My Little World of FRIENDS

Life wouldn’t be complete without Friends.

They say, if at any stage in life, you can count your friends and complete one hand of counting, you’re among the luckiest.

At this stage, I think I am :)

This is my small world of people who matter, and people who I’ll be there for, come what may…

(P.S.- The order of names doesn’t matter. They’re all VIPS in my life :))

Ankeeta
We met as strangers, but became best friends,
Without her, my laughs, joys, and fun would surely end.
She stops my tears even before I cry,
We’re perfectly tuned with nothing between us – no how, what, when or why. :)

Chanda
She’s as crazy or crazier than I am,
When we’re together, of the world we give a damn,
She puts up with my tantrums,
And takes away the blues from my life’s humdrum. :)

Punkuj
When we need each other the most,
Whether to cry or raise a toast,
We know we’re gonna be there,
To show our love and utmost care. :)

Booby
The cutest guy I’ve ever met,
Booby hai, toh life’s set!
He’s troublesome, annoying and moody,
But when I see him, all I wanna say is ‘I ‘Lou’ you, Booby!’ :)

Priya
She’s pretty Piyu,
Who knows how to be there for you,
Her drunk times I’ll always miss,
Coz only then does she allow me a kiss :P

Mangu
We go back to days of school,
From the wannabe times to the cool,
I don’t need to tell her I Love her,
Coz she knows in my life her place can’t be taken by another. :)

Mann
We have memories of laughs, tears and school fights,
But what I miss more is our sleep-over nights,
Talking till we fall asleep…,
Mann, you’re a friend for keeps. :)

Shalina
She knows me inside-out,
Knows when I need a hug, a smile or a shout,
The best dancing partners we are,
And we’ll always love each other, no matter how near or far. :)


Soni
We’ve had fun and fights,
But She knows how to make me feel alright,
I love her for how crazy she is,
And for me she’ll always be an older sis. :)

Nihar
Don’t know where to start,
He has a special place in my heart,
He’s been a true friend,
And I know we’ll stick around for each other right till the end. :)

Amrita
She’s my Mom Part Two,
Always worried about what I’m doing and will do,
I hardly show her how much I care,
But she knows that when she needs me, I’ll drop everything and be there. :)

Mum
A mum less, a friend more,
She’s taught me how to trust, love and adore,
She can’t stand my tears,
She fights against all my fears,
She wishes the best for me,
Really, My all-time best friend is she. :)

Neerav
Sometimes, I wonder how I lived before he walked into my life,
He’s troubled me, said and done things that cut like a knife,
But he’s stolen my heart,
And in my thoughts, dreams and prayers, we’ll never be apart,
I never knew I could love this way,
Make someone my world, my breath, my night, my day,
No matter with who we are, when and where,
He knows I’ll always be right there,
And whether it’s this or the next lifetime,
I’ll always love him like he’s only mine… :)

Coming to Australia...

Life, as I knew it, changed as the plane landed in Brisbane. This little girl grew up.

There was no Mom to put up with my tantrums; no Dad to raise a brow at my skimpy dresses; no Ankeeta to doll up and party with; no bitching partners – Ankee and Chanda and Booby and Priya and Amrita and Shalina to have a session with; no Mowgli to hug and sleep with; no Neerav to love, hug, fight with and kiss.

There was no car to drive; no extra money to splurge; no job; no absolutely fantastic colleagues; no sign of anything remotely PUNE!

But, I’ve survived. I’ve matured. I’ve learnt. And, I’ve managed just fine.

- I live with the BEST Ozzie family in town. They love me, I love them.
- I’ve made new friends. Some crazy, some sane.
- I’ve learnt how to clean my room, do my laundry, and cook a bit (just a bit :P).
- I’ve learnt how to live without the car. Yes, I’ve learnt how to walk!
- I’ve started attending college. Finally, I’m experiencing the life of a student!
- I’ve realised the value of money! Yes, I’m still jobless and quite broke.
- I’ve understood the importance of keeping in touch with friends!
- I’ve realised what true love is and I feel amazingly lucky to have felt it.
- I’ve learnt that love hurts only if you let it, so now I love without expecting it back; I love without wanting to own; I love only because I want to love.

