what keeps you awake

What keeps you awake all night
Those tired eyes have more to say
Of some dream slowly fading away
Or is it some hope for the unborn new day
That keeps your red eyes open wide
And keeps you awake all night..

What keeps you awake all night..
A memory  sweet of someone too dear..
Who is close to your heart but not so near ..
Or the picture of someone special walking away..
Shakes you up with a shiver and a fright..
And the fear of losing keeps you awake all night..

What keeps you awake all night..
Your mind stacked with thoughts grows restless for rest
But busy with thoughts you turn down its request 
To and fro you move between past and future
As you wonder how something meant to last forever
Could end so soon..what is wrong.. what is right
The tantrums in your mind keep you awake all night..

But finally you listen to your weary heart ..
Just as a night marks the end of a voyage..
A day brings in the promise of a new start..
Secretly you promise to make a better tomorrow..
To lead a life of joy and fight away your sorrows..
And finally at this hour .. to your eyes delight..
You fall asleep ..as you give up to this beautiful night..

Yesterday Today Tomorrow

"Today" Do you regret having wasted your "Yesterday" in worrying about your "Tomorrow' or in regretting about the "Day before" ?
Well, then "Today" u aren't doing anything different from Yesterday And your Tomorrow will not be any different from your "Today" ..
"Today" is the "Tomorrow" you waited for "Yesterday"  Live in the present 

Children With Burden

Marching with placards carrying slogans of 'Equality and Education' ..
People had come out of their houses today to promote a mission ..

But as i walked along with peer supporters of the Human rights ..
A lean and thin figure at a corner caught my sight ..

Carrying a bag stuffed with empty bottles and cans ..
His body missed a shirt and his skin bore a deep dark tan ..

His dust covered face could only afford a fake and fragile smile ..
And the deep cracks on his heels suggested he had covered many a miles ..

With an intimidating roughness , his eyes looked old and wise ..
But one could find an adorable innocence behind those young eyes ..

Those eyes had seen lesser days for he was yet to be a teen ..
But they had seen more of this World , than i had seen ..

Handing over few coins to a shopkeeper,he bought a loaf of bread ..
But strangely he didn't eat it full and kept half of it in his bag instead ..

This act of his completely blew me away for now i realized ..
There was something that made him choose this way of life ..

Someone back home waiting for that half crust ..
Someone he had to support, something which made his working a must ..

Seeing this helpless kid i was dawned with a realization ..
That protesting against 'Child Labor' was not the complete solution ..

Stopping them from working was a goal easy to achieve ..
But the bigger challenge was to provide them a better life to live ..

This kid toiled hard to earn his daily bread and butter ..
But by not doing so could his life be any better ? ..

Now that i had seen this guy, i was not sure what's right and what's wrong ..
Whether i should quit the protest or just march along ..

'Stop Child Labor' from the crowd came a sharp and determined voice ..
But i stopped there, wondering what will the kid choose .. if given a choice ..

The One Person

People stepped into his life ..
Some tried to make him,
Some tried to shake him and Some tried to break him,

But however hard people tried , no matter ..

He didn't stumble,fall or shatter ..

But then someone came who never pushed him to change..
Who trusted him and asked for nothing in exchange ..

For this person he changed for a fresh life and spirit ..
Because living for such a person was a life well lived..

15 years back - The Last Letter

He tried to hide himself, when he was being chased ..
Taking out a paper from the bag around his waist ..
He scribbled something with shaking hands in a haste ..
He knew his time had come, for he had been traced ..

His mind went back to the summer of the previous year ..
Her picture flashed before his eyes - crystal clear ..
She had said with a smile, hiding her tears ..
"Losing you is my biggest fear" ..
And then he had whispered holding her near ..
"I Promise .. In a few months, i will again be here" ..

And that was the last time he had seen his dear ..

But before the memories of his beloved, his home and his town ..
Could make him weak and break him down ..
He remembered an old promise he had made ..
Even if he had to die , the promise could never fade .. 

