Always Dream On.. Here is WHY ??

“I have a dream…!” Most of us are familiar with these famous words, which became the name for the ten-minute speech calling for racial equality and an end to discrimination by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on August 28, 1963. Maybe the reason that these words still have such a profound impact on so many is because we all have dreams—dreams for our own lives, dreams for our children, dreams for the future—all kinds of dreams. Some of the dreams we secretly hold, we may reason away and set aside as unrealistic notions— But what if our dreams could come true?

Have you ever seen someone without hope, someone who doesn’t have any expectations or any aspirations to move forward and do something different in life..?

Hardly anyone..!

There is immense power in your dreams, your anticipations and in your aspirations to have the world you imagine and to shape your destiny.

Each of us have dreams. Big. Unplugged. Larger than life. So, what is it that sets apart some gems in the world from the rest of the world ?

We always imagine, why someone reaches the heights of success so easily and why others don’t.
Why some people do an altogether different thing that we might not have ever even imagined.

The only answer to almost all questions is a Dream…

A Dream to become someone nobody would have ever imagined.
Dream to live a life no one has ever encountered and a dream to design their destiny with such beauty that reality also gets a fragrance of it.

It is their belief, their determination & their passion to chase their dreams. They dreamed, but with their eyes open. They worked hard to achieve their dreams till their brows ached with sweat. They worked relentlessly, dared to see the world from their vision & choose to stand against the world just because they had belief in their dreams.

Whether you see someone who is selling tea and now the Prime Minister of India, or a women who had almost gone deep down in her family life and again made a come back & carved a history in boxing : Mary Mom, or a person who was selected as a junior policeman at a mere salary of 8000 INR, who is currently the most favorite cricketer of all times MS Dhoni..

The man who started his early career working in a petrol pump in Aden & dreamed to own his own petrol pump, went ahead to build the largest single location refinery in the world. In the words of Dhirubhai Ambani :

“Our dreams have to be bigger. Our ambitions higher. Our commitment deeper. And our efforts greater.”

Before Walt Disney built the “Disney empire” he has today & created “Mickey Mouse”, he was fired by a newspaper editor because “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” Walt Disney propagated:

No one is born intelligent or born dumb. Life purely depends on how we make choices, how we forecast our destiny, how we want our reality should be and how beautifully we dream the path of our life.

Life is truly, what you dream to be !!

So Dream…
Because a dream can change your life…
Everyone doesn’t get chance…

Dare to Dream and chase your destiny….

Lastly, to conclude with these beautiful lines :

“Jo tujhe jagaye
Neendein teri udaaye
Khwab hai Sachcha wohi

Neendon mein jo aaye
Jise tu bhool jaaye
Khwab woh sachcha nahin.”

COURTESY : Co-author Rahul Kamodiya
Thank you Rahul for your wonderful words :)

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Miles away I went,
Bidding adieu to that bunch of special people,
Saying goodbye was hard,
A tear ran down my cheeks,
I hid it, feigning to be strong & happy..

Miles away I went,
Like a bird that flies away every winter,
Exploring new lands,
I looked behind to find my flock,
Indeed they were lost in the wide sky,
Flying to different lands..

Miles away I went,
Chasing my dreams like never before,
Exploring a whole new world,
Heart filled with wonder,
Dreams lit up my eyes,
I smiled, knowing this is where I want to be..

Miles away I went,
I knew there was no turning back,
New pals I made,
New paths I treaded,
New dreams I saw,
Newness engulfed me like tides in the ocean..

Miles away I went,
A new world I made here,
Right from the very scratch,
A home away from home,
To fill the void that remained incised,
In the corners of my heart..

Miles away I went,
Flying like a free bird,
Roaring like a lion,
Shining like a pearl,
Dreaming like there is no tomorrow,
Painting my life with colours of glee..

Miles away I went,
I saw a child one day,
Holding tight to his mother,
As they drove to his school,
Longing filled me to go back to that time,
When cricket and chocolates were all we cared about..

Miles away I went,
No matter what,
Homecoming I still look forward to,
Family, friends and home,
Just the very thought,
Electrifies my smile a thousand volts..

Because, home is where the heart is..

