The decade, that defines.

As author Meg Jay writes in her book ‘The defining decade’ that “The twenties are a time when people and personalities are poised for transformation.” I wonder why just 10 years out of an incredibly long life. Why does life has to change entirely only in one single decade ?

You’ll barely start your graduation at the beginning of the decade and come out of it as parents of another full-grown individual. How can this not be scary ?

The earlier part, the first five years are mostly all fun and games, probably the most memorable, where you are living your life at your best and the remaining five seem to be as scary. I mention ‘seem to be’ because not having experienced it yet, I’m no one to cling to and establish it as a fact.

And as much as these ten years feel like a treasure and a lottery ticket, it feels like they are slipping like sand from your hand. The more you try to hold it the more they slip out of it.

This topic, I must say will keep appearing in posts and my writings as  I explore it ahead, because this adventurous decade is beyond our control and probably thrilling too for the same reason. Because what is thrill without fear ? And what is life without an adventure ?

With or without you..

Often the people who love fiercely function between the all and the nothings. Either they are too scared to step out the super high walls they’ve built around themselves or they look at you destroy their entire castle and still have love in their eyes.

No doubt the two situations converge but somewhere in the parallel. We don’t yet know what ‘nothing’ & ‘nothing’ are called when combined together and ‘all’ & ‘all’ are too fierce to exist in one single dimension called reality.

Rewind the frame and there were two people, their ‘all’ did converge at a point. Even so, for them, that short time together was a lifetime. It used to be cold, it used to be dark but who cares if they are amidst something so rare.

How difficult it is to wait for something to happen, without any certainty if it actually would. But she did, and who knew he would too and that it was not her but him who drove all the momentum through.

They crossed paths, he looked at her, she didn’t notice. They exchanged glances, he couldn’t blink, she moved on. One lovely evening, when she was admiring the sea, brushing through her hair, he looked at her and couldn’t stop looking at her. This time, she noticed..but before she could think about anything, he disappeared. Many such evenings passed, she would wait at the shore, he would come to the surface look at her and dive back. Something stopped him from moving towards her. She stopped herself , the shore was her limit, though she wanted to move ahead, she was helpless.

By now, they had obviously fallen in love. Does love always require an expression, does love really needs to be told to be felt, well..I don’t think such is the case. But the questions that surround your affection, eventually push you towards expression. Because you want to know, what they feel, what they think and hence you ask yourself the final question – would anything change even if they didn’t ? Certainly not ! Then it’s not a waste to be waiting..days..weeks..forever ? And finally her patience paid off.

He showed up on the shore, however said nothing. Everyday they would meet at the shore, she would giggle and he would smile..in a moreover deserted world, they were always there for each other. When they were together it was not always beautiful but peaceful, nonetheless like the rest of the world had just disappeared.   

She wanted to but never said anything, stepping into that territory, she was afraid, it would break her again. Little did she know, he too was, broken..already and rather too afraid to risk ‘her’ love in vain.

How strange, isn’t it ? The shallower the love is, you don’t even give it a second thought and the more it deepens, ‘fear’ is all you are surrounded with.

They were well aware of their differences but so down in love they never wanted to open eyes and look at what was about to be standing in front of them soon. But, who cares about promises when you are in the making of it. Time does not pass in minutes but moments when you are with your special someone in solace.

She wondered if someday, she could hold his hand and introduce him to the flowers she loved, show him the warmth her land used to hold. She wanted to give him all of the love and warmth of the world, often afraid if he would be able to bear it. She knew his strength lied in the waters, the land would weaken him..

I wonder how she never noticed, his feet on the ridge, appearing out of darkness just to meet her. He wished so bad but could not invite her, he knew she wouldn’t be able to survive within. But what is to happen, happens. That day, she moved forward like she has gathered all the strength she had, she walked and walked till the edge. To meet him ? To see him ? and oh she fell down ! Was she really so naive ? I still wonder if it happened to be a fall or she chose to drown herself, so that with him she could be.

And then it happened, the convergence. She fell down and he found her. That’s when they were actually together, for the first time. United in the deep dark sea. Cold it was, so much more than a creature fragile like her can take. But it was her choice, wasn’t it ? She didn’t belong here. He knew that, so did she. She wouldn’t care but he will have to help her leave. How he wished he could keep her with himself, all his life but you don’t destroy the things you love, right ? For as long as she lives and she smiles, how does it matter how many miles ? 

He held her hand, led her up and she would look at him, resisting to leave, questions in her eyes but he said nothing. Naive as she was, again to believe that he was leaving to be with her..in the lands or maybe find a new world together. Happier that she would be in the light again, with him on the bright sparkling sand. She would smile and pull him towards herself. But that’s not how it was meant to be.

