Consequences of a convincing lie

Not every sun promises a bright day and I'm not the least unaware of the veiled acrimony such circumstances can hold, particularly after the consequences of a certain spring afternoon.
A sordid silence seeping into the heavy air, escorted by a grotesque silence and amidst it all, my own pensive mind, encroached by bohemian thoughts. I was bored, utterly bored to put up with the mundane surrounds any further and the only thought embracing me, in which I could afford to take refuge was that of sauntering in the lonesome boulevards of the locality that afternoon. I walked out, keeping the sleeping occupants of the house in happy ignorance of my absence, only to come back and be engulfed in my parents' fierce anxiety.

'Why... where the hell did you go?'
'Dad, I actually...', and there they cut me short.
'Roaming on the roads like a true useless fool, I presume?'
'No Mom!'
'Then?'
'Wait, let me explain! I went to pay Sara a visit!' I managed to stammer out.
'And pray why?'
'She had called up and asked me to do so. And probably I'll have to go again. She needed help with her home-work!'
And I finally managed to subdue their wrath, with my lame yet presentable excuse - in short with a convincing lie. They couldn't mark the absence of candor in my words, so I proudly called it convincing.
'Well then, we all are just ready to leave for the amusement park! Since, you are all so engrossed, I wouldn't hinder any of your activities. We'll be back I a few hours! And yes, if you leave for Sara's house again, see that the mansion is well locked up', mother replied in a placid tone.
'It's going top be a little disturbing to enjoy ourselves out their without the person who actually had made all the hue and cry about it!' chuckled my cousin sarcastically.
And what was all this out of the blue. The amusement park! I wanted to go there by all means, and why wouldn't they take me? I could promise them I would get ready in a minute. They most probably wouldn’t mind. But then, I couldn't. They had a reason and I was the one to invent it! I'd explained that I was busy and would have to pay Sara a visit.... I couldn't contradict myself now!
They departed, all so mercilessly, leaving me to my own self in the abandoned mansion. But who was I to blame, other than me? The evening grew darker, and I was feeling all the more lonesome. I hoped, I could really drop by at Sara's house... but that couldn't possible be! While all these thoughts were gnawing at my sanity, the drop bell rung. So, they were finally back! Hurray!
'Alice!'
'Hey... everyone's back!'
'Ah! Yes.. There had been a call for you. It was Sara wishing to drop by our house for a minute or two to have a word with you. And I bluntly refused, without any regrets. Weren't all those hours you spent with her enough for a day?' my dad explained.
I was dumbstruck! I had read in one of Paulo Coelho's books' that there are omens strewn along life's path. All you need to follow your dreams is to learn the art of reading these omens. I felt the urgent need to learn how to read these omens, with a great deal of desperateness as well as regret!

Lost and found!

A faded deer-orange sky and the twilight sphere setting behind a mob of tall slender trees – I found it best to gaze at the scenic beauty of a winter dusk than being a part of the lunacy of my cousins; They were seized by a weird idea of venturing into the nearby hills and returning the other morning, fearless of the night for the presence of several caves. Although least interested I was compelled to join their trip.
'Utter insanity! What the hell of an idea is this... going on a night-trip!' I cursed on the way, but in reply they tried to explain that this trip only portrayed their adventurous spirit and not insanity. I wasn't convinced, but my reluctance was thoroughly baseless now for I was one of the seven teenagers on their way to the hills, 6o km from town, at 7:30pm!
We reached there without much difficulty and my anxiety as well as discomfort had dwindled to an appreciable extent. We hunted for a cave, settled all our bags, bottles, food packets and other necessities in a corner of the cave, and dimly lit it up with a hand-full of candles that I'd managed to get with me. However the rest were bent on setting up a bonfire and I was sent to fetch some thin boughs, dry and worthy of igniting a fire. But Alas! By the time I sauntered back to the cave, our asylum, nobody was to be seen. My nightmare was carved into reality. I assayed keeping tranquil intact by consoling myself. Perhaps it was a mere insensate prank played by my mischievous cousins... Perhaps it was not! If it's just a joke, I'll be all fine and if not, nothing would be fine!
What could have made them do this? Did they really flee from here or were they somewhere around, waiting to see me reach the cave and go up the wall! In short, I was scared and scared to death. I sat down with my eyes closed in a corner of the cave, for a considerable time. Perhaps anxiety tempts hunger- if not for others at least for me! I nibbled at every packet in the other corner and sat a little distant from the packets for an assumed security. What sort of security, I least knew that! I was lost and that was all I knew for then! No sign of human life... I was confused, frustrated and disturbed! After quarter an hour I ran out of the cave and paced up and down before it, absorbed in thought. I needed a way out of this disgusting silence and solitude, I fled from the cave, straight towards the spot where we had parked our vehicle, although I believed that nothing would be there. I wasn't really sure of where it was parked, so it can be said that in a way I fled aimlessly, without a destination, without my senses intact!
But perhaps, Providence choose to lend a ear to me. What a pleasant yet shocking joy was it on my part to discover our vehicle on a fairly elevated land. So the whole gang was around after all! Within ten minutes of walking from the stationary vehicle, I stumbled across the whole group, in their usual chaotic merriment. All my frustration and anxiety was finally swept away by a mellifluous sigh of relief!
'What were you doing? We told you we'll be near the vehicle, didn't we?'
'Nay, I was told to be by the cave.'
' You dumb creature. Well, how on earth could you hear with all that unnecessary tension that you were burdening yourself with. Anyways, where are the sticks?'
'Oh no! I’ll just go and fetch them in a minute!'
'No way.. never, you’ll get lost again!', was the unanimous scream.

