Gurukul Bal-Ashram

Out of the blue, my roomie asked me , "We are visiting Bal-Ashram tomorrow, u wanna cum?"...There being no plans the next day, I agreed...and convinced Sneha to join me...

And that's how I came to spend a wonderful day....

Gurukul Bal -Aashram is an orphanage located a kilometer before Nandanvan in Raipur...takes about half an hour by auto from the main city. Placed in a remote location, surrounded by vast barren fields, it gives you that feeling of emptiness and "losing yourself" usually linked to large empty spaces....anyways...what was inside those walls of the ashram...is more important...

Some 54 odd children running about the entire grounds of the ashram, ages ranging from 3-18...Unlike other orphanages that I have visited...the children here looked quite happy and healthy , despite their mud-stained and worn out clothes .We were all welcomed with laughter and chatter...they clung to us, holding our hands, asking our names...we talked and talked...we asked their names: Pooja, Meenu, Sanjana,Parvati....and laughed together at silly jokes...like.."Why did you shave off ur hair??"...."Didi, there were too many lice."

There was a small playground and the children pulled us to the place...there was a slide, a merry-go-round,see-saw and another thing that swings from side to side...but I don't know what that is called...The darlings, jumped about in the sand and called us in...we exchanged wary glances at each other...then in the next second, we had all joined them...shouting at equally-decibled levels...

That wasn't the end...we played kho-kho, others played cricket...we taught the small ones "Ringa Ringa Roses"... and we had a hell of a time...The seniors prepared poori and custard...the ashram people made dal and sabzi...and at noon..all the children sat in a line to be served there Sunday feast...

A beautiful thing happened then...when some of the children had been already served, they did not start eating right away...After everybody had been served, they all closed their eyes, chanted a prayer...thanked the Almighty for the food and then started eating....It was wonderful to see how such a huge family ate together...Funny, how even a family of four is unable to make it to dinner on time so that they could eat together....

Hey friends, I am really sorry if this is getting too long...but really I have so much to say...pls do read on...

The head of the ashram...the one who owned it and looked after it, wished to talk to us...he told us how important it is for youth like us to recognize our social responsibilities, how happy he was that we had come...and so on...didn't have the patience to hear the rest of it....

BUT...what caught my attention was this : there were children who were HIV positive...I shook my head to be sure of what I was hearing...yes, it was true...children shunned by their families because of the disease.There were some mentally ill children and a majority of the children were girls....a Fatal Social Tragedy...

................

It was afternoon...and time to leave...the children were given gifts...and some essential items were contributed to the ashram...

And oh! I forgot to mention the animals there...there were some 18 cows...all dumbstruck by the presence of so many people ...a small daschund pup named Boxy or Boxing...I am not sure, some 6-7 huge white swans and a few birds( cackatoo and lovebirds)...Enjoyed cuddling all of them except the caged birds...I don't like THAT....

Back in my room in the evening, I hit the bed as soon as possible...and beautiful dreams filled my head...children running about and laughing...the pup barking and me running around in a dirty dress...there was a girl who had 5 safety pins trying to keep her skirt together...and there was a boat too...I don't know where that came from...and I was in that boat...sailing away...don't know where...

A smile that made my day...

I was pretty pissed off with the day-long journey...and things were going worse with the train running late by 3 hours.I was coming home for Diwali.

At the Tata station, a small, dirty boy in tattered clothes boarded the train to sweep the floor and earn a few pennies.He did his job and then went about begging the passengers to give him a rupee or two.When he approached me, I looked into my purse to find that a five rupee note was the least I had.I gave that to him.However, he didn't move.His hand was still extended towards me.

"Could you give me a little more money?I haven't eaten the entire day" , he said, gesturing towards his mouth.Obviously, it's very difficult to refuse anything to such a small boy...I took back the 5 rupee note and gave him a 20 rupee note.It would be very bad if he had to stay hungry in Diwali.

As he was going, I suddenly remembered that I had an entire packet of Jhalmuri left which I hadn't eaten at all. "Are suno!!", I called out to him.He approached me with beseeching eyes. I gave him the packet and he left.

The train was gradually leaving the platform.Suddenly, I heard somebody knock vigorously on the window against which I was leaning.I was startled...and then I saw that small boy.He was running with the train and waving at me."Thank You so much.Happy Diwali!!!" he shouted.A genuine smile lit up his face.

His smile made my day...

P.S.:I found the pic on the net.It is not the actually boy in the story.

Is Diwali aap kisse khush karenge...

Hey guys...had written this short poem in response to the Cadbury contest "Is diwali aap kise khush karenge?"...didn't get published...I'm publishing it here anyway.

Har dil me jalta,

Chota sa ek diya...

Usi roshni ka tyohar,

Diwali hai aaya.

Mann aur dil se

Mit jaye andhera.

Na rahe koi gum

Khile har chehra.

Isi mauke me, chalo

Kuch meetha ho jaye.

Yaaro, aao sab milke

Cadbury chocolate khaaye.

Tyohar hai yeh

Khusiyan baatne ka...

Kisi toote dil me

Nai umeed jagaane ka.

Bandh khidkiyo se

Do aankhen mujhe hai dekhti.

Us anaathalay me ek

Choti si bachchi hai rehti.

Is diwali mujhe

Usi ko hai kuch dena.

Choti si kali ko hai

Phool jese khilana.

Share karungi apni cadbury

Main usi bachchi ke saath.

Jalaungi fuljhari main

Pakadke usi ka haath.

Dil me jo base hai

Poori ho woh aashayen.

Diwali hai yaaro,

Kuch meetha ho jaye.

P.S.:I hate cadbury for not publishing my poem :(

My Pet-Part 2.