But more than all this,
Coming here to the Gold Coast, living the life of an international student, and understanding the different culture, has made me realise one important thing:
That I’m blessed.

Blessed because I have wonderful parents, who I know, will do anything to see me smile; Blessed because I have friends, who, though so far away, still care so bloody much; Blessed because I have a family to go back to; and Blessed because I know the One up there is with me through every step I take, every smile I smile, every tear I cry and every breath I breathe.

Blessed because I value Life more – what I had, what I have and what I can have.

And, Blessed because I know I’m on the right path, chasing my dreams.

Love...

For him who I'll love forever.

I asked how you are,
They said you’re just fine,
I smiled that hour,
Even though you’re no longer mine…

I looked at our pictures,
Perfect love, perfect lovers,
And a tear rolled down,
Because you’re no longer around…

I picked up my phone,
To tell you I feel so alone,
But I changed my mind,
It’s too late to rewind…

I saw you online,
Your picture, your wide smile,
I wrote I love you,
And deleted it before I could ask if you do too…

I closed my eyes,
And there my thoughts, feelings and love remained undisguised,
I held you close,
I no longer felt morose,
I kissed your lips,
My heart did a skip,
Over and over, I said I love you,
And I cried with joy as I thought I heard you say ‘Love, me too…’

Always yours.

Always...

For him who I'll love forever.

People whiz past,
But time stands still…
I open my eyes,
And I still see you,
In the haze,
In the rush,
It’s always only you…

I said I don’t need you,
I said I’ll be fine,
I said I’m going to let go,
It’s only a matter of time,
I led you to believe I’m moving on,
I led you to believe I’m waking up to a new dawn,
But my heart won’t stop aching,
How can it, when it’s still with you?
My dreams won’t stop breaking,
How can they, when they don’t come true?

I reach out sometimes,
But I can’t feel you,
You’ve left me…again,
And I cry when I’m alone,
I hold my breath,
I clench my hands,
But nothing changes;
We still remain separated by the sands…

The morning comes, and I tell it to wake you gently,
I breathe in the air, and send love to surround you,
I feel happy and wish you’re never sad again,
I feel lonely, and pray you’re never alone…

When night falls, I feel scared,
What if I can’t make it through?
What if the tears don’t stop?

But, just before falling asleep,
I say a silent prayer,
If tomorrow never comes,
You should always have the armour of my love and care…

But if the sun does rise,
And I see a new day,
You should know that I’ll think of you in the same way,
That you’re second to none,
That you’ll always be THE one,
That I miss you every second that ticks by,
That I’ll love you even through my last breath as I die…

Always, always yours.

If...

If words could tell you how I feel,
I’d write and never stop;
If smiles could tell you I’ll be true,
I’d smile till the very end;
If tears could tell you I need you,
I’d cry myself to death;
If music could tell you I love you,
I’d sing till my voice runs dry;
If dance could prove you make me happy,
I’d dance my life away;
If my eyes could show you that you’re all I want,
I’d never close them even for a second;
If my heart could whisper I love you to you,
I’d never let it stop beating…

…Because, when I write it’s only for you, when I smile it’s only for you, when I cry it’s only for you, when I sing it’s only for you, when I dance it’s only for you, when my eyes look for someone it’s you, and when my heart beats it’s always going to be only for you…

Always yours.

Promises

…It’s been raining since you left me
Now I’m drowning in the flood…
You see, I’ve always been a fighter
But without you, I give up.


You promised me promises,
You promised me hugs and kisses,
You promised you’ll never break my heart,
You promised you wouldn’t let us be apart,
You promised you’ll be there…always,
You promised we’ll be together till the end of our days…
But not one of them did you keep,
You took away my smile, my sleep,
You left me alone,
You broke the threads I’d lovingly sown,
You just gave me tears,
Sleepless nights and fears,
My eyes look for you in everyone I meet,
A thought of ‘us’ still makes my heart beat,
But the pain throbs,
And the tears drop,
I try to let go,
My head says yes, my heart says no,
I’m a fool to still believe,
That you’ll never let me leave,
A fool to think you care,
No matter with whom why, how or where,
I wonder if you even know how much I’m hurting inside,
Seems like a part of me just died,
I cry as I write,
Dreading the approaching long night,
Everyday, I promise myself to try,
To take deep breaths and keep my eyes dry,
To move on,
To a new life, a new dawn,
To forget the pain,
To get a grip and grasp the reins,
And ride away from thoughts and memories of things you’ve done and still do…
And forget that I said ‘I love you’ to you…

I smiled

For him, who I'll always love...



