino. As my drink was getting brewed, I looked around again to spot the young man, he was smiling as before, but this time it was slightly a different one. It had a long curve than before and his eyes sparkled like a star, his cheeks glowed and it felt like he was very happy from within.He was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a black roll-up sleeves shirt. His fairly dusky complexion shone while he spoke. Right opposite him was a lady, his classmate must have been; dusky complexion with a contagious smile and a pair of bright eyes that spoke a thousand words. As their eyes met, it felt like a thousand of words spoke without any dialect, they admired each other, he cared for her a lot and that was quite apparent but it was more beyond care and concern. She stole a glance of his at frequent intervals, she smiled with joy and it was obvious that she was at ecstasy too. Everyone else were busy talking to each other, they exchanged a lot of old stories of school-time. The lady slowly got up from her chair and moved to the one adjacent to his. She started chirping away to glory while he quietly listened to her, she was an epitome of fun, easy-going and full of life. He was quiet, he was letting the information he gathered sink into his system. He looked at her constantly while she looked everywhere around. She often addressed him as “Formal Fish”, probably he was calm and his gestures were very minimal and prescribed. From a third person’s eyes, it was much easier to tell that it wasn't formality but also his way of being romantic. Series of photos were clicked with different postures but he maintained his decorum, lot of stories got exchanged across the table but I could sense another story in the making beyond the actual stories told. After a long time, I removed a pen from my bag and scribbled the lines.“Gazes meet often and leave you but when the sight strikes with the right he heart beats in its own rhythmic fashion – leaving you to revere throughout your life, an enchanting experience this was for a broken heart of mine and a dose of bliss to the young hearts involved – you came in as shot of tranquilizer, leaving the heart and mind at bliss”.She was an epitome of fun and he was a mysterious gentleman with a dash of mischief . My heart was broken long back, the ray of hope had diminished leaving me in dismay, but only today did I realize that something beyond everything still do exist and I did not want to give it a conventional name and hold it captivated again. Let it fly high and only the ones who experiences it will feel the joy of it's existence – “Yes, THIS is SOMETHING beyond EVERYTHING” - "A Beautiful Unconventional Bonding"I packed all my belongings and left the place, as I left; my eyes sparkled looking at the two blooming flowers, recollecting all the lost memories buried deep down inside my heart.A tall guy with fairly dusky complexion dressed in a pair of blue jeans and black half arm shirt with roll-up sleeves approached the coffee counter. At first, I did not notice him as I was busy making points for the upcoming story-writing competition but the battery on the system ran out and I had to go to the manager to check for the options and that’s when my eyes caught the glimpse of this man standing at the billing counter. He was an average-built guy, tall with broad shoulders and deep-set eyes. It looked like; he was there just to get some coffee packed for his friends who waited outside. I was in a hurry to complete my task; I was getting agitated waiting till the order of this young man got over. I looked at the counter guy frowning, he immediately acknowledged me with a smile and nod, and I immediately pounced to check if there was a charger point as my system was running out of charge. The guy still smiled but did not answer, when I was about to open my mouth for the second time, the guy at the counter looked at me and smiled and told the counter boy to first attend to me and his order could wait. I smiled at him and thanked him for his generosity. I found the charger point; I was drowned and lost in my work again until I heard a roar of laughter from a table that was outside. I felt it annoying initially till I spotted the guy at the counter with his bunch of friends.They were all laughing their heart out, for a moment I thought I had to tell them that they are worrying me but it felt nice to hear a lot of young birds chirping after a long-time. It reminded me of my school days; I sat down quietly, put my laptop aside, called the store- keeper and ordered a cup of cappuccino. As my drink was getting brewed, I looked around again to spot the young man, he was smiling as before, but this time it was slightly a different one. It had a long curve than before and his eyes sparkled like a star, his cheeks glowed and it felt like he was very happy from within.He was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a black roll-up sleeves shirt. His fairly dusky complexion shone while he spoke. Right opposite him was a lady, his classmate must have been; dusky complexion with a contagious smile and a pair of bright eyes that spoke a thousand words. As their eyes met, it felt like a thousand of words spoke without any dialect, they admired each other, he cared for her a lot and that was quite apparent but it was more beyond care and concern. She stole a glance of his at frequent intervals, she smiled with joy and it was obvious that she was at ecstasy too. Everyone else were busy talking to each other, they exchanged