Kaleidoscope

Happy New Year, 2015

image 2014, Goa

May we strengthen our bonds

with care and pure intention,

and make room for new memories.

May this new year

bring many more smiles

and moments to cherish.

May you be filled with new hope

and look forward

to a better tomorrow.

~~payal~~

my extended family

Today, I am overflowing with gratitude and love for my extended family from my poetry community on Orkut.

Usha Ma’am , an inspiring blogger, asked me eleven questions when she nominated me for Liebster award, one of which was “How did you start blogging?”

Today I want to answer it. I want to thank Utpal ji, who wanted me to start my blog in 2009, when I knew nothing about blogging. (I still don’t know!)

He guided me step by step and also gave my blog a beautiful name “Kaleidoscope”. I’m happy that I have my space where I write without any fear. Can’t thank you enough for whatever you do for me still! Thank you bade bhaiya. :)

This reminds me of the good old orkut days when we used to write poetry, and there I learnt to take constructive criticism in a positive manner knowing it is always in my higher good. Remembering my friend, Deepti, my first online friend. I’m glad I got to meet her quite often this year. Love you my soul sis. We often wonder how can we be so similar.

Way back in 2007, Sadho asked me once, why I don’t put colours in my sketches and I still remember that conversation. I’m glad finally after seven years, we met this year. Now that’s a different story ,he made me realise that I don’t use my smart phone smartly. Eh!
Richa ..much love to you!

AND YES! This year, I met Rohan too!!A Bengali guy who’s allergic to fish and doesn’t like rice!

Sunita..Thank you! We used to write and post poetry in the community late in the night. I was bad with the titles and she used to give the titles to my poems. We still get together late in the night, not to write poetry but to play scrabble, sometimes though! Yes, our duet poems are getting published in an anthology, to be released in 2015.

Thank you Amiya dada for teaching me some truths of life. Thank you for your constant support. As I always say, your comments are always better than my writes.

Personally, it had been a good year, amidst some tears and smiles, some confusions and light. Sometimes life worked for me, sometimes it didn’t. But this year brought in many opportunities to grow in all aspects. I feel like thanking Sabari Chakraborty, whom I met this year in Goa and who taught me what I needed to learn in that moment.

Thanks to my blogger friends and readers for taking time to read and comment on my posts. This year Ultimate blogging challenge and OctPoWriMo was fun. Special thanks to my blogger friend Vishal, for all the motivation and support. Oh Yes, I wrote a guest post for his blog.

Thanks to one and all for your love and blessings. Stay connected! :)

~~payal~~

Tangerine- haiku time

image 2014, Delhi

Tangerine gestures-
Life is full of surprises
Just keep it simple.
~~payal~~

haikuhorizons#Just

Winter

2014 image, Sec 50, Gurgaon

Is it my vision that is getting blurred or is it the effect of winter? I often ask myself as I look around, in this season of change. There are some mornings when the Sun refuse to rise, frost pricks the skin, so deep, that the blood freeze. Some pains are unexplainable. In this silence of the morn, I walk in the depth of this dense fog, and try to wipe the haze that had settled on the mirror. Cold waves engulf me. I keep walking with faith, holding on to hope. Life goes on..

~~payal~~
WW#65

Ruby

image 2014, NH 4

Bubbling emotions

slowly melts in ruby hues

with passion and love
~~payal~~

haiku horizons #43

Teddy Travelogues

“When we were kids, we used to visit our grandparents where we used to meet all our cousins and relatives. As kids, we looked forward to the vacations. We used to have fun time together.” Seema was memorizing her childhood days.

“Vacations are a luxury these days. It had been long since we spent some time together. Let’s take out some time before the vacations get over! These are the days we can spend some time with our family together.”Nikhil had said with conviction to Seema, to which she agreed.

Kids were excited and a break from the boring routine was needed desperately. They had finished their holiday homework and their vacation was getting over.

They made the reservations, packed their bags and set on their journey.

We all need some time to be ourselves, to forget our worries, to live in the present, to strengthen our bonds, to understand each other and sometimes just to be one with nature, to appreciate and be grateful for whatever we have. Nikhil and Seema were busy listening to the kids as they noticed the minute details and enjoyed the roads.

