Book of Life

Have you ever felt like an old page from your book of life has been ripped out? 

A page which you haven't turned to in many years and yet suddenly when it's gone, you start missing it. 

It's a void you feel because that page belonged to your book. 

Until now it was your choice not to turn to that page, but now someone else has made the choice for you. 

Someone else has now decided that You will never ever be able to look at that page again. 

You feel restless and uneasy. You ask yourself why? "Why didn't I turn to that page while it was still there?"

You now want to turn to all the pages from the past which you remember, but have forgotten to go back to for a long time. 

And yet you realize, it's impossible to hold on to everything all at once. 

Was it ever your fault that you could not go back to every page  from the past? 

But you realize soon that what you are really unhappy about, is the conscious choice that you made to always avoid some of those pages. 

The book of life is bound in the same way as any other book. 

Every old page, no matter how many pages ago it might be, has a blank leaf ahead on which your new story will be written. 

Every old page torn away, weakens a page in the future. Every page is important to keep the integrity of this book of life. 

You can go back and now search for the impressions of the old page left behind...but soon again, new stories will be written, and you will get consumed in reading and loving the new pages. 

Such is the book....the book of our lives! 

Mumbai...the story

The Idea:

I have realized that every city has its own story to tell, it has its own unique characteristics and based on that its own characters (the people). In my recent visit to Mumbai, there were some sharp observations that I had and the whole city had a feeling that differentiated it from any place I have been to before.

The Conclusion:

There isn't any conclusion. The following lines are my humble observations and highlight some of the characteristics that caught my attention. 

Mumbai…the story

Mumbai...it's the story of a city.

A city that has a voice of its own;

It has a vision of its own;

It has a life of its own.

It's not the people

But it's the city that defines its characters.

It's not the progress

But it's the pace that defines its journey now.

There are no breaks

There is no silence

There may be some quiet, sometimes,

But there is no peace.

There are crowds all over

There is a fight for individuality.

There is a lot of noise everywhere

But there are lots of unique voices in this city.

The contradictions coexist miraculously - 

There is granite in the malls for people to walk on,

While there is tar on the roads where people sleep.

There is specialty food in the big hotels,

While there is only its remains for the people on the street.

There is late night partying and booze for some,

While there are those on the platforms sleeping out of fatigue.

There are open spaces and swimming pools in balconies,

While there are those who do not have fresh air to breathe.

But there is no complaining here,

There is only a drive and a lot of dreams.

"What is theirs, can be mine,

Only if I work hard enough and Believe"

It is the spirit of the city,

That justifies its structure.

It’s a city where people come with dreams

And afterwards, there is no sleep.

Mumbai...its the story of a city.

It’s the story of all our lives;

It’s the perfect story of how

In life… people fall and rise!

Bright and Shade

The Idea:
Nature offers us everything and leaves it up to us to decide what we enjoy and what we complain about. Rain for instance, is one thing that a lot of us enjoy and in every moment of enjoyment, somewhere inside of us is a moment of deep reflection. 

The Conclusion:
As important it is to recognize that nothing is permanent for the things that we care for or enjoy, it is also important to apply that theory for the more sorrowful moments in our life. If the day is followed by the darkness of the night, the night too is followed by a brand new sunrise.

Bright and Shade

I bend upon the balcony wall.

I stare out onto the shaded town.

I must get back to work again,

The sound of the rain, presses me on.

The chill in the air,

And the chai in my hand…

The trickling water on the windows…

The racing thoughts in my mind.

I stand here appreciating nature,

Elsewhere someone might be complaining.

I stand here shielded from the harsh sunlight.

Elsewhere someone might have been burnt.

There’s always the black and white…

There are always the gradient grays…

Sometimes the glaring contrasts are soothing,

Sometimes a little lit up and partially shaded ways.

Tomorrow the perspective might change,

Tomorrow, I might see that which is hidden away…

But today I enjoy my clouded views,

Today I listen to the music of the rain.

I drown my thoughts in the puddles ahead,

I splash, I spin, I play.

I feel the presence of God in the thunders,

I want to enjoy His magic atleast today.

The droplets beat against my face,

I extend my hands and try to hold on.

But like everything in nature, the water too

Like time it just slips away.

The rainbow appears, fills my heart with color,

And with joy and hope, yet despair…

The clouds are clearing, making way for the sun…

And for the brightness that I don’t want to remember.