The Missing

Thirty-year-old Ashwin checked his watch impatiently. He was excited, beyond words. He was going to spend time with his classmates from the first school he had studied in till class 8. They were going to spend a couple of days in a beach resort. It was not the resort that mattered, but the time he would be spending with these long-lost friends.

A Drop in the Ocean

I walked by the beach
When a drop fell on me
Meeting an untimely death
Vanishing from the face of earth
**
It set me thinking
How like us it is
One among million
A drop in the vast ocean

Mighty when in a mob
Striving to be more than a drop
To follow a lifecycle
To dry up and then be reborn

To meet its destination
Right at birth
Or to travel far
Crossing several hurdles

Sometimes to reach the goal
At times being waylaid
Coming to an abrupt end
Only to come back again

Does it want to escape?
Blow like the wind?
Roar like the fire?
Be at peace like the ether?

Like us does it too seek
To be something other than it is?
The drops makes me wonder
Are we all the same?

The End of the Endless

My grandfather sowed the seed
Look how strong is the tree,
Even though he is gone, and so will we
This will stay forever sharing its bounty.

Social Extreme

Anger, anger, anger
At perceived offenses
At opinions that differ
At those we see as the other

Crossed Wires: Part VIII - Short Romance

For earlier parts, click here:
Part I
Part II 
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
Part VII

The sense of deja vu pressed Barkha down. Dheer, the prospective groom, sat where Sumesh had. His parents seemed like simple people who were willing to go with whatever decision their son took. Dheer seemed friendly and easy going. She just had to utter a word and all his attention turned to her immediately with evident interest. But she couldn't think of saying anything of interest, confining herself to answering questions directed towards her. No questions arose in her mind about his work, interests, personality. She had no curiosity about the kind of person he was. Though he had even features, he made no impression on her heart. Because it was already preoccupied with thoughts of another, one who had been distracted by thoughts of someone else when he had come to see her!

Crossed Wires - Part VII: A Short Romance

For earlier parts, click here:
Part I
Part II 
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI

"So, this is it?" Prateek said as he got up and shook Barkha's hands. "I think the content has come out really well, what do you say Sumesh?"

Sumesh nodded curtly. Barkha smiled in relief. The emotional drain was too hard on her.

"Make sure the payment is on time, Sumesh. Barkha, once it is launched, we will have to consider other content, of course... Blogs, case studies, marketing content... the whole works, you know."

Crossed Wires - Part VI: A Short Romance

For earlier parts, click here:
Part I
Part II 
Part III
Part IV
Part V

Her mother's observations worked on Barkha's mind. What concerned her more was, whether Amrita too had noticed her aversion to discussing Sumesh and how she had interpreted it. That night when Amrita and she prepared for bed, she brought up the topic of Sumesh. "He seems quite popular at work. Even the girls in my office titter when he is around..." She smiled.

Amrita smiled back and said, "Only you seem resistant to his charm."