Travelling together on the road, penetrating the dark clouds, they went further and reached their destination where the Sun greeted them shyly.

“Wow! What a beautiful place!” Little Teesha exclaimed as she came out of her car with her favourite doll that she used to carry everywhere she went. “Bhaiya, look at that cloud, it looks like a fairy!“ She pointed towards a floating cloud while looking at her elder brother Dhruv.

Their smiles made their hearts happy.

“Come on, let us go inside!” Nikhil said to the kids who were already running fast towards the door.

“Hey, go slow!” Seema shouted while catching up.

Both the kids looked excited as Nikhil and Seema checked in the hotel room.

“Making sand castles, running on the shore, collecting shells and pebbles, enjoying on the white sands, catching butterflies, basking in the sun, hiking and admiring the breathtaking beauty of cascading water from the mountains in the rainy season, or simply going out in the market and shopping, no vacation seems to be complete when we leave our kids at home.”

“Yes, I remember, last time we had to leave them at home but they were in our thoughts! At every shop, we were trying to look out for something or the other that our kids wanted.”

Nikhil and Seema were busy talking as the phone bell rang.

“Sir, I wanted to ask you if you want to register your kids for the activities in the activity area. You can check out the details in our booklet. ” The receptionist had called up.

The kids seemed to be interested and got busy with the activities that enhanced their creativity. They had planned to spend evening in the play room together. Nikhil and Seema got back to their talks while sipping their cup of tea.

~~payal~~

This post is a part of an initiative by Teddy Travelogues and indiblogger.

Rise above fear!

When the mind is weak, it gets involved in all the negative emotions. Fear of unknown that was lying at every step, took me deeper and deeper into the dark realms of negativity. With every thought that made me anxious, fear started to haunt me every now and then. Umpteen times, I tried to avoid it, ignore it, but ignorance is not bliss always. The word fear is both a noun and a verb: the structure itself and the act of making it.

We become aware of our fears when we are ready to let go. There I was, ready to let go of my fear of the dark. It was time to face the fears.

It was a long weekend and we planned a trip to a nearby hill station.

We stopped at a restaurant. Beside the menu on the wall, there was an arrow and a sign board that caught our attention. A small sign board read: entry ticket- ten rupees per person.

“It will take ten minutes. It’s a natural cave so there is very little light, but you must go inside and see for once.” said the lady sitting behind the counter while looking at us.

“Sounds interesting!” exclaimed my daughter. “Let’s go inside!” She was holding her dad’s hand.

“What is there inside this cave?” I asked out of curiosity.

“A small idol of the lord .Shall I give you the ticket? You must visit this place. It will take only ten minutes.” She insisted.

“It’s too dark inside, it seems.” I was almost frozen with fear.

“Do you fear the dark?” she asked.

“Yes, I do!” I sighed.

My husband and daughter were already waiting for me to say yes.

I heard a comforting voice of my husband.

“We are there with you. Hold my hand and come.” He said.

I was almost talking to myself.

All of a sudden, I remembered, my friend had said a few days back, “Whenever you find yourself in dark, remember you are the light.” She had also asked me to keep chanting a mantra.

I said yes and we bought the tickets.

“Remember, it’s one way, and there is a small patch towards the end where there is no light. You’ll have to come out of dark through this opening.” That lady pointed out to the other end of the tunnel.

Anxiously, I took the first step, and almost lost my balance on uneven stairs of stone and mud, that was slippery because of natural presence of water inside that cave.

When we are stuck in the middle of the path, it’s better to move forward and explore the possibilities. Many other emotions crop up with fear. It was difficult for me to breathe. I kept moving forward, struggling to make it through.

“Here’s the idol. We have come halfway!” Both of them seemed to be happy.

There I was standing in front of the idol of Lord Shiva and all the fears vanished. Though it was dark but I could feel that energy. It had filled the space and conquered all my fears in that moment.

We stopped there for some time, prayed a little, and came out of the dark through a small opening. It was an opportunity for growth and understanding that I would have missed!

