My favorite definition of ‘Soul Mate’

I think I write a lot about love. Probably because there is so much of it around and so many people around in love, that one ends up learning a thing or two purely out of vicarious experience.

I remember telling a friend about my list of favorite love stories which has 2 stories as of now. One is a fiction story, another is a real one! I will not talk about the real one because I don’t want to be hunted down by the two beautiful people involved in it for wrapping it up in one post. It is their story and deserves a whole book probably. And words would do no justice to what they have together. But I would love to share the fiction one.

Those who know me really well would know which one I am talking about. It is ‘Snape’s story from Harry Potter’. The love story that has changed the meaning of the word ‘Always’ for all its readers and will ‘always’ continue to inspire me. For the potterheads, the lines – ‘After all these years?’ ‘Always’ make up for the most awesomest love story of their lives. His story reminds me of a superb one liner from the movie “Namaste London”:

“Ishq di mere mitra pehchan ki;
Mit jaaye jadon zid apnaan di”

(There could be many many pages for the explanation of the above couplet. But for now let’s just say, it means – the hallmark of, for the lack of a better word, ISHQ, is the absence of the urge to own the person you love.)

The love story taught me this one beautiful lesson – ‘If it takes leaving the person you love for the sake of love, do that. But, never stop living your life if you don’t get the years of togetherness you have always wanted for yourself. Surely, the one who loved you and couldn’t be with you for some reason would not have wanted you to stop living. The whole idea of love is to inspire you to be better. Whether you get to be with the person or not.’

And this brings me to an excerpt from another of my favorite books, Elizabeth Gilbert’s ‘Eat Pray Love’ –

 “People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that’s what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. 

 

A true soul mate is probably the most important person you’ll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then leave. 

 

A soul mates purpose is to shake you up, tear apart your ego a little bit, show you your obstacles and addictions, break your heart open so new light can get in, make you so desperate and out of control that you have to transform your life, then introduce you to your spiritual master…” 

A soul mate could have never been summed up in a better way, a love story never explained in a better way(Snape’s love for Lily)… True, love is all about understanding yourself before you commit to a lifelong of companionship with someone else. And that is why, maybe, love should come easily to all of us..but doesn’t 🙂 … Because, probably we misunderstand ourselves the most, lie to ourselves the most!

 

 

Is this me ? I guess so …

I am not fond of very loud music…
Am I boring ? I guess so…

I am not fond of partying
Am I old fashioned ? May be…

I don’t drink or smoke or like those who do …
Am I backward ? Shayad …

I don’t talk much these days
Am I reserved ? Perhaps…

I talk quietly to my own self most of the times..
Am I busy ? It is for you to decide…

I write more than I talk…
Am I a recluse ? Whatever !

I like my birthdays to be a real quiet affair…
Am I not allowed to chose it to be so ? May be not…

I prefer to spend more on books than on clothes…
Am I a book worm ? I am 🙂

I am not much into fine dining.
Am I non – explorative ? Doesn’t matter …

I spend maximum of my Sundays at home
Am I not happening ? Theek hai koi baat nahi

Is this me ? I guess so..
Is there more to me ? Yes, I guess so…

 

The way I Love You …

I wrote this poem ages ago… another find from the relics of my collection.

I wrote this on behalf of some friend ( Don’t remember exactly 😛 )

It’s irrevocable
The way I love you
I love you so much
As if, everywhere it’s you… only you

From me comes an aura
That reminds me of you
My energy, my life… my soul
All start from you & end in you…

The pain that grips you there
Breaks me every moment here
An eternity passed with each second
When I knew I couldn’t care…when I wasn’t there

The supple beauty of your touch
The forever present warmth
Feels like a beautiful era bygone
My heart refuses.. It just can’t move on

I fear I will forget your face
It is the only treasure I have
I fear the memories will slip away
In them I find all the courage I have…

My laughter, my eyes, my smile…
They miss the profound beauty of your love
My very incomplete soul misses,
The perfection in having you, my Love !

Crazy, it has to be – the way I love you
The best thing, about me – is YOU
Irrevocable, immutable, unchangeable, absolute
It is every day that I thank God – he brought me you 🙂

……………………………..

Another poem – I love it when

 

 

Friendship Day ?? Naah !!!

Or Friendship Week ?? Still, a no……

The only change from any other normal day that I observe on Friendship Day is- 

1) My SMSes are not free which is very bad because I always remember they are being charged on the occasion of ‘Friendship Day’ after having sent almost a dozen and suddenly noticing the drastic decline in my already ‘on the verge of collapsing’ phone balance.

2) Inbox is full of forwards having too much of flora, fauna & emotions. Tough time deleting them later. A simple message with a 1 minute effort is much better than a stupid forward.