a lot of old stories of school-time. The lady slowly got up from her chair and moved to the one adjacent to his. She started chirping away to glory while he quietly listened to her, she was an epitome of fun, easy-going and full of life. He was quiet, he was letting the information he gathered sink into his system. He looked at her constantly while she looked everywhere around. She often addressed him as “Formal Fish”, probably he was calm and his gestures were very minimal and prescribed. From a third person’s eyes, it was much easier to tell that it wasn't formality but also his way of being romantic. Series of photos were clicked with different postures but he maintained his decorum, lot of stories got exchanged across the table but I could sense another story in the making beyond the actual stories told. After a long time, I removed a pen from my bag and scribbled the lines.“Gazes meet often and leave you but when the sight strikes with the right he heart beats in its own rhythmic fashion – leaving you to revere throughout your life, an enchanting experience this was for a broken heart of mine and a dose of bliss to the young hearts involved – you came in as shot of tranquilizer, leaving the heart and mind at bliss”.She was an epitome of fun and he was a mysterious gentleman with a dash of mischief . My heart was broken long back, the ray of hope had diminished leaving me in dismay, but only today did I realize that something beyond everything still do exist and I did not want to give it a conventional name and hold it captivated again. Let it fly high and only the ones who experiences it will feel the joy of it's existence – “Yes, THIS is SOMETHING beyond EVERYTHING” - "A Beautiful Unconventional Bonding"I packed all my belongings and left the place, as I left; my eyes sparkled looking at the two blooming flowers, recollecting all the lost memories buried deep down inside my heart.A tall guy with fairly dusky complexion dressed in a pair of blue jeans and black half arm shirt with roll-up sleeves approached the coffee counter. At first, I did not notice him as I was busy making points for the upcoming story-writing competition but the battery on the system ran out and I had to go to the manager to check for the options and that’s when my eyes caught the glimpse of this man standing at the billing counter. He was an average-built guy, tall with broad shoulders and deep-set eyes. It looked like; he was there just to get some coffee packed for his friends who waited outside. I was in a hurry to complete my task; I was getting agitated waiting till the order of this young man got over. I looked at the counter guy frowning, he immediately acknowledged me with a smile and nod, and I immediately pounced to check if there was a charger point as my system was running out of charge. The guy still smiled but did not answer, when I was about to open my mouth for the second time, the guy at the counter looked at me and smiled and told the counter boy to first attend to me and his order could wait. I smiled at him and thanked him for his generosity. I found the charger point; I was drowned and lost in my work again until I heard a roar of laughter from a table that was outside. I felt it annoying initially till I spotted the guy at the counter with his bunch of friends.They were all laughing their heart out, for a moment I thought I had to tell them that they are worrying me but it felt nice to hear a lot of young birds chirping after a long-time. It reminded me of my school days; I sat down quietly, put my laptop aside, called the store- keeper and ordered a cup of cappuccino. As my drink was getting brewed, I looked around again to spot the young man, he was smiling as before, but this time it was slightly a different one. It had a long curve than before and his eyes sparkled like a star, his cheeks glowed and it felt like he was very happy from within.He was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a black roll-up sleeves shirt. His fairly dusky complexion shone while he spoke. Right opposite him was a lady, his classmate must have been; dusky complexion with a contagious smile and a pair of bright eyes that spoke a thousand words. As their eyes met, it felt like a thousand of words spoke without any dialect, they admired each other, he cared for her a lot and that was quite apparent but it was more beyond care and concern. She stole a glance of his at frequent intervals, she smiled with joy and it was obvious that she was at ecstasy too. Everyone else were busy talking to each other, they exchanged a lot of old stories of school-time. The lady slowly got up from her chair and moved to the one adjacent to his. She started chirping away to glory while he quietly listened to her, she was an epitome of fun, easy-going and full of life. He was quiet, he was letting the information he gathered sink into his system. He looked at her constantly while she looked everywhere around. She often addressed him as “Formal Fish”, probably he was calm and his gestures were very minimal and prescribed. From a third person’s eyes, it was much easier to tell that it wasn't formality but also his way of being romantic. Series of photos were clicked with different postures but he maintained his decorum, lot of stories got exchanged across the table but I could sense another story in the making beyond the actual stories told. After a long time, I removed a pen from my bag and scribbled the lines.