Essence of life

Its existence seems to last a little more than infinity; it's slow and soft, so much so that every fleeting fantasy seeps into it, yet it is significant. However, it is not infinite nor is it a dream – its life itself.
Be it an ocean of mirth, the pinnacle of success, a sip of fascinating reality or a shower of His own blessings – the best boon bestowed on this carved earth, by Providence, is life itself. For every bit of swift feeling and every stagnant thought is saturated in this solution. A dead stone doesn't realize what wonders the world beholds, it doesn't feel, it doesn't think... that's because it exists, but it doesn't live. Little does he know who is Providence, or for a matter of fact, who on earth is he! For him, every gift of Providence is as numb as he is – lifeless and frozen. So, what lies in anything and everything if you yourself are a stoical statue?
Life, the composite of four words, and some smiles and sighs, is that gift which shelters all others. With its hills and vales, paved roads and abrupt dead ends, it is the only phase of light joining on world of infinite darkness to another world of eternal indifference. Whatever it is, everything is bound within this journey. Not just for mankind, but for every soul that breathes life. Providence has been indeed very generous in endowing us with a mountain of gifts, like virtues, talents, materialistic joys along with realistic ones, fond memories, a supportive surrounding, inexplicably beautiful a nature, and immense success, guarded by enemies; yet what he gives first is a life to live it all, live and love its essence to the fullest. Without it, every gift is reduced to mere nothingness a meaningless crap.
Life out stands all others, as the ultimate gift and there is no denying this fact. It's practically impossible to feign indifference to its emphatic dominance over every other boon of God. This journey of uncountable miles enchants every traveler, and allows it to taste the blissful satisfaction of all the petals of love and wrath shattered on it. This journey defines the world for a man - that is the journey of life.

Symphony of love

A spoonful of moonlight
A slice of fluttering silence,
Words imprisoned and all so
Drenched in a lingering essence -
The forbidden essence of love.

Some words are mingling,
With the song of my heart,
Some fading, shying away,
Yet willfully reluctant to part
With the sonnet of the soul.

There's a shower of the petals of
Undying confessions and love,
Amidst notes of an unsung song
Floating in bliss, with a dream above.
Of embedding you in my heart.

A sweet insanity it so is, and
I'm not unaware of its acrimony
But the smell of summer mirth,
Foils me from leaving this symphony.
Ah! The rhythm of invincible summer.

I've assayed hard to decipher the
Euphony that its warmth sings,
But even the sound of its silence
With it, mellow reminiscences brings.
A silence, mellifluous beyond belief.

If I had to paint love on a canvass,
It would be all so artlessly obscure,
For love's a sane insanity, that would
Arrest all mingled colors with its lure.
So sane, that I'm also its prisoner.

A beautiful melancholy or muffled
Raindrops of mystifying serenity
Or bohemian thoughts that take me
To my romantic never-land of amenity-
Ah! Love conspires to saunter undefined.

But life has conspired to capture
Me in the cocoon of this sweet vice;
Not complaining, but relishing the wine,
Tonight I'm in my divine paradise...
Hail the scent of love’s exotic wine!