He carefully placed the letter beneath a stone ..
And then .. 'Jai Hind' he shouted in an untamed tone ..
Oozing with love for the country, vigor and passion ..
Loading his gun with bullets he charged towards the opposition ..
..............

15 years back - this soldier had paid his last tribute to the nation ..

And .. "Forgive me for I broke my promise , to keep another promise I had made"
 - his last letter to his wife read .. 

Live this day

                                                                        Live this day


Drop your worries about the unseen tomorrow ..

Live this Day , come out of Yesterday's Sorrow ..

Believe in Yourself , You can fight away challenges new ..

And You are not alone , I'll be there for you ..

Memories

In a way life is all about memories..its only memories that remains from your past , its only memories that you carry forward from your present , and its new memories you will form in your future..

When the world goes blind

Cruising through the streets on a winter night ..
A poor homeless kid at the roadside caught her sight ..
Starving and shivering in cold the kid looked for someone so kind ..
To give him a helping hand , but he couldn't find ..
And how could she be that 'someone' when the world had declined ..
Hence to this unfortunate poor being , she chose to be blind ..

Not so far ahead she saw a man weak and old ..
Who waited at the roadside fighting the cold ..
For someone to hold him and take him to the other side ..
He begged for help, but the world was too busy to guide ..
And how could she go against mankind ..
Hence to this weak and shaking being , she chose to be blind ..

Some distance away as she stopped at a red light ..
She saw a man drunk was trying to prove his might ..
As he pulled , slapped,  beat his wife and held her tight ..
The lady helplessly cried , people stopped hearing the noise ..
All paused for a moment but none raised his voice ..
Even she moved at green , leaving the lady behind ..
To this helpless and tortured lady , she chose to be blind ..

Moments later her bike slipped , throwing her on the street ..
With bleeding knees she cried for help as she tried to stand on her feet ..
With a spinning head she could see people look at her and move on ..
At that moment her mind went for a rewind ..
When people needed her help , she had denied ..

And people like her form the world ..
Now she could see them all , but to her pain .. the world was blind ..

Someone Somewhere Is Always Praying For You

When,
Every Moment You Are blessed With A Reason to Smile..
Some Force Has Been Driving You Now For A While..
You Feel More Confident And More Strong..
Your Life Is Full Of Joy And Nothing Can Be Wrong..
And Why Is God So Generous You Have No Clue ..

Its Because Someone Somewhere Is Always Praying For You .. 

He Tried Harder

Every time he tried to score
They asked him to try once more
Next time he tried harder than before
But sadly he was shown the door..

He saw his peers climb up the ladder
He didn't give up ,he tried harder
Finally he succeeded ,caught up with his peers, after trying for years,
And now his peers were yet to learn what he had learnt from his failures..

The Mango Tree

Standing at the outskirts of the busy town ..
This gigantic beauty had been beaten down ..
By cycles of rain , thunder and storm ..
Been untouched for years it had lost its charm ..
Every brick and pillar proved it was too old ..
And such a house was worthy of being sold ..

Just as he finished his final tour of the chateau ..
His eyes caught something covered with overnight dew ..
Gallantly standing there - tall and bold with beauty sublime ..
This Mango tree had guarded the house all this time ..
Loaded with bulks of mangoes which the leaves couldn't conceal ..
Ripe and ready for the neighborhood kids to  steal ..

The very sight of the tree triggered in his brain ..
A walk down the sweet and fun-filled memory lane ..
He could see a ten year old kid climb up the tree ..
Devoid of troubles and worries .. he played around in glee ..
Fighting with his siblings to grab the best mango from the lot ..
And then sharing the same with them ,which tied them in an inseparable knot ..
They had promised each other - their friendship will forever last ..
"But people forget promises with time" and he grew up too fast ..

And in a moment he had a glance of his childhood days..
His childhood like a jigsaw puzzle with the pieces now falling in place  ..
All these memories were knit around the house and the tree ..
He realized something that until now he couldn't see ..
Each and every corner of the house bore a loving touch ..
Of his loved ones whom now he missed so much ..