Time & Miles : Dear Best Friend

People Grow over a period of time. And yet the twist here is that in this journey many a times, they grow apart ! Sounds shattering to those who’ve experienced the pain of losing a best friend or someone special owing to moving in different cities or being incredibly busy in their “growth” journeys. Yes, this is the flip side that time and distance brings to a lot of relationships. Friendship turns into silence, silently ego creeps in – “why should I bother to contact if he/she is too busy even to bother replying to my texts”, slowly people drift apart. Mutually.

Yes, this is the sad side that time and distance cumulatively bring in. There were times I would only look at this sad part of the bigger picture and crib about increased distances in friendships and relations. We’d give a consolation saying “you know what; you’re not on whatsapp naa, that’s why it is so difficult to keep in touch.” But try to recollect, how much has your “touch” increased in spite of all modern social networking applications installed in our smart phones.

Yes, this is life my friend ! It throws lemons at us. But the point I realised today is that instead of throwing back the lemons, it’s wiser to make a lemonade.

A few months back, I sent a surprise gift to one of my old professors and was delighted to get a call from her telling me how sweet she found my gesture. She told me two sentences that remain engraved upon me till date:

” Sachava pade e sambandho sacha nathi hota,
Ane sambandho jo sacha hoy to ene kadi sachava nathi padta.”

It meant that relations that “need” to be maintained aren’t true ones and the true ones flow rather seamlessly without any “need” to maintain them.

At that time I was almost in a dilemma as to how can this be possible ! Every single thing needs maintenance. Be it a car or friendship. I decided not to ponder deep and kept those words of wisdom with me for a later thought. Months passed by. After a lot of time today I was returning home from Andheri amidst the hectic Mumbai traffic at 7 pm. I had nothing to do other than staring out from the window and let my brain wander off in fields of imagination.

I saw “a friend’s” certain post on Facebook and at least a dozen things flashed at once. There was a time when we used to be the “BestEST Best Friends” as we claimed to be. Our colleges were just a stone’s throw apart. We could go on the phone endlessly for hours without any specific topic ! We would know what our mom’s have for dinner, exactly which class in college we got extra assignments and which is the song running on repeat mode on our play lists. Everything. We’d bond like on a house on fire. We would even order for each other when we’d go to have ice creams or at a restaurant ! I could confide in her when I’d be terribly stressed about maths during exam time as she adored maths & effortlessly aced in it. She’d help me do my revisions on exam days and would scold me really bad even if I got a single formula wrong ! Once she was even caught when she tried to sneak out in my college library just because I was too lazy to go down and meet her. She escaped conveniently though ! I would always cherish that effort as it was so special. “Just for me” types. She was the Choco to my pie and the pen to my paper. Together we’d rocked through even the toughest storms. We completed our colleges and then destiny had it plans. Sigh :(

She moved to a different city. In fact, another country. NO NO, wait ! Another continent. Several hundred thousand miles away. That’s the thing about distance. It demands to be felt ! I lost a part of my soul I felt. I too soon moved to a different city with new people all around and she also seemed to have lost amidst the busy demanding life abroad. There seemed to be a huge huge void in my life. I missed talking to her endlessly. I missed her assurance when I panicked. She made new friends there, lived the life she always dreamed about – roomies, freedom and new college. I too had a similar story. New city, new job, independence, like a bird out in the open sky ready to soar on. We tried our best to keep in touch. Whatsapp. Emails. Facebook. Everything. There was also a considerable difference between our time zones. By the time she’d be free it would be past 1 AM in India. Generally, I am an early sleeper. I tried keeping awake till 1.30 am, shelling a few hundred bucks for those few minutes of candid comradeship we once shared effortlessly, for international calls. It all seemed so different and difficult now.

People change. People Grow. And at times, they grow apart.

Well, well this is only one part of the picture I was seeing until today. I sat back in my journey home and thought. Life had definitely taken away someone from me. But !!! What I failed to appreciate is that life had in fact blessed me with a few precious buddies I can call at even 2 am just to say I can’t sleep as the mosquitoes are annoying me way too much. They are friends, I can walk into their houses with a 2 minutes’ notice “you’re home naa ? I’ll be there in 5.” People I can share the silliest thing of the day and also complain to after a hard day at work. There are also friends I meet regularly when I am visiting my city on weekends. We’d meet once or twice in 2-3 months, yet would feel like we’ve just met last evening. Friends with whom silences are seldom and conversations never run out. This is when I feel like cherishing life.

