One Life To Live

Sunday, April 17, 2016

The Peacock Feather Pen

A Very 'Close To Heart' Creation

I do a lot of craft but I never gifted anybody any of them. Well, this excludes the personalized cards and the gift wrappings. Those are not exactly creations, if I may say so. I prefer keeping my craft things to myself mostly because I never thought anyone would like them. Also, I never found a proper occasion or an apt thing to give. This, however, seemed the most apt for my friend (and I knew she would really like to get this as a gift). So, its a first of its kind and hence will always be special for me. The actual gift had my friend's name written on it to make it more personalized. In addition, I made the packing box all by myself from the scratch. I got cardboard, prepared a box out of it, wrapped it up with an old Bistro style paper (which looked really elegant), added ribbons as placeholders, and wrote a message to finish it up.

Personally, I prefer a personalized gift to a non-personalized one. I like to personalize it myself rather than buying personalized products. This way, you invest your own effort and time for the gift. Rather than making it just a formal thing, I prefer the process of gifting to be an emotional and loving thing. That is what makes the difference and we should try more of this.
After all, its One Life To Live.

Friday, March 6, 2015

Ek Tamanna

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A Little Something:

Normally, I never rethink before posting any writing of mine. However, the case was different for this piece of poem, if I may call it so. The first draft for this poem took very very less time and I was all excited to post it but, as I was in the process of uploading it, I thought, may be it's not what I wanted it to be. At that point of time, I thought, I would better ask somebody else to read it first and comment on it. Upon asking two of my closest friends, Subhra and Prajna, they gave their constructive criticism and feedback on the poem. Keeping in view of their suggestions, I added few lines to the first draft and came up with this second and hopefully final version of the poem.

Thanks a lot Subhra for reviewing my naive poem, encouraging me and for everything.

Thanks Prajna for reading it, for the feedback and for understanding the essence of it.

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Saturday, February 7, 2015

Nothing but Nothing

Of what you were
Of what you have become
Does it matter anymore
When you are nothing and alone!

Nothing was lost
For nothing was gained
Everything's so perfect
Yesterday and today again!

If that was real
Then what's in a dream
So surreal.....
It's nothing but nothing!

Friday, January 23, 2015

Nutanataa ra Paribhasa

Monday, December 29, 2014

Mahlaara ra Mayuri

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A Little Something:

I wrote this poem some months back. One fine afternoon, I was standing by the window looking at the tree outside and observing a few birds chirping around. It was as if nothing could bother them, they were just themselves.....as if they were rays of hope! I felt that they are living the most wonderful of lives. Whatever, wherever, whenever. Forever! If we live by hope, we have lived it good. If we can give somebody hope in despair, however insignificant it may be, we have lived it brilliant.

"Mahlaara" can be called as a collective noun. It is mostly associated with the rains and clouds. It is said to inflict rain. In musical context, "Raaga Malhar" is a powerful raga of Indian classical music, which when sung is said to bring upon rain. It signifies positiveness. "Mayuri" means peacock, the bird of the rains.

The little thought, which the birds inducted upon me, took shape into this simple poem.
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Sunday, December 21, 2014

And Then Love Knew

Out of the window, the world seemed to orchestrate the various moments of the afternoon with an impeccable pace and resonance. There were a million things happening yet the place seemed to be at a standstill. The place was kaleidoscopic with the eclectic colours of the autumn. The placid hues spelled a thousand words, words with a zillion emotions. There she was, sitting in her own little world, taking a sneak peek at what she called life. She sat there trying to decipher the hues and immerse in the emotions. The tinge of the autumn and the tint of her dreams were accorded in harmony, a harmony that was as enigmatic as she was.

The tranquillity of her mind was obvious but her heart was most probably in the state of a “Sturm und Drang”. Tacitly, this dissonance reflected in the cosmos. She knew she wanted to find the answers to the questions the turmoil posed but she also knew that her dreams are the answer to her dreams. Some questions are better left unreciprocated but being a dreamer has its side effects! The nature riveted her with its multitude of shades and there she sat living through each of it. Each of those moments was an epic by itself; the oblivion was inevitable. After all, nature fuelled the conundrum of her thoughts.