Friendship is not a day/week celebration. is it ? It’s a celebration of a lifetime, of every moment, of being blissfully happy for the family that God allows you to choose for yourself.

I celebrate my friendship when –

1) A random thought in between a busy schedule makes me stop all work and take a smiley break (often an ROFL break as well ) … It is when I think “How stupid was that ?” Yet, it somehow made perfect sense that day and it makes perfect sense even today.

2) A random corner of a known street reminds me of some very special moment that I shared with my friend… It is when in that randomness I realize how deeply I understand my friend.

3) I am at my friend’s favourite restaurant having our common favourite food & nostalgic about some very great conversation we had over some extremely silly topic

4) I check out random people walking on the road and suddenly remember how we take our picks among the best ones and do a detailed analysis 🙂 … When I remember taking our picks and often fighting over the same ones I and my friend chose… Stupid battles !

5) I doodle at the back of my notebook & make silly circles & loops wishing my friend was there so that we could have had a silent conversation or a knots & crosses game… When in the midst of an extremely boring class I write about my friendship (and posts like this are born)

6) I know that my friend needs me yet I don’t call up because I also know that my friend doesn’t want to talk right now… When I know that when my friend calms down, I will come to know what was wrong because my friend will share it with me 🙂

7) I remember every other small little moment, cherish them… When I cherish the presence of beautiful friendships in my life…. It is then when I celebrate my friendship !

With so many things to be celebrated, a day is not enough… JUST NOT ENOUGH !

Friendship is yet another celebration that continues for a lifetime; let’s celebrate 🙂

Twisted Introductions :)

As college came to an end, a lot many things were coming to me in flashback. the 3 years just flew by !! It seems as if it was yesterday that I landed in Kolkata with Dad to begin a new journey. As if it was just yesterday that I attended my first day at college… LBC i.e. Language & Business Communication ! Wham !! what a class it was. We all were so impressed… One thing is for sure. Rani Ma’m… u rock 🙂

Why am I suddenly remembering my first day of all days ! Because, I stumbled upon our first assignment while rummaging for something else in my shelf (which I obviously didn’t find 😛 )

Here are TWISTED INTRODUCTIONS ; a unique way in which we were made to introduce by Rani Mam on our very first day, very first class. It has some superb questions which surely helped me understand myself better. Give it a shot.. If nothing, it is huge fun 🙂 (Below are My answers )

1) If you were a colour, which colour would you be and why?

A) If I were a color, I would be white. I know many of us will be white but I am sure I will be a completely different shade, there are so many kinds of white. White because it is the color that has every other color in it. Split it through a prism and you will see all the 7 colors that form the rainbow. So am I. And so is everyone of us. We have all the colors of life. Just some refraction needs to be done.
White, for me, is who I am… and it also happens to be my favorite color when I shop (also black 😛 ). white clothes are my weakness 🙂

2) If you were a song, which song would you be and why? 

A) The song would be – ‘Khwaja mere khwaja’ from the movie ‘Jodha Akbar’. One song which I can listen to, any many number of times… fab to the core. Unparalleled beauty of lyrics and music. Ultimate spiritual song I have heard ever. Fab Sufi stuff… Connectedness !! 🙂

3) If you were an animal, which animal would you be and why ?

 A) If I were an animal (most of my friends reading this are laughing I know; coz they must be thinking- “isme if waali kya baat hai.. ye toh hai hee janwar”… Right u are guys 🙂 )… OK, If I were an animal I would be… umm… Tigress. I remember having read ‘Aunt Jennifer’s tigers’ back in school. And those sleek, royal, chivalric creatures always remind me of what one should be in life; at any given moment. That, it is so very important to not lose the ‘who’ part inside u whatever happens. Tigress; also happens to stand for ‘womanhood’ 🙂

4) If you were a piece of fabric, which fabric would you be and why ? 

A) If I were a piece of fabric I would be ‘Muslin‘ (Malmal in Hindi). Having never seen muslin myself, the stories of this great Indian fabric continue to enchant me forever. For the lesser people who do not know what it is, Muslin is an Indian fabric- so sleek and supple that a whole ‘thaan’ could be fitted into a box built on a finger ring. the fabric stands for Indianness, uniqueness.. very fluid and very much traditional. Not only in looks but also in outlook. A blend of style and simplicity.

5) If you were a book, which book would you be and why ?

 A) I could be so many 🙂 . But then, if I had to choose one, it would be ‘Bhagavad Gita’ anyday. It is too vast and beautiful to be incorporated within in one lifetime. Yet, even if 1% of it could be learned, life would be different. I would be the book because ; it is the only book from where I have tried to imbibe a few things in life..things that have changed me for good. And I owe a lot to the one person who made me read it… eternal gratitude ! 🙂

6) If you were a cooked meal, what would you be and why ? 