He saw his kids running around the tree ..
The girl chased for mangoes as the boy tried to flee ..
With a smile in his face he said  ,"You were right", to his wife ..
"I cannot trade for money the priceless memories of my life " ..

Football 'My Love' - Before the FIFA WC 2014 kicks off .. how about recalling the WC 2010 final .. when Spain won a thriller against Holland to grab the title by a 1 goal margin .. Somehow I found it very similar to a guy's journey from 'loving a girl' to 'being loved by her' .. how ?? lets find out .. :)

Football 'My Love'
-----------------------

How important was the match for Spain ..
How important was her love to me ..
A defeat meant the entire journey to the finals would go in vain ..
And a 'No' would leave me in utter despair and pain ..

Nervous legs and a nervous heart ..
Both equally important for a healthy start ..
Villa ran with the ball to pierce the opposition ..
I took a chance to create in her heart , my position ..

Too early to show her my love ..
Too early for Spain to attack ..
As both Villa's ball and my proposal were thrown equally rudely back ..

But none of us lost our hearts ..
As Spain decided to bring the ball back to the end ..
And now i knew to win her heart i first needed to be a good friend ..

Back and forth the ball moved ..
Silva to Villa to Puyol to Ramos ..
We started spending time together ..
And it slowly became from 'Me' to 'Us' ..

Situation tensed up as Iniesta , through the opposition's defense, found his way ..
Now that we were best friends, i once again decided to convey ..

One on one with the keeper ..
Chances always high for the striker ..
Still my heart throbbed and panicked ..
In anticipation of what will be her answer ..

' I love you and I need you ',was her reply ..
The heavens blessed the meeting of our souls ..
Celebrations began, Spain's dream come true ..
As Iniesta guided the ball into the goal ..

Unheard Voice ..

Who doesn't love to achieve glory and fame ..
Even i have dreams to earn the same ..
Inside me there is a wild .. uncontrolled flame ..
A spark.. a vigor you cannot tame ..

Given a chance i will make you see ..
How hard i can compete with you
And how mighty i can be ..
Then i want to see you applaud for me ..
when overnight i become a sensation ..
when i win a medal for my nation ..

But somewhere between me and my dreams
Lie my biggest apprehensions ..
That some myths so unjust , some rules so supreme
And some witless conventions ..
Will break my wings and restrain me from flying ..
With shattered hopes i will fall in the dust , crying ..

But here I am ready to tackle ..
All the hurdles planned for me and all the hassles ..
I don't need you to empower me ..
To see my power just set me free ..

As I am yet to see the daylight ..
Yet to see the beauty of the night ..
Yet to see the sea and the storm ..
I am a girl yet to be born ..

A Sleepless Night

He could not sleep that night ..
As he eagerly waited to have a sight ..
Of her and grab her in his arms ..
To love her, to kiss her and to get lost in her charm ..

He could not sleep that night ..
He remembered how he had challenged God's might ..
When the world said he couldn't have her in his life ..
And he knew without her he will not survive ..

He could not sleep that night ..
For he had won .. And now his life was bright ..
He sat on his seat and softly cried ..
'Tears of Joy followed his long struggle and fight'

He could not sleep that night ..
If only something faster than the flight ..
Could cover those thousands of miles ..
And take him to her .. and let him watch her smile ..

At the strike of dawn he reached his home ..
And finally at this hour of joy .. he was not alone ..
And then he saw the angel of his life ..
His new born daughter ..smiling in her dreams .. sleeping by her Mom's side ..

"We did it",he said as he hugged his wife ..
"She looks like you",with tears in her eyes, she replied ..

