Love isn't just a word ...

Love ... A word? Nope....
Love isn't just a word ....
A feeling or state of being ...
It is prayer in broad daylight ....
It is humbleness at its very core...
He proves it by remaining quiet.
Words couldn't have made the same impact .....
As his silence did.
Not a word ...
Yet he said it all ...
The mute message ....
Was all, he sent across...
But the message was well understood....
A relation only true lovers can relate to ....
A state of being ....
Only true lovers can be in....
A feeling only true lovers can feel ...
Without the formality of touch ....
Or verbal communication ....
The body language ...
The silence says it all.
Love isn't a word by itself ....
It is what true lovers prove ...
Even by being apart .....
Yet meeting each night in their dreams....
Where no one can disturb them ....
All on their own ....
They hold each others hand ...
That's it .... that is all that is needed....
For love to flower in a desert of silence.
Love isn't just a word ...
It's an echo of the beating of two hearts ....
In unison to the sound of music ...
Entrenched deep within them.
A soulful song ....
Strings being strummed .....
Words hummed ....
Soft music... yet strong influence....
A congruence of two rivers....
Melting of ice in Ocean....
What you see outwardly is just a bit ....
There is a lot beneath the surface ....
A strong undercurrent ....
Someday the lovers will meet ....
When all is settled ...
When the murky water settles...
Then in the crystal clear brook ...
Will you hear the melodious sound of the lovers music.
Love isn't just a word ....
It is music to the ears.

On second thoughts ....

Why do we make our lives so complicated?
Am having second thoughts ....We have so many whims and fancies...So many contradictory thoughts ...
So many hassles to deal with ...So many idiosyncrasies ...We make life complicated for ourselves and others ...with our actions.

Our actions .... our thoughts ... make us do wild things ... wild decisions ... which we, of course regret later .... but, all the more while deep in the middle of it ...we just overlook it and end up getting bruised and hurt.

On second thoughts, why do the action which we may regret later? Why not remain cooped up in our little pigeon holes and be safe? Why not remain in our fear based cabins and never come out? Afraid of getting hurt? Why? That's what makes you better and better each time ... else you would be just like anyone else... just living .... living under the shadows, never venturing out ... just alive ... a zombie ..a living dead. Where would your self be? Where would your creativity be? You are a nobody and will remain so forever... what would you have achieved? On second thoughts ... Are we here to achieve something? Are we existing coz' we need to make a mark and leave a legacy behind so that people remember us? Height of narcissism... That's it.

On second thought... why not just live for yourself? Why not be you ? Why not just let things be and move on and find a path of your own? That is the state of nirvana which we all seek. Pure bliss... no hangups ... just you and your thoughts and the culminating actions thereof. Why do we make our lives so complicated?

Expectations! Yes, the root cause of any conflict in our mind. We expect too much from others. We give in order to receive .... expectations ... that kill the soul within .... too much to handle... too little to give.... yet expect to receive always.

We haven't yet outgrown our idiosyncrasies or our boots of youth. We are just floating around expecting things to be hunky dory always. It is not so. We are just playing our parts in a game ... a mind game of sorts .. that makes our libido high ... a kick that lasts for a second and then nothingness ...  a hollow ... a black hole ... immense .. within which we lose our senses and selves.

A trajectory path that we undertake when we are catapulted into a state of high intensity emotions and then all lies still when we are in deep space and a melancholic sadness fills us up. The highs and lows of life.

On second thoughts... it's as though we are being experimented upon and a log is kept of our reaction to situations. We are being watched. We are guinea pigs in a big laboratory of life called Earth.

Family ...

Collage of life ....

Life .... well lived ....
My life is a collage of moments to be remembered...
Memoirs to be shared...
No regrets whatsoever ....
Whatever happened in the four decades ....
Was to happen ....
Destined to happen ....
Am glad the events took place ...
It has made me a better human being.

It's like swimming in an Ocean ...
Overcoming obstacles like whirlpools...
Hurricanes and thunder and lightning....
Sea creatures; big and small,
Yet swimming nonetheless......
The shoreline a bit far away ...
But strength not sapping at all.

The events of the past one year ....
Brought forth the need to seek...
My family out ...
Am glad whatever happened ...
Took place ....
For someone up there was scripting the story ....
To get me to bond with my family again.

Am happy and thankful ...
To all who came in my life ....
Like a breeze....
A breath of fresh air ....
And, like the wind disappeared again ...
Because each gave me a pearl of wisdom ....
Each made me the Woman I am.
An expensive gift of experience to share ....
Learning the ropes too ...
A journey to be remembered ...
A collage of Life .....
Bits and pieces to be remembered and cherished ....
Bits and pieces to put the puzzle back together again ....
Links to be joined ....
A life to be written about ....
So that down the line ....
Generations to come ....
The Family tree is remembered....
And, the legend lives on.

The collage of life...
My Life's collage....
Colourful with shades of grey ...
Yet, a beautiful masterpiece ...
On this day today....
I offer it to my progeny..... My tomorrow.

A love story to be remembered....

