Platform No. 2

Whispering dense fog, chilly cold waves,

One minute was decided for my wait.

There came the running machine on the platform No. 2,

Shivering, holding the jacket tight, alone I stood.

With white vision all around,

The sparkling yellow dipper seemed relieving,

Silent ambience soothed my stay on the platform No. 2,

Where morning came out dissolving the evening soot.

With my gaze,

I crowded the emptiness of the platform No. 2,

With my presence,

I volunteered as the sole passenger on the move.

copyright aditi kochhar

(photographer: kuber mehrotra)

That’s Faith!!

Just in time cartridge pierce inside and flay off the skin,
I’m not afraid, but I close my eyes and feel the pain.
Apparently, flashback of memories fills the aching space,
I taste the hope of contentment of not leaving this life’s race.
That’s Faith*period*

Screaming silently, when inside the dreadful dreams,
Trying to sleep in that sleepless night,
Holding and then placing myself up in the lap of my protector,
It serves me well with the peace without any fear.
That’s Faith*period*

Looking at my new born child who now crawls,
I hold his hand to make him learn his steps.
At time, when he understands only the language of cries,
I still murmur few words and he repeats it with endearing tries.
That’s Faith *period*

Seeing my doomsday clearly knocking my door,
I smile, talk, walk, and dance with my love.
I see myself alive,
To the gate of death, I bravely drive.
That’s Faith*period*

copyright aditi kochhar

Suicidal irony!!

Since ages, we hear people (of all age groups) saying, that depression, dejection, sadness or hopelessness invites one to murder him/herself, in other words- SUiCIDE!!

Since ages, I have heard the news of people strangling themselves; jumping from the top floor of their sky touching apartments; slitting their wrists; over drugging themselves; in short killing themselves. And for all the incidents, the underlying reasons of their act included- either depression or any difficulty which they thought they won't be able to handle.

Since ages, we hear people (especially the ones who are elder to us) saying that it’s best to bid this world our final goodbyes when everything around one is happy, at peace.

Since ages, I have NEVER heard the news of people committing this sin out of happiness. I mean, when according to the society, when a person is breathing the last gulp of air and if everything around him/her is happy, fine, then, the soul of that person remains at peace.
So common!! If society thinks like that, then why NO suicide attempts, when a person is living the best enjoyable time of his/her life.

This suicidal irony haunts me sometimes!! But it makes me clear at least one thing which is depression or just incapability of handling any dilemma or problem is not the only reason for a person to commit suicide. There is something more beyond it!! Something stronger, an inner call overpowered by the Satan of our soul that pushes someone to stop breathing!! I m sure I would find this unknown something. I’m searching and analysing this Suicidal Irony!!

Also, there is another irony hidden inside this suicide attempt- there is a possibility that a person, who is very optimistic, very positive, may get a feeling of committing suicide but literally; I mean as that person is sensible and carries a positive outlook so obviously he/she won’t commit such an awful sin in reality. But for a while he/she would definitely wonder, that how ironical was for him/her to even think about suicide.

Suicidal irony- eagerly waiting to decipher it!!

copyright aditi kochhar

Search within chase

“What I would be ten years down the line?” we all think about this question. Don’t we?

But did we ever ask, “What I would be in the next birth of my life?”

We try to chase this present lifetime. We keep on framing and destroying the phase of the existing birth. Sometimes, we feel like rewinding the life’s journey and sometimes, forwarding it all together.

But what remains constant in this chase, is our SEARCH!!! Search for the unknown. We all are thinking about the thinking of our own sub conscious mind. But most of us limit this search within the chase to only this lifetime- the present one..

But search continues from previous lifetime to present and to the future!!

This might seem to be an irrational post for you. But my friends, some experiences can’t be ignored. We all confront with few happenings in our lives that make us ponder to think about this unknown.

We all clap and make cute gestures in front of the new born to grab his attention, and the new little baby even responds to it.

Am I right? but how?

We have not made him learn anything yet!! He is only few days old. Then how come he responds? Ever wondered?

It’s because of the knowledge of enigma of lifetimes that keep on accumulating and continues to forward with each lifetime.

Why we feel on a sudden moment that this incident or an occurrence of situation has occurred before? We call this phenomenon as “déjà vu “

Yes, we think that we would never be able to decipher it. We think about it for a while, and then get busy in our scheduled life. But hey, we tried to decipher this unknown. Our search for the unknown existed for a while.