When 'Rahul' became #RaGa and 'Modi' became #Namo

Its no more a Breaking News that #BJP won the #2014LokSabha elections by a huge majority .. dissapointment for #Congress .. depressed #RaGa .. but What a win for #BJP .. What a win for #NaMo .. and  What a win for the #SocialMedia ..
Just to get the context of the post clear , can you remember how active were you on Facebook during the previous general elections in 2009 ? Alright i believe you were quite active on Facebook even then and probably also on Orkut ( you still remember Orkut, right ?) .. but hey !! were your parents on these social media sites back then ?? Come on , that cant be a 'big yes' . But now they are!!  In the last five years the trend has changed . Facebook and Twitter have become more powerful with more and more people starting to actively use these sites. You need a scale to weigh their power ? Just recall an incident in the past not so long ago when a girl was put behind bars for a post on fb with her friend who liked her post. Such is the power of social media and 'Power' and 'Politics' are so closely knit that it was impossible for our Indian Politics to stay away from the social media. In fact how much social media can affect Politics can be measured by its impact on the 2014 general Elections.

Never before did we have such an interface which could give us each and every update of the political parties and their icons. It was almost like people were ready with their # tag and @ tag combinations to type in their post, closely observing each and every move of #NaMo or #RaGa. For some people these posts and tweets used to be news , while others who were familiar with the news just added their opinions in the comments. In fact long before the election results were announced, people had already chosen their leader on fb when they hit more likes than comments on a likes vs comments (#NaMo vs #RaGa) post.

'India believes' that the famous interview by #ArGo of #RaGa was a crucial point and a decider in 2014 elections. Well .. what about the twitter and facebook flood that followed the interview? Seeing posts about it again and again only helped us to get our concepts clear. And didn't the parties themselves take this social media craze to their advantage and start spreading posts about their oponents . The battle was fought equally on the campaigns + rallies and on Twitter + facebook. As a matter of fact on 2009 only one political leader had a twitter account and this time .. well tough to think of a name who is still to enter the Twitter world.

Having said all that, didn't we benefit from the social media? We had to vote for some candidate and we did vote  (of course not all of us voted and fb posts didn't fail to highlight the celeb names who missed voting) but with much deeper knowledge about the candidate and party whom we think can take up the responsibilities of the nation. Of course not all that was projected was true - some posts were fake , some made no sense ,  but the remaining were enough to give us a better picture of the scenario. But any idea who benefited from these social media floods the most ?? Yeah you got it right ! Its The Facebooks and The Twitters and The Googles. In fact it seems facebook had started preparing their site for 2014 India elections since last year ( ever wondered why the new 'Trending' panel was added to Facebook). And didn't we at times or most of the time refer to facebook and twitter for the headlines ??

But how does it  bother you if these sites earned money during the elections , if your favorite candidate won and your favorite party came to power. Oh but ya .. if the winning candidate was not your favorite .. cut short on your 'Chota Bheem' episodes, start tweeting and posting , get familiar with the # and @ , for next time it will be tougher with smarter social networking sites and more people into these sites .

You Voted .. He Won .. Now What ??

Well ya !! It has been a long wait .. 10 years to have a PM who speaks . In fact in his first speech after becoming PM he spoke longer than our ex PM had spoken for an entire decade. Not only his speech .. his ideas, his views everything looks promising . With the country lost in celebrations and cries of 'Abkibaar Modi Sarkar' going all around the country..surely this day will make it to the history books in near future. Hearty congratulations to the people of India for choosing such a dynamic , promising and charismatic leader. You voted .. he won .. job done .. right?? Now the country's economy will start looking up, crimes will reduce, evils like hunger , poverty, caste ,creed will perish,etc etc. That is exactly what is expected to happen .. now that you have given the power to the most eligible candidate .. right?? But are you really done with your job ??