The reverie was redolent with the essence of her heart; her heart - an absolute enigma, her eyes - a perfect conundrum. It’s but the smile! It’s the smile, perspicuous and elucidating, that was the gateway to that enthralling world. The tincture of the trance melted and merged into the oblivion of universe. And as she lifted her eyes, suddenly the rays showed her the elations….. And then love knew she was called Love!

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A quick note - (for the term "Sturm Und Drang" used in second paragraph).....

"Sturm Und Drang", literally "Storm and Drive", "Storm and Urge", is a proto-Romantic movement in German literature and Music of the late 18th century. This movement signifies human individualism, feeling and expression of emotion in reaction to the perceived constraints of rationalism imposed by the Enlightenment and associated aesthetic movements.
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Monday, October 20, 2014

Magnum Opus

Nothing could have been more real, still it sounded like an illusion. I knew I was there but I could not feel my existence. Everything seemed so ephemeral yet so enduring; it became difficult to classify which really was and which really was not. It was no less than a sonata. It was eternal bliss.

The place spelled mesmerizing bounty for nature’s quintessence. It had those vivid hues of a rainbow albeit in pastel shades. It was all so different, still so united. The sound of water splashing against the rocks was pristine melody. The breeze’s elegance was spellbinding. Had it not been for the breeze touching my skin, I, perhaps, would have forgotten the mortal truth of my existence. There was a tinge of sun’s orange hue which claimed the grandiose arrival of the dawn. As moments kept passing, the imperialism of sun’s ascent augmented the serenity of the vista. That was just not a scenic sunrise; it was a symphony, a symphony of nature, a symphony of life.

The chirping of birds with the rhythmic unveiling of the horizon was innate. The glistening rays upon the foamy waters were worth a zillion diamonds. The fragrance of the water hauled the warmth of the infant rays along with the mizzle of the earthy trance. That was a trance so ethereal and so plausible. That was a trance too hard to escape. There was a melodious humdrum that the nature was humming on to my ears. I did not quite understand it and I had no intentions of doing that either. I just wanted to be in that moment as much as I can; to feel and experience everything that was transpiring. How beautiful and mystic can nature be? That was ephemeral and eternal and the ether spelled every word of its existence. The duality existing in such a symbiosis is perhaps the most conflicting of marvels.

Anything this mystical can never cease to surprise. I wondered if it is remotely possible to hold time and freeze this moment, forever. But, if that would have been possible, even vaguely, that would have meant the doom of the opus and the bliss. The sun paved paths brighter as it progressed ahead on its journey through the cerulean sky. Fleecy clouds formed and deformed as if indicating the moods of the zenith with each passing moment. There was so much of every activity, it was becoming a bit arduous to encompass every minutiae. With so much going-on, what amused me was the rhythm at which each was ensuing and the melody of the transitions. With the ascent of descend, the sun regained its magical hue. It spelled a promise of the potentials of the next day as it started descending onto the lap of the horizon. The tinkling of the small stones, as the bystanders of this daily phenomenon, seemed to ratify the assertion. All aspects were so in harmony!

It was time to call it a day as everybody tended to return to their respective abodes with some attaining their natural states of tranquility; but how to break the allure of the elixir of the symphony of the vista and the harmony with which it exist and coexist. The bountiful favors of the nature was spreading its wings onto the twilight and merging itself with the purpleness. It was nothingness pronouncing the eternity of nature’s quintessence. It was elation amalgamating with pristinity. It was Life!

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Immaculate Summer

It was the days of the gleaming sun. For some, dry and dusty. But the days were the days of warmth and charm. They had the melody of the soul and the rhythm of life. It defined the moments with quintessence of charisma; charisma of blossoming flowers and of blooming relationships.

Sometimes every action seemed lyrical as if flowing straight from the nib of time. Well time has its plans and everything was perhaps accorded as per it nonetheless rarely anybody heeded it. Though it was a matter of dilemma as to why it seemed perfunctory and unpleasant for some, nevertheless, one verity was apparent- the soothing fragrance was everywhere; a fragrance that was elusive yet implicit.