“Gazes meet often and leave you but when the sight strikes with the right he heart beats in its own rhythmic fashion – leaving you to revere throughout your life, an enchanting experience this was for a broken heart of mine and a dose of bliss to the young hearts involved – you came in as shot of tranquilizer, leaving the heart and mind at bliss”.She was an epitome of fun and he was a mysterious gentleman with a dash of mischief . My heart was broken long back, the ray of hope had diminished leaving me in dismay, but only today did I realize that something beyond everything still do exist and I did not want to give it a conventional name and hold it captivated again. Let it fly high and only the ones who experiences it will feel the joy of it's existence – “Yes, THIS is SOMETHING beyond EVERYTHING” - "A Beautiful Unconventional Bonding"I packed all my belongings and left the place, as I left; my eyes sparkled looking at the two blooming flowers, recollecting all the lost memories buried deep down inside my heart.A tall guy with fairly dusky complexion dressed in a pair of blue jeans and black half arm shirt with roll-up sleeves approached the coffee counter. At first, I did not notice him as I was busy making points for the upcoming story-writing competition but the battery on the system ran out and I had to go to the manager to check for the options and that’s when my eyes caught the glimpse of this man standing at the billing counter. He was an average-built guy, tall with broad shoulders and deep-set eyes. It looked like; he was there just to get some coffee packed for his friends who waited outside. I was in a hurry to complete my task; I was getting agitated waiting till the order of this young man got over. I looked at the counter guy frowning, he immediately acknowledged me with a smile and nod, and I immediately pounced to check if there was a charger point as my system was running out of charge. The guy still smiled but did not answer, when I was about to open my mouth for the second time, the guy at the counter looked at me and smiled and told the counter boy to first attend to me and his order could wait. I smiled at him and thanked him for his generosity. I found the charger point; I was drowned and lost in my work again until I heard a roar of laughter from a table that was outside. I felt it annoying initially till I spotted the guy at the counter with his bunch of friends.They were all laughing their heart out, for a moment I thought I had to tell them that they are worrying me but it felt nice to hear a lot of young birds chirping after a long-time. It reminded me of my school days; I sat down quietly, put my laptop aside, called the store- keeper and ordered a cup of cappuccino. As my drink was getting brewed, I looked around again to spot the young man, he was smiling as before, but this time it was slightly a different one. It had a long curve than before and his eyes sparkled like a star, his cheeks glowed and it felt like he was very happy from within.He was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a black roll-up sleeves shirt. His fairly dusky complexion shone while he spoke. Right opposite him was a lady, his classmate must have been; dusky complexion with a contagious smile and a pair of bright eyes that spoke a thousand words. As their eyes met, it felt like a thousand of words spoke without any dialect, they admired each other, he cared for her a lot and that was quite apparent but it was more beyond care and concern. She stole a glance of his at frequent intervals, she smiled with joy and it was obvious that she was at ecstasy too. Everyone else were busy talking to each other, they exchanged a lot of old stories of school-time. The lady slowly got up from her chair and moved to the one adjacent to his. She started chirping away to glory while he quietly listened to her, she was an epitome of fun, easy-going and full of life. He was quiet, he was letting the information he gathered sink into his system. He looked at her constantly while she looked everywhere around. She often addressed him as “Formal Fish”, probably he was calm and his gestures were very minimal and prescribed. From a third person’s eyes, it was much easier to tell that it wasn't formality but also his way of being romantic. Series of photos were clicked with different postures but he maintained his decorum, lot of stories got exchanged across the table but I could sense another story in the making beyond the actual stories told. After a long time, I removed a pen from my bag and scribbled the lines.“Gazes meet often and leave you but when the sight strikes with the right he heart beats in its own rhythmic fashion – leaving you to revere throughout your life, an enchanting experience this was for a broken heart of mine and a dose of bliss to the young hearts involved – you came in as shot of tranquilizer, leaving the heart and mind at bliss”.She was an epitome of fun and he was a mysterious gentleman with a dash of mischief . My heart was broken long back, the ray of hope had diminished leaving me in dismay, but only today did I realize that something beyond everything still do exist and I did not want to give it a conventional name and hold it captivated again. Let it fly high and only the ones who experiences it will feel the joy of it's existence – “Yes, THIS is SOMETHING beyond EVERYTHING” - "A Beautiful Unconventional Bonding"I packed all my belongings and left the place, as I left; my eyes sparkled looking at the two blooming flowers, recollecting all the lost memories buried deep down inside my heart.