Our new PM is supposed to protect the 'daughters' of the country. But will he be there when at some hour of the day at some corner of  some city a 'daughter' is attacked by some random 'Men' ?
Our new PM is also supposed to bring down corruption by implementing some clever and strict strategies. But will he be there when a poor, old and retired man has to pay a bribe to get his pension underway ?
Our new PM is supposed to remove poverty and bring about development in the country like never before.
But will he be there when a young guy  tired of searching for a job and sick of struggling gives up his life?
Our new PM is supposed to make the country look better by building beautiful new fly overs, bridges, railway stations, parks, etc. But will he be there when some irresponsible and careless guy pees on the road side or writes his lover's name on the pillars of some ancient monument?
Will he be there to stop a father from paying dowry for his daughter's marriage? Will he be there to save a newly married wife being tortured by her husband behind closed doors ?
Well .. may be he will be there .. if not he , someone working for him will be there .. a policeman or someone .. but for every hundred such cases there will be thousand more cases which will remain unattended.. as a result crime rates will continue to grow, corruption will remain high, poverty will be there and other social evils will be prevail.

But hey .. wait a sec .. you have done your job by electing him as the PM . Then don't you deserve a better India ? There is only one answer I can think of right now and here it goes "Your job is far from done" .. in fact you have just started executing your tasks and believe me "Electing Him as the PM" was the first task in that list. Now that you have laid your trust on him, don't leave him alone in bringing around a change in the country. Be a part of it. Even the smallest actions at individual level will eventually aid towards the growth of the country. Actions starting from "no wastage of food", "stop fighting over petty issues", "don't break traffic rules", "give the poor a penny" to actions such as "respecting women and making sure the person next to you does the same", "denying to give or take bribes", "keeping the city clean", "preventing domestic violence", "stop hating the poor", "ignoring castes .. we all are humans and Indians", "respecting all religions".

Though we have a PM who looks to be one of the best the country has ever had, it will be only too early to decide if things will start looking up. But certainly every small step taken at individual level will take us a step forward in making India a country the leaders had envisioned at the time of independence. "Lets bring the glory back to the nation .. Lets be a pat of this revolution". Let us all rise up to the occasion and under the leadership of this charismatic leader let us build a new India and gift it to our next generations so that they can be proud of us.  Now that we have a " ModiSarkar" , lets try "AbkiBar Desh Sudhaar".

More Gratitude .. Less Complains

The world will be a better place to live .. 
Life will give us more joy and less pain .. 
Only if everyday we bring in our lives ..
a little more gratitude and a little less complains ..

Why do something that won't buy you a smile

"Sky is the limit for those who put limits to their ambitions..
We were made for a voyage to sail beyond the horizon" ..

Were we made to master only one art in a lifetime?
Why cant a tester .. also be a developer ..
why cant an electronics geek .. also be a crazy coder ..
Why cant an engineer .. also master poetry ..
Why cant a music maniac .. also be an equally good painter ..
Do we study a single subject in schools or colleges ?? never ..

So why work on one thing throughout your life
as if thats the only thing you could be good at ..
We were never taught to choose one profession..
So its a choice .. how we want to lead our lives ..
Cos one life is what we have ..

"Why walk only a yard when you can walk a mile ..
why do something that wont buy you a smile ..
Give wings to your dreams and let them fly ..
Do what you love .. take risks ..
but dont end your life with a sigh.."

Endless Dreams

Name me a man born so supreme .. 
who in his life has converted all his dreams ..
A dream come true .. 
adds another dream to the endless queue ..

Real Happiness comes not when we achieve those dreams ..
But in the journey wherein to achieve them we try out the extremes ..
We say "when you stop dreaming .. you stop living" 
But we forget "you stop dreaming .. only when you stop living"

Let them be Themselves

A guy tall handsome and smart .. looked so fine .. was a friend of mine..
But his creators saw in him sparks of Einstein..
He Fought hard and won battles .. but only till class nine ..
Too late for theatres by then, he ended up at X bar with a bottle of wine..

never had a voice been more soothing to these ears ..
This nightingale could win hearts with a voice so melodious and clear ..
But he was made to dance at the tunes of Presley ..
Poor nightingale's legs proved too weak .. as he staggered and fell
broken .. slowly ..

His poems could move and shake people off their feet ..
He wrote on subjects concerning the country's needs ..
But his closest ones didnt approve his talent ..
And the pen in his hand was replaced by a random racquet ..

