And I see gooseberries....

  

It had to be Autumn I guess 

When we shifted to this house

I climbed on my windowsill

And hung a fluorescent green wind chime,

My friend in school gifted it to me on my 13th birthday 

I had kept it locked safe inside a shelf in my cupboard

And I found it today when I unlocked the shelf and 

Found a hundred memories waiting to spill out.

While climbing down back from the sill 

I noticed this naked tree opposite to my window

We both stared at each other for a while 

Willing to get introduced to each other 

Till a ring from my mobile phone

Pulled me back to my room to common man's world

After weeks one day I sit in my room 

Staring out at the dark 

Introspecting why is that this wind chime of mine

Never makes a sound??

It's always silent

I noticed someone out there waving to me

I saw this tree flirting with the summer breeze 

But still the breeze chose not to flirt with 

My wind chime and me

The call got disconnected, 

The sky seemed red, vibrant,

I guess so did my eyes and

So did this tree that chose to be silent today 

It seemed to be observing me 

It was patient to listen to me 

Today I stood near the window for hours

Even the slightest breeze didn't interrupt us

As night fell bloomed with stars 

I chose to go back and sleep

Months later one afternoon 

Standing in front of the mirror

I was busy praising my beauty

Humming a song slightly moving my hands 

I hopped merrily in my room 

Accidentally I hit my hand on my wind chime.

My humming faded and the enchanting 

Sound of the wind chime echoed in my room 

My wind chime, for the first time broke its silence

Also I noticed this tree dancing with pride 

Standing tall, elegant filled with fruits as

A young girl who just burst into her puberty

Days later I was struggling to take afternoon nap

My neighbors kids were howling, giggling and chatting 

Frustrated I got up, went up to my window

One small kid aged four stood in front of me

His small-cupped palms couldn't hold on the fruits he had stolen 

Stolen from that tree opposite to my window

Our association had grown so strong I guess

That this tree wished to offer me its fruits

" Gooseberry’s, dont you want to taste them??" asked

the innocent mischievous kid.

I accepted it, had it

I saw the tree noticing my funny expressions 

Every time I took a bite of it.

Penniless, after days I stood at my window, 

Early in the morning, before the sun burst out on me 

The tree opposite to me stood strong and silent, empty 

With no fruits and few broken branches

My wind chime too seemed to have dropped one of its strings

We stood patiently and breathed.

Momentary morning breeze joined us too.

That four-year-old kid on his way to school, 

Smiled to me and wished me morning 

Stood there and looked at the tree.

"Look at that", he screamed out of joy

"My dad was true a new leaf is sprouting, soon 

It would be filled with many new leaves"

The tree smiled at me

The boy assured me 

" We shall eat more gooseberries this year,

See I am growing big ,

I'll get you even more gooseberries."

With a spark in his eyes, merrily he left 

With conviction I got up to receive,

To receive everything new, vibrant and 

Plentiful.... 

Silence Speaks

I switched off the music 

Closed the windows 

I even switched off that old fan which 

Had been struggling to come to a stop from ages

I wanted silence 

Though I Could hear the chirping of sparrows, 

An annoying kid howling from my neighbor’s house,

A faint screech from a drilling machine and 

Dhuhr(Mid Day prayer call) from a nearby mosque

I chose to write in silence today

As I believe that in silence lays the secret of ages

Have you ever tried to listen to those silent stops between your breaths?

The silences between every footstep u keep.

A silence that engulfs you between every droplet of rain that falls on you?

The silence between the tears that roll down your eyes??

I chose to write in silence because 

I love this silence between the strokes my pen takes to write a new word

I love to listen to that silence between the words u say 

I love to feel it between your laughter 

I love to feel it in your smiles

You know why I chose to write in silence 

Because that’s where I found you 

That’s where I found myself 

That’s where I would always be waiting

Its only there I live, I breathe and i would wish to perish

See, listen carefully, didn't you once ask me which 

Is that place on earth I love the most???

I say it now, this moment; you know it's right there 

In that mystic silence 

In that divine place

It’s in that silent spot

Between those musical notes you play.....

I see ME

And I thought that was all it was about

I thought that was the end

So I, at that very instant closed my eyes

I didn’t want to see where my feet led me next to

I was all ready to fall down deep,

Deep into the darkest corners

From where I wouldn’t want to see myself

Or neither wished anyone ever found me out.

But the very instance I took the next step

There was this mystic silence that enveloped me,

I could feel for the first time a hand held me,

It held me tight,

I wanted to see who it was

I wanted to ask who it was

I wanted to hear who it was

I didn’t, I didn’t utter a word,

Was too scared to believe

That all I felt then was true,

This silence

Which I always yearned for was

Here and I was a part of it

I still didn’t open my eyes

I still didn’t muster the courage

To ask who it was

I still didn’t believe that I was not alone

There are instances when life harms you in

A way from where you never wish to come back

But here there was someone holding me

Taking me to a safer place,

Warmth of tears rolling down my eyes

Asked me to see what I had here ,

Asked me to believe what I felt ,

Asked me to forgive myself

And finally asked me to

Believe...

As caught up in heavy rains

I struggle to open my eyes,

I see where I am , I forgive myself ,

I believe what I see and now

I see you …