"An impeccable curve" - An everlasting Impression

It was more than fifteen years I had seen him, all I remembered about him was a naughty boy from school days wearing blue shorts and a white shirt and a navy blue tie with white diagonal stripes.  A very mischievous boy with a wide grin and a roaring laughter often spotted outside the class than being inside listening to the boring lectures. An impression of being funny was what he had left when he parted from all of us after 6^th grade.

Out of sight is out of mind and so was the case with me until the destiny had decided a surprise for me. It was a Sunday evening and I craved to have cane juice; I dragged my cousin along, we parked the vehicle and went inside to grab a cup of fresh cane juice. My cousin was complaining about the set of courses he had to complete that semester and was cursing the system of examination to the fullest. I just looked at him nauseatingly; this was a repeat telecast to me every time he had exams to write and got busy in admiring the mechanism of the cane juice maker. I stood there smiling when two other guys came near the juice counter.

They were tall and had long feet and by the time I looked up to see their faces, the much awaited drink appeared in front of my eyes drawing all my attention towards it. As the gulp of cane juice gushed into my throat I looked up to see two guys standing in front of me. One of the faces was very familiar to me and the other one was certainly a stranger. The guy with a familiar face smiled looking at me, more than the face the smile was very memorable and I reckoned it.

It was the same impish kid from my school days who giggled without a motive and dragged others too to be partners in his crime. Both of us were equally excited to see each other after a very long time. We just had a casual conversation and there wasn't ample time to catch up on a lot of other things that happened in the past but time was generous enough to let us exchange numbers.  I shook hands with him and took his leave ad promised him that will stay in touch thereafter.  I went back home talking to my cousin about this friend of mine and bragged for some more time to Mom. I went to sleep and just recalled the kid I knew from school to the young man I had seen today; it was in complete contrast.

The guy I met today was calm, composed, focused and well-mannered but the image that deep-rooted in my mind about this boy was a brat who always got punished and stood outside the class.  Everything about this guy I knew had changed over the years but for his impeccable smile. He still wore the same mischievous and communicable smile of his; the spark in his smile lasted leaving his eyes shimmer with innocence until he spoke. Very few words did we speak but his eyes and smile had spoken many  words beyond my comprehension.

