HOPE

You are down,
You are down…

Written off by others,
& No place to hide your feathers.

You are on the path to a dead end,
& it’s a high time for you to make amends

With no clue what to do,
The heart says “You gotta do”

As Behind every moist eye,
There is always “JOY”.

It’s all about grabbing that one chance,
That would put your life again in balance.

Because you are down,
But not down and out.

SECOND CHANCE

When I see the moist in your eyes,
This heart of mine goes in tears

I’m the reason for you to be anguished,
So, I stand before you to get punished,

Please don’t say you cannot trust me,
As I trust you more than me.

All I ask is for a second chance,
To make you change your stance.

Cos, I cannot live life this way,
& I don’t want you to be away.

Losing Myself - 1

(On Phone)

Rahul ( excited) : " Hey sweets... when shall we meet? where? "

She: At the regular place for lunch... ok.... say around 2'o clock... what say?

Rahul: Sure....

She: Ok honey.. waiting to see ya.... tkcre..... B bye..

Rahul: " Tkcre Sweetie, Miss ya, love u.. Bye see ya soon"

He was happy as he is going to meet her after a long time.Rahul checked the time...

It was just 10... "Still 4 hours.... " he thought and he smiled........

*************************************

(At a inter college event 3 years back)

Rahul: Hi, you sang really well...

She: Thanx... and you danced really well...

Rahul (Surprised): thanks..

( Feeling really happy that she did see him dancing... He was smitten by her the first time he saw her singing on the stage.)

She: So, From which college are you from...?

Rahul: Loyola.. 3rd year u?

She: St.Andrews 2nd year...

And thus their relationship began......

*************************************
She was waiting for him at his favorite Restuarant.
On seeing her....
Rahul ( Hugging her): Hi sweetie.. How are you?

She ( Holding his hand): Fine da... So how you doin?

Rahul: Perfect.. was waiting to see you da...

She: So hows everyone at home? Hows aunty's health now? ( Placing the order)

Rahul: She is fine.. but little fragile now a days...

After their lunch...

She: Rahul.. .. ( she stopped)

Rahul: what happened da? tell me..?

(She is silent...)

Rahul: Come on honey... tell me..

She: I don't know how to start this da....

Rahul( sensing something is bad): Just tell me whatever it is da...

She: I got a chance to move abroad from my company and have to stay there for 1 year...

Rahul(Not whole heartedly): Good... congrats da.... but what is bothering you....?

She: They told me i can work for company from there as long as i want......

Rahul: Hmmm.. (silent)

She: I can never get such a good opportunity da.. i can move there along with my family....

Its really good career break for me...(voice becoming a little shrill now)

Sorry da,but taking this relationship further would be difficult da.. i feel we can't be happy moving ahead.

Rahul: ( Speechless..... )

She: I know this is difficult but i think this for our own good da...

Rahul( voice choked): I know this is important for you.. But how can you just say da...?

She: Please don't cry da... Please for my sake...

Rahul: Iam not crying because you are leaving me da.... iam crying because i will be losing myself....

She: (Silent)

Rahul: Are you going to home directly now...?

She( tearly eyed): yea.. why?

Rahul: (Calling an taxi....)

I don't know what to say... (Hugging her)

But thanx for all the moments you had given me including this....

Bye !!! Take care....

And She drove off.......
*************************************************** (To be continued..........)

CONFESSIONS OF A COMMON MAN

I was at a railway station waiting for the train which had to arrive 1 hour before. There were quite a few people with me at that small station which didn't even have a proper infrastructure. When the station master had informed us that train would be late by 1 hour more I sat under the shade of a big tree. A little while later a 40 year old man joined me.

