Love you Sandy...

It was love at first sight. He was so handsome and playful, running always behind his mother. We thought of naming him Sandy. A catastrophe fell on us when he met an untimely death during his playtime due to some rogue on the road. Those glistening eyes got closed and we remained mute. R.I.P.  Sandy!

This is Sandy. The cutest kitten I ever saw

This is written for  Write Tribe's prompt of 55 Fiction for the genre LOVE. Thanks to Vidya Sury  for all the guidance This is my very first 55 Fiction and I felt I can never write it till I rounded on love and remembered Sandy. May he rest in peace:-(

PS: Sandy is my in-laws' pet. It was just few months old. We had great fun playing with him in our last trip. It was saddening to hear about his untimely death which was very painful. Sandy stayed close by Missy in his last moments. Missy is his mother:(

Missy and Sandy

"Staircase to Heaven"- My first Haiku!

This is my first Haiku . So please be kind :) Thanks to Ruchira Shukla  for  guiding me and for helping me with  the syllable count and better words. Half credit goes to her. Thanks again to her for explaining Haiku in detail at Write Tribe.

The prompt this week is "Kigo" - which is  a seasonal word. The season in India now is rainy and as I stay in Bangalore it's just impossible to not attempt this Haiku. The beautiful foggy mornings and  rainy evenings of Bangalore made me write the below Haiku.

The below pic is taken in Nandi Hills!

Early morning fog

Rain washed steps showing the path

Staircase to heaven

This one I dedicate to you Ruchira :)
With love
Me!

From "Post-Card" to a "Wall-Post!"

Gone are the days when we used to write to each other.

We used to jot lines on a postcard for our mother, sister or a brother.

That coin spent on an envelope or a postcard was precious.

It always was fun to use a pen and write which lead to unlimited happiness!

The postcard always fell short for what all we wanted to say.

We laid emphasis on few words by underlining or overwriting was also a way.

We filled the margins and edges with words and rarely abbreviations.

Words reflected our feelings, thoughts and emotions!

Image source:"here"

Our handwriting used to be tidy when we put the pen on the paper sprawled on the floor

After hello, how are you we used to reduce the size of letters to accommodate more.

The words made us smile and think of the other person’s reactions on reading it.

We never forgot to use emoticons at the end of sentences, which ever fit! 

We used to anxiously check the calendar estimating the day we would be getting the letter.

When post-man used to ring the bell we were in smiles and always felt better.

A birthday card from a best friend with “open with a sweet smile” note always lifted our spirits.

We used to create our music and sang happy songs with our own lyrics!

Today as telegram is getting extinct everyone wants to reminisce the olden days.

They want to send one to their near and dear as a memorial before it parts ways.

We no longer write to each other or even make a courtesy call once in a while.

It is always a facebook ping or we chat or whats app message on the smartest mobile!

From wild to dirty to lame jokes we can share everything on our blog or a face book wall.

From a 10 year old to an eighty year old every one adds you to their list to be your pal.

Universe condensed and fell in your wrist and along with it our feelings have also condensed.

We seek help from unknowns and the friends we know are near but our hearts have distanced!

Image source : "here"

We share a status of mishap or a calamity seeking support from every corner of the globe.

The actual responsibility of thinking and cleaning up the mess is in someone else’s scope.

We crib, cry share and make a mess of the messy happenings yet again.

We strangely feel we have done a good deal and have lessened the sufferer’s pain!

The little postcard or an envelope meant something to someone on some day.

Wall posts, blog posts mean something to many on any day.

Our lives were more private and personal few decades back.

We now announce everything with utmost priority and knack!

This post is not to discuss past V/s present or to guess if future will be a curse.

It is to express the fact that we always love the old times and feel present is worse.

Times change, things change and people always do.

The person who doesn't change is the conscious one in you.

This post is in response to a contest hosted by Corinne, at WriteTribe. In this week's prompt we need to write a piece/a story/ a poem incorporating the following 7 words in random order : 

•   postcard
•   coin
•   tidy
•  wild
•  help
•  calendar
•  responsibility

"A random happy memory!"