Here I come with the second part of "My Pet"...Thanx a lot to all the readers...All your comments are very encouraging.

Whenever I returned from school he would jump about all around me in a warm welcome.He would stick out his ping watery tongue at me whenever I had biscuits and it was customary to throw a few pieces to him.He would then catch them smartly before they landed on the ground.At times he would nudge me while keeping his head on my lap when a tick or two were bothering him( remember Taare Zameen Par!!)...When I studied, he would lay close by, barking occasionally (just trying to prove that he was on guard).He was utterly disobedient,always did the opposite of what I told him to do!!His loyalty was directed only towards my mom(because that was his source of food).

"I was growing with you,

Was knowing the world with you.

In up's and down's,you, buddy

Remained forever true."

A few years had gone by and Kutush was now a handsome doggie(will put up his pic as soon as possible).One day my dad brought a pup(bitch) as a gift for a cousin of mine.The pup was very very naughty and we could hardly keep a hold on her.We were afraid to let her free with Kutush lest he hurt her as she was just a small pup.Kutush was extremely upset with this new pup that might claim all his riches.However, I just let the pup down to see Kutush's reaction and after 2 mins the scene was like this:A big doggie was running with his tail between his legs and behind him a small pup was chasing him...I will never forget that scene in my entire life.

"The entire house chimed

With the twinkles of your bark.

Small paws thumped about and

Gentle eyes had a curious spark."

P.S.:To be continued...

My Pet

This is a topic of essay writing we often used to encounter during our kindergarten days.Seriously, I don't understand why we were given topics such as this and others like "My best friend", "My favourite teacher" etc, when we understand the importance of these subjects only when we have developed ample amount of sense.

He was a small baby: Kutush, when I first held him in my arms and rubbed his nuzzle against my cheeks.A cute daschund puppy, with a shiny black coat and brown fur on his legs and eyebrows.I had always wanted a pup of my own and in the fall of 2001, when my dad finally complied to my wishes and brought me Kutush, I knew that it was a "love at first sight" case for me.

Prior to his homecoming, I had looked up several English names like "Timothy","Silky" and what not for my new pup.Then when he came, he was named "Kutush" after the pet of my dad's favourite cartoon character "Tin Tin".And I actually found the name quite catchy and interesting.And my o my, what a fuss there was round the house:feeding him, bathing him, taking him for daily exercise and potty and keeping him away from the "out caste" dogs.You should have seen my mom's face when, one day, she found Kutush and me sleeping cosily, cuddled together underneath a "freshly cleaned" blanket.

"A journey had just begun,

My pup in me in a warm embrace.

The sun was to shine forever now

On his bright and happy face."

You think raising a pup is a joke??Huh!!Whether you get to sleep or not, you musn't make a sound when he sleeps.You are eating something delicious and you forgot to share it??Oh my God!!You must face the music now.You must remember to stroke his head,neck and ears several times a day, lest his nails get blunt by too much scratching.Well,your mood is bad??Doesn't matter.Hope you have tendered to the mood swings of the VIP in your house.

Well, jokes apart, Kutush was the darling of the house.He was a member of our family now.It was a joy, hearing him bark around the house.I spent a lot of my free time with him.I know you must have heard it several times, that dog is a man's best friend but seriously, it is hard to understand this fact until one actually experiences this relationship.He wil laugh and jump when you are happy.He will listen to you patiently when you need someone to talk to and he will abet you in all your mischiefs.

"It is always fun,

When you walk by my side.

Just a nudge from you

And I know, there's nothing to hide."

P.S.:To be continued....

Heartbreak

Its cold outside,

And even colder inside...

Only the skin is burning

With the fever of love.

Its bleak out there,

Even bleaker in here.

Just thunderstorms

Striking from above.

An empty chest

Lost, in its own hollowness...

Hands grappling for

It knows not what.

It's bleeding

Yet there isn't any pain.

Because, ceaselessly

The guns have shot.

Get me together

Before I fall apart.

Let some music play

And drown the cries.

On the deserts,

Please shower some rain.

Give a reason

To open my eyes.

Hope, please stop:

Your game of hide and seek.

Just let some rest

Calm the troubled soul.

Don't touch the waters

Want no more ripples.

Does love need

An even greater toll?

This will not stay

For long now...

I can already hear

The heart beat shakily.

The storm will end

And love will win.

A new song again

Will chime happily...

P.S:This poem is dedicated to all those friends out there, who at some point of time or the other, have a broken heart and just need a few words to pick up the pieces...

Mind Chatter.

Don’t know,

What the soul has been looking for…

Or what chains

It has been trying to break…

Don’t really know…

The questions, it has been trying to answer

Or the purpose

It is always in pursuit of….

What I know is that,

It is no more frustrating.

Rather a joy,

When I find some simple secret

And actually, marvel at my stupidity.

Don’t know…

What complications, it is trying to solve…

Or the horizons

It is trying to go beyond…

Don’t really know

What destiny, it runs after

Or the depths

That it tries to penetrate…

What I know is that,

I love this adventure.

I love this game of divine puzzle,

Life would be so bland without it.

Don’t know

What anguish the soul is in…

Or the darkness

Always supposed to be clouding it…

Don’t really know

What we should say in prayer…

Or what paradise

Awaits our sin-less souls.

What I know is that

Anguish humbly brings us closer to ourselves.

Uniting us, with the lost pieces.

And the darkness

Was only in the minds…

The heart is never short of light…

Prayers are just to let u know

That what is that you

Want the most.

As somebody rings the temple bell

It echoes in my entire being.

And my mind stops its useless chatter.

But my heart feels so light…

It is ready to spread its wings.

Life is so simple…

A short story, a happy end.