A) Although, I am not very fond of it (though, things have changed now), ‘Rice‘ is one cooked meal that would define me. One thing that goes well with all kinds of people- the rich who have it as fried rice, basmati, biryani etc and the poor u have it as just boiled rice, or the young who prefer it experimented or the old who prefer to keep it simple… A dish that enriches whatever it falls into. Rice is loved all over; be it mixed with sugar or salt… the one indian delicacy we can’t live without.

7) If you were a cartoon character, what would you be and why ?

 A) The easiest answer of all- ofcourse it would be ‘Jerry‘. Not because he is cute but because he symbolises the easiness and lightness of life for me… Growing with only Tom & Jerry on my cartoon list I learned that- 1) No matter how serious a route life takes, never miss out on the FUN part, 2) If you fight with your loved ones like you are enemies, at the end you do love them in a way that they are the sole reason of your existence & 3) Size is just a number 🙂 All big things come in small packages !!

 

 

 

 

 

8 ) If you were a game, what game would you be and why?

A) This question had my favorite answer 🙂 . Life in itself is a big game. Hence, I would be life itself. One tough game which we all play according to our own rules. Yes, there are rules created by many people. But then, if you notice, you always played along your choices (If not yet noticed,, do retrospect). LOVE IT OR HATE IT, YOU GOT TO PLAY IT. And trust me, you cannot lose. One life !

Life is a gift, life is song... 
Life is right, life is wrong... 
Life is a beauty, life is a midget.. 
Depends on you, take it or leave it...

But most importantly, life is blessing... 
Don't u worry, HE is watching...

Live happy… It’s not that difficult !

To God – With love…

In giving u my strongest faith,                      
I am giving u my utmost care. 

In giving u my utmost care, 
I am giving u my deepest love. 

In giving u my deepest love, 
I am giving u my best self, 

In giving u my best self, 
I am giving u my only God, 

In giving u my only God, 
I am giving u my soul, my existence... my creation

My prayers are all I have for u…

To God, with love 🙂

 

Life’s own life- A quick recap of my existence…

… And still miles and miles to cover. (Sleep is a sensitive and touchy topic… I would rather not touch upon it. It will open the pandora’s box for my mom 🙂 )

THE GIFTS THAT LIFE GAVE ME 🙂

Honestly, when I look back, there are so so many reference points, things that I would like to change, things I would rather they never happened… and of course, things that I cherish for life. Yet, as an ‘of late’ realization frenzy, I do have a few ”Learnings from my Journeyings as well 🙂 (Do go through the link… it will help) and ( I will keep it at 5 and not bore you my readers)

1) I M POSSIBLE

Maths is something I absolutely hated. I still do. And I always will. I failed in my maths paper when in a lower level of schooling ( Class 3.. just imagine :P.. thank God it was a half yearly). This is my earliest recollection of what I consider failure. Wait !! After every failure there is success. I worked hard, my mom worked harder after me and we did it !! Though it might sound like an ‘Ekta Kapoor’ telesoap type story, i did get a cent percent in MATHEMATICS in my finals… Yo !! I see the lesson- Nothing is impossible if you work really really hard for it.

Though mathematics still invokes that one word response from me- IMPOSSIBLE (my responses have been very graciously strengthened by the tame menace by the name ‘ENTRANCE EXAMS’ 😛 ).. yet, now I can tackle it. One big failure (it was big for me) and one bigger success later, I am sure that I don’t have to fear it. It’s just that I don’t really like it. There are better things in the world around. Learn to ace the tests here.

2) DO WHAT YOU LOVE TO DO- YOU ARE BOUND TO BE GOOD AT IT

Literature !! My all time, any day favourite. I never really made an effort to study it. Came more out of liking and mostly out of reading habit. And, I realise that I am good at it because I like it. I like words and the way they connect to give meaning to our deepest and most unfathomable feelings. And that is the reason why I like writing so much. I write almost everywhere, on pen and paper during flights or trains and on phone drafts otherwise.

Between the clouds 🙂

It is important to keep a record of any good idea you have. You never know which idea changes your life.

