This is another version of a story about meeting Ruskin Bond, that I had written earlier.
Scribbles
This is a description of the lunch hour at the school mess, written according to the IGCSE conventions of descriptive writing. There are author’s notes at the end,
Spin-a-verse: Poetry Challenge
Prompt: Rendezvous I was coal buried in the Earth’s bosom raw, naked unearthed destined to burn. You were a flicker of light with orange flames playing with fireflies in the dead of the night. I was a forest waiting to be devoured kindled to ashes and turn to smoke in your power. You were a […]
Scribbles
Trolleys trudging in tow, a tapestry of travellers weaves itself through the labyrinthine Lucknow Charbagh railway station. The rusty iron stairs creak, as passersby hustle with hurried footsteps and descend onto platform number four. A lone graffiti, its paint dulled by centuries-old layers of dust, welcomes with the words: Mushkuraiye, aap Lucknow me hai! Passengers in-waiting […]
Poems
Spin-a-verse: Poetry Challenge
Prompt: Serendipity While cleaning this Diwali I met old friends of mine. Now yellow, wrinkled with age they were books I’d read as a child. As I opened an Enid Blyton book A note fell near my feet In a child’s scrawl, it said: When I grow up I will live in a library And […]
Poems
Spin-a-verse: Poetry Challenge
Word Prompt: Black The black of the night Asked the lone star bright Why do you go on shining alone In a sea of darkness? Doesn’t the loneliness engulf you Oh, star bright? Choke you Numb you Make you mad with fright? It’s my nature to burn, said the lone star I must do that, […]
Stories
This story is written in the IGCSE convention of narrative writing for grade 10, with autobiographical elements. It is also inspired by the story titled ‘Deep Water’ by William Douglas from the CBSE, NCERT textbook Flamingo for grade 12.
Stories
Mr Bond, if I am ever so lucky that this reaches you, know that you have my heart.
– From a little girl
Mental health
Spin-a-verse: Poetry Challenge
Since my brush with it, I believe that depression is a state of mind that can only be described in metaphors. Words don’t suffice. Sentences fall short. It is only in metaphors that this wretched feeling can be described.
Poems
This is one of the oldest of my poems. Coincidentally, this is also the first poem I performed during an open mic.
Spin-a-verse: Poetry Challenge
I started a poetry challenge a few years back. I asked my friends to give me a word as a prompt and promised them that I would make a verse out of it before the day ended. The idea was to challenge myself as a poet, have fun with words and not take the day too seriously. This was back in 2020. Since the verses were random spins on words and rhymes, far from perfect, I never shared them here. But even imperfect must be celebrated and if its all in good fun then more so !
Poems
When you open the windows and let in the sunlight, yet to shine on broken columns And the rain comes in too? What do you do? You shut the drapes tight And ask Why can’t I just have the sun And leave the rain outside? So you hug your knees to your chest And dream […]
Poems
I had time on my hands and energy I could run a race or climb a tree But I felt something take hold of me So I sat down and wrote some poetry Do you know? Why do I do so? I mean, write poetry? Well, I don’t know But it must be so; When […]
Poems
Busy buzzy bumble bee You seem so restless Just like me. Can’t choose a colour Is that why you chose black n’ yellow stripes, Do you also not know What to do in this little life ? Do you also sway from highs to lows Do you make plans that fail, Or you just go […]
Poems
माँ बाप से लड़ना है।कहना है,माना बीज हूँ मैं इस गर्भ कासींच हूँ तमाम त्याग की,जीवन दिया है आपनेएहसान है बहुत,पर उसे जीने की आज़ादी भी दे। समाज से लड़ना हैं।माना अंश हूँ मैं तेरातेरे इस यम नियम के यज्ञ मेंएक आहुती ही तो हूँ ?संरचना दी है तूनेउपकार हैं बहुतपर पुराने ढर्रों में ना […]
Poems
Dream an absurd dream. For dreams to reach maturity They need to cross the threshold of absurdity. Like a girl, bleeding her first, Steps into womanhood. Dream an absurd dream That makes people laugh On your face, in disbelief. Or gets them simmering with anger Oh, how dare you! Dream with such audacity When life […]
Poems
Today, I am a visitor Maa No, No I can’t stay You pack your Aloo Poori I will eat it on the way. On the way to the big city Where ambitions are crafted out of dreams And fattened on money. Money is plenty, Ma It is all about the hustle! No, Ma I can’t […]
Scribbles
It was the year 2006 when Kiran Desai’s novel The Inheritance of Loss won the Booker prize. Although since then, I have had the good fortune of reading many award-winning books in my career as a literature enthusiast, I distinctly remember that particular book and author. I remember that novel because it was the first […]
Poems
एक सुबह आंगन में धूप सेकते हुएएक तितली को उड़ते देखादेख उसे जाते डाल डालसे पात पातमैंने सोचाक्या तितली का भी घर होता होगा?होते मेरे भी पंख अगरक्या मुझे सुहाते ईंटों के घर ?ख्याल उड़ने का तो हैमुझे भी लुभातापर गिरने के डर से मन कुछ सहम सा जाताकभी खुली आंखों से सपने देखती हूँउनमें […]
Poems
This poem is my humble tribute to Robert Frost’s A Road Not Taken, one of the greatest poems ever written. It has puzzled generations of readers- Frost’s sigh at the end, is it regret? Or satisfaction? Did he write it to inspire or was it about his friend Edward Thompson, who was a chronic regretter?
It is not for us to know. It is from us to draw from it what we need to.