Winnie the Pooh my most favorite says "Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart. " As far as I am concerned the smallest things take up the most room in my heart all the time! There are many memories which are hitting my brain in a surge so I thought to post one from my random collection of "teeny weeny" memories which actually are not so tiny and made me feel special. They still make me feel special when I think of them.

One boring blue Monday morning it was and I walked through the office gates after the routine bag checking was done with disinterest which became a part of my life. I was in no hurry and took long lazy steps towards my building when the lady who checked my bag shouted, "Madam. Show your Id card please." I lazily groped my waist to find the badge and frantically searched my bag but could not find it. 
"I forgot it." I replied with more monotony in my tone now as I had to go to main gate security desk to get a temporary card but before that I had to wait till all the "ghajinis"  with short term memory loss issues standing in front of me got their cards.
(PS: Ghajini is a famous south Indian movie in which Surya acted. Aamir Khan acted in Hindi and Jiyah Khan was in a supporting role)
The person at the desk took my pic and issued a card and then shouted, "Are you Afshan?!" in a booming voice. I was startled as I recollected if I violated any office policy like getting a CD inside or mailing unsolicited content to some one. To my surprise he was smiling broad flashing all his bright 32 teeth. 

I replied: "Err. Why ?"

He : "No. I read your blogs and you post on bulletin board too. Every one starts replying and you take pangas too with people." He replied still smiling.

I smiled and said, "Ya I am the same Afshan. You can access blogs and BB here too?"

He: "Yes of course. I read yours quite often. Good way to get out of boredom."

I thanked him and walked to my building jubilantly and I remember that I blogged about it that day. It was an office blog and I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of it. It happened may be 2 years back and I was so happy that day as a stranger appreciated me and I could come out of the Monday blues. That interaction may or may not be significant but he for sure made my day. There used to many such pleasant small/big surprises when people suddenly used to recognize me. Some used to talk to me upfront and some used to mail or ping me later about it.

No I am not famous and there are many in the "celebrity" league in my office but those particular days when I used to get the 30 seconds of fame I did the happy dance. I still do. There are many such simple joys in every ones lives and blogging is one such medium where I come across sweet nothings and bitter happenings too :) The recent A to Z challenge deserves a mention here specially as I made a "Winnie the pooh and the friends" pic representing our collaborative effort. I might have already crossed the 500 word limit. Hence cheers friends. Have a great week and remember to enjoy the small joys of life and share them with people who can feel it!

“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.” 
― Rumi

This is written for the "Wednesday prompt" . Click below to know more.

The Client Review!

" I am sorry Peter. I over looked that bug in my module."

"But how could you be so reckless John? Now I have to deal with the client side right?"

"I am really sorry Peter. If you can give me two days time I will be able to fix it."

"How can I give you two days time John? Client review is to noon!"

"Give me a while Peter. I will see what I can do!"

* After 2 hours *

"Hello Peter. I identified the solution to the bug but it has dependency on Samuel's module. So I can fix it only if he comes to office."

"But Samuel is on sick leave right? Will he be able to come?"

"I am not sure about it Peter!"

*After an hour Samuel  who is suffering from severe cold and fever comes to office and fixes the issue*

They all join a conference call.

"Hello Peter," says Samuel in a hoarse voice.

"Ya Sam. I am so glad you came to office in such a short notice. A big thanks to you buddy!"

Photo Credit : MorgueFile

"Aah. Its OK Peter. I have fixed my issue and discussed all the changes with John. I really can't stay for long in office. I am sure John can handle the module now!"

John: "Yes Peter. I understood the steps. I will submit the module in an hour."

Peter: "Bravo! Thats a great job team. Please take a day comp off Sam and good luck John. I appreciate the  dedication and flexibility of your team."

Saying so Peter ended the call.

The above scenario is quite natural in corporate offices specially in IT companies. Reviews, codes, bugs and testing the whole life revolves in this vicious cycle which never ends :)

This is in response to WriteTribe prompt.

