Questions unasked ..

Will you hear the story of a man

The man who once set on a search

He searched for water in an unforgiving land

Through relentless heat, In an endless desert

Till he saw mirages in vain, Mirages on the searing sand

Will you hear the tale of a beast

Tied by a chain to a rock at birth

He tried to escape but fell at each try

Till he forgot the sound of wind and mirth and  joy 

A beast he grew to be, Yet convinced once more to try 

Will you listen to the whispers of a child

Left in a stormy sea to find his own 

Without a guide and without an oar

Listen to the whispers of that child

A child he remained, no more

Will you understand when I ask you

Can you see the child my friend 

Beyond the harsh black of the mans eyes

Can you hear the beast in his spirit 

Hear the heaves and cries he tries to hide

Will you quench the thirst of that man

The man who gave up hope

But could not give up his pride

An unknown destination he seeks

A quest through pain, on a faltering stride 

Will you believe me my love

That I searched for you day and night

Alas! I am now a lost man, Lost on the desert sand

Will you lend a hand or let it be

Will I be forever lost, Or will you find me?

 - Sanket

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Pinocchio's Nose

It had been some time, since Pinocchio had become a real boy.  And while initially he rejoiced in finding new life, soon enough life's troubles got to him. And so it came to be - that one night as Pinocchio sat desolate and alone staring at the sky, he caved in and summoned the Blue Fairy one more time...

 "Star shine star bright, the first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish, I might - have the wish I wish tonight!" And sure enough, a blue star glowed all the more blue and through a sliver of light appeared the Blue Fairy!

 "Tell me boy" - she said "Why do you look so sad??"

"I don't like being a real boy" he said. 

'There 's too much lie and deceit in people. And I find myself hurting again and again. I wish I went back to being just a wooden puppet - and never felt anything - never knew pain..'

The fair lady smiled at his appeal and waved her wand, she turned him into a wooden boy and bent down and ruffled his hair, then waved her wand again to turn him back alive.

And blew a soft breeze to straighten his hair, restore them back to once they were - once again. 

"Tell me boy, would you rather be a puppet - or once more be a real boy!" 

Pinocchio remained silent for a while. And pondered hard in his little mind, 

'Sure enough, I'd felt no pain. It would be nice not to feel pain. 

'Ah! - another voice countered. 'But the fair lady's touch you fancy! If you were not real, you would miss a thing as beautiful as that. Miss the touch, you so fancy! 

Alas, resigned, Pinocchio answered 'No, my lady, I wish to remain a real boy. But I want you to grant me one gift back....

'And what is that my boy? - the blue fairy asked. 

'I want my nose to grow when I lie or do anything bad. But not just mine, I wish everyone had a nose like mine that would grow and shrink with the deeds of the man. 

The Blue fairy smiled again.. 

'Strange it is, that you see a gift in what I once punished you with - This I will grant you - Pinocchio my boy.  From now on your nose will grow and shrink with every lie!

And so Pinocchio slept relieved. He thought, at least the world you be simpler. Oh! Yes - it definitely would be. For once a person's face, would tell you all there is to be.  He would no longer be lied to, And never would have to face deceit. At last, a person would be only as beautiful as he deserves to be!

Wake up he did next day, and went on about his little day. Confident and perky in his step.  A friend he met, Danny was his name, they had promised each other to buy new shoes - and exactly the same shoes - and wear it to school on the same day! 

But when he saw his friend's shoes, they were old. 

'Ah! You have broken your promise. You did not get your shoes. - he said. 

And Danny replied - 'No, I did go to the shop. I did not like the new shoes. No I did not! 

And sure enough as Pinocchio had wanted, Danny's nose grew larger even as he saw. 

'Oh! Danny. Let it be, I shall go on with my day without a friend - without thee! 

And so Pinocchio went on. And every person he met, he expected him to lie. And he rejoiced in joy as he saw their noses a tad too big, Oh yes, a tad too large... 

A good friend the Blue Fairy has been. He thought! 'I have to thank her. 

And so he called her again. And asked from the blue star, a favor once again. 

Once again through a sliver of blue light, the Blue Fairy came alive..

'Finally, you look happy my boy! - Tell me how was your day?? 