Feminism demands egalitarianism

Equality has been existing for an eternity, in varying forms and shapes. At times insignificant, at times emphatically essential; and over the years it has seen itself being accepted in varying manners. Literally defining, Equality stands as uniform or equal status and opportunities provided to one and all, indiscriminate of any human-decided factor.
There was a time of the reign of inequality, by the dint of the prevailing motto –'Might is right', at times a partial equality, decided by caste, creed, color, title, sex etc., but in a world of today, equality and absolute equality is the call of the day. Discrimination on the basis of anything has been termed as a punishable offence, by the constitution, provided equal work is done. So, it obviously implies that I stand in support of the statement that men and women must enjoy equal rights, without a second thought.
I believe when I state equal rights, I mean not merely the fundamental rights, provided by our constitution, but every pother right that one can claim legally and which though seems superficially of trifle importance, is of unfathomable significance to one. Putting aside political allusions, if religious references are taken into consideration, then the bible holds the statement –'Dust thou art, to dust returnest', which if explained in simple English means that all are made of dust and shall return to dust. Doesn't it mean that all are the same for the come from one source and throng back to the same, devoid of any discrimination? Besides, most holy scriptures emphasize on the importance of equality.
Men and women – classifications of the human society on this, don't hold good in any respect, for both are capable, sensible and efficient in equal amounts. If both can stand independently, earn a livelihood, if both can make out what's right and what's wrong, can read and write and do anything and everything the other is capable of, then there remains no factor on which such a classification can be based. And now that there is absolutely no concrete reason behind this discrimination, why not a provision for equal rights, status as well as liberty for both?
Once in the nineteenth century, there was a strong revolt by the woman suffragettes for their equal rights against those given to men, in the English nations and they did ultimately succeed. It was the ignorance of the people that had compelled the women to plead for their rights, but today, since the realization has almost dawned, such discrimination for rights, shall only be termed sheer injustice, insensate and baseless.
A line of discrimination is drawn when there is a difference in the capabilities or efficiency of both, but if men and women are considered, there is entirely no difference. So, where does the question of providing unequal rights arise from?

Treading uphill

I tread on these sharp rocks
Bare feet...
It hurts a little, but in this,
I find a spark of joy.
It glitters like gold,
Tempting me to move on,
So that I can grasp it all.
So that I may unlock
My chest of dreams.

I relentlessly go on,
Glancing at the crown of the hill.
This inspires me to conquer it.
No, I don't stop and dream,
I don't wish to be halfway.

I tread on these sharp rocks,
Bare feet...
I'm exhausted; I stop.
But I didn't quit yet.
I stand, motionlessly and
Deliberately turn back.
My valley is down there,
It's now distant, far off.

My steps grow firm,
My fatigue has disappeared.
I glance again at
The crown of my hill,
That's now not far.

I tread on these sharp rocks,
Bare feet...
Just a few more breathes
And I'll own you, my hill!
My feet are now so sore,
They bleed.
But I'm indifferent,
As now I'm at the top,
I'm the queen of this hill!

The little spark of joy,
Has now conquered my heart.
The steps of my sore feet,
Have helped me conquer my hill.

I've reached my destination,
I've reached my paradise now...

Diwali – The array of lights...

The festive mood of the early shades of winter in India, always gears up with the arrival of a riot of colors, sounds and lights; the festival of colors, Diwali to be precise. Enthusiastically enjoyed by people of all religions, Diwali’s magical and radiant touch creates an atmosphere of joy and festivity in every nook and corner of the country.
This festival of Diwali, in India redefines merriment, brilliance and splendor. All Indians, the young and the old, the rich and the poor, indiscriminately immerse themselves in the brilliance of this festival and have a gala time, for unlike others, this festival isn’t a composite of just rituals, mundane ceremonies and some discordant exhaustion, but loads more. Legend has it, that Ram, the mythological ruler of Ayodhya, a dominating ancient state, had come back to his land, after a fourteen year long exile, only after bringing Ravan, a vicious demon ruler to his end. And it goes like, the locals of the town, all overwhelmed with victory and endless joy, decorated their homes with earthen lamps to welcome their triumphant ruler. It so happens that this has been passed down to generations after generations, and Indians hold on to it even today. So, that’s how the significant of Diwali is prevalent even in the 21^st century, amidst all the hyped modernization and individualism.
The uniqueness of this festival is it’s harmony of five varied philosophies, with each day to a special thought or idea. The third day emphatically makes up for the warmth of the festival. While the morning flies always with he household all engrossed in rituals and ceremonies, the evening is all about meeting friends, gifting sweets, bursting crackers and a whole load of fun and merriment. Yet, however, over the years, the festival has been commercialized and become an occasion for raucous rivalry. The earthen lamps have given way to designer candles while the sweets to dry fruits; it’s now merely concentrated in the extravagance of gifts of momentary joy.
All the pomp and show over it, has somehow disturbed or rather distorted the pleasant gesture behind it. But whatever it be, Diwali in a way still retains its essence.. With vibrant colors, brilliant lights and a boisterous beauty, Diwali’s got it all to make people wait for it with desperateness.

Hail the festival of lights and sounds…