Old man: Do you have a Match?
( Offering him my lighter) I asked: Where are going sir?
Old Man: There is a election campaign in the next village by my leader so I am going there.
Me: How far is it from here?
Old man: 1 hour from here.... many people would be coming and I am sure he is going win the election this time
Me: Can I join you?
Old man: Of course ..... so where are you from? And where do you work?
Me: Hyderabad and work in a computer company
Old man: ( With a wide grin)
Computers.... so you earn a lot right...? are you married?
Me: Not much as you think sir... So... about what is the politician gonna to talk ?
Old Man: (Proudly)The corruption this Government had spread and how he is going to cleanse this society just as he always did in his movies...
Me: (thinking about that politician)
Would he win sir? Isn't he new to this?
Old man: He would win majority son....

By this time we had reached the campaign rally where the politician is going to address the people. I was stunned looking at the number of people assembled there. It was as if some big carnival is gonna happen there. “He was a crowd puller” I thought.

Soon, He started his speech. Started abusing the govt. policies and the policy makers for neglecting the downtrodden. In mean time the old man went missing when I was laughing within myself when I started to think what he had done for them when he was in power He ended his speech with some heavy punch lines to answer his critics.

As the campaign ended, I started looking for the old man. Only when I saw the old man amongst his fraternity I realized how this politician managed to pull such a crowd.

Old man: (walking towards me with a bottle in his hand)
Did you see the way he talked and promised to make this state corrupt free and provide education for all...

Me: (shaking my head)
Yes sir I saw it and understood why you had come all along the way up here to attend the rally..

Old Man: What else should we do... I have been doing this every time... Just not me but many...
( and pointed to his fraternity who were squabbling for the gift(s) their great leader was distributing)

Me: But isn't this wrong what you are doing?

Old man: I don't say what I am doing is right.... but I strongly feel whatever I am doing is definitely not wrong.

Me: Huh!... Don't you know that he is exploiting you?

Old man: (with a sarcasm) I had been exploited ever since I was a kid... when my dad sent me to work for a landlord for few pennies or when I ran away and worked in a chemical factory which should not have happened in spite of having a child labor law or even now...

Me: ( Angrily) Are you justifying yourself?

Old Man: ( tone a little heavy now )
I am confessing here son, because we never talked anything in our lives... we were always listening to either the richer class or the Govt. every leader says that he would uplift the downtrodden like us but he had always used us as a leverage to uplift himself alone and we had always enjoyed it because we always got carried away by their their false promises and live in a Utopian world.

Me: why did you let this happen then sir?

Old Man: ( with wryly smile)
Do I have a choice son..? (and bid goodbye)

AN ODE to WOMEN

I am just penning down a few thoughts of mine on what I feel about the souls who make huge difference in our lives and will continue to do so.

“Sure God created man before woman. But then you always make a rough draft before the final masterpiece”

You have been mothers for many and wives for a few, Angels for many and Devils for a few, Friends for a few and gal friends for many, Sisters for a few and just Wo(o)men for many.
Be it college where you have inspired us to write our first poems or professional lives where you had helped in achieving success, You have always charmed us and influenced us at every step we have made with your beauty and the brains. Even my chauvinist fraternity wouldn’t deny this. You have been our greatest source of strength as well as our weakness.

You would tire us with your shopping trends, you do irritate us with your imaginations, you do make us angry with your never ending arguments on our habits and manners but you never leave our side whatever be the case. Many of us don't acknowledge your importance in our lives and appreciate your efforts and achievements, its just beacause we have got really bad manners.

We often don’t say this but it’s always implied we are incomplete without you and we can’t even imagine a world without you.

I LIKE THE WAY......

I like the way you get annoyed,
when i take some other gal's name.

I like the way you get concerned,
when i fail to answer your call.

I like the way you correct me,
when i make some mistake,

I like the way you care for me,
when i am disturbed.

I like the way you miss me more,
when i say " I MISS U".

MY DADDY STRONGEST

**************
The clock struck 4'o clock and appu was still busy at the office sorting out the requirements for his project. The project delivery date is due for next week so appu had been sitting all night here for the past few weeks. By the time he had completed his work the sun had already rose. he grabbed his bike keys and left for his apartment.

