Pay It Forward

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Neha, a young executive was nervously biting her nails. She had been sitting outside the adoption center for almost an hour now. And she was running out of patience. She had rehearsed the answers for all the questions the panelists may throw at her. Neha, you're next. The volunteer called out her name and ushered her in.

They scanned her body language to discern if she fit the bill. She was getting uncomfortable with the piercing looks, but she faked a smile. She was here with a purpose and she decided she wouldn't leave without getting it done. It was her only hope.

Soon flew in a string of questions disturbing her trail of thoughts. You are 35 and unmarried. You used to be an alcoholic. You live alone. Why do you wish to adopt? Are you sure you will be able to devote your time to the child? What if you regret it tomorrow?

Neha was prepared to answer all these questions. However, she never realised they would get to know about her alcoholic past. She smiled and calmly answered all their questions one by one. Yes, I am 35 and unmarried. Yes, I used to be an alcoholic. Yes, I live alone. Yes, I wish to adopt. Yes, I am sure I will be able to devote ample time to my child. And no, I won't regret it ever.

As if the panelists would fall for such a simple answer. They smirked at her. And that is when Neha rose from her seat walked towards the panelists and said, You want to know why I am 35 and unmarried? Why I used to drink? Why I live alone? Why I wish to adopt? Why I will make sure I will devote ample time to my child? Why I wont regret this decision? She didn't wait for the board to reply. She went ahead and narrated her story.

My mom married a man who was an alcoholic. I have seen the way he treated her. He treated her like crap. And I have seen her bear it all in silence. Inspite of the hardships she went through, she managed to bring me up single handedly and gave me the best upbringing I could ever imagine. She educated me, taught me values and respect. Everything that I could ever dream of. All that I am is because of her. My respect for her grew day by day and at the same rate, grew my hatred for my father. One day, I saw my father beating up my mom as she was sleeping. I was only 12 then. I wanted to run away with my mother somewhere. But I couldn't. That day I resolved that I would never marry and would take care of my mother for the rest of my life. That I would study hard and get a good job and give her the good life she never had. She turned to the panelists, looked them in the eye and said, and that is WHY I am 35 and still unmarried. She went on, Yes, I used to drink. I thought if I started drinking, my dad would stop. He didn't. It made no difference to him. Actually, I never meant anything to him. I thought I would be able to change him. But I wasn't able to. All I managed to do was add to my mother's woes. And so I gave up drinking. Just like I gave up on my father. Just like I gave up on men. She paused and drank a sip of water as she wiped a tear from her left eye. She continued, Yes, I live alone. Why? Well, because my mother passed away last year. And I have no one else left. And hey - did I tell you about my dad? Well, he passed away five years back. So right now, I am an orphan in this big, big world. That is why I live alone. The panelists were now intently looking at this young 35 year old young woman. Picturing how tough life has been with her. At that very moment, Neha broke the silence and said, I wish to adopt because I have seen what my mother has done for me. I was never able to pay her back. I think I will be able to pay her back by making someone else's life beautiful. Just like she made mine. This is the only way I can pay her back. I can pay it forward. And I know I will do a good job at it. I wish to share my life with someone, and I wish that someone is a little girl with whom I can relive my lost childhood once again. And I know I would never regret it. That's all I have to say.

Neha sat back on the chair and looked at the panelists. They smiled and were happy to see someone who wanted to make someone else's life beautiful. They gestured to the volunteer in the room, who got a little three year old girl from the next room. Her name is Nisa, would you like to take her home? Asked one of the panelist. Neha was delighted to see Nisa. Nisa was happy too. Neha nodded her head and said yes. She couldn't contain her joy. She promptly completed all the formalities. And a week later, she walked back from the orphanage with Nisa in her arms to make her one bedroom house, a home.

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers 
by BlogAdda.

At Last

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You wake up, go to the bathroom and look at the mirror.

 

 

After a long and a tiring night, Holly wakes up and goes to the bathroom. With her eyes barely open, she fidgeted for a while for the light switch while she looked at the mirror. 

 

The memories of previous day come flooding to her mind. It was a super exhaustive day. So much done. So much to do. So much running around. So many thoughts and emotions on her mind. Nervousness. Elation. Anxiety. Enthrallment. Confusion. Happiness. Torment. Enthusiasm. Longing. Impatience. Fear. Hope. Worry. Hysteria. She had always been a bundle of nerves. But this day was different. It was the day she had been waiting for since time immemorial. It was her day. Her time under the sun. She was her happiest. Ever! It was everything that she had dreamed of. It was perfect. Too good to be true. It was the stuff that dreams were made of. She was happy. Very happy.

 

Everyone told her she looked beautiful. And Holly knew it was true. She was such a beauty after all! She was perfect in every way. The men loved her. She was every man's dream come true. And every woman's nightmare. The women hated her. She was way too perfect for them. She was smart, intelligent, beautiful. She was everything they were not. 

 

Holly felt good about herself. She was happy. She was day dreaming. Right in front of the mirror. Smiling and giggling to herself. She broke into tears. She thanked God for everything. He had given her everything she ever wanted. He had blessed her. He was always there for her. When everything around her seemed to give away, her God strengthened her. Her faith led her like a small lamp in a dark forest. God didn't show her everything at once, but He gave enough light for the next step to be safe. She trusted her God with her life. She relied on Him for all her important decisions in life. And this was the biggest of them all. She broke into a smile. She was happy. Very happy.

 

Holly was laughing, talking, smiling all by herself. She didn't realize how long this monologue was going on. She loved monologues. It gave her time to think. To be thankful. To be grateful. To mourn. To celebrate. It gave her time for everything. That is just when the morning alarm rang in the bedroom and zapped her back to reality. Holly ran to the bedroom and turned off the alarm. She gave a peck to Gerry and glanced at him as he lay comfortably on their bed. All snuggled up. She felt jealous. Keeping aside her jealously she rushed back to the kitchen to make breakfast. It was their first breakfast together after the wedding. And she wanted it to be special. She loved her Gerry. But her Gerry loved her more. Thanking God for her Gerry, she boiled a kettle of water for the coffee. Everything was perfect. The wedding. The first dance. The gown. He. Everything. He was the perfect one for her. He was her everything. Everything. She was happy. Very happy.

 

Holly couldn't thank her God enough. No, never!

This post was a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers 

by BlogAdda and it was featured as the best entry. Here is the link: WOW Winners.

This post is also a dedication to all the girls who grew up on happily ever afters, 

to all those who believe in the magic of love and marriage, like me!

Their Story

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She was a stranger at first
And she thought he was a flirt
He was too timid to talk to her
And he didn't know what to say to her.

One day they spoke and laughed a little
That day was the best he had in a while
He yearned to see her smile
All the time, all the while.

She was such a beauty after all
He felt so blinded by her gaze
She put him in a haze 
But never did he complain.

They spoke some more
And a little over more
Friends they became one day
And that's when his heart gave away.

He felt a million things for her
He wondered if she felt the same
He hoped she did too
He wished she did too.

Mustering the courage he believed he never had
He told her the words he thought he'd never say
And his heart did skip a beat like they say
And his hand grew cold like the winter insane.

She smiled and then she said to him
The same words he said to her
She shook his fears and held him near
Together they took on a journey called the happily ever afters!

This poem is a dedication to all the love stories in the world. Especially the friends turned best friends turned soul mates turned life partners. Love is what makes the world go round. 'Coz there is love, there is hope.

Love's Last Chance

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They sat down by the river bank,
Looking at the lives they left back.

It was love at first sight,
But slowly love seemed to take a flight.

What went wrong they didn't know,
They tried with their heart, their might, their soul.

Silence crept into their world they didn't know how,
They didn't talk to each other anymore now.

They thought of the lives they led,
Since the very day they first met.

It was in high school last year,
That they fell in love so dear.

They knew they were meant to be,
It was too crystal clear to see.

They stood one last time to glance,
At the life they lived with a chance.

As they pondered on miles they walked together,
His contagious laughter broke the silent cover hovering over.

He looked back to the day,
His heart felt so gay.

He took her hand and asked her,
Do you remember that day in the cold winter's night I asked you to be my wife?

She smiled back and said, Yes I do,
How could I forget the day you confessed your love for me Ernest?

Are you willing to give us one more chance Lily?, he asked;
And see if this thing could still last?

She knew she wanted to say a No,
But something inside her cold heart began to glow.

She nodded and said, Yes, I'm willing,
Let's see if we can get to that shore.

They walked hand in hand to their home,
With renewed love and hope and cheerful chatter.

The silence no more was to be heard anymore,
'Coz their laughter broke the silence that lurked before.

The glowing laughter warmed their faint little hearts,
And gave them the strength to fight love's last chance.

Lily and Ernest didn't let go of each other,
They held on to the flickering flame once more.

And gave their love the fighting chance,
They needed to make it forever last.

This post was a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative 
for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda and it got selected among the top two entries for WOW.
Here is the link: WOW winners for 'Creative Writing'

This post is also a dedication to love. This isn't just about Ernest and Lily. It is about us. Our relationships. Don't give up on love. Don't put out the fire, fan the flames instead, in the end you'll see it was really worth it.

Daddy's Trousers

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Daddy's trousers worn out and long,
Is a place where I long to belong.
They are black, brown, blue and grey,
They'd guide me when I'm lost in the fray.

As a child, I would tug to them,
Till he'd pick me up again.
I'd pull and scratch and squirm and scream,
Till the time he'd reach my arms again.

They'd be long, pleated or even an A line cut,
But to me that didn't matter that much.
For me they told me tales untold,
Of love and care and grace that unfolds.

They'd protect me from the hurt,
They'd protect me from the dirt.
They'd love me to bits,
And pick me up from pieces.

I'd kiss daddy morning with my spittle,
I guess he minded just a little.
He'd lift me up in his arms so wide,
And throw me up in the sky so nice.

As a toddler,
I tugged them for long.
As I bloomed,
I ignored them for oh so long!

No more am I the little kid,
No more do I tug after him.
I miss those days so much,
I miss that gentle little touch so, so much!

Now when I feel so lost,
I seek a place where I feel I belong.
That's when memories of the past come along,
And take me to the closet that holds;

Oh! My daddy's black trousers so long and old!

Dedicated to my dad. Daddy, I love you! You mean the world to me. :')

Love Story

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From this moment life has begun, From this moment you are the one.
Right beside you is where I belong. From this moment on.

Wondering why am I talking about love at the time of this brewing summer heat of April? Well, it's 'coz I've been seeing this one love story blooming and growing for a very long time now. And so I thought of penning it down. Here it goes.

In Kerala, there was a tall, fair and handsome lanky guy with thick dark locks who lived with his parents and went to a nearby school. A 'lil away from his home, somewhere lived a dark, slim and beautiful girl who was blessed with the typical long, dark, thick black curly Keralite hair. She went to the same school as the he. But, they never met! She passed by his home daily on her way to school. But, they never met! And in summers I guess she may have stopped at his doorstep for a glass of water. But they never met!

Both he and she came from very poor families and so had to leave Kerala immediately after their schooling to fend for themselves. He went to Madras first and then to Bhopal and then to Jhansi and then later to Bombay. She came to Bombay. But, they never met! In an unknown place they tried real hard learning the language and the people. Later they got a job and got very busy with the work and everything else. But, they never met! How could they meet? But, God had some wonderfully beautiful plans in His mind for them. When they were of marriageable age, their parents who were still in Kerala started looking out for them.

She knew what she wanted : A tall guy! He didn't know what he wanted! Finally the families met. She said, "He's tall, but too thin". He said, hmmm well I don't know what he said! But I bet it must have been love at first sight for him. She was such a beauty after all! And then? And then, they got married. It was a typical arranged marriage. It was on Sunday, the 14th of April 1985.

It's been 25 years today. I am seeing this couple daily for the last 23 and a half years of my life. And I still see love in their eyes. So much love! He's still tall, fair and handsome, but not lanky anymore! His salt and pepper hair are thinning slowly revealing a nice round football ground right there in the middle of his head. She is still dark, thin and beautiful, just like yesterday. Her locks have a soft glow of gold in them. He and she are still so much in love, even after all this time. And together, they paint a picture of where I want to be tomorrow. They have been together in sickness and in health, in joys and sorrows, in the ups and the downs, she was always there for him; and he for her.

The Bible says, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

I see this verse personified in their eyes and their lives.

He and she are my beautiful parents. And today they have turned silver together, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder; sharing their life, sharing their thoughts, sharing their emotions, sharing their dreams, sharing their fears, sharing one another. I love you mom and dad. God bless you this day and always.


Every now and then, I tease my dad for having married a karathe penne (dark girl) when all the matrimonials scream "...wanted a FAIR girl..." But I know that their union was never a mistake or foolishness or anything else, it is the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen. My mom and dad were meant to be... Thank you Jesus for my beautiful parents. I could never thank God enough for them, no never!

Wherever Are All The Happily Everafters???

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"You been searching the world to find true love, looking in all the wrong places;
When all of the time you've been blind to love, it's plain as the nose on you face is.
Right here, right now open your eyes to love"

Glancing at the newpapers all over the place, I see stories of couples who once vowed till death do us apart, now washing their dirty linen in public and screaming their lungs out over what an obnoxious other-halves they fell truly-madly-deeply fell in love with once upon a time, long long ago!! Once better-halves are now turning bitter-halves!! I wonder why?? It is sad to say this, but most people work harder on their two-minute popcorn than their twenty-year old marriages. Is there anything that sounds more depressing than that?

With technology and everything else making life so easy, I wonder why are things not getting easier on the family front. More divorces, more heartbreaks, more extra marital affairs, more tears, more regrets, more abortions, more one night stands, more of everything that is sad and gloomy. And lesser and lesser of all the happy, good and not-so-gloomy stuff.

We are so used to the convenience stuff, that no one walks that extra mile today, no one turns the other cheek anymore, no one forgives and forgets seventy-times-seven, ever! All we get to doing is planning how to get back, how to let down and how to make the other person pay. Why is it that the eyes in which we saw endless love once upon a time, don't see eye-to-eye any more?? Why? The answer of all these questions lies in love and in loving yourself and the people around you. It isn't impossible, if only we learned to love a 'lil more, laugh a 'lil louder, walk a 'lil slower, whisper a 'lil softer with your loved one - things would surely begin to look better and beautifuler. Let's all pledge to fall in love - with the same person - over and over again - for the rest of our lives - in sickness and in health - as long as we live - till death do us apart - sounds all good to me!!

Let's get back to the good old days where all once upon a time always ended with and they lived happily everafter!! Trust me, it is possible! Don't believe me?? Well, have a good look at your parents, buddy!!! I'm sure you'll agree!!

Let's say "I'll love you till the end" to that special someone in your life and mean it from your heart as well. And then - just live up to that promise; no matter what. And then, there will be more happily everafters!!

Stay Precious!! Love you!!! God Bless!!!!  :)