The Value of a Dream

A dream is all you have
That gives you wings to fly
To break away from the chains
To cut away the mind's lie.

To break from the mould of the rational
And to enter that which does always await
To believe in something you do not know
To hold the hand of your life's true fate

To meet the calling of your soul
To bloom open from a raw bud
To achieve the self that lies within
To become a lotus amidst the surrounding mud.

The dreamer

Blurry eyed she went past him
Dreams of a fortune still shone though
But the understander of dreams was no more
Was it the fruit of what was her own sow?

Or was it the ignorance and the veil
Cultivated in the mind of the other
She didnt know, but dreams she had
Dreams enough to storm this weather

But, it wasnt the best time to be in
Hostility was the norm of the day
And yet she knew, if true to the heart
Her dreams would really show her the way

So, she got up and buckled herself
It was time to move ahead of the current time
And if the understander of dreams should ever awaken
She would openly receive him with a heart so fine

The proof of love

It was a beautiful summer afternoon. I had a heavy lunch and was about to fall off to sleep. Its ironical because food is supposed to be a source of energy, but for me it was a source of lethargy.

I was about to nap when 'Omana Penne' started playing. It was my ring tone, a hep interesting Tam song and I saw it was Nisha calling me. "Rishabh, Save me. I am in a mess. I am at a phone booth in Down Street and a goon is following me". I got up with a shock. "I will be right there, ...". Before I could complete my sentence, she had jammed the phone down. I dont know what was happening but I panicked. I wanted to run but my body seemed paralyzed. Its an ironic thing how when we desperately want to do something, our body fails to do it!

I jerked myself to reality. I had to calm down a bit. I took a few deep breaths. Getting myself to move, I grabbed a pair of jeans from my wardrobe and rushed to my car. Down Street was fifteen minutes from here and I was wondering what was happening to Nisha. i was sweating not with the afternoon heat, but with fear. In peak afternoon, most of Kolkata sleeps and Down Street isnt very populated either. It is where Nisha works. I was shit scared and I pressed on the accelerator as soon as I got in my car.

I drove the distance at max speed and managed to reach Down in 12 minutes. Nisha was nowhere to be seen. I kept trying her phone. It was ringing. Her caller tune sang "Tu hai kaha? Main hu waha, tu hai jaha" (Where are you? I am right where you are). Again ironic!

I parked my car at a curb and started running north asking people whom I met on the way about Nisha's whereabouts describing how she looked. Nobody seemed to have noticed her. I ran for I dont know how much time - but it seemed like an eternity. Maybe it was just 5 minutes. How 5 minutes can turn into eternity when we miss our beloved, ironic!

I was running in the direction of Nisha's office as I assumed she would have run in that direction as she needed help. I had reached her office now. I asked the receptionist about Nisha. She directed me to a room. I asked her if Nisha was fine. She said, she was.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I went to the room the receptionist had pointed to. It was Nisha's personal cabin and she seemed to be working on a computer intently.
"What the hell?", I asked. "You seem absolutely fine".
"That doesnt please you much?", she asked.
"What the... Ofcourse it does darling. But what was that phone call all about. You had gotten me so worried".
"Oh darling, did it scare you too much?"
"What! Ofcourse, I was shit scared. What happened?"
"Nothing".
Silence. I was bewildered.
"Nothing?"
"You remember what date it is today".
I thought for a while and I said, "June 22nd.... Oh shit! Its your birthday. Happy Birthday Nish".
"You forgot my birthday. I started thinking that you dont love me any more. I wanted to be sure if we could live happily together".
"Ofcourse we could."
"But I wanted to be sure. And after seeing your face worried, I realized that you were mine. I had to make the call just to be sure you love me. I love you too darling." She came into my arms and put her shoulder on my chest.

I was bewildered not only at her stupidity and but also the fact that she found the phone call a smart idea. That moment I hated her. Just because I loved her. And, I realized you never have to prove someone that you hate her but you have to go mad just to prove someone you love her. And they say, love asks for no proof. Ironic!

