When to be silent and When to speak!

Today, I chose to remain silent.
Today, I feel so happy to lose.
Today, I just want to adore your smile.
Trusting and accepting everything that you say,
after-all…. there’s no reason to doubt or refuse.

I prefer to be silent as I don’t like fights.
Tears rolling down the cheeks and those sleepless nights.
You turned out a demon pushing me deep into darkness,
All I tried was to be your savior, helping you shine like that loyal light.
Damn, I can’t be silent anymore, I need to break my silence
And speak up as I know what’s happening is not right.

Maybe our friendship may never take this flight.
Maybe I’ll never be able to hug you so tight.
Maybe it’s the last time we meet tonight.
Maybe we’ll never be in the center of spotlight.
Maybe no more pictures in your IG highlights.
But the truth shall remain, no matter how hard you try to gaslight.
And my love, I’ll always try to speak up in time,
as I pray for you and your future to be bright.

Every Red Watermelon ain’t that sweet

At our homes, mostly it’s our moms who go to the market to buy all our daily necessities and groceries. Even in this lock-down period, groceries are still a necessity. We at-least need food to survive, it is the most basic need. All other luxury cravings like fast-foods, clubbing, travelling, partying, get-together, brunches, theater, etc. can be kept aside for a while.

The most difficult task is often assigned to the strongest person in the group. The same is the case at our home. The toughest person in our family (group) is none other than my Mom. In this lock-down, the most difficult task if any is to keep a foot out of our doors. This task is assigned to my Mom. Although we do not allow her to go out everyday, she steps out of the house once in a week but with full precaution and keeping in mind all the safety measures to stay away from this virus.

Yesterday, her eyes fell on a watermelon seller, in summers, what else is more satisfying and relaxing than a fresh plate of watermelon dices. She approached the seller, they bargained a little but there was no other option available and considering the other careless customers who seem to have forgotten each and every guideline of social distancing, my mom agreed to pay a bit extra and quickly came out of that place.

It was 10 p.m., the time when my mom gets a little breather after completing all her household chores. She just sat down on the sofa and I pleaded, “Mumma, Karingo Mor ne ” (which means, ‘Mom, please serve me dices of watermelon). We children are so lucky to have such a beautiful person in our life, our Mom. She instantly went to the kitchen and gave me plate full of watermelon dices. The look of that plate, cherished me up, my entire body was fully energized and my hands were tempting to grab dices of that juicy watermelon and chug them all at once with my bare hands. I quickly took a dice and I put it in my mouth, just to feel a real shock.

That Bright Red Velvety textured juicy watermelon literally had zero taste, saying, “it’s a little less sweet” would be a crime. It missed it’s entire essence i.e. taste and sweetness. So I had a thought, same thing applies to our friends, family and all other people that we meet. Just like we judge a watermelon by its color, we judge them by what they wear, how to look, their body-shape, their hair-style, etc. Trust me in this, I am no different in this, I do the same mistake a lot. We are often attracted towards people who look good, who wear good clothes and who speak in a sweet way. In the end we find out that this guy or this girl is not what she looks like, you fight a lot after some time and in the end you realize there was nothing much that you liked about him/her other than their physical appearance.

So is there a way to get out of this loop? Yes. In case of a watermelon, what we can do is before buying one, we can always ask the vendor to cut a piece out of it and try it, so that we are satisfied with the taste. In the same way, we should not just get attracted by people’s physical appearances, to know who they truly are, we must try to give them time, to know them, to know about their qualities, to know about their behavior, to know about their priorities. Giving them time is just like tasting a watermelon, we’ll get to know about their real sweetness.

Opinions

Often times in life, we come across situations
where we have to make a choice, a difficult one.
Our mind gets confused, it’s this state of dilemma
where picking one from many is so cumbersome.

We try our best, we give it all that we can
we do analysis and comparison,
we see every aspect, we do a detailed scan
Ugh! It’s better to be in a prison.

If we’re unsure, we ask for opinions,
from experienced and beloved ones,
some of them help us take correct actions,
While others just give even more options..