"I Write"

I write when I want to romance the words.
I write when I break up with my words.
I write when my heart is content and dancing.
I write when my heart is empty and sobbing.

I write when my imaginations soar high with wings.
I write when my thoughts come free of the strings.
I write when the world around me changes for good.
I write when the world around me makes me brood!

I write when I want to make my days brighter.
I write when I want to make my load lighter.
I write when a gentle touch makes me sing.
I write when the words spoken by a person sting!

Image courtesy :"here"

I write when the rain makes me high.
I write when I see some thing and sigh.
I write when I am loved and when I feel proud.
I write every time I start thinking aloud!

I write as I want to leave all the thoughts behind.
I write as nirvana it is which I always find.
I write when from the clutches I want to release my mind.
I write when my haphazard thoughts have to be aligned!

I can't be every thing I want to be in my life.
I write and try to manage the daily mind-heart strife.
I write to fulfill my dreams , desires and aspirations.
I write as I come across many who are real inspirations!

I write down to know me better with every passing day.
I write down to reach my heart via an easy passage-way.
I write as it is the only way to set free some feeling.
I write as it makes me a complete human being.

This is in response to WriteTribe prompt and the Thursday bloghop #80 at the Writer’s Post. 

The "Small" Wonders!

World is big and everything embedded in it is a wonder.

We used to stop by every creation for a while and ponder.

Remember how we used awe at the sky and the thunder?

How we used to escape from mommy when we did a blunder?

Remember the pleasure of playing hide and seek in a huge play ground?

And the person you were searching was standing just around.

Do you remember the shouts and screams when he was found?

Remember the fights over silly things on a muddy mound?

 Do you remember the endless games even on a hot sunny day?

Remember the gentle breezes drying your sweat in a soothing way.

Remember the tender grass on which hours together you used to lay.

Remember the petals you used to collect when the wind swayed them away!

 

Image courtesy : http://sarabbit.openphoto.net/gallery/

Remember the diary in which you preserved the petals even if they were wrying?

Remember how the petal held your name in capitals in your neat hand writing?

The preserved petals and the foliage dry up and the ink gets smudged.

So are the memories which in the diary are deeply submerged.

Today as the sky roared and the clouds exploded in to rain,

I remembered the beautiful memories and good old days once again.

It is strange how the rains and the memories are tightly intertwined.

The room holding the past in the brain opens up and the episodes unwind!

Past is the place to visit and not to live but the mind refuses to come back.

Appreciating every small wonder always should not be a child’s knack.

Tomorrow when you go out check the flower in its full bloom.

If you want your present will be exhilarating too. Do not let the past loom!

Stop by the garden when you feel down and smell the rose.

If you feel good about it write down a poem or prose.

Present becomes past in no time so remember to overcome the sorrow.

Moments spent today become beautiful memories for tomorrow!

This post is written in response to WriteTribe Prompt # 4

You only live Once

You want to learn dance and perform on the stage?

You just need to fly by coming out of your cage.

Dance needs a spark with in you and it doesn't need any  age.

It only needs the spirit to dance, to enjoy and maintain the rage!

You want to excel and master your singing?

Go do it now. Can't you see it is your true calling!

Sing and know your song. Tomorrow can never be today.

Your song might change your life. Start without any delay!

Do you want to get rid of the phobia of water?

Do something which you wanted to do with fervor.

Don't just watch from a distance. Go dive in to the river.

You only have to face it to end the quiver!

You want to write a book and make people read you.

Start it now and wonder at what you actually can do.

Till you actually start something you will have no clue.

If you do not start, the to-do list will always be in due!

Life is surrounded by uncertainties, challenges and too much of fear.

Embracing your life like a friend gives you the unlimited power.

You can set your priorities and plan your to do list, now or never.

Once you start fulfilling your desires your life will be your lover!

Count your life not by the number of the years you live.

Count your life by the number of the moments you always relive.

It is your life and with it you cannot be nonchalant!

You only live one life which is enough to do what all you want.

This post is in response to Write Tribe Prompt # 3