Almost there, on the edge they were. A new life, a forever awaits, there it was the only moment she waited for. They held hands, bent ahead, he pushed her forward and fell down. She turned back and couldn’t believe what just happened. Taking silence for answers, was her punishment.

She kept bending over and calling his name, with tears in his eyes he sank deeper. He didn’t answer he disappeared again.

Alone in the warmth she stared at the sea. The sun was shining bright, the flowers were blooming high but it felt colder than it was there inside. She was finally there where she belonged, but somehow it didn’t feel right. While she waited at the edge everyday, with no other consideration in her mind. But her world had no value without him anymore but she was not made to survive in that world either.

Little did she know, he kept waiting in the depths with his horrid dark fears all night long. He would look at the sky and wonder why they couldn’t be together in one land. She stared at the ridge, trembling . Was she naive or she had just tasted betrayal ? She stood no chance to doubt her love.  The heart that brought her all the warmth , was what she left behind in the waters with him. Nothing seemed fancy, nothing beautiful, nothing felt warm, nothing she could ever believe in.

Heartbroken she sat at the edge of the water, used to call his name but he wouldn’t appear..and the days moved ahead. Everything in daylight seemed  futile.

And what about him ? Trust me, he was used to the cold, the darkness inside but now he used to miss her more in his plight, after all he had found the meaning of his life. But he was scared, scared of the same sunshine. What if he couldn’t survive the overwhelming heat that co-exists but how would he live without her light ? But what if he gave away his deep waters for the glowing light and could not find her in the dry.

What if he was left alone in the broad daylight, it would keep burning him. Everything except his girl in that world was brittle and fiery. But living without her burns more in the water so cold. Was she all that he has ever loved. But how could have he stepped out ?

The sun was on the horizon, the wind blowing fast. It was intense. The heat of the wind carried by the cold wave. She had already waited for so long, she could not spare anymore time, she thought to herself. she closed her eyes and dived, deep into the water. She slipped, she kept on falling down, couldn’t help just drown..

While he left to find her in the world where she belongs, to conquer all his fears and finally be with her. Now, that he knew she was all he has ever wanted and will ever want. She fell down and set her gravest fears aside, he stepped out to face the mighty heat.

He closed his eyes and gave up his life. She closed her eyes and set herself free. She fell down and so did he, He never came back and she is still under the deep dark sea..

Surreal

This moment is surreal.
I’am not there,
A few minutes ago, I wasn’t here either..

I’am somewhere else,
Not in the real,
Neither the unreal.

Not in my heart,
Nor in my mind.

I’m here, all alone..
Just with my own self.

In silence,
The one you feel before death,
The one you feel before you know the end is certain.
When you see,
something that resembles life is walking away,
Slowly…swiftly..
Something is leaving you..

I’am not certain but I wonder,
This is how it would feel
When your life leaves your body.
How do you know how much of you is left in you,
If something of you is dead already ?

You don’t know what’s happening..
Never been familiar with this feeling.
All you know is that,
You are comfortable with this silence,
With a part of you abruptly leaving.

You don’t even have the strength to wonder,
Or the audacity to question,
That would you be dead when it’s gone finally
Or were you dead the moment you allowed it to happen..
And even if you could, why would you ?
Dead things demand no fortification.

Oh, you think it’ll be back someday ?
Oh no my dear,
It’s Metamorphosis..
It’s liberation !

A girl of 22

The maths of her life.

12 of basic education
4 of specialisation
2 of being a slave
The rest figuring out
What was your mistake

6 u wake up
9 at your desk
9 you leave
That were 12 hours of your day

2 days of freedom 5 days of torture
7 days of periods, 7 PMS
The rest 15 in preparation of the former

1 year of friendship
1 of relationship
1 of moving on
1 of meeting another

22 years of life
Spent reaching where I’am now
Same is the number multiplied in a k what I get in return
At the End of the month in a row

6 is the count of the years left
For until my life is only mine
2 would be the count
Of the years left to carry the responsibilities assigned

9 for the no. Of absolute forbearance
For the that one thing natural
My shoulders have sworn in accordance
For a purpose divine

20 for existential crisis
40 for mid-life
50 for you realise how much of it is left
60 for waving a goodbye.

I wonder who’ll calculate,
What’s gone and what’s left..
How much of life have I actually lived and how much of it I only did try
Divided in a set of 5+2 9to5 20,30,40..
The only life I’ve got passes by…

Unexplained

A dream that got lost in the fire of your agony.
Your anguish,
And yet my symphony..