~~payal~~

nature

2014 image, Goa

Nature at its' best
Gives what it has to offer
lessons for lifetime
:
:
Lessons for lifetime
Warmth of sunshine in winters
Wakefulness in dreams.
~~payal~~

haiku horizons#week 41
WW#63

Feed a child

Child labour is prohibited in our country but still we find young children working on the roads, on construction sites, in small restaurants, in the fields, everywhere. It’s a dream situation where no child goes hungry and every child is educated but then, dreams do come true with efforts, intention and right direction. Nothing is impossible.

“There is no scarcity of food, we have plenty of rice, wheat, fresh vegetables in our fields but didi, we have food but there is no money. So I came here to work. Everybody works in the field but my daughter goes to school.” I could see my maid’s eyes sparkle as she said that they teach English in her school and she sings ABCD to her on the phone and loves going to school. She continued, “In her school they give a nutritious meal. I could never study because I had to take care of my younger brothers and sisters and also work with my parents but I won’t let this happen to my daughter. I want her to grow up into a responsible citizen, and earn money with a respectable job in a big office.”

She’s lucky that they don’t know hunger while there are a few institutions that have their own schools for mentally challenged children run by small missionaries where the parents leave their children because of their inability to take care of these kids due to lack of money. Sisters work very hard with these kids and the schools are run with some grants and help offered by the locals.

Sometimes people visit to celebrate special occasions with these kids. Such celebrations are not only about sharing food but also about sharing love and joy and about bringing smiles to their dull faces.

If we can spend thousands of rupees in watching a movie, or on our personal well- being, it shouldn’t be difficult to donate the smallest amount to the institutions that take care of the basic needs of children.

I am going to #BlogToFeedAChild with Akshaya Patra and BlogAdda.

~~payal~~

Healing

2014 image, Gurgaon

As the golden gates open,

To the other side of

The world,

Clearly visible through

Closed eyes,

I hear footsteps

That accompany me.

Perhaps, those footsteps

Are the memories

That come alive subconsciously,

Like the tides

in the stillness of the sea,

bathing in the shimmering light,

on a moonlit night,

and heals the scarred soul.

~~payal~~

It's irritating #WillYouShave ?

‘”Why do they keep such beards?” Sheena often got irritated whenever she encountered a man with a beard.

When she was asked the reason, she always said,” Nothing personal. It’s their choice to keep a beard, I understand. Just that I can’t see their lips when they talk , and it’s irritating. What’s the use when you can’t listen to the music in their words?” How true it felt in that moment.

That day was not different when a guy approached her and asked her something. She tried to help but felt helpless because she couldn't decipher a single word because of his beard and had to walk away giving a weird look to the guy.

Ever-smiling, Sheena was deaf by birth but she was too good at lip reading. She understood every word and its rhythm. Passionate about singing and dancing, she took up music as her career. Her family and friends motivated her to an extent that she never felt her disability. No one could ever imagine that she was deaf. Always cheerful, she was an inspiration to everyone around.

She used to spend most of her time with her students. One day she was invited as the chief guest in a music concert. Auditorium was full. She then looked around and heaved a sigh of relief. One by one the performers came up on the stage and gave in their best. She was enjoying the evening.

Just in between the truly amazing performances she started feeling uneasy when she saw the next contestant, with long hair and beard, almost covering his lips. Craziness of people could be seen as soon as he came on stage, but for her, his beard was a disaster. She couldn’t understand a single word sung by the artist just because of his long beard that made it almost impossible for her to read his lips. She couldn’t enjoy the concert anymore.

~~payal~~

'This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity
at BlogAdda in association with Gillette'.

make a difference

Joe and his friends went out on a road trip to their hometown after a long time. A small city where they grew up playing on the hills, running on the shores, watching the sunset as the waves touched their feet.

“It’s not the same!” One of Joe’s friend shouted while throwing the empty can of the drink, outside the moving car.

Few minutes later, Joe parked his car near the roadside restaurant, near the waterfall on the way , when another friend, after looking at the surroundings, started to complain, ”How unhygienic!”

Joe then politely asked,” Who’s responsible? A few minutes back we had been throwing empty cans on the road!”

Yet another discussion flared up but this time it was a sense of realization.
They had tea and snacks and started again on their journey towards their destination that once was their home and now it’s one of the most sought out tourist destination.

As soon as they entered the state, they were shocked. Through the crowded street, amidst the honking vehicles, they made their way home.