*********************
Tring............. Tring..................( a phone rings)

Appu: (on a higher pitch..)
Amma, got placed. Package is 5 lakhs. Tell dad too.

Mom: Wow! Good my dear. Congrats!!

Appu: will reach home around 11 ma as we are going to have dinner outside .

Mom: ok da.. Take care be careful...

Later that night,
Dad: congrats! (Plainly ...)
When does the training start? Where is the training?

Appu: probably it would be at Pune or Bangalore. Details would be known next week.

Dad: ok... Start preparing for the training and find what all you need before joining the company.

Appu: ok... (With slight disgust in his voice)

*****************************************
At Appu's home.....
Appu has been staying away from his home for the past 2 years as he was posted in Bangalore. Appu's dad was getting ready for the office and he heard someone crying outside. when he went out and checked he saw a kid crying and stubbornly saying that he wants to go on ride on the bike with his dad and that kid's dad was getting late for his office.
When he saw this,
"Something was similar. He knew someone who always did that" he thought and smiled.
Later, he asked “how was Appu doing?”

Appu's Mom: He is doing fine. Shall I call him?
Dad: No, he would be tired now, will talk to him later.

************************************************
Appu: Amma! I going out with friends would come in the evening. It’s my treat today.
Mom: Ok da bye and take care
Dad: Be careful with bike while driving, most of the accidents i see now a days involves guys of your age.
Appu: Please! I know dad. I am 23. I can take care of myself

At some restaurant,
Vicky: So dude when you are gonna leave for training?
Appu: probably within a month... yet to get to get official confirmation yaar.
Sandy: hey Vicky bike is too good yaar.. where did you give it? Even i need to remodel mine.
Vicky: the one at begum pet yaar, my friend's shop only. I will take you there this week. Cost me 2000 bucks.
Appu: 2000! Wasn’t that a way too much?
Sandy: No da.. It’s worth it.
Vicky: yeah! Its damn good da and had to face wrath of my dad too... gave me a long baashan.
God knows why they give us lessons. (With sarcasm)

Sandy: you know what... when i call to my dad's mobile he barely talks to me for 2 minutes.
He just asks “is all fine over there" tats it... and gives it to my mom. Till date I never figured out the reason for that.
Appu: Huh! Listen to this guyz....you know when I told my dad that I got placed...
He said plainly "congrats!" I thought should have appreciated properly.
Sunny: They never spend time with us da... yea even my dad barely talks for couple of minutes on the phone. We were so close to him when I was in school but now barely I talk to him seeing his eye.
Appu: True da... why do they change......?

***********************************
At a park......Appu relaxes as he is done with the project delivery and wants to spend some time breathing fresh air there.
As he relaxes he sees a kid and his father playing. He observes every time his son hits the ball the father's face is proud and happy. he thinks about his relationship with his dad and how much had it changed since he was kid.
Soon lots of questions keep popping up in his mind....
When was the last time he had a friendly chat with his dad?
When was the last time he and his dad laughed over a joke?

He brooded... what had changed "he or his father”?

**************
Vivek: You know my dad is stronger. he fought a tiger the other day.
Appu: Huh! That is nothing my dad is stronger he fought tiger and even killed it.....
He is much stronger than your father
Vivek: My dad can beat your father with one hand. He is stronger....
Appu: My daddy is stronger than your dad.....

Appu smiled thinking about this incident how he had he had got into a fight with some other kid arguing that his dad was the strongest in the world.

His phone rang........ His hands trembled as he heard his mom spoke,
He couldn't stop the tears.....

********************************
At some hospital......
Appu's dad was admitted suffering a heart attack.
Appu: (voice breaking...)
Dad how are you feeling now?

Dad: I MISSED YOU APPU......

Appu: Don't worry dad you will be alright........
I know my daddy is strongest in the world..... (In tears.....)

*************************************