'Oh, I called to thank you - my fair lady. Everyones nose has grown long!! - he said.

'Really! - The fairy said. 

'To annoy you then, I should tell you, they are really not. I set them straight, not a tad too long, not a tad too large! 

Downcast and with a broken heart, Pinocchio asked 

'Must you lie too. Why set them straight. Why not keep them large??

'For all is not as it seems my boy. - she said.

'Did you know Danny's mother is sick. And with no money, the shoes, he could not buy. Walked he did all the way to the shop. And then kept the money to tend to his mother. Buy shoes - he did not. Though tears in his eyes, there were to be. I loved him more, for what he did. Yes, he lied to you. But out of shame and not deceit. Had you bothered to ask, a good friend you might have been..

Awful and ashamed Pinnochio felt. 'Oh! such a bad friend he was! 

'You seem to have noticed everyone's nose. You did not check yours? Did you not? - The fair lady asked. 

'No, my lady I did not. - he said. And saw with shock, his own nose, had grown so long, Oh so large.

'My lady, I did not do any wrong. I did not know Danny's mother was sick. How could I have known he did not deceive??? Tell me - why only my nose has grown large!!

'An unfair punishment it would have been. For no one but you knew their lies decide their faces to be...

'And while you did not know about Danny. You should have asked. 

Instead you rejoiced in everyone's misery and delighted in their fall.

Vengeance,  is never a virtue. It shall never be. It never was!  

And so Pinocchio went silent. He did not know what to do..

'Is there no one perfect. No one good - including me?? - he asked.

'No, my dear - The lady answered.

'You must take heart! Like you have realized if everyone tries to be.. 

'Though no man is perfect. Mankind might just be! 

'I do not think that will be so.  - said Pinocchio - still unconvinced. More than a little hurt and trying not to show - his tears to be. 

At last, the lady softened and felt tender for he was, but a boy! 

'Like the fingers of your hand - she said

'No one is powerful. But together as a hand, they are. 

Each one has its own purpose.

Together you can build the world as it should be! 

Then with a wave of her wand, she made Pinocchio's nose shrink back. 

Alas! A bit relieved he felt. He wasn't a bad boy, Not a bad boy after all...... 

'And sure I can make you of wood again. And sure you would never feel pain. But life as you have learned is strange and you will miss out on joy as well. 

'You are wise my lady. You know it all. But I get fooled by people's words and promises. And believe them to be virtuous as they claim to be. I have been hurt many times. Only because I chose to believe! - Pinocchio exclaimed. 

'In that you are right my boy. You should choose your friends carefully. But do not judge people bad - just so quickly. Do not assume the worst without finding the truth. The truth is often different - do not judge them - so hastily  - the fair lady replied. 

'What about the pretty girls! - Pinocchio asked. Determined he was - to learn all answers tonight. Know all that there was. 

'They seduce me with their smile. And then cast me aside. 

I feel used and stupid. 

Why gift them with beauty? Or why not make them beautiful inside? 

The fairy laughed - at the boy's dilemma. But was kind enough to reply..

'If all gifts were given to one. 

Wouldn't that be unwise??

And I could warn you of getting hurt. 

But then, you wouldn't dare or venture outside! 

'Though deceptive it might be,

You have to admit

There is art to seducing..  

And a pleasure in been seduced by.

Without tasting the aura of beauty

Its a pleasure, too good to miss 

A pleasure you should not deny.

'Find the good in people.

And live a day to its fullest.

For a day once gone, is a day gone by

Indeed there is some good in every person

Waiting to be found, Hidden until discovered by..

'You must choose your people

To love and to stand by,

A part of the earth to call your own

Your own little patch of sky

'This and many lessons there are to life.

And I could tell you all tonight

But the essence of living is to find your own way

Dream a new dream, every single night! 

And with that the Blue Fairy glowed even more beautiful. Too charming and lovely to behold she was. She kissed Pinocchio on his head. And turned to a star once again.

A Blue star in the sky she was. Shining bright. A fair blue light!  - Sanket

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Seagull!

I've wandered far and wandered wide,
I've shunned and cared, And loved and hated,
And treasured a love, Only to cast it aside

Alas! my search is sour
And my footsteps lead me back...
Though dark is the night and late is the hour
Sometimes you've to be lost
And be lost to find your way back..