His family originates from Lahore and Peshawar now in Pakistan ..... Her family originates from Rawalpindi, also in Pakistan ... After the partition the Great Granddads  settled in Pathankot and Delhi respectively. From Pathankot ... After the completion of his studies .... He joined IMA and then when he was posted in Deolali near Nasik ... he met met her Sister ... and when she went a visiting her sister in Deolali all the way from Delhi .... They met and the rest is history. They met ... fell in love .... she went back to Delhi ... he went to Delhi with a marriage proposal and they were married. Brigadier Som Prakash Nanda  and his Dulhan Prem aka Pammi Nanda.... This today wouldn't be possible if they hadn't fallen in love.

Yeh kahani hai Diye (Maa) ki aur Toofan (Daddu) ki ....

The most beautiful Bride for the most handsome Groom....

Nanaji...Maa's Dad

Nana Dada ... Diwan Saab .... he couldn't see... Maa was his eyes ... she would read the papers for him.

Yeh kahani hai Diye ki aur Toofan ki ....

Brigadier Saab with his Memsaahib...

Pitaji... Shri Pritamchand Nanda

 Pitaji..... Shri Pritam chand Nanda... was a true Gandhian till his last breath..... Angad would take his Sotti and run away in Chandigarh. He loved Mataji a lot. They were inseparable.

Maa

 The smile that could disarm any enemy.... She had it in her to charm her way to peoples hearts and souls. A great cook, a loving wife and a forgiving Mom.

Laughing & Smiling Maa....

Always Happy ... har mehfil ki jaan ....

Happy Daddu ... Eyes are smiling ..... Khushiyaan phir laut aayin..

 This is my FAMILY .... and I am happy to be able to proclaim so proudly. Without them, I wouldn't have been possible. Their Love story is my story's beginning.

Stickjaws .....

Stickjaws from Elloras.... No dieting please ....Thanks Daddu for sending them across ...Am freaking out on Stickjaws. Yumm yumm chomp chomp .... teeth stuck and glued by the gooey sticky caramel rich in clarified butter .... Ummm am in Heaven .... Ultimate bliss and Diwali gift.
The silver coin joins my collection of silver paraphernalia .... Thanks for that too.

The prodigal son returned home with ..... " Daddu behaves like you ..... just the way you behave ... everything in proper place..." I replied " I am but his daughter and I learnt from him and Maa."
Now, I don't have to say anything, he understands.... This is what elders do for their young ones... lead by example. Thanks Daddu for making him a responsible guy.

He is all gung ho for another trip up North and wants to go to Chandigarh too...
All the good things and meetings with Grandad's friends... He came away rejuvenated. I Like that.

Stickjaws .... memories floding my eyes with salty water .... But these are tears of happiness... Of heartfelt gratitude .... Dad you didn't forget!

Good Byes....

Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes. Because for those who love with heart and soul there is no such thing as separation! ~ Rumi


There never was.... there never will be ... Separation is too heavy a burden to carry on my delicate shoulders.  

Maa & Daddu .... Anusuya & Angad are your exact copies.... Amazing!

When I saw this photograph .... all the past memories came flooding back ..... The kids are the same image as their Grandad and Grandmom.

Am overwhelmed with emotions .... am binging the blues away ..... trying to put all the pieces of the puzzle together ... some are missing ... Links broken .... But, am glad .... Got my Dad back.

Maa watches over us ... that is why ... today we are together again ... The kids have found their family once again.

This Diwali will be remembered always .... Happy Diwali Maa & Daddu  ....  There were no Good Byes ... There never will be.

Ek Hoonk si uthi dil mein .....

Aaj phir Diwali aayi ....
Phir roshni chaayi ....
Diye jale ....
Dil mein phir ek hoonk si uthi ....
Phir har pal koi bahut yaad aaya....
Uski muskurati aankhen ....
Uska yuun andheri raaton mein ....
Milon ki doori tayy kar ke aana....
Mere baalon ko sehlaana ....
Woh jaadu ki jhappi ....
Har ek pal ....
Aankhon ke saamney se guzar gaya....
Aaj phir ek hoonk uthi dil mein ...
Phir woh yaad aaya ...
Jisey bhulaney ke liye .....
Itne sitam sahey aur dil ko jalaya...
Barbaad ho gaye jiski mohabbat mein ....
Luut gayi shaan o shaukat....
Kuch baaki na bacha....
Reh gayi buss ek reit ki dheri ....
Aur kuch kagaz ke phool.
Aaj phir ek hoonk uthi hai dil mein ....
Ek toofan sa aa gaya hai ....
Ek aisa ufaan ....
Jo na le doobey mujhko phir ...
Tanhaiyyon ke safar mein....
Mehfil mein hoon ....
Phir bhi aankhen usey hi dhoond rahin hain...
Palat kar, ghoom kar phir aasmaan ko dekhti hain ...
Aur duaa karti hain ....
Yaa Rabb ....
Woh jahan bhi rahe...
Khush rahey ... Aabad rahey...
Meri hoonk ... halak mein atak jaati hai ...
Aansoon chalak aatey hain ...Aur mein ...
Apni manzil ki aur nikal padti hoon.