The day we defeat Corona!

People dancing about, 

people singing in and out, 

“We defeated it, now let’s not sit!” 

We will run, and have fun! 

We will play, in the garden bay! 

People dancing about, 

people singing in and out, 

“We defeated it, now let’s not sit!” 

Celebrations all around, people making friends unfound. 

The world shall be our merry-go-round, 

All shall be happy around! 

People dancing about, people singing in and out, 

“We defeated it, now let’s not sit!”

written by 

- Aanya Dhanuka, 

8yrs old, Mumbai

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Since I am not capable of writing & publishing anymore, we will use the resources to publish the new child talent in my niece! Let us know in comments on what you think about the above piece?

Songs by the ocean

I wrote a song, but I cannot sing it.
Not to me, Not to anyone.

I wrote a song, but I won't be humming it.
Not even when I am alone.

I wrote a song, I would love to play some strings to it.
No, but I cannot, not even if I tried.

I wrote a song, I wrote it to hear it by the oceans.
I wrote a song, I wrote so waves add some tunes to it.
I wrote a song, but I travel to oceans no more.
But I wrote a song, I wrote it none the less.

I wrote a song, to bring me calm.
But I cannot sing it. Not to me, not to anyone.

I wrote a song, a song which doesn't rhyme.
But I wrote a song, I wrote it none the less.

I wrote a song, I wrote it for you.
You, my love.
I wrote a song, I wrote it for me.

So I can be the words.

I wrote a song, so we can get lost in it's music.
Music by the ocean, you can play some strings to it.
I wrote a song & I wrote it for us.
Won't you sing it to me?

Dear Dad.

Dear Dad,


Yep, it's a dear dad letter. I do often have these strange one sided conversations with you. No, not completely insane as yet, it's just my way of having a perspective and finding my peace. I think I need some validation at times, no one's been around giving it whole heartedly as yet.


I am at this juncture of life, where I am doing what I promised myself for past 14 years maybe. Everyday, I sit trying to find a courage deep, deep, deep in me. Yes, its there. Along with nervous jitters & sleepless nights, stress once in a while, not too much though. I have firm belief in my abilities, think it's a sureka trait, always glad to inherit the good part of genes. The last few months have been challenging, good learning, brought into understanding and executing everything I know about myself, on current horizons and exploring new. Nomad has begin to take some shape, later than what I would like, but every bit counts, right? I think the best way to work is to keep your head down and doing what's required to be done. The universe takes care of the rest. I can't explain how I am going through the most overwhelming part of my life. It's a nice feeling though, I am not the one who can live life sitting at the shore. My first choice of being was always Bombay, its home, its where the heart is. Though I did find a small piece of that heart also in Cape Town, it's the mother city of Africa. Masoom was a dream I fostered from a long long time, I think I am grown up enough to make sure it happens. It took a lot of madness to keep it alive in me, my generation is very relaxed, it catches on. But there was always this restlessness, because the heart knows the deepest desires.


I am a month away from changing our lives, for good or bad. We will get there someday, one step at a time, no matter what. For now, help me to keep my courage, we have to things to do.


Love,
M

Dreams.

We have all been crazy heads, kids filled with impossible dreams, teenagers who just wanted to resist, youngsters who wanted much more and much bigger things out of their lives. Then there came a time when 'maturity' happened. Goals become more realistic, risk appetite took a back seat to cozy comfort of material things - we can 'have now', corporate etiquettes over power the hot heads to be much smooth, much more smooth. Life starts revolving around the next promotion, big project or a fatter increase, a foreign secondment maybe?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a good lifestyle like this, but did we think of only lifestyles when we were, say 15? I am not sure the driving force in life was just a narrow goal of a great weekend and occasional vacation. Or may be what drove me was always a tiny bit more. Much of my teenage life, I spent relenting about dad's goals and how he became the single force to make me march towards my dreams. Dreams, yes that's the right word. We under use it, almost never, now a days. So what are my dreams? A lonely cup of tea makes me wonder. I guess I have known one for a long time, deep passion that reminds me each day that I have to do this, dreams are a calling. I think I have spent a little time of my life continuously for much of a decade towards it and I shall do it in my most imperfect way, because I am imperfect in my approaches. But what I learnt the hard way and may be the most important of learnings in my life - don't give up, come back. And come back harder. So falling, failing, I have learnt to walk ahead.