The other night,
I lay awake,
Sleep was elusive,
And I knew I was at a point where I had to be decisive.
The pictures, the memories breezed through my mind,
And in an instant, my eyes cried, but my heart smiled…
I cried because you weren’t here,
And I smiled because you were far, yet so near;
I cried because of the hurt I felt,
I smiled because in my heart, your love dwelled;
I cried because I didn’t want to think of you,
I smiled because your memory was as fresh and sweet as the morning dew;
I cried because I needed you so much,
I smiled because I could feel your touch;
I cried because all I had was pictures,
I smiled because I could feel my fingers tracing your features;
I cried as I thought of the moments before I left,
I smiled because it was you I held and wept;
I cried out of fear that we’d lost each other,
I smiled, knowing that for me there’d never be another;
I cried thinking of living without you by my side,
I smiled knowing my heart would beat only for you, even if I died;
I cried because you wouldn’t even know how much I love you,
I smiled because I knew;
And I smiled and smiled and smiled because I hadn’t realised until then
That I had so much love to give,
Because I hadn’t realised until then that loving you was all I needed to live…

Always yours.

Heaven

For him, who I'll love forever...

We’ve been down that road before
And it’s over now…

The words ring over and over,
I look out, seeking some kind of closure,
But all I see is darkness,
Oh, how I long for your warm embrace,
How I pine for your sweet kiss,
There’s not one thing about us that I don’t miss,
Your eyes, narrowing as you smile,
Your lips, gently pressing against mine,
Your touch, so close, so true,
Your words, whispering ‘I love you’…
Then reality snaps me out of my reverie,
And I feel the darkness again, dark and eerie,
But I make a silent promise to you, to me, to us,
Through every waking moment, from dawn to dusk,
A promise to never let go,
A promise to love you till the end of my road,
To breathe so I live to love you,
To hope with every heart beat, we’ll one day say ‘I do’
To hold you through the night,
To be by your side, through wrong and right,
To lie down with my head on you,
Your arm around me, protecting from every rue…
And to know just then,
That this is and this will be forever my heaven…

Always yours.

Best Friends Forever

Me, Mangs and Tan

As I saw her walk away, her little yellow sweater knotted firmly at her waist, her long ponytail swinging ever so slightly, and her gait of mingled nervousness and excitement, I knew life had changed...
Natasha, Tanya and I – with us, three’s never been a crowd, and when Natasha and I went to see off Tanya at the airport, two just didn’t seem like company. Tanya has taken up a course in the UK and has moved there. Many friends have, but watching her walk away, made me feel empty. ‘Empty’ because one phase of our life together had come to an end. ‘Empty’ because we’re never going to be little girls in blue uniforms again. ‘Empty’ because she’s not going to be around to give a hug and whisper those words I so need to hear when down. And, ‘empty’ because I have no idea where our lives will take us from here…
The three of us have, like all friends do, made our plans of vacationing together, of visiting, of going on continent/country/world tours…and though I don’t know if these will work out, I’m giving my all to one plan – that of being ‘Best Friends Forever’. That’s the goal. That’s the path. That’s us.

Harry potter and the Magic of Muggles

‘Alohomora!’ echoed Harry, and the door to a world of fantasy, imagination, witches and wizards sprang open. Seven years back, author J K Rowling sent ripples of magic through her first Harry Potter book. The world was hooked. The muggles awaited every edition with baited breath, to live and re-live the fantastical and magical world of the lightning-scarred wizard Harry Potter.
As far as I’m concerned though, the magic didn’t really cast a spell on me seven years back. I had far better things to do than read about an eleven-year-old kid with magical powers, or so I thought. