I looked outside my bedroom window to enjoy the cool breeze and moon light. But it was a night of no-moon and nothing outside was visible to the eyes.
Still I stuck my head out of my bedroom window to feel the cool breeze outside. And then I opened my eyes to see what I could in the dark night.
What caught my eyes was new to me and kept me wondering for a while. A big dark shadow right in front of my window but where was it all this while?
I looked at it inquisitive and amazed when suddenly I felt it moved! It moved? Really? And again I looked eyes glued to the shadow outside.
And again it moved and I panicked as I stood staring from my window, outside. It moved! It moved! And I froze as I looked at the big moving shadow that night.
And then when suddenly I regained my senses, I ran towards my bed. And very soon I went off to sleep, I didn’t even realize.
In the morning I woke, I walked to the window to see the shadow outside. But nothing was there outside my bedroom window so what did I see last night?
A big dark shadow outside my bedroom window, it moved, it moved all night! But still I’m clueless and still I wonder what did I see last night?
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Wish I could fly…
Wish I could fly high up in the sky
Far away from the world below, in fresh air and freedom!
Just flutter my wings and take off up high,
And glide and glide closer to the bright sun.
Feel the fresh breeze whistle in my ears when the whole world below complains of the hot sun,
And feel the warmth of the same hot sun when the people below long to see a glimpse.
Wish I could fly high up in the sky
Far away from the world below, in fresh air and freedom!
Sit on a cloud and look down below,
Enjoying all the seasons from a distance.
Just flut… flut… flutter and up up high, perched on my cloud singing and chirping,
Just hold my hand and together we would fly in fresh air and freedom!
Friday, November 27, 2009
Fortune teller Ketki
Fortune telling is an exciting profession and Ketki has been in it for long. It has been 10 years now since she started telling people their fortune by gazing at her divine crystal ball.
She started at the age of 18 after much struggle because no one believed that a person so young could predict future. But Ketki was good even when she was just 12! She has trained in the art of crystal gazing under her master, a famous fortune teller in her village. He had seen her interest and identified her quality long before when she was a small child, one of the youngest students in his small yoga and meditation school. Her concentration was amazing and her grasping power, simply superb.
It’s been 4 years now since Ketki left her village. She enjoyed fortune telling but the village was too small for her. Now she wanders from place to place, setting up her small fortune telling camp at fairs.
It is one such colorful day today and Ketki’s fortune telling camp is at the extreme end of the fair ground. Today is the fourth day of the week long fair and business is in full swing. The first day was not very busy for Ketki. There were very few customers who visited her and were somewhat skeptical about what she said.
The young boy Rakesh who visited her on the first day came more out of curiosity. It is always so. A lot many of the people visit out of curiosity because crystal gazing is not really a very popular way of fortune telling and is new to most of them. They are curious to know what Ketki sees in the crystal – images of the future, some symbol that depicts future or some voice that foretells what is to come?
Rakesh walked in a little excited, his eyes moving all over the dimly lit place. He sat on the seat that Ketki’s assistant, Jeena told him to and waited. It was not till Ketki called him to ask questions that he started feeling a bit nervous. He asked frivolous questions about his past, checking Ketki’s abilities and when she gave him the right answers he became more and more uncomfortable; and finally left after paying the charges.
Jeena was a bit annoyed at the way the boy doubted Ketki’s abilities but Ketki is used to it. She knows a descent part of her earnings come from these people who doubt her skills and eventually many of them believe and come back for a solution to their problems.
The next day of the fair was bright and colorful. The fair had started in full swing and there were so many people around. Ketki’s camp was still not the most visited though there were a lot of discussions among people who saw it. And as evening came, more and more people started coming in. A huge number of them were students, girls and boys curious to know about their life partner, exam results, careers and some others like ‘will the strict Maths teacher be absent tomorrow’, ‘will I pass in my exams’, ‘will I have long hair’, ‘will mother give me more money to spend in the fair tomorrow’, etc; the usual stuff that all college students worry about.
And the next day, there were serious discussions. All people of the area had heard about Ketki and how she was so true about the past life of people. It is day four today and unlike other days, the afternoon is a lot busy. Women, after finishing their household chores, come to Ketki the fortune teller to know about the future of their children, husband, family...
And late in the evening, again when there is not much crowd, the men come in. Those that live in the village and have fields want to know if the crops will be good this year. And again questions about children, family...
This is what excites Ketki. Serious fortune telling. She listens to questions and gazes at her crystal searching for answers. It is a passion for her, to help people out. Often she sees brightness and encourages people to work for the better. Often she sees darkness and guides people to find a way out of difficult times.
Two more days left for the fair to be over and Ketki foresees more and more people coming to her. Her assistant Jeena can also predict this; it does not need occult art. In fact, it has always been so. People start with light enquiring questions that finally end in desperate emotional queries - it is the transition that takes time. Some people open up on the first visit and others take more frequent visits to pacify their questioning minds.
Once the fair is over, the shops will move but for Ketki, it will be another day or two. She always does so - giving people another chance to believe in her and themselves. That’s what fortune telling is all about...for Ketki.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Radha’s Chotu
Winters in Delhi are terribly cold! Radha’s short experience of 12 years has made her aware of the difficult winters.
It was here, in a congested street in Delhi, where Radha was born. Ever since she has been accompanying her mother to work, her mother who begs on the streets to earn a living.
Today is a special day for Radha. It is her little brother’s birthday. Radha has three younger siblings but she is particularly close to Chotu, the youngest, probably because she has taken care of him like a mother. Radha was seven years old when Chotu was born. Her mother used to leave him in her care while going out to beg on the streets with her other children.
When Chotu grew old, Radha used to take him with her to the streets. While Radha begged for alms, Chotu used to cling to his sister all day. He still accompanies her to the streets, tightly holding her hand.
Radha got up quickly. It is a cold day but Radha has to hurry. She has to find a nice gift for his little brother before he is awake. She walked to the street, searching on the road side and the bins for something that he would like. She has no money to spend but still, she wants to find him something good.
There is a florist on the other side of the road but will Chotu like flowers? Maybe not…he is too small for it. As Radha wandered on the streets, she noticed a bike speed by. There was a girl sitting on the back seat and hardly had they gone a few meters that the girls scarf flew in the air. Radha shouted back trying to tell her she had dropped something but they were gone.
Radha walked carefully to the middle of the road to pick up the scarf. It was a beautiful pink, and Radha thought Chotu would love it! She wanted to run away with it before its owner realized that it was gone and came back searching. But, her conscience did not allow. So, she sat by the side of the street with the scarf in her hand, waiting for them to return. And at the same time, she wished that they do not return. The scarf was a perfect gift for her little brother and she did not want to loose it. She would tie it around his head like a turban, and she could imagine how sweet he would look!
Luckily for Radha, quite some time had passed and no one returned. She was happy she would not have to part with the scarf and off she went to wake her little brother.
She leaned over Chotu calling his name and the little boy opened his eyes wide to look at her. ‘Chotu aaj tera janm din hai! Today is your birthday!’ she told him and he was excited! He doesn’t know when his birthday falls but he knows it is a special day when he gets something good to eat. And Radha gives him something special – last year she gave him a toy car! One wheel was broken but mother had attached a bottle cap to it and fixed it well.
Chotu got up quickly and smiled cheekily expecting something and there it was! A beautiful pink cloth that Radha asked mother to tie around Chotu’s head; and he danced and shouted in joy waking his other two siblings.
And soon, it was time again for all of them to go to work. Chotu clinged to Radha as he always does, his pink turban tilting to one side, and beamed. He was happy with all the attention! Mother promised to cook something special and his other brother and sister brought him a kite!
Chotu looked at Radha with the kite in his hand and Radha smiled back to him. He knew Radha would teach him, as always. And together they would fly the kite... high up in the sky!
It was here, in a congested street in Delhi, where Radha was born. Ever since she has been accompanying her mother to work, her mother who begs on the streets to earn a living.
Today is a special day for Radha. It is her little brother’s birthday. Radha has three younger siblings but she is particularly close to Chotu, the youngest, probably because she has taken care of him like a mother. Radha was seven years old when Chotu was born. Her mother used to leave him in her care while going out to beg on the streets with her other children.
When Chotu grew old, Radha used to take him with her to the streets. While Radha begged for alms, Chotu used to cling to his sister all day. He still accompanies her to the streets, tightly holding her hand.
Radha got up quickly. It is a cold day but Radha has to hurry. She has to find a nice gift for his little brother before he is awake. She walked to the street, searching on the road side and the bins for something that he would like. She has no money to spend but still, she wants to find him something good.
There is a florist on the other side of the road but will Chotu like flowers? Maybe not…he is too small for it. As Radha wandered on the streets, she noticed a bike speed by. There was a girl sitting on the back seat and hardly had they gone a few meters that the girls scarf flew in the air. Radha shouted back trying to tell her she had dropped something but they were gone.
Radha walked carefully to the middle of the road to pick up the scarf. It was a beautiful pink, and Radha thought Chotu would love it! She wanted to run away with it before its owner realized that it was gone and came back searching. But, her conscience did not allow. So, she sat by the side of the street with the scarf in her hand, waiting for them to return. And at the same time, she wished that they do not return. The scarf was a perfect gift for her little brother and she did not want to loose it. She would tie it around his head like a turban, and she could imagine how sweet he would look!
Luckily for Radha, quite some time had passed and no one returned. She was happy she would not have to part with the scarf and off she went to wake her little brother.
