The entire nation seems busy with the
Independence Day celebrations !
But, what exactly is there to celebrate?

The freedom to rape a woman
And just walk away unharmed ?
The freedom to blatantly suppress
The voices seeking justice?
The freedom to conveniently brush aside
All of this as 'Doctors' issue' and
Keep minding your own business?
Neither of this this true 'independence'
Nor are we 'happy' about this !

You can choose to remain unbothered
Till it happens to someone close to you !
But, beware of the fact that
There's horror right out there
And it can knock your door anyday !
If you don't raise your voice now,
You won't be left with any
When you need so !

In solidarity,
Let's condemn this brutality !
Let's not stop till justice is served !

-

As lonely as the moon...

-

A long train journey, it was !
Having nothing else to do,
I kept staring through the window blankly !
The steady rhythm of the wheels intrigued me
To have an internal monologue !

Trains are all so different, right ?
Some are fast paced, some go slow !
Some carry passengers, some carry goods !
Some halt at many stations, others stop at few !
You know what's more beautiful?
Despite all the differences ,
Every train reaches its
DESTINATION ON TIME !

There's one thing to be learnt for sure .
Trains never move backwards !
Neither do they regret for missed passengers
Nor keep waiting at scenic beauties
Fearing the dark tunnels that lie ahead !
THEY JUST KEEP MOVING FORWARD !

After all ,
Life's a circle and not a straight line.
What goes around, comes around !
Till then, you can hold on to
One beautiful thing called HOPE !

As they say ,
"Everything will be okay in the end.
If it's not okay, it's not the end."
Period.

-

Have you ever wondered
How just like people ,
Places also leave a trace in our hearts ?

Having been in a place for half a decade ,
Unknowingly, you carry a part of it with yourself!
The eateries you dined in
Still remind of the aroma and
Taste of your favourite dish !
The stores you shopped at
Will evoke memories of the
Countless trials and endless confusion
Before picking that one perfect outfit !

The roadside stalls that
Honed our bargaining skills !
The tourist spots we thronged,
The long drives, late night outings !
Nostalgia just keeps coming in waves !

In every group of friends that we come across ,
We'll see the resemblance of our younger selves !
Memories are timeless, indeed !
You can still feel the warmth
And relive it as much as you want !
When you visit the place even after years,
You'll find bits and pieces of yourself in
Almost every place that you've been to !

Now , when someone says ,
"TRICHY IS MY HOMETOWN",
Without a second thought,
I respond with a broad smile ,
"OH! I BELONG THERE TOO!"

-

In no time ,
I opened the bottle and
Watered the potted plant,
On the windowsill !

I heaved a huge sigh of relief !

Wish venting out emotions
Was so much simple !
I began to realise ,
Opening up is not so tough either !

After all,
The empty bottle has given
The needed reassurance,
LET GO TO FEEL LIGHT !

-

Stuck in the loop of
Overwhelming thoughts ,
We yield to the goofy cycle of
Keeping things to ourselves ,
Time and again !

At times of frustration,
All our hearts look for is
REASSURANCE ,
From someone,
Without really having to ask for it !

Some days ,
You’re fortunate enough to find one !
On others ,
You just have to carry yourself forward !
Easier said than done !

Despite pondering over all this ,
My gaze is still fixed on the water bottle !
Suddenly comes this irresistible urge
To let out , to liberate
The water stuck inside !

-

The water bottle,
On the corner of the table,
Caught my attention !
Reminding me of all the
Bottled up emotions ,
Since long !

'Not everyone who smiles is happy !'
Either they
Pretend to be problem-free or
Deny to be deterred by them !
My introverted self is
So good at the former!

It’s not easy for introverts to vent out !
Reaching out for help itself is so arduous !
Even more pathetic is
An overthinking introvert !
No less than a disaster-in-making !

Even if we reach out ,
There’s this constant fear of
Feeling weak in front of the world
Or burdening others with our issues !
Breaching this bottleneck is
A Herculean task !

-

There's something that's
Taking your peace off !
Yet, you make a happy face
As if everything is fine !

You don't feel like
Talking about it !
And for that matter ,
You don't feel like
Talking at all !

But, there you are !
Trying and engaging in
A random conversation,
Half heartedly !
Coz your mind is still stuck
On the same old thing ,
You just can't get rid of !

You read , write ,
Dabble with paints
And do what not to
Get to your older self !
To bring back that cheer !
Poorly, in vain !

May be ,
All of this is just a phase !
At least, it should be !

Just heal at your own pace !
No rush, no hustle !
As it's said ,
LET IT HURT UNTIL IT CAN'T HURT ANYMORE !

And finally, when you're done,
Ensure, the healing is complete !
THERE'S MORE TO LIFE THAN YOU'LL EVER KNOW !
It's this hope that can sail us through !

-

Some people are better left alone !
Sounds weird, but true !

To the ones who
Just can't let their guards off
And share the smallest of details
That troubles their minds !

Before every word they utter,
They contemplate ,
Twice or thrice, may be !

But, what makes them so reserved ?
It's this strange fear
Of attachment, of dependence !
Underlying all this is
The ultimate fear of being abandoned!

Because, when people leave ,
A part of you is gone with them.
A pretty much daunting truth !
Can't be denied either !

If at all everyone leaves ,
They won't be able to
Fix the lost pieces
And rebuild their
Broken souls,
All alone,
All over again !

Some people are better left alone !
That way, at least ,
They get to survive with
A wholesome soul !

-

When it gets too heavy,
You either burst out
Or become quiet.

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