There was something unpleasant about that place now.

Discussions of the old memories of the beaches and the sunsets while enjoying the drive had all become a forgotten memory as soon as their neighbour Mr. Murthy told them “It had become difficult for us to walk on the same streets, on which the flowers bloomed, now the drains overflow.

Stinking smell of garbage fills the air and it has become difficult for us to breathe. We can’t fight with these breeding mosquitoes and flies. It’s difficult to walk or even sit in the open.

We have given several applications to the municipal board, and the officers come and visit us, assure us that they’ll clear all the garbage, but no one actually listens. ”

“Who’s responsible?” Joe and his friends asked him and there was a moment of silence.

In the evening they planned to go the beach. The parking area was full of litter and trash. It was impossible for them to even step out. Somehow stumbling they came out of their car and headed towards the beach where they used to make sand castles, run on the shores at the sunsets and enjoyed their childhood but were surprised to find that the shores were strewn with plastics and all sort of garbage. There were some dustbins found here and there. Still people were littering around.

Right from the beginning we are taught to keep our surroundings clean, maintain proper hygiene but learning and practicing are two different things. Just like Joe and his friends, almost all of us are well aware of such incidents. Step out of your house and see the unhygienic conditions. Definitely, this is not what we want to project to our guests. Instead of complaining, let’s understand our responsibility and make a difference!

This post is a part of an initiative by indiblogger and http://www.abmontubolega.com/ .
Don’t be a silent spectator. Raise your voice and make a difference. Kyuki Bin Bole Ab Nahi Chalega #AbMontuBolega. Connect with them on facebook and twitter.

stories

2014 image, Gurgaon

Fragrant memories-
Stories wrapped in winged verses,
Stored with perfection.
~~payal~~

Gratitude

2014 image, Gurgaon

cold misty morning
calendula smiles shyly
filled with gratitude
~~payal~~

haiku horizons#38
WW#61

a healthy child makes a happy home

With her chirping tones she used to spread smiles. Sometimes trying to help Shanta bai with her tiny hands, holding the broom, and sometimes all soaked in water trying to wash clothes. Sometimes throwing the utensils on the tin shade of the shop on the ground floor and enjoying the music, sometimes laughing and talking to Sagar uncle in her own voice. Sometimes asking for water and then spilling it all around, sometimes climbing the staircase when no one was around. Sometimes posing for the camera, sometimes quietly eating mud. Sometimes creating all the fuss while eating and sometimes opening up the drawer and crushing biscuits. No one understood what she said. She was just 2 years old then.

How these kids grow up, so soon.

The home was full of comforting laughter. Like the sunshine in the garden of life, with spring in her feet, she spreads happiness in the home. We smile, we laugh, we learn.

The warmth spreads as she move around in the house. Sometimes trying to help her grandmother as she climbs up the stairs and sometimes sharing stories with her grandfather. Sometimes helping in the kitchen and sometimes taking care of the guests. Sometimes watching daily soaps and telling what they lack and sometimes sharing her dreams. Talking and laughing, teasing and playing, these kids become our friends.

The world seems happier!

Annual day rehearsals were going on in the school. Ria was participating in the dance and drama about which she used to share the little details with her grandparents. One day, when she came back from school, she looked dull. She looked tired and complained of bad throat and went to sleep. Every corner of the house was silent that day. She didn’t have her dinner. Next morning, the alarm was ringing in Ria’s room but she didn’t wake up. Richa and Rahul got worried. Weather was changing and she catches cold easily. Richa placed her hand on Ria’s forehead. It was burning! She had high fever. While Rahul was busy calling doctor, Richa kept cold water strips on her forehead. Her grandmother got busy in the kitchen boiling some leaves as home remedy for fever and her grandfather kept on asking about Ria. The home had fallen sick with her. It was missing her laughter. Everytime since childhood, whenever she fell sick, it affected the whole environment. Richa and Rahul were sitting with her and remembered all those years when they grew up with her as parents. They didn’t feel like doing anything. All the important works were left pending.

Doctor had come by now and gave her some medicines. She was fine within a week.The sunshine had returned!
~~payal~~

This post is part of an initiative by indiblogger and dabur.

https://www.liveveda.com/daburchyawanprash/.