She leaned over Chotu calling his name and the little boy opened his eyes wide to look at her. ‘Chotu aaj tera janm din hai! Today is your birthday!’ she told him and he was excited! He doesn’t know when his birthday falls but he knows it is a special day when he gets something good to eat. And Radha gives him something special – last year she gave him a toy car! One wheel was broken but mother had attached a bottle cap to it and fixed it well.
Chotu got up quickly and smiled cheekily expecting something and there it was! A beautiful pink cloth that Radha asked mother to tie around Chotu’s head; and he danced and shouted in joy waking his other two siblings.
And soon, it was time again for all of them to go to work. Chotu clinged to Radha as he always does, his pink turban tilting to one side, and beamed. He was happy with all the attention! Mother promised to cook something special and his other brother and sister brought him a kite!
Chotu looked at Radha with the kite in his hand and Radha smiled back to him. He knew Radha would teach him, as always. And together they would fly the kite... high up in the sky!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening - by Robert Frost
Another beautiful poem... Reminds me of the poetry tests in school where we had to recite the poems with full expression!!
Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
La Bella Dame Sans Merci by John Keats
La Bella Dame Sans Merci (The beautiful lady without mercy), one of my favourite poems! I remember my english teacher Mr. Agnihotri's explanation of the poem "there is nothing better than a good woman and anything worse than a bad woman is yet to be created". LOL!!!
La Bella Dame Sans Merci
Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
Alone and palely loitering?
The sedge has withered from the lake,
And no birds sing.
Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
So haggard and so woe-begone?
The squirrel's granary is full,
And the harvest's done.
I see a lily on thy brow,
With anguish moist and fever-dew,
And on thy cheeks a fading rose
Fast withereth too.
I met a lady in the meads,
Full beautiful - a faery's child,
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
And her eyes were wild.
I made a garland for her head,
And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;
She looked at me as she did love,
And made sweet moan.
I set her on my pacing steed,
And nothing else saw all day long,
For sidelong would she bend, and sing
A faery's song.
She found me roots of relish sweet,
And honey wild, and manna-dew,
And sure in language strange she said -
'I love thee true'.
She took me to her elfin grot,
And there she wept and sighed full sore,
And there I shut her wild wild eyes
With kisses four.
And there she lulled me asleep
And there I dreamed - Ah! woe betide! -
The latest dream I ever dreamt
On the cold hill side.
I saw pale kings and princes too,
Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;
They cried - 'La Belle Dame sans Merci
Hath thee in thrall!'
I saw their starved lips in the gloam,
With horrid warning gaped wide,
And I awoke and found me here,
On the cold hill's side.
And this is why I sojourn here
Alone and palely loitering,
Though the sedge is withered from the lake,
And no birds sing.
La Bella Dame Sans Merci
Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
Alone and palely loitering?
The sedge has withered from the lake,
And no birds sing.
Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
So haggard and so woe-begone?
The squirrel's granary is full,
And the harvest's done.
I see a lily on thy brow,
With anguish moist and fever-dew,
And on thy cheeks a fading rose
Fast withereth too.
I met a lady in the meads,
Full beautiful - a faery's child,
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
And her eyes were wild.
I made a garland for her head,
And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;
She looked at me as she did love,
And made sweet moan.
I set her on my pacing steed,
And nothing else saw all day long,
For sidelong would she bend, and sing
A faery's song.
She found me roots of relish sweet,
And honey wild, and manna-dew,
And sure in language strange she said -
'I love thee true'.
She took me to her elfin grot,
And there she wept and sighed full sore,
And there I shut her wild wild eyes
With kisses four.
And there she lulled me asleep
And there I dreamed - Ah! woe betide! -
The latest dream I ever dreamt
On the cold hill side.
I saw pale kings and princes too,
Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;
They cried - 'La Belle Dame sans Merci
Hath thee in thrall!'
I saw their starved lips in the gloam,
With horrid warning gaped wide,
And I awoke and found me here,
On the cold hill's side.
And this is why I sojourn here
Alone and palely loitering,
Though the sedge is withered from the lake,
And no birds sing.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Delicious, juicy barbecued chicken!
Barbecue is a great hit during outdoor family gatherings. I still remember the fun and activity of the barbecue parties I attended during my childhood.
Gone are the days of huge, expensive equipment that would only match the needs of a restaurant owner. With an incease in interested barbecuers, the barbecue equipment have also undergone a change. There are small, easy to use units available for barbecuing at home. Walk into a shop selling barbecue equipment and see for yourself the huge range available. This is exactly what I did last week. The range of Stainless Steel BBQ impressed me to no end! Elegant looking Stainless Steel Barbecues of all types were at display – be it trolley, kettle or hibachi. But buying one was still out of question.