Many births take us to reach and learn higher and higher perspective of life. Why? Because The Almighty, The sole Authority, wants us to learn the “unknown” all by OURSELVES; so that we can rejoice the level of contentment that one feels, when he/she completes his/her work all by him/her self.

HIS power is so vast and immense that within fraction of time, HE can bless us with the knowledge of anonymous of this Life.

But I guess, that won't be the fun; that's why, in each lifetime; HE let us play the Unknown Search game to decipher the deadly doodle of destiny!! so to decode it fast, do chase the previous and future lifetimes too!! But as it's the poor mind of materialistic mud, so we would take many births to understand, that too with the help of Lord.

So enjoy the search game!!

copyright aditi kochhar

My world!! My Lord!!

“Floating on the blue water of the sea,
I gazed around, I searched around.
Found my world near the shore that I could see,
Found my Lord ten kilometres beneath the sea.”

Drink the worldly poison,
The world shall accept you.
Eat the selfless fruit,
The World shall kill you.

Pour out the poison bottle into the sea,
Deep blue water is still what you see.
Pour the sacred water into the sea,
Deep blue water is still what you see.

Given a chance to this world,
To be like the great sea,
Fear to drop the individualism,
Helplessly push this world to be not like that sea.

“So into the sea, I saw the profound Divinity.
Into the sea, felt the philanthropic identity.
So into the world, I saw the shallow mentality,
Into the world, felt the self-seeking individuality.”

“My world danced with its worldly trumpet,
My Lord danced with its bottomless terrain.
To follow My world, I gave second consideration,
To follow My Lord, I dived in.”

copyright aditi kochhar

(photographer: aditi kochhar)

Sit down!! Stand up!!

“Good morning madam!!” Students addressed to the teacher.
“Good morning students. You may 'sit- down' ” the teacher said.

We can “sit”, but “down”??? Isn’t it ironical? When the word “Sit” itself conveys to us that we may take the weight off our feet and take our seats, then why unnecessarily say “down”!!

“Madam, I have a doubt, can I ask?”a  student asked.
“Yes definitely, 'Stand-up' and ask” the teacher replied.

We can “stand”, but “up”??? Isn’t it ironical again? When the word “stand” itself conveys to us that we should get to our feet and rise above the level of ground which is proportional to our heights, then why unnecessarily say “up”!!

So sit-down and stand-up would continue their ironical journey.... Till then, wait and watch before blogger comes out with more Ironies ;)

copyright aditi kochhar

Honourable Chief Minister

Well, blogger has no personal grudge or hatred against present H’ble Chief minister of Delhi- Ms Shiela Dixit. Blogger just have one question about her statement that she made few months back!!

Few months back, one day, at night, there was a huge heavy traffic jam @Connaught place, the heart throb place of Delhi. Speed needle of vehicles didn’t move for hours. Traffic halted. Buzzing horns, flashing dippers tinted the ambience of Connaught place.

Next day, full coverage was given to this news. Media dragged the matter seriously; they spoke out the problems that people faced. Traffic police was questioned!! And why this matter shouldn’t be discussed? After all, it’s about the management of the capital city of the country.

To this news, Madam Shiela Dixit, made a comment-
“When New York can afford to have a traffic Jam, then Delhi is not an exception!!”

What?? What was she talking about? was she alright? I was shocked. I was like, what the hell!!
I don’t know what made her say that, but she completely showed her potential or say, level of I.Q that time.

How can someone compare his/her own city with the city of another country? O.K, I agree, for some reasons, sometimes we need to compare; but hello!! Compare in some relevance atleast. You are comparing a city of a developing country with that of a developed country. Are you out of your mind?

To escape the situation, do we always need a foreign name, face or status to hide behind??

Heck NO!! Not again!!

At one point, when ‘janta’ (Indian people) demands something like that of foreign standard for the betterment of public convenience, that time, poor ‘janta’ (Indian people) gets a plain static response, which is “ our country is still developing, it would take time to reach the level of developed countries”

O.K, leave that too, why compare the problem only?? Why don’t you compare the city’s development with the development that is happening in New York?

Why it is never said that-
“New York is having smooth roads everywhere, so Delhi won’t be an exception too. “

Why?