For his country he had enormous passion..
Wanted to fight and shed blood for his nation ..
But the brave lad was painted in the romantic shades of Hussain..
Confused with colours and meaningless sketches .. his life went in vain..

People who were born to conquer and rule ..
Were held back and bound by rules ..
They had nursed dreams to win hearts and fly high ..
But were made to run and fell down with a sigh .
Lost their way in life amidst of books racquets salsa and sketches ..
They force us to ask a question ..
Why couldnt they be .. just themselves ??

ride over the waves of challenges

Today life beckons you..
With a reason and a challenge new..
Unleash in yourself the power to conquer..
Move ahead with a desire and unmatched vigour..

Never stop dreaming for glory and fame..
To achieve them take risks and play the game..
To the list of the legends you will add your name..

From the waves and the tides-those who fear..
In a direction they should steer..
their ship so as to aid their motion with the forces of the sea..
And turn every difficulty into a golden opportunity..

" Sky is the limit "for those who apply limits to their ambitions..
you are meant for a voyage to sail beyond the horizon..
A brave heart and a clever mind leaves in your journey no distress..
And then you welcome every challenge as a herald of another success..

The power lies in you and now is the time..
You are never too old or too young to set out for a voyage..
You have in you skills divine..
The spark in you will usher in vital changes..
Conquer the world..ride over the waves of challenges..

Life - A Festival

Life is a festival..
Roam about and explore, play games, win n lose,
Suprise others n get surprised, 
paint urself with the colours of the festival..
And end up with a bunch of memories..
But yu surely wudnt have had enough at the end..
And yu will want to relive certain moments of the festival again..

Life Goes On

Life goes on .. 
People come into your life.. and leave ..
Some of them move you .. some shake you .. and some make you .. 
Just like the waves of the sea that again and again hit you ..
At the end you are left only with memories .. 
and yourself ..
A person you were never before .. 
A person who you became standing at the shore ..
As you casually followed someones footprints engraved in the sand ..

Give him a chance

This noon he had to skip his meal..
It wasn't new to him ..
He knew how it feels..
When you miss your breakfast and then skip your meal..

This noon He had grabbed his meal..
But gave it to a kid who had arrived a week before
Because that 'toddler' was on 'wheels' ..
Weak and hungry He sat near the gate on his kneels..

Everyday while coming back from office
I would grab a beer from a shop on my way..
My friends thought i was wasting money..
But 200 bucks for a can .. i could easily pay..

But something stopped me from buying a can today..
Something i came across on my way..
Something which made a rupee look too much to pay..
Something that i hadn't realized till this day..

I saw a kid sitting near an Orphanage gate..
Tired of being hungry he cursed his fate..
He first looked at my car 'dazzle and shine'..
And then his eyes met mine ..

He asked a thousand questions at a glance..
He wanted to live .. he needed a chance ..
The only difference between him and me ..
Was that I was born in a rich family..
And he never had a family..

I bought him a meal which he finished in no time ..
'Thank you',he said,'Now i am fine'..
And the joy in his eyes gave me a pleasure ..
Which neither money could give me nor some wine ..

God was born on this day

When winter was at its peak..
And the city was decked with trees and lights..
He remembered his mother often said..
That he was born on one such night..

When winter was at its peak..
And the city was decked with trees and lights..
The only difference this day made to him was..
He woke up early and had to work in a hotel late night..

He saw a group celebrating and exchanging gifts..
He thought "why are they celebrating , its my birthday"..
He asked one of them "whats special today?"
With a surprised expression and a mocking smile he said
"God was born on this day".

Years rolled by .. again on one such Christmas day..
A rich man and his wife stopped by a hotel on their way..
He handed over some gifts and cakes to a kid working there..
And whispered to his wife..
"once upon a time I used to work here"..

"Whats special today?" Asked the kid to the wife..
She looked at her husband walking away ..
With pride in her eyes and a smile she said
"God was born on this day "