Yes, It takes away a few. BUT, it will return to you many fold too. It’s just that we take the later for granted and complain for the first that makes us so discontent and grumpy. Yet, it is not to feel bad that distance and time made us drift apart from the most favourite people in our lives – parents, friends, BFFs or lovers. Instead it is to cherish those happy memories and value the time life gave you together. True friendship isn’t talking for an hour every single day. It is more about, the same feeling of love you have no matter how much time has elapsed since you last met.

And for my dearest friend, I miss u “Daffod” (Daffur) way too much !! Lots of love :)

PS : I still play in my head you imitating me saying “Daffod” and it never fails to bring an instant smile on my face.

Two Proposals..!!

Six days before Valentines,
Head bowed, bent on one knee,
She knew it was her magical moment.

A moment every girl yearns for,
The memory which lingers across decades,
An electrifying smile, that refuses to spark out !

A proposal was all it took,
To travel to cloud 9 and above,
Perhaps the stars & moon also seemed brighter that night.

Like God put the heavenly rings around its love “Saturn”
He too slipped a ring in her finger,
Connecting right to the heart, drawing a tear from her eyes.

Somehow, in love, everything is insanely right,
Worries of the world lay compressed,
Like the spare tire under the backseat.

Her best friend also “Proposed” her,
For a lifelong friendship,
Without demands & complaints.

Happiness knew no bounds,
She smiled and accepted with a handshake.
Two promises were made.

Some say, Promises are made to be broken,
But they don’t really tell you
How shattered people are left in the aftermath.

Her heart was broken into a million pieces,
When he walked away,
“I loved you, but..” was all he said.

Amidst the watery streets of misery,
She was about to fall, real hard,
But, someone caught her hand.

She turned around hoping it would be him,
It was her “Proposal Friend” who held her,
“But I am with you. ALWAYS..” was all he said.

Love might be a wonderful seven star Titanic,
Friendship might be only an ordinary ship,
But it is the only ship that never sinks !

Happy Valentines week…!!

Mesmerizing Mumbai !!

The moon’s playing hide-n-seek with its mates,
The ivory cotton candy clouds,
In the playground of the heavenly skies,
Freckled with over a thousand twinkling stars.

I sit awestruck gazing at the heavens above,
While the frothy waves of the serene ocean,
Hit the rocks with ebbs and tides,
Just a few feet away from my toes is the salty sea.

A cutting chai held in my hand,
A spicy vadapav in the other,
Sitting near the sea face at 2 am,
I am absolutely in love with Mumbai !!

The grand buildings with its amazing architecture,
Historic museums, Art Galleries &  Kala Ghoda,
Imagica & Essel world for kiddos at heart,
Bandstand and Nariman point for the romantic souls,
Master Blaster Sachin’s home with Wankhede pitching,
It’s the home to Bollywood and also the Dalal Street.

Our heroes are the dabbawalas who deliver food “with love”,
Here are empowered & independent working females,
Catching the 9:23 pm Local to cook dinner for their families

This City is frenzied with celebrations for Lal Baug ka Raja,
Throbbing with nightlife and also peaceful walks at Carter Road.

Diversity is the norm here, rather than an exception,
Religion and languages blend into “United Mumbai”,
Tantalizing food to savor your taste buds,
Ranging from Bhagwati’s Pav Bhaji to Muhamad Ali Street till midnight.

From fashion street to High Street Phoenix,
Humid summers & Romantic monsoons,
8:23 am’s crowded locals & JVLR Traffic.
Warm hearted people make even a stranger feel at home.

All distances being “5 minutes walking distance”,
Shopping is always on-the-go in local trains & road side hawkers.

It is the “City of Dreams” which keeps you on your toes.

All this and much more,
Awes me all the time,

#MumbaiMeriJaan

So far away I WAS..!!

So far away I am,
My cries are almost whispers,
My sobs are almost silent.

So far away I am,
My family is just a phone call,
My friends are just an IM .

So far away I am,
My destination is a mirage,
My dreams are so distant.

So far away I am,
I feel I want to give up,
I feel like going back home.

So far away I am,
Tears brimming my eyes,
A lump in my heart is about to melt.

Just then, you came,
A miracle in my distant dreams,
You held my hand from far away,
You made me feel so close,
Though you were miles away.

Dear friend, you rekindled.
That fire in my soul once again,
With your magical words,
And your belief in me.

So far away I WAS,
Away from my dreams and destination,
You made me see them all over again,
With a new vision and zest,
You gave me my broken wings.