Like a seagull seeking a horizon
Across seas vast, And large beyond par!
In this ever changing world, In an ever changing sky
I search my beacon, I seek a North star.

On halting steps and impatient breaths, I come
Come to rest a night, One moment, One pause
I cease the thought, Of worries there might
To tend my wounds, My scars my cause...

Through rain and storm I sleep
Till a sun rises, with clearer skies
And winds calling promises to keep..
Of smiles and joys, And buoyant bird cries


And so I rise again, And fill myself with hope
I say I am healed, I say I am fine
I forget the pain of a past to mourn, A past to cope
I say I am healed and I say I am fine
Though some wounds there remain
I know they will heed, Heal in their own time...

Yes, I'm healed. Yes, I am fine.
I've lived another day, Another day to fight
Like a seagull with stretched wings
To face winds with will, And storms with might

- Sanket

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Deepawali!

I have a habit of finding secluded places – mostly hill tops – places where you get a good view of your surroundings beneath. As far as I can remember, I have always found this haven – wherever I have lived. Me and my friends used to call it – ‘The Spot’ - a place where we used to come to – to get away from the troubles of the world for a while. It is this place that I chose to write this article at …. For today’s article demands complete solidarity. It is upon a subject I hold very close to my heart – ‘Deepawali’.

I was asked to introduce the festival of ‘Deepawali’ once, when I was hosting our annual event. But under the pressure of time and existing circumstances, I could not express myself as fully as I would have liked..

[Image Credit : http://holidays.vgreets.com/Diwali/Diyas/diyas1.jpg]

It used to begin with the end of our middle semester at school. The beauty about being in a catholic school was that we used to get two long holidays in addition to the summer vacation: Diwali and Christmas!! Around October, the school would conduct its semester examination, which used to be followed by three weeks of vacation – encompassing the Diwali festival.. It was the most fun I remember having, as a child and was no less anticipated than the mangoes of summer…

Hardly being able to concentrate on the last exam, we used to run out the minute the last bell rang .. all kids would fall out with an ear shattering cheer. The last day of exams – had a tradition associated with it .. we used to come home and collect all of our used notebooks and strip the cardboard off them.. we would use these to make play mansions and kingdoms of ‘He-man’ and ‘Skeletor’.

On my way back home, I used to stop at the local ‘Garni’ – the guy used to ground flour for a living, but he also had a most exciting side business – that of selling kites and ‘manja’ – it used to be the best in town.

Every semester end, I would exchange all my savings for the finest kites and manja he could offer. Flying kites was a most popular game after school hours.. As Diwali used to come closer, the kite-flying would continue into late evenings and eventually nights. Using the day light as best as possible, we would pitch our best kites, as far off as we could – these were ‘Kandil-Patangs’ - or ‘Lantern-Kites’ – and they were off-limits to others for competition – in that you could not attack a ‘Kandil-Patang’ – anyone who used to break this most sacred code would pay for it – with his teeth – the more the loss – the more was the number of missing tooth.

At sunset, we used to light our set of paper-lanterns, sometimes as many as a dozen. This was a tricky business, since an incorrectly lit lantern could catch fire mid air – burning itself and severing the string with it – leading to a total loss. Hence the candles within had to be of perfect height and be placed in the exact center. The lantern would then be tied to the lead string and sent aloft … this needed a steady pair of hands an excellent wind-judgment..

When done correctly though, it was all worth it. Under the blanket of night and in the cover of darkness, all that was visible from the ground was a series of lanterns – magically floating in the sky … Just one of many sights to behold during those splendid nights…

Everything in Diwali used to be brighter, more colorful and in every way better than it was before. The television channels used to be punctuated with ads of ‘Nerolac Paints’ – exuding with vibrant colors, lively music and catchy tunes, they used to be the ‘peacock’s cry’ signaling the arrival of our most beloved – festival of lights – ‘Deepwali’!