Like all barbecue lovers, I too relish barbecued chicken but I'm a bit skeptical about trying anything other than my elaborate Charcoal BBQ. Not to say that I'm a great cook but these are what I've always seen since childhood. The occasional barbecue parties in the backyard, and mom and dad running around to get the preparation right! That's what barbecue is all about, isn't it? A whole day devoted to cooking and enjoying elaborate barbecue preparations! Of course, these were the very occasionally held parties that I can actually count on my fingertips. After all, there was much more in store for us once the party was over! A backyard to clean, washing barbecue accessories etc.
But let me tell you of this recent party I attended – a barbecue part on a week day! It was my colleague's first marriage anniversary and she had made the tasty barbecued chicken herself. To add to my amazement, I saw this lovely Stainless Steel Gas Barbecue in her backyard. Delicious, juicy chicken, that too on a gas barbecue! I found it hard to believe that gas barbecues could taste so good. I know many of you would disagree to my under-estimating a gas barbecue but how do I judge the worth of something I've never used?
Coming back to this stainless steel unit, it was an elegant piece with four Stainless Steel Burners and a stainless steel trolley. This eye catching trolley design featured Stainless Steel Barbecue Grills, multiple burners, hot-plate, baking dish and a hood. In other words, a complete outdoor kitchen.
Fascinated by the Stainless Steel BBQ unit, I could not resist my temptation and went on to ask my colleague about how she managed to cook such great variety of delicious food. She briefed me about her multi-functional BBQ. I was amazed to know that it could not only cook the regular barbecue meal but also some quick stuff like burgers, etc. And not to forget its stainless steel baking dish that made cooking marinated food all the more easy.
The next thing I did was to search the net for a perfect Stainless Steel BBQ and I came across my next purchase – a Stainless Steel Barbecue with a stainless steel hood and an in-built temperature gauge. What more an occasional cook like me can ask for! A temperature gauge would relieve me from worrying about the progress of the meat while being cooked. Just set the temperature and monitor the process!
Stainless Steel Barbecue is definitely the next purchase on my list! And yes, the first thing I'll do once I get it is call my parents for a barbecue treat. I'm sure there will be lots for them to enjoy!
Gone are the days of huge, expensive equipment that would only match the needs of a restaurant owner. With an incease in interested barbecuers, the barbecue equipment have also undergone a change. There are small, easy to use units available for barbecuing at home. Walk into a shop selling barbecue equipment and see for yourself the huge range available. This is exactly what I did last week. The range of Stainless Steel BBQ impressed me to no end! Elegant looking Stainless Steel Barbecues of all types were at display – be it trolley, kettle or hibachi. But buying one was still out of question.
Like all barbecue lovers, I too relish barbecued chicken but I'm a bit skeptical about trying anything other than my elaborate Charcoal BBQ. Not to say that I'm a great cook but these are what I've always seen since childhood. The occasional barbecue parties in the backyard, and mom and dad running around to get the preparation right! That's what barbecue is all about, isn't it? A whole day devoted to cooking and enjoying elaborate barbecue preparations! Of course, these were the very occasionally held parties that I can actually count on my fingertips. After all, there was much more in store for us once the party was over! A backyard to clean, washing barbecue accessories etc.
But let me tell you of this recent party I attended – a barbecue part on a week day! It was my colleague's first marriage anniversary and she had made the tasty barbecued chicken herself. To add to my amazement, I saw this lovely Stainless Steel Gas Barbecue in her backyard. Delicious, juicy chicken, that too on a gas barbecue! I found it hard to believe that gas barbecues could taste so good. I know many of you would disagree to my under-estimating a gas barbecue but how do I judge the worth of something I've never used?
Coming back to this stainless steel unit, it was an elegant piece with four Stainless Steel Burners and a stainless steel trolley. This eye catching trolley design featured Stainless Steel Barbecue Grills, multiple burners, hot-plate, baking dish and a hood. In other words, a complete outdoor kitchen.
Fascinated by the Stainless Steel BBQ unit, I could not resist my temptation and went on to ask my colleague about how she managed to cook such great variety of delicious food. She briefed me about her multi-functional BBQ. I was amazed to know that it could not only cook the regular barbecue meal but also some quick stuff like burgers, etc. And not to forget its stainless steel baking dish that made cooking marinated food all the more easy.
The next thing I did was to search the net for a perfect Stainless Steel BBQ and I came across my next purchase – a Stainless Steel Barbecue with a stainless steel hood and an in-built temperature gauge. What more an occasional cook like me can ask for! A temperature gauge would relieve me from worrying about the progress of the meat while being cooked. Just set the temperature and monitor the process!
Stainless Steel Barbecue is definitely the next purchase on my list! And yes, the first thing I'll do once I get it is call my parents for a barbecue treat. I'm sure there will be lots for them to enjoy!
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