But these are not the only sources of opinions,
we get them every day, everywhere and for everything,
Relatives who don’t know our likes and dislikes,
will suggest us what careers we need to pursue..
Those so called friends, we just met a while ago,
will judge us on our looks, ”you should try something new.”
People who don’t know a thing about our relationships,
say, “you’re almost 30, marry soon”, like who are you?

No matter how difficult are the conditions
No matter how bad you need to get out of this trouble,
Opinions are just guidelines, not the base for your decisions,
Even if you go wrong, to yourself you must always stay humble..
For people to have and give opinions has become a tradition,
They think they are being smart, but in fact they are being horrible.
Don’t ask for much opinions, or it’ll become your addiction,
Trust your instinct and everything will be clear and visible.

It’s okay to make mistakes

It’s okay to make mistakes
After-all we are just normal human beings
Some things go right, some things go wrong
Sometimes we care less, sometimes we are a bit mean.

It’s okay to make mistakes
By doing so, we learn a lot
No one does it knowingly, they’re often unintentional
We may not identify it on the spot.

It’s okay to make mistakes
But its consequences you can not neglect
Health, Wealth and a whole lot’s at stake
But do not worry as no one is perfect.

It’s okay to make mistakes
But once made, the right thing is to accept
The more you delay, the worse it’ll get
Ensure you’re not too late, or you’ll lose someone’s respect

It’s okay to make mistakes
Accept it within time and problems will minimize
To look in their eyes won’t be easy,
Take a few deep breaths.. and Apologize.

It’s okay to make mistakes
But hiding them is a big crime
You’ll hurt others, you’ll lose their trust
Your relations may get sour like a lime
Be strong, face the truth and accept your mistakes
Doing so will lead you towards better times.

We’ll see better days

This one is specially for my family members, for people from my society and community

To face this difficult and burdensome situation, let’s move towards unity.
After all, togetherness has always been the strength of our Kutchi Bramhakshatriya community.

Some of our families are in Kutch, while others here in Mumbai City.
Major earning source being furniture work, for all those I feel pity.

Some do jobs, some have their businesses,
But in this pandemic, everyone’s in a mess.
Everyone is worried, mind is full of stress,
Overthinking When will this end? leading to sickness,
When will I buy my daughter a new dress,
My son’s not feeling good, he’s jobless,
Gyms are shut down, I’ve lost my fitness,
When will a stranger stop his car, and ask me for someone’s address,
When would our teachers again call us shameless,
Those cheesy acts in front of our crush, just to impress,
The feel of catching that running train, words just can’t express…
And the commentary,”Rohit’s pulled that for a 6 here at wankhede, it’s MI’s fortress.”
Keep you spirits high and trust the process.
Don’t lose faith, there will be progess.
We are kutchi after all, invincible and fearless,
Every male is a hero, every female is a princess,
We’ll stay in touch and eliminate each others weakness,
We’ll again arrange picnics where fun will be limitless,
We’ll have that cricket tournament, where our attitude is merciless,
We’ll again arrange for community meetings and complain,”food is tasteless“
We’ll have garba and dandiya again and take blessings from our goddess,
Our good deeds never go fruitless,
Be calm till then, practice kindness,
Our life will soon be smooth and flawless.
Coronavirus will end soon, we will see better days..

Appreciate Kindness

Some people are so selfless..
They keep spreading love,
They pray for your health and wellness.
No matter if they are broke or their life right now is a mess.

In case if things don’t go as planned,
They try to understand your point of view,
Getting angry at little mistakes,chances are very few..
They first put themselves in your shoe,
Doing this they might get an idea, a clue.

They give you multiple opportunities, they consider you a friend..
Never misuse their kindness, fear the day when their patience comes to an end.

When their trust and faith is broken,
Do you know how much they feel confused ?
They try and analyze where they went wrong,
In the end to find nothing, as they were just misused.

Never overlook those small acts of kindness
Appreciate their efforts aimed at your happiness.
Such loving people you won’t find many
They make you smile for free, you don’t need to spend a penny.