Bring back the touch

“Ridhima, can I get a cup of tea?” Rishi asked Ridhima while reading newspaper.

With sips of tea Rishi used to read the newspaper or was busy on the phone while Ridhima kept on trying to talk to him about their life, their kids, their past,their present, their future but Rishi always seemed engrossed in the details of what’s happening in the outer world and all of a sudden he used to ask her,”what were you saying?” Ridhima used to get irritated and say “Nothing!”

Today, nothing was different, but for her, it was their 20th anniversary.

After Rishi left for his office, Ridhima kept on thinking for a long time and then got up from her rocking chair to pick up a book from the book shelf. As she turned the pages of the book, she found a card that Rishi had given to her when they met for the first time after they got engaged.

“ I love you, now and forever.” holding her hand he had handed over that greeting card to her. Love was visible in his eyes. That touch was still fresh in her memory. She was lost in thoughts, smiling when all of a sudden she came back in the moment.

She checked her phone. There were eight missed calls.

“ Rishi!” She called him up.

“ Where were you? I got worried? I sent you a message too!”

“I kept my phone on silent.”

“Let’s have lunch together.”

She had tears in her eyes.

She checked the message. It said, “In the busyness of life, we forget to live. We forget all those moments that made us smile. No, we actually don’t forget those moments, it’s just that we forget to remember them. Life passes by. And then one day, when we clean our closets, we find many memories sealed in the treasured chests. Can we relive those memories, today? Happy anniversary!”

There, while holding her hand in the restaurant, he said.

“ I love you, now and forever.”

Today, he was talking and she was listening.

~~payal~~

This post is a part of an initiative by http://www.pblskin.com/ and indiblogger #BringBackTheTouch.
Watch it!

Threat to dignity

Mugdha was posted as a medical health examiner in that small village on the outskirts of her city. That day she had a little more work so she thought of staying back in the Govt. quarter. Unable to sleep that night, she sat near the window of her room and kept watching outside and thinking of all those people who came to her with severe infections and chronic ailments due to poor hygiene specially the women, who sometimes shared their personal talks with her. Much was the result of open defecation that was not only affecting their health but was also a threat to their dignity.

“Why don’t you get a toilet constructed?” That day she had asked a woman who came with a severe insect bite and pain.

“We don’t earn so well that we can construct a separate toilet. We have one in common for all families in our area but that is as good as nothing. These men don’t think it’s a necessity. How do we tell them, it feels as if, as if, everyone is watching us and you know, it’s not safe for us to go out in the night.” It seemed as if she was upset with the whole scenario and desperately wanted a change.

She was still thinking about that woman. Painful tone of her voice had made it difficult for Mugdha to sleep.

She didn’t realise it was 5 ’0’ clock already.

She freshened up and went out for a walk. All of a sudden she heard a sound near the bush on the roadside.

“Who’s there?” she asked.

“Didi, it’s me, Meeta.” A little girl of around 10 years of age came out of the bush.

“What are you doing here? At this point of time? Alone? Aren’t you scared?”

“Didi,I ask my parents to construct a toilet but they say they don’t have money. I get scared but do I have an option?”

While walking she thought of her niece who told her about Manju. That conversation came alive in her thoughts.

She remembered how Manju’s story had disturbed her when her niece had said, “ You know, Manju was telling me that she is scared of dark. Leopards come in the night and take away the children who go out in the dark. Manju’s neighbour had gone out and the leopard took her away. Next day she was found dead in the field.”

“What are you talking? Who is Manju?” She asked her niece out of curiosity.

“Manju is the daughter of the maid in our school. She’s our friend and lives in the village. She sometimes come with her mother to help her and attends the evening classes in our school.”

“O.k. but why do they go out in the night?”

“She says we are lucky, we have toilet in our home. They don’t have toilets.”

~~payal~~

*************

This post is a part of an initiative by indiblogger and http://www.domex.in/.

You can bring about the change in the lives of millions of kids, thereby showing your support for the Domex Initiative. All you need to do is “click” on the “Contribute Tab” on www.domex.in and Domex will contribute Rs.5 on your behalf to eradicate open defecation, thereby helping kids like Babli live a dignified life.
#ToiletForBabli