Worded Expressions

It seems eons since when I wrote last
When I poured my blithesome heart out
Into those tiny little bubbles called words
Potently carrying an emotional bout

And I wonder how can a few symbols - a mere few
Express the magnitude of my solitude
The purity of love, the twinkle of a hope
Perseverance and its fortitude

Scribbled on a random scrap
Flaking away in the air of the fan
Emotions and all hues of it
My heart expressed by a mere pen?

As I marvel at the power of it all
As I once again scribble the word
Language and its mysteries recall
The pen is mightier than the sword

A dream too many

Rising in the plane of my mind
A dream swirls and wrooms around
I try to hold it and give it shape
But helter skelter, its lost and found

I hold on to a thought so tight
I give away many for it
Trying to reach the dream of youth
Dancing around on its pulsing beat

And I miss out a dream I could have had
Had I let it run weird places
Embracing one so strongly then
Kept me out of a lot of races

And the race of life is to be won
Not by a closed dream but by opening to many
Warmly embracing the morning sunshine
Moving randomly to your final destiny

Perspectives

1:
As I stand still by the roadside
Watching the machines fly by me
I wish I could drive one so beautiful
Tis the pace at which I want to be.

2:
As I stand still by the roadside
Seeing the machines whiz away
Ugly and loathsome they seem to me
Destroying the serenity of the day.

3:
As I stand still by the roadside
As the machines fly away in their pace
Serenity and speed lie not in the car but inside me
This knowledge dawning, brings a smile to the face :)

Carrots

Once there was a gardener Bhaari. He had a beautiful rabbit. This story is of those times where rabbits could understand and even speak English. Not only rabbits, but the entire animal kingdom could. If you havent read about this age in history, then you didnt read the right books!

So, as I was saying, our dear rabbit Dido was an intelligent kitten. His master Bhaari took him to different kitten races. He told Dido, "You win the race and I will give you a carrot." Dido always won. He simply loved the carrots.



Slowly slowly, Dido grew up. With all the carrots, he was bound to be fitter than most other rabbits. Bhaari now took Dido to the bigger races where Dido competed with much bigger rabbits. He told Dido as always, "Win the race and take the carrot". Dido was unhappy. He complained, "These races are bigger, tougher. I will not run or win for one carrot. I need two." Bhaari agreed. Dido always won. Slowly slowly, Dido got 3, 4, 5... carrots per race. Dido now grew fat and bulky. He ofcouse could not run the races anymore. He seemed tired. He wanted his master to take care of him now. The master just wanted to win the races. One fine day, the master threw Dido out of the house to get a beautiful new rabbit Mojo.

Also, at the same time there was a wise old fellow Sada. He had a not-so-beautiful rabbit Jijo. Jijo never won the races. His master after every loss told him, "You are very lucky. You got one more chance to learn today. Learn from your mistakes and move ahead." Jijo always got a carrot irrespective of whether he won or not. Jijo would make it a point to try his best to not let his master down. He practised harder and harder after every race. But, he surely wasnt the best. He always lost. When he grew up, his master gave him 2 carrots after every race. Never more. He said, "If you have too many carrots, you will end up spoiling your health". Jijo never asked for more.

The wise old man fell unwell one odd day. Jijo didnt want to disappoint the old man. He knew this could possibly be the last race the old man saw. He gave his best. He could have died on the race ground, that was his fierceness. He still didnt make it. He was a close second. With eyes blurred with tears, he reached his master. "I am sorry master. I failed you once again. You deserve a much better pet". To this, the wise master replied, "If you would have failed me, you would not have been besides me now. I have seen you put your efforts day in day out. You have done your 100%. Still, if only results matter, you have given me the true result in life. You have given me the happiness which no other rabbit could ever give. You gave me your sweat, you made me proud".

The master went on to live to see the next race which Jijo won.

Shocked at Jijo's - the weakest rabbit's - win, Dido came to meet him. "How did you manage this Jijo? I can barely run these days." To which Jijo replied,"We all run for carrots. More and more. More and more. Carrots are our motivation. After each win, they make us happy but the need for further motivation just keeps increasing. But, when there is no motivation, no need for even a carrot - when you have a master like mine - what you have is not motivation, but inspiration. And a second of inspiration lasts you a lifetime".

Dido understood the difference between a management Guru and a spiritual Guru :)