To be Selfish-In a good way

In today’s world, it’s hard to distinguish
Who’s on our side and who’s just selfish.
No person appreciates a selfish lad
But is being selfish really that bad?

It’s all in your mind, how you perceive
I’m not at all trying to deceive
I’m delivering a message, I hope you’ll receive
Being Selfish ain’t that bad, you’ll surely believe.

Selfish is the one who just thinks of one’s own self,
They don’t care about anyone, not even an Elf.

But what does this ‘self’ mean to you?
Self may mean just self,
like I, Me and myself.
Self may mean you and your loved one,
You may look after each other and care about thyself.
Self may mean you and your family,
Staying together under one roof being kind hearted
and helping each other out is an achievement in itself.
Self may mean you and the entire universe,
You may consider each and everyone as one,
as small little spread out parts of your own self.

Whom do you consider self,
how much are they in numbers?
If it’s just one, if it’s just you,
You are bound to do blunders
The more your coverage, more relief for you
Together you’re bound to create wonders.

Listen

‘To perceive by the ear’
Is how we define hear
A few friends are near
There’s nothing to fear
You feel the same my dear?
But one thing must be clear!

Are they attentive in your small walks
Do they really listen when you try to speak
Are they the only one who do all the talk,
Does it seem right? Ain’t the conversation weak?

It takes two hands to clap,
Both are at fault.
Root being communication gap
Both try to vault.

If you’re the one who speaks a lot,
try to calm down, learn how to listen.
You may be unable to do it on the spot,
give yourself time, you’re not on a mission.

Listen, not just to give a reply,
Apply your mind, try to understand.
Else without wings you will try to fly,
Or try to grow Kharif crops on barren land.

How will you know their point of view?
What’s in their mind? you’ll have no clue.
People so calm are very few..
Respect them or you’ll have to start from new.

Be attentive, try to be a good listener…
To keep your bond strong, be calm like menthol
Be consistent, your friendship will last forever
As if attached with the adhesive, Fevicol.

A special friend

A lot of people you see on your weekends
But there’s one person you wish to meet, that one special friend.
It feels like you’re meant for each other, your thoughts and habits, a perfect blend.
She trusts you and knows,”This guy will be on my side, this guy will defend.”

If you don’t like something you say it on her face, no need for fake sympathy, no need to pretend.
Such great is your mutual understanding, you can be your true self knowing she won’t offend.
Perfect clothes for every occasion, she knows what to wear, she knows the current trend.
Be it marriage, birthday party or any occasion, if she’s by your side, you’ll surely attend.

She cries and your body turns numb,
In-front of her demands you have to bend.
Only tears allowed are those of happiness,
wasting them otherwise you’ll never recommend.
She’s always your first priority,
to make her smile you’ll even transcend.
You love her company, you’ve pride on your friendship,
in case she needs support, your hand first extends…

But what if someday she stops choosing you,
will it be all over, will the story end.
She no more feels the same for you,
but to hurt you is not what she intends.
You feel shattered, you feel cheated,
all your efforts invested would yield no dividend…
This leaves you in a state of shock,
no talks, no meetings, no more time together left to spend.

You’re deeply engrossed with that smile on her face,
for that sweet smile only prayers you want to send.
Let her go, forgive her from the bottom of the heart,
if you do so trust me.. you’re a true legend.

A Flute

When your mood is off, when things go wrong,
Just grab your phone and play your favorite song

Although, to medicine, music can not be a substitute
It softens our heart, keeps negative thoughts on mute.
So many instruments taught in an institute
Drums, Piano, Guitar, Violin and the Flute
Flute’s woody notes, so pure, so cute
Melodious enough to solve any dispute
It gives life to a song, different lyrics we can execute
To the inventor of this instrument, a grand salute

Flute’s wooden body so open, so hollow
Just rhythmic openings and the music follows
Try treating your heart, just like a flute
Keep it open and you’ll find the correct route

Empty your heart from attachment, from affinity
Empty your heart from avoidance, from aversion
For an open heart, the limit is infinity
Free yourself and you’ll be your best version.