You lose and I would lose with you,
For your victory, I would surrender on a lie.
For your love I had lived
For your life I’d die…

In your love, I smiled
With your pain, I’ve bled
For you to be happy, I gave away
That one hope, my only shed..

You said I’am a ‘part’ of you
Even when we’ll be apart..
Tell me on this account,
What should I take you as ?
A warrior or a thief announced

Tell me what should I do
With the traces of yourself
That ‘you’ left in me..
Kill them all or burn alive ?

To all the wounds that demanded
Only a presence, your life
For all the sacrifices that asked for
Only a smile..

I’am not hurt you left
I’am still shook
You betrayed..

I sure wanted you to know
What is it like to live for yourself
But a life at the cost of someone’s death
Is not what I had ever expected from you..

You never failed me,
But I did myself..
Each time you asked if I would quit
I wish I had told you
I could see your betrayal coming…

For once, my dear companion
I wish you had me wrong…
No matter how heavy the reason
You had to leave..
I wish for once
You’d know how it feels to live
For the one you know will quit
For the one you know will never come back…

I wish you’d know what it feels like
To love,
The one who was never yours..
And will never either be…

For a fate you knew is destined
That brings a heart that will never be able to trust again..
Eyes that await nothing,
And a love I could never explain..

Faith

And thus fell every leaf,

In appreciation of her silence

The silence bestowed from her learnings,

Her lessons of pain and grief,

Of sorrow and disbelief

Of distrust and disgrace.

When she came to know

Everything that was hers

Was not hers to be known..

surrounded by the crowd

She would ever be alone

None of the wisdom could take her back

To the naivety she possessed.

Lost is the innocence, lost is the shine

Realisations remain,

Remains a wise shrine..

Carnations

white-flower-bunch
sorce:diyweddingdecorations

I would often be amazed at her love for flowers. Several of my friends would often refuse flowers because they thought it’s not fair as they had to die however. “So do we, isn’t it ?” she used to say “does that make life any less beautiful ?”

‘Unconventional’ I would call her. For her ideas and the way she lived her life.

“Hey, which one of these would you call your favourite?” looking at the thousands of flowers in the nursery, I asked.

“Carnations.”

“Why though…?” I could only wonder looking at the dullness of it compared to the light in her eyes. Why would she choose these over all the colourful and fragrant ones out there. But they were very simple and elegant in their appearance. Not convincing enough, I thought to myself.

But was that really the way she would think about it while she felt she loved it ?

It was time she would answer his question. “ Something that adds to the beauty of both the beholder and the companion, a simplicity that outshines the colours and above all the stubbornness to stay, not perish while all the beautiful ones would already have. All of us need something like this in our life, don’t we?”

How I wished I could tell her that I was here to stay, before it was too late. Stubborn? Yes, she too was. She fought it, but she could not win.

With a bunch of carnations in my hand, now when I stand in front of where she now resides, I could only think of what she used to tell me whenever we were around flowers.

“Had you known you were going to live forever there had been no beauty in life, you know it’s gonna end someday, so you live..you celebrate. It could not have been otherwise. Anything that is beautiful is often short lived Aaron and that is what is so beautiful about it.”

Had I known she is not gonna be with me even a year, let alone forever, had I not held her and squeezed her and had my eternity embraced in my arms just for a few more minutes. I imagine her holding the same flowers walking down the aisle while I would wait for her with a ring in my hand. That was my forever, and I missed it, even if not for me she deserved it.

But late, as I always was. Short-lived, what my love story was. But isn’t everything that is beautiful has always been.

Yours to be.

That day back then,
I had promised myself
that I won’t lose myself over loving someone ever again..
but each time I’d look at you
I question my decision over and over again.
I won’t fall,
I was not sure you’d be there to hold me
This day I wonder,
For how long have you been weighing it down
With your love for my pain.

You won’t stay, I thought
All I awaited was the moment you’d give up and leave..
Today it lingers
The fading memory of when u joined me in my journey
I kept walking ahead
Never wanted to turn back
Afraid u would have already left
And when I open my eyes admist the storm
I found out
You were leading my way

The flame,
It never touched me
Flowing were you like a river
The cold, it never hurt me
Burning were you when I’d shiver

All thorns in your chest
All ashes in your eyes
When I bend down to kiss your wounds
I knew I had lost mine…

Whatever the pain that was yours
Was now mine too
I didn’t care how much would it hurt
To be someone’s again
I knew there was no going back
Whether I live or I die
I didn’t know
That you’d make me fly…

the right amount of sunshine
And just a little bit of rain
It was dawn already
a sort of extinguishing flame
Your arms and a warm embrace
And I knew I was home again..