On the first dawn of ‘Diwali’ – I would rise early with my dad and my little sister – this was a hard task for us kids – for we used to stay up late into the night talking about what this year’s diwali would bring. After dinner, I would tell my sister tales of my adventures, which fort was the best in town, which kid was rumored to have the fanciest fire-crackers and who had the most kite wins of the season – often times exaggerated – usually a little dishonest and awarding me more than my share of credit. My sister would promptly listen to all of my stories with rapt attention. Intruding questions and scrutiny were strongly discouraged – and so long as she stuck to the rules, our proceedings would be peaceful.

The first dawn was always the morning of a ritual bath. Which used to be always a most boring and suffocating time for us – for we would be dying to get out our fire-crackers and be the first to break the silence of the morn… the only saving aspect of the morning bath was the use of specially – reserved scented soaps – saved exclusively for the days of Diwali. As I would take that first bath, my heart would always be torn in two, one half wanting to get out and start the fireworks – the other wanting to stay in the cozy warmth of that beautiful soap-scent…

Dressed in newly bought colorful clothes – I used to prepare myself rigorously – like a soldier going out to war. One pocket filled with sparkles – the other with a matchstick box and a cheap candle, an armed toy fire-gun in my belt and a cardboard box of that days fireworks. Being the elder sibling, it was my duty to ensure that my kid sister not get any physical harm – and that she enjoy Diwali safely.

Placing the firework strategically, I used to warn her and then go out to light the firework, she always had her little fingers stuffed in her ears – long before I lit the fuse - and the minute she saw the firework lit, she would cry out – “Dada – dhaav!” – "Run!! – its lit" – it always used to strike me – funny – and I would want to tell her – “I was to one to light it – I know its lit!!” – but I would never snap at her – I could see the worry in her eyes – and I would come back to her – and stand with open ears – bracing for the sound – but never letting my face show - that at times, even I was afraid. And she would watch me with wondrous admiration – often times forgetting to see the actual firework explode.

At night – after I put her to bed, I would often come to the roof of our building. On a diwali night, it used to offer a most spectacular view of the city..

And you could see every house – from every building – until the very ends of the horizon – lit with lanterns and diyas – each street glittering like a spike of burning flame – streaks across the sky from rockets fired late into the night and hear distant echoes of people and their merriment – still unfinished.. and the city would look as lovely as a bride on her wedding night…

Its been a long four years, since my eyes have held Mumbai in that glory – since I have silvered my hands in gunpowder – a long time since I have cut my fingers flying kites – or have lost myself in that divine music – which only a Diwali night can offer..

My friends often ask me – what do you miss about Mumbai ?? I can never fully tell – except to say this – ‘When I stand upon a hill here – in the United States – I see massive highways – and street lights – but hear only the rhythmic swish of fast tires – rubber on concrete and an occasional police siren, in Mumbai you would hear a cacophony of sounds, of people fighting, of vehicles honking, of your neighbor’s TV blaring some soap opera title and a distant horn of night railways – you would hear the city talk. What do I miss about Mumbai ?? I miss her voice, I miss how she looked on a Diwali night!!
– Sanket

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Regret

A promise I was asked

And a promise I did make

It changed things a lot

And many decisions I was to take

Would I make the same promise?

Or will I refrain?

Will I do it the same and just the same

Do it all, All over again?

The struggles I do accept

And the pain I do agree

Its the price I paid

For my soul to breathe free

If love is the cost of freedom

Then so it shall be

No one shall rob it, Nor shall one protect

My freedom was my own

And mine alone to defend

Would I make the same choice?

Or will I refrain?

Will I do it the same and just the same

Do it all, All over again?

There were mistakes, there had to be

Success was sweet

But it was failure that taught

That the ones to forge a character

Are the falls not caught

I trusted and was betrayed

It led me to conflict - led me to strife

I loved and was burnt

It unknowingly shaped - the contours of my life

Would I make the same choice?

Or will I refrain?

Will I do it the same and just the same

Do it all, All over again?

I think I will, for it was worth it

For one smile of her eyes Or one kiss of her lips

I would happily take eternal agony

For a touch of her hair on my fingertips

I think I will, for it was worth it

For a fair lady once asked of a little boy

Promise me will you, That you will

"Listen to what your heart says

And have the courage to follow it"

And I had promised

"Yes, my lady - I will"

- Sanket

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