3) SIMPLICITY AND HUMBLENESS- KEY TO GOOD LIFE

From being overtly extravagant and demanding to being just the opposite (it disappoints my father sometimes), it has been a journey of self realization. I am really thankful to God that I understood it earlier than most other people; the quality of humbleness and simplicity.All the simple people i know are exceptionally beautiful… I want to be beautiful too… 🙂

Life is not a rocket science. True… I learned a lot of good values in life from my teacher back at school. Through his childhood stories, he made a better adult out of many of us. He taught us the power of sacrifice for only that brings in long term satisfaction. I like a quote from the movie “16 December” v much- Love is that monument which is built on the foundation of silent sacrifices. Look around. Your parents make sacrifices for you all the time. Your siblings make sacrifices for you all the time. If we do something selflessly for someone, that is the highest sacrifice and the best possible love that you can do. Be humble. Be motivated . Be inspired. Do the same to other people.

I can say that it is the TEACHERS in my life who have made me what I am today. Not just school/ college teachers, there have been friends, best friends, stories, situations, instances… all of them.

4) ADDICTION = NO NO… NOT AT ALL

People addiction is a personal matter. But, material addiction is a cardinal sin in my eyes. I cannot tolerate it at all. The cigarette smoke makes me cough like mads, the stench of alcohol makes me shrink my nose. And, people falling over each other after being sloshed makes me want to go push them in the Ganges ( paap dho lo paapiyon !! ).

I remember burning my little finger due to a cigarette stub when I was a child. That day I thought, “Jab bahar itna jalta hai, toh andar toh aag lag jaati hogi “… Now I have a different theory. These addicts are experimenting on the concept of “SPONTANEOUS SELF COMBUSTION”. Ever heard those ‘mad scientist’ stories. Reminds me of these people..
But, these people will always say… “chal pade hain dekho yaaron dhuen mein udaa ke… Jaane kya hoga raama re… ” Let me tell you- kuch nahi hoga. Except for the fact that you turn up into a pile of ashes earlier than u are supposed to. Ok..no point talking to the hands.

5) BELIEVE IN GOD. HE IS THE BEST OPTION/ THE ONLY OPTION YOU HAVE

I was never a devout. Then, things started turning around. I am still not a devout in the traditional and contextual terms. But, I so believe in God. More than on any other thing. I do believe that HE is HELPING. From which side, I don’t know.. but I am sure He is… And, that is what matters.

If a belief simplifies things, why not ?

If a belief makes you a better person, why not?

If a belief makes you appreciate the real beauty, why not?

If a belief makes you know who you are, why not ?… Go for that belief. Go for that GOD power. Go for that true self, that YOURSELF. 🙂

—————————————————————————–

OK. Enough of lecturing. My 21 years sure had no work- ex but sure had some life-ex and some full of life experiences. Life has given me the best gift- a peek into LIFE’S OWN LIFE.

Life tells me- “I am Beautiful…But I won’t last forever. So, cherish me. “ 🙂

Happy Birthday to me (21st May)…

The Life, the Soul and a Mirror…

Weird as it sounds, the title and the words that follow, must be easy to comprehend… I guess 🙂

There is always so much conflict between what we are, what we have, and what we eventually want to be… isn’t it?

Life- is the part that we have with us. The most beautiful part… The one that has been gifted to us for cherishing and living. There is no running away from it… And it is truly said “there is no use complaining about how you don’t like the shape your life has taken; it’s only as beautiful as you want it to be…”

Soul- is the part that we want to be :)…. our deepest and most desperate desires are hidden behind the veil of our body, in the mesmerizing soul… It is everything that we have ever desired, our true self… our soul is our most beloved part. The part that we most childishly and stubbornly want to be with us forever…

Mirror- shows the reflection of what/ who we are. You look into the mirror and always the real ‘YOU’ looks back, boring into those eyes and spilling out each and every truth about you; sweet, bitter, glorious, beautiful, dark, effulgent etc etc…a myriad of adjectives :).. It is where we see our ego and our alter ego.. our best self. As if, the mirror is our best critique; a piece of glass that never lies and makes the body a ‘see through’ cover for the eyes and heart to introspect !!

I know all this sounds so recondite :P… It appeared so to me; when the idea first came up… OK; I have an analogy that might make it easier :-

The life, the soul and a mirror are the 3 women that come to a man’s life 🙂 . ‘Life’ is the  woman that stays forever; as the life partner. ‘Soul’ is the woman he falls madly in love with and wants to BE WITH. ‘Mirror’ is the woman who understands him the best; like a good friend. … And luckiest is the man who looks into the mirror and finds the reflection of his soul as life stands by 🙂 And happiest is the man who looks into the mirror and sees himself exactly as he is. Reminds me of ‘The Mirror of Erised’ 🙂

Any mirror would do. But there is only one soul and only one life 🙂

And, would not it be so beautiful if your life was exactly what your soul was and what your mirror showed you? 🙂 It is not easy; yet important that we strike a balance between- what we have, what we want and who we are… !