So far away I WAS,
You held my hand and smiled,
You pushed me off the cliff,
And made me fly with the wings,
I once though were shattered beyond repair.

You brought back the curve on my lips,
You made me laugh, you made me dream,
All over again, you gifted me back,
The old “Me”…

So far away I WAS..
Your magical confidence brought me back.. :)

Fights & Forgiveness : Dear BFF

Generally, for me Sunday mornings are lazy as ever. With Monday mornings being precisely 24 hours away, Sunday slumbers are a bliss. But, thankfully to my best friend, every Sunday, I’d have to wake up atleast at 10 am and we’d get started on our “Sunday Morning Charcha” – discussion ranging from topics like mission in life, bucket list 2015, places we want to travel to, Resume reviews, what I’m gonna have for lunch and cleanliness status of my apartment. Alas ! This Sunday was unlike those. We had an argument on the silliest things in the world and I had no calls to make.

Life feels so empty in the absence of the right people; even though they are just an apology away. It is then, when we sit back and appreciate the presence of our loved ones in our lives. Its like the early rays of the sun that wakes up the world with it, our souls awaken with them in our lives.

Time and again, we fight with our loved ones. On big things, on petty issues, over a third person, over an idea or an opinion. Disagreements, arguments, wars, cold wars, jung, ladais, battles & fights ! Sigh :( These are some of the inseparable elements of any relationship. Be it friends, siblings, parents or our colleagues. At times we feel having a relationship without these ugly monsters would do us so good. But hey there, how would you feel if you’re going on and on a highway at the speed of 120 kmph without any speed breakers or any twists and turns. “Boring.” Hell yes!!! Stability is definitely great but stagnation is so mundane.

Today, as I write this, I resolved a pretty big fight over a petty issue with my best friend. Well, the fight lasted for 4 days or 93.5 hours to be precise. It’s like the feeling while “Chitti” the robot from the acclaimed Rajnikant-Ash film “Robot” diffuses a time bomb with a Rose. That visual I can never forget. Anger can be never subsided by anger, but only with love. Similarly, real friendship is not merely sharing the best times together; but also being with each other through thick and thin.

A lot of times, we take our friends, parents and loved ones for granted. We fail to appreciate the beauty of their presence in our lives. It is sudden jolts like these that make us value all the good and bad times they’ve been with us through. We get a chance to feel the void.

Perhaps, it is the void that makes us appreciate the presence. The small things you did together, random stuff you would laugh madly at, their care and affection for you, phone calls that last for at least an hour, birthday surprises, budget parties and a lot more.

Yes, setbacks like these make us value the people in our ordinary lives who actually make our lives worthwhile and meaningful. With parents and siblings, we know we can never stay upset with for a long time. They would forgive us even before we’ve asked for an apology. But, with friends, one of us needs to put aside our ego, hang on to patience and make a sincere effort. The first part : putting aside our ego, as we value our relation far more than that devilish self-esteem is really important. A lot of patience is also required as the other person may not yet have cooled down. We need to ask for an heartfelt apology. Once. Twice. Thrice. Whether or not it’s our mistake. Asking for an apology doesn’t make us small. Infact, it is a virtue of the brave.

So, what next ? At times, fights bond persons closer than ever before and at times, inspite of giving forgiveness, people drift poles apart. The choice is ours. For me, truly some of my friendships have blossomed after having the biggest of wars. And probably, years later, we laugh thinking how silly we were fighting over stupid things.

Life is all about forgiveness. With the right people, explanations aren’t needed. A sincere heartfelt sorry and forgiveness from the bottom of the heart are an elixir. Even the best of friendships, get tested through tough times. Just remember the times when your friend held your hand when your path in life met bumpy roads. The times when they saw the lies behind your smiles and your fears behind those tears. True friendship isn’t about being inseparable. It is about being separated and nothing changes.

Special Dedications :

Dear Linzz : We’ve smiled, we’ve cried. Together. We’ve been mad at each other. But without having you to talk my heart out, I feel so sad and bad. I know we’ve reconciled, yet this is for you to know I love you sooooooooooooooooo much !         – Your Dumbo :p

Dear Milkshake (J) : Haha, one of the earliest names I’d given to u ;) I’ll be indebted to you my entire existence for taking the first step :)

Dear HaSh : Do I need to write more ??

#YehDostiHumNahiTodenge      #JaaneNahiDengeTujhe