The only thing that mattered most and seemed apparent was the continuity of the cosmic conspiracy. Although it was a universal truth that every phase has an end, hope wants everything to protract the way they are, till eternity. It was among those reflexive moments when the entrenched and ostensible aspects are abandoned and absconded.

The palpable reality along with the reflexive moments seemed to define the game of light and shadow throughout the summer twilight. It was immaculate and beautiful, as if in a dream. The night had to follow but the lingering aroma of twilight seldom allowed the realization of the obvious truth. Everything seemed so serene, vivacious and pristine.

And then….. Then was the time for the monsoons; the monsoons with the misty mizzle. The zephyr that held the dust and spread the warmth was now the cool breeze of the drizzles. The breezy sprinkles toned down the wishful fragrance and the air was filled with the earthy rustic smell. But the fragrance… the fragrance is still somewhere in the rains!

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A little something.....on the post.

I have always loved the Summers. I believe, it's the season of vivacity and gaiety.
I love everything about it - the dynamism, the liveliness, everything!
This piece of writing is just an attempt to bring out the feelings in and about the Summers.

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Monday, September 22, 2014

Perspective

I sometimes feel quite amazed at how an alteration in just a few parameters in perspective changes the vista by a huge fringe. I have apprehended it several times that life can shift altogether just by changing your perspective. But every time I realize this, it seems new always. That makes perspective a strange and riveting factor. What makes it more intriguing is that it never reveals itself entirely. Moreover, you never know how they diverge with the parameters.

I remember, as a child I used to ruminate over this thing a lot. I pondered why and how it happens that my feelings and inferences of an event are different from that of others. I later realized how powerful perspective as an entity is. When the unknown author said, “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder”, may be he/she didn't mean just beauty after all. May be that had something in concern with perspective as well!

Each person perceives things differently. Everybody has a different perspective towards something or the other- say life, dreams or the world and what not. Why even consider the variance from person to person, it varies with time and transforms within the same individuals as well. A person viewing an event at some time can view it in a completely different light at some other time. Strange, but true. It happens all the time, in and around us. We seldom notice it, and if ever we do, we take it as the play of time or sometimes even may attribute it to the changes in our thinking levels. Let us try and give it another well deserved thought.

I agree, time is a very strong factor and, I daresay, the strongest of all. I also agree to the concept of varying thinking levels and thought processes and I myself am an ardent believer of that. But are these really the sole parameters that allow us to perceive things differently. If it is, then why are there certain things about which we feel the same and perceive them in the same way we used to do some time back in the past? Some things never change. Rather, we never allow them to change and if ever they do, we do not accept that. We keep inferring them in the same way and continue feeling the same about them. Does not time play its part here then?

So, it’s not just time; some silent catalytic force is there in action as well- something that defines perspective, something that allows us to implement and perceive from what we observe. It may sound as if I am describing ‘thought’, but let’s think more on the sub layers that lie deep and beyond the levels of the thought world; something that is so sub-atomic and sub cosmic that it becomes difficult to apprehend when we think about it, yet so super-atomic that it makes its presence felt everywhere, every moment.

I do not know, how to name or depict the entity that is the prime factor of all our interpretations, perceptions and sometimes prejudices. For, if I try to do so, that will be a sheer contradiction. I prefer feeling it, knowing that it’s there and just realizing that it is defining my thoughts every moment. I am content with how beautifully and magnificently it plays its part. I am glad and exultant to feel that it makes us feel and realize how lovely and sundry this earth is.

The world of perspective, defining such glorious moments, is in itself a mystery yet the way it gives multiple elucidations is quite endearing. It’s not just about seeing the two ends of the extremes; it involves seeing, understanding and realizing the numerous points and options that might lie in between. Seeing life’s each aspect, living each miniscule part of it and experiencing its multiple nuances is simply more than one could possibly ask for. Moreover, the realization that life harnesses each of its epic moments from this beautiful and amazing creation is what matters the most. After all, it’s just One Life To Live!!

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