Answer is simple; it’s the sluggish attitude of country’s administration. And Sheila Dixit is not solely responsible for all this, whole system is.

Until, this apathetical mask would be thrown out, we would continue to escape behind the curtains of reality!!

And it’s not only the system that has to improve, WE, ‘janta’ (people of India) also have to give our full cooperation.
I m proud to an Indian and would NOT step backward to work for the betterment of my country. WE need to conduct our responsibilities well.
Example:
Very easily WE blamed and questioned the traffic police when Jam clutched the city into its web, but WE forgot ‘this’ traffic police only, when WE were jumping the red light while going to the market.

So Gear up!! WE, too have to a role to play, so that in the game, when we would be questioning the few minds like that of Ms. Sheila Dixit, these people cannot question us back regarding our negligence towards our responsibilities.

copyright aditi kochhar

What’s your purpose of visit?

Sometimes, language seems to be an insufficient tool to deliver the true message or emotion. Never thought, that the simple English word - “Irony” would itself catch its own language into being ironical.

How?

Here’s the example:

You are going to US to attend the funeral of your close relative and there you arrive at the airport and rush to stamp your visa for immigration.

US personnel would ask you one simple question!!

“What’s your purpose of visit – business or pleasure?”

Trapped!!! in words!! Try hard as much as you can, but you can’t escape the irony of words.
You can’t choose business, because obviously you are not going for a business trip. So left with only one option- pleasure!!

Immigration has reallocated your purpose of visit. This decisive question has made a very purposeful irony.

I can understand how your heart would feel, when caught in trap of words. Heart is sad because of the pain you going through on the behalf of your relative, but poor heart, it has to manage with the irony.

This purposeful irony cannot console the heart; instead, it creates an expression of guilt as it makes heart to purposefully utter a word –pleasure!!

copyright aditi kochhar

Mind’s dictionary!!!

Sound is acknowledged by the centre of listening of the body – Ears!! Sound is accredited by the central processing unit of the body – Mind!!
Source of sound has no criteria. It can be any source.

But often it happens that we people, after listening to the sound of a word/sentence, we don’t understand what it means, and try to make a guess rather than simply saying, “NO, WE DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER”.

Why? Where these guesses originate from?

Well, from - Mind’s Dictionary!!!

It’s an open source dictionary that works 24x7. Its database is updated each hour, minute, second of our existence while we talk, walk, read, think and so on. Mind’s word list stores each and every word that we have listen and read till date.

The moment we hear any sound, our mind register it and search its own dictionary to find its meaning, if it finds the same word there with the same pronunciation(sound) that it has just heard, we understand that word. But what if mind doesn’t find it in its words list, then what???

Now, here two situations arise. Read carefully!!
Suppose mind doesn’t find that sound in its dictionary, now it has two choices, either mind will direct you to search its meaning by asking someone or looking into dictionary (not of mind) or mind will say to you, "leave it, never mind, it’s just a word, what’s a big deal if it doesn’t know.”

Well if mind works according to first choice then, no issues.But as mind has ego too, so sometimes rather than ignoring the word, it tries to make a guess. As in, it will search its own dictionary and would try to match the unknown word with the nearest, adjoining, closest word it can find in its own word list.

So guess work is nothing, but searching the mind’s vocabulary. That’s why, even not being a software engineer, often in a party and talking to your friends who are software engineer though, we talk with their jargon talks. How? Because, inside our mind keep the matching game alive with its own dictionary!!
Great!! Isn’t it!!

I know, sometimes it can lead to hazardous results, if in case we give advice or guide someone on the basis of our mind’s word list. So, never do that.

Till then, keep updating your Mind’s dictionary!!

copyright aditi kochhar

modern happiness

Well, first of all let’s have a look at the primary requirements for celebrating - good food, entertainment and a nice place to hang out along with bunch of friends (as without them, for whom party will be thrown?)
So one handy option that comes as a rescue to search for any such place is a “mall”... These days’ people choose mall as their perfect destination, and so my friend did too.

It was my friend’s birthday.
Now, here are few friends celebrating their friend’s Birthday party!!

But were they exactly??? Let’s have a look...

They can’t shout and talk freely (as neighbouring people sitting over there would look at them in a weird manner making them feel as if they are some uncivilized guys). Limit on the way we should party and rejoice.
No birthday is complete without cake (at least current trend says so), so cake was arranged. But as it’s said, cutting of the cake is incomplete without candles either, so candle search begun...

The most ironical part lies here: cake could be found in that big mall as current trend says that people would buy it but ironically no candles were found in that big mall... even the grocery shops at the mall that claims- “find everything at one shop”, they too didn’t have it.
I felt bit disheartened, after scanning through each floor and still not able to get candles for my friend. She didn’t mind that, but I did, as I feel there are few emotions (like blowing off candles after making a cute little wish) that bring true happiness. I mean when people can’t ignore cake, then why forget candles??

All malls have their food court- (or say, combo of food shops), where at one place you can have variety of menu to choose from. But ironically, I think it’s the overdose of menu which confuse one’s mind and leave us staring at the menu only!!

These days "Modern happiness" correlates itself with vogue...
Celebration means happiness, but when there are limits on celebrating we restrict our happiness. I guess that’s what modern happiness is getting all about!!

Think again, where our happiness is moving?
May be modern happiness lies in trend.
Check!! Check!! Our happiness is in trap of some restrictions.

copyright aditi kochhar

Converse with her road

Dressed in a pretty white gown,
Holding the sparkling keys she stepped down,
Slowly opened the painted shining door,
Got ready to converse with her road....

Her running machine touched top speed,
Memories jumped up from mind’s back seat,
Bass played loud, windows were pulled down,
Gushing breeze now hugged more closely...

Rear view flashed light,
Eyes lost the sight,
Dressed in a pretty red gown,
Holding the life she owned...

Alarm tone played on time,
Delusion mind was lifeless for a while,
Slowly opened her eyes,
Got ready to converse with her road..

copyright aditi kochhar

........ (without title)

Holding the storm inside the red veins,
Conversing with the interweaving nerves,
Inanely, signals are being processed,
Inanely, figments are being designed..

Floating more with mayhem,
Watching the dance of dark roof,
Shell of vows is wrapped tightly,
Inescapable intellect wanders furiously...

Little imprints beside the shore,
Smell of last breeze of dusk,
Glimpse at the tiny shiny beans sparkling up,
Perceive sound of the silence of world.

Endless listening to the active machines,
Regression to hold the sharp sword,
Unbelievable mystical powers and clues,
Coincidental talking of omens...

Into the world of life,
Out of the tacit signs.
Out of the world of death,
Into the world of journey...

copyright aditi kochhar

So the six feet under………

In the flesh of time,
A life might seem to be going underground,
Behind the curtain of world,
Lying beneath the ground..

This might just seem as a ritual of life,
Epitomizing life’s surrender,
Making people outside remember,
There is death, if there is life..

The departed never knows,
Near the grave what blooms??
Remain unaware of the fact,
That his presence is always felt..

Sometimes, way of expressing got different ways,
Like putting a flower near the grave,
Or the silent tears remembering all the memories,
While passing thousands nights being all awake..

It’s the presence of the late only,
That his soul now lives in our body,
As in each moment of life cherishing each memory,
Those make us laugh and cry..

His absence is a symbol,
Exemplifying the voyage of life,
that death is inescapable,
so one should live each moment,
how placid or cacophonous may it seem
try to make it exultant and enjoyable..

One never know, when the moment,
Bringing death as gift knock the door,
So better beat all your dreams,
And if sometime, you have to shout and scream,
Then do it, because they are your dreams..

Near the tomb, wind blows,
But not always cold,
It’s the wind of time,
Always telling the departed one,
“in every bit of time I m with you,
That’s why each season, I pass through you
And I have not forgotten you……….”

The blood spilled over,
Make one face the fear,
Of the taste of DEATH,,,,
It makes one terrified,
So sometime that person ignore the body lying beside,
Because he has seen death, which he thought would never arrive..

So the body six feet under,
Is unknown of the fact,
That in each sunshine, rain and thunder,
His absence is always felt and he is remembered..

copyright aditi kochhar

PS: This poem was written long before(2007), (Blogger posted it now due to some conversations that were discussed among friends...and Blogger felt like posting it with a motive of pointing out the positvity out of the word "grave", a word that brings fear or sadness along with it!! )
And sorry, poem is bit long and sometimes, it even miss the on going written format of a poem, so kindly ignore it and read it, just to feel the theme of the poem