Regret is not in not achieving something, regret is in never even trying. I believe that we have stopped putting our hearts out in line towards our dreams? A little hurt, a little pain is something we are never taught to face anymore. There are 100 ways in which something will not work, may be just 1 final way in which it might. The might is what makes life exciting, an adventure to live. Let's make life interesting again, let's chase dreams because you should have it no other way.

Lest we forget the TEACHERS.

We spent a great deal of our growing years in schools, colleges and universities and had some of the most fabulous friendships. Family is always celebrated, in it's own grateful bond, fights and being there during tough times. In the midst, don't we just forget another great influence of our yester years, Our Gurus, Our Teachers?



We all had some inspiring mentors in them, who spent their time with students to develop the crazy heads and not just because something is a job. Do you remember how we looked up to them growing up? Many paved way for being the real life role models. I still remember some of those encouraging words, the confidence that was instilled back in me, my teachers disappointed which made me improve myself as a person, the fire that made me an ambitious person, that grown up figure outside family whom you could talk to and so much more.



Manimohan Ma'am: Thanks for being the first person who told me that I am one of her favourite students, you made me drive myself harder to intelligent things.



Kudsiya Ma'am: Thanks for being my favourite and kindest teacher through school. You were the first smart, cool, good hearted teacher we used to love. I can still mimic some of your awesome jokes.



Rashmi Ma'am: What can me and Megha say about you? You were the truest guiding path for us during a very important phase during school lives. Our respect for you in still very deep and influence that we shall remember for a lifetime.



Sheshadri Sir: The guru who was always a friend and supported you. Your goodheartedness and encouragement is always infectious, even today. You always a had time and patience with the best and not so best students, maybe your never distinguished. And yeah you were also the one with the cool bike, yes 'dear' Sir.



Suraliwala Ma'am: I am so glad to have taken french and attended your classes. You taught with such tireless zeal on the days when 80% of class was missing some times. Thank you for that passion and awesomeness. Your class is deeply imprinted in my college life. May be in next life time I won't miss topping your subject by couple of marks.



Godbole Ma'am, Blanche Ma'am, Vivek Sir, Nayar Sir: The fabulous bhatia family. I might have skipped some more lectures than you would appreciate but that does not decrease my deep respect for all of you. You were one of the best team of teachers anyone can ever come across. There are such good fond memories associated from those days including the forging friendships I made. Each of you were truly inspiring.



Bhatia Sir: You were the most inspiring and biggest guiding light of my life. You took a beaten, discouraged and angry kid & showed him a path of where he should walk. You always took that extra effort out to tell your students about the promised land of hard work, discipline and dedication. You just knew what it takes to be successful and never held back from teaching every one of us your ideas on it. You have truly been the most inspirational person who has shaped my life and career, thank you deeply for being there in the toughest times of the student. Professors like you define the word Guru in its truest meaning.



Cheers to all our inspiring and lovely teachers. Let's hope one of the most under rated professions maintains it's sanctity and there are always those gems of teachers for us to behold. Hip hip hurray TEACHERS !!!

One of those nights.

As we know by now, so no one really dies. Not unless you make an outrageous attempt, too many sympathies for those who would ever do that. Your life is to be loved & cherished, another individual can't give it meaning, some good company along your journey maybe?

Yet all of us have been through the routines of our highs & lows, some big hard blows. One of these nights creep in, where you look for meaning in everything, when the what if's rule much more than any of the good things about life. You crave for the familiar warmth that soothes your soul, those soft whispers, that mad laugh, that precious moment when all was well with the world. You wonder whether things are right with a bygone past or you just failed at realizing your last reconciling attempt. The sweet could have beens, maybe always sweeter in our heads. Still, an eerie silence of nothingness keeps you awake, it's sometimes darker on such nights. A stark reminder on your life today; good, ok or nice, but not really there yet. Time drifts at most painstaking speed, Albert & his relativity. Slowly comes a moment to kill it all, what would we ever do without music on such nights? That small joy & sadness bundled into one song, mixing all your worlds and taking you away from this bitter one.

Music, play on, I need to be back in my usual happy place, coz that's where I belong.