 I went into my bed-room, looked at the mirror, smiled at myself and turned the light off, closing my eyes while I sank into the world of dreams rejoicing the beauty of smile of a mischievous kid associating it with the young man I had seen today after years. Everything else had changed but the curve that formed on his lips was still the same. I slept admiring the magic of a lovely smile which leaves an everlasting impression on your soul.

“Time Conflicts” – I meet my "contradictory" mirror image!

Festival of colors; a lovely Sunday morning, vividness everywhere, sophisticated and complex art work found everywhere. Palette of colors splashed in the eyes, not even an inch on the street looked dull. Some of the art-forms were undemanding to understand, some taxed the brain heavily; every piece of art found there was in competition with each other to seek attention from the viewers and none went unnoticed.  Artists from every nook and corner waited for this day to exhibit their years of hard-work and passion. People from different genre visited the place; every pair of eyes I met sparkled with glee. I wandered appreciating every piece of art I found, as an art-enthusiast myself, I was too fascinated looking at every piece of creation. I stood by every stall to understand the art form, medium and also the technique the artist had used to bring out the creativity.  While I was moving from one stall to the other, a great sense of respect arouse in my heart and and a sense of belonging to the place.I felt that smile didn't want to abandon me as long as I stayed there. I walked by several stalls and the beauty of beautiful Tanjore art, Mysore art, Still life paintings, Nude paintings, Calligraphy, Paper quilling, Pencil sketches, Mixed medium, sculptures and  many more caught my eyes. I also met a couple of artists to understand the intricate work they had produced.  I clicked pictures and walked slowly from one stall to the other along with my friends appreciating the beauty of the artist’s inventiveness and creativity.  I was along with another friend while other friends of mine were scattered in different places. We were laughing making fun about something really weird we noticed in the crowd, when a young man dressed in a long saffron kurta and a white dhoti and a kolhapuri sandal caught us. He was charismatic, a tall guy with a medium-built and slightly long hair. He smiled at us and his aura drew all my attention towards him at once. I pulled my friend by his hand and dragged him to the stall. It was not one of a kind stall, it looked dull and boring, no colors absolutely.There were only seven pen-sketches hanging in his stall, below them was a tab that ran the slides of his website and a couple of art-books that were on sale. He introduced himself to the both of us, he took us through his first sketch, and he was engrossed in explaining the concept when my other friends joined in the conversation. It was a monologue, but it felt that he had complete control over all of us and the situation.

My mind constantly reminded that this person is full of hot air but my heart wanted to listen to him, all my friends were getting goaded and I could sense from the way they gasped after every statement the artist completed with great difficulty.  I wanted to train the artist to learn the art of effective usage of pause and silence in communication.

 Besides all the baloney the artist shoved us with, my ears were about to shut and my legs pulled, he said 4:30 am. My eyes opened wide, my ears wanted to hear what he said and the antennas of my receiver with full strength; our gaze met and it felt that it was just him and me speaking to each other.  He said that every sketch f his hanging there was a visualization of people who existed and had met him and this was a pure co-incidence and then he said, every sketch of his was made at 4:30 AM in the morning.  My heart ached with the numbers he indicated.  I stood there lost wondering how time differs from person to person. I dread 4:30 am while the most beautiful things in the artists’ life had taken place at the same time I considered the most ill-fated to me. I stood there numb, tears filled to the brim, I was at loss of words. I wanted to remember the incident forever; I got a book from the artist, a new perspective for something I was searching from five years had to be found on an unexpected day from a stranger.  It was more than an hour we spent in his stall, I got a book and my friends teased me that the guy was a bundle of management skills and the best marketing guy they had met, they even said that I was a prey of his today with a label called “JACK-ASS” on my forehead.

 I just looked at them with a blank face, they were true, I knew, I was a prey, a victim, not just of the trap that artist had laid to sell his works but also the 4:30 am which  fate had decided 5 years ago in the form of ceasing my dad away from my life; that minute and forever.   I believed that mirrors are the best friends of human-beings but for the first time I experienced a conflict, a contradiction.