Cooldesire

That was his last sip. He wanted it to last forever.

The bill was already looking stale & making faces onto him. He obliged it with a hundred rupee note and wished there were a jumboo version of the coffee in the menu, like the subway next door offers. He had another glance at the world moving across the glass, the world which was no more existing for him in those moments.

The eyes met again and the thing was understood...time to leave.

Words had never come in their way. They didn't need words to know they were in love and they didn't need 'em to tell that it will remain intact even though they decided they won't.
Now after 4 years (and 3 months 12 days to be precise) his fate have brought him back to the city lanes, and he had a whim to feel what at the moment was filled in her eyes.

The only time he had in his world was now at the mercy of the bus she had to board on. At that time, he loved the traffic, the roads, the congestion and the brawls which people pick at busy roads and forgot to give others a side.

Her mind was empty. She knew her eyes would burst if she choose to utter those words. The words which were already understood, but she wanted to say 'nyway. She knew she had to hold and pretend till she reach home and find the comfort of her pillow. She looked around, and found a bunch of bestsellers lying in dust but well arranged on the pavement. Her eyes sparkled and glued on the one.

"This is my favourite. You cann't imagine how much it reflects of me & supported me when you were not.... " reaching that point, her words got frozen into a silence.

In that silence, all she could see was his smile while he paid for the book.....then reaching for his pen, scribbled something on it and let it slid in her purse. The smile continued to drip from his mouth and his eyes, while she boarded on the bus and even when her hands betrayed her to say goodbye.

The bus geared up to take her away back to the place she had choosen to live in, 'coz it didn't matter anyway. When she grabbed a seat, she found many eyes staring at her crumbled face with inquisitive & pity looks. She reached for the book in her purse in order to look busy in her world.

That was the first time when she saw the preface....with a 'To & her nick name' in print ......and somewhere down a spattering of ink across 'With love - & his signature'.

The signature resembling with the one in print lying next to author's name.

The journey

The train blowed its final horn and started leaving the tracks submerged in the clouds of the thick smoke, marching the pistons on its own beats of rock. His hands motioned to follow his wife & son's, his eyes never loosing the sight of the luggage yet to secure.

At last he was onboard for the journey of his life time, to a place somewhere far off across mountains he has never seen, except in the dreams that he has been seeing all his life through babuji's eyes. And whenever he tried to recall, when and how it all started... all he could feel was the warmth of babuji's hands playing with his little fingers and the cosy lap sitting in which he has heard for the first time about his plans for him to be there someday.

'babuji, will there be TV to watch Humlog'...his curiousity applying the innocence has found a yes in the smile.

'and can Ayu come with me there'...his eyes were now looking for the familiar smile.

Suddenly with the whistle, the train of thoughts brought him back to the last night in his porch.

'Papa, but why are you going there'...little Ajay had asked him when he finished taking account of everything with him and after him. He couldn't recall if babuji gave him any answer for this. All he knew that he wanted him to go. And why 'why' had not been important to him to know, he couldn't recall.

'Ajju, I am going there to bring you the mountain train, so that when you go there you can go comfortably', while lifting him with his both hands, he could also feel the weight of a familiar smile on his face.

'But papa, I don't want to go there, I can play my video games at home', little mind protested indifferent of the smile, and after a little struggle got success in slipping out of the craving hands.
Not sounding disappointed he smiled back, 'No beta, you must go there once, like I am going. Its a place to be. That's what you have to prepare yourself for in life. And don't worry I am going to help you with this, and more than your grandpa helped me with.'

In the silence that followed, the words said it all. It was between him and babuji. His life had been instrumental to be the cause for babuji's victory, and this had earned him reason and the rights to expect the same in return from his son. Besides he's gonna help Ajju in that, and afterall its for him only. What am I to gain?

Once again he's been thinking the same, his thoughts matching the rhythm of the train. He knew its the cable, movies and comp. to blame for their share in spoiling the kids. For all his life, he could remember only one time babuji taking all of 'em to a circus, that too when some relative insisted. Yes, he had also been once to theatre with a neighbour. But then he had only one son. How could he deny him of the pleasures, he slogged so hard to afford, knowing well that in return he has been letting go his time past beyond to avail 'em for himself.

...to be contd.

The last class

Today was the last we sang again
with the chorus with the hearts
we sang for sunshine, and for rains.
for the world, for the love
for that peace and hope remains.

then we stopped for a while
an invisible drop rolled from her eyes
and her voice lifted its weight
said it all, to us without wait.

we stood in the silence
the silence yelled at our pretense
such a heartless we were
letting her go like thus

and then her face glowed again
her mouth enriched the smile
her eyes began
the smile sincere than efforts she made
and sweeter than the cake she baked

may be she just loves to give
so shall she find lot others
who will need

is anything we'll miss,
may be her energy
her scoldings
her smile
a little love
and a bit of life!!!

The point..

I don't like to be labelled with 'something' or to be 'someone'. Today i did this to myself. The worse part is that I did this to prove a point just 'coz people opt listening to 'someone' than to 'reasoning', which I equally dislike. That 'something' was my credibility in technical field and the point was some odd technical discussion. I am not feeling good about it and rather wish, I would have given 'reasoning' one more chance. But I guess atleast I proved the point.

But then proving it like this...what's the point?

Just a song

Just a song for the world
gives a chance for our dreams
Just a song for hte world
that we all live in peace
and the story of our hopes
is never ending.
Let us sing our fears away
and together we'll stay
hand in hand
so we all will survive.
Let our song turn on the lights
in the dark of lonely nights
let'em shine,
keep our feelings alive.

- something we sang in our German class and made my day...