Straight from my heart...

‘What’s next’ isn’t just another question; it is a deep-rooted habit. I can probably even define my life journey through a series of ‘what’s next’ questions. April 2005 “How were your exams? What’s next? Science, commerce, or arts?” September 2005 “Good you chose science as your career stream. What’s next? Medicine or engineering?” June 2009 “How’s your engineering going? What’s next? MS or MBA?” July 2011 “MBA admit from an IIM. Wow! So, what’s next? Investment banking or FMCG?”  July 2015 “Congrats on your promotion. So, what’s next? Buying a house or car? Marriage?” And, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Sometimes I wonder, is life meant to be an assembly line where every step has to sequentially follow another, and every pause is equivalent to a failed system? Do we have to constantly think about where we want to go or what we want to do next? Is that how we are supposed to be wired? Then I wonder, if everyone’s living this way, perhaps tha...

The wedding card [I am not sure if anyone has invented a phrase for ‘more than friends; less than a relationship’ but this is a story of one such bond. It is a story of two people who are always there for each other, two people who enjoy each other’s company, two people who need each other in life, two people who like each other endless, yet who never dated officially.] It is rightly said, “You fall in love with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.” Today is the wedding day. I never thought this day would come; I never thought she would agree to get married. She never seemed the kind of person who wanted to settle down. While she was a hardcore romantic, she didn’t believe in marriage. Love is unbound and free; marriage makes it monotonous, was her philosophy. Her name is Alia. My best friend for over three years now. No other friend has ever cared for me as much as she had. Selflessly. She even left eating the things I was allergic to. I don’...

One last time!!! Ours was a bond, pure and unadulterated, It felt so effortlessly perfect, being with you, Feeling comforted as you gave me a life anew, And jumping with joy that fate was kind, Times changed; how could we drift apart, After all the highs and lows we did witness, Emerging stronger and wiser, in the process, And feeling grateful we withstood the storm, It’s tough to see you go away, After all the years we have been together, Sweet memories I fondly remember, And in your perpetual longing, I live each day, As I look back at our memories, I recall, It felt magical seeing you first thing in the morning, Hearing those sweet whispers, just before sleeping, And feeling lucky every moment, for having you, Now I wonder, is there a way I can hold you close, If not for eternity, perhaps for one last time, Feeling the scent of your skin, one final time, And losing myself completely, in your embrace, I miss the pas...

“I might have some character traits that some might see as innocence or naive. That's because I discovered peace and happiness in my soul. And with this knowledge, I also see the beauty of human life.” – Tobey Maguire   Innocence, purity, and carefree living are some common terms synonymous with childhood. And I wonder, am I being too idealistic, to expect the same in adulthood?   The thought first crept into my mind after watching “Highway”.Strangely, I was able to connect with the emotional journey of the female protagonist desperately wanting to be free from the bondages of the world, carve out a niche for herself, and live a life that’s pure and utopian, and far away from the adulterated mundane existence.   All of us go through such a phase in our lives, where all we seek is “inner peace” or “contentment” or “pure bliss” or in Maslow’s words, “self-actualization”. There are various ways in which we try to attain the state. Some find solace in...

Love has no end!! He lay comatose, his death imminent, Blurred senses, dysfunctional organs, tissues irrelevant, Weary and pale he looked physically, But never had I seen him happier, emotionally, His face had the glow of a bride, And his eyes, with its greenish tinge, tried, To articulate his thoughts to the person sitting beside, Resting her head on his chest, feeling mortified, Theirs was a powerfully moving love story, Like the ones narrated in novels and many a movie, And after many hardships, discomfort and pain, Their togetherness had given them a reason to smile again, For thirty-seven years, they had been with each other, Childless, penniless, but content with what life did offer, A genteel soul was he, honest and selflessly caring, And she complemented him perfectly, her support, unwavering, And as he lay comatose, his death imminent, She's pleading to God, her prayers persistent, Only a miracle could save him now, Doctors had repeated, But her...

Soul mates!! [ I wanted to write a poem on Soul mates, ever since I read BRIDA by Paulo Coelho. My description though  is entirely personal ] In life,one day you meet someone, Who more than yourself, you trust, One you perpetually count on, and, In whose hands, your life you safely entrust, In life, one day you meet someone, Whose every thought revolves around you, Who prays for your wellbeing every moment, Adding luck, love and positive vibes, in whatever you do, In life, one day you meet someone, Who starts residing in your every single breath, One you surrender yourself completely to, And vow to take care of, unto your death, Soul mates care about each other infinite, Living for each other, fulfilling each other’s dreams, At times, those unspoken, unshared, undocumented, Yet perfectly understood by the other, it so seems, Soul mates create magic every time they meet, Memories that remain etched in minds forever, And like the angels, like the shadows,...

6 th April 2013, the day I have been waiting for, is just around the corner. What an amazing feeling it would be to be conferred with the Post Graduate Diploma in Management from IIM Indore! These two years had its share of ups and downs. But when I look back at them in totality, I am elated to see that the journey turned out to be much better than what I had expected when it all began. Philosophically speaking, things do fall in place in the end. A few days back, I had the privilege of experiencing the convocation ceremony of one of my closest friends, at XLRI Jamshedpur. Incidentally, he was my study partner during the pre-CAT days and I spent most of the latter half of 2010 with him. I still vividly remember those days, trying to get more than the other in AIMCATs, solving quant sitting in the last row in class while the hapless Professor attempted to teach VLSI, exchanging notes and giving each other valuable advice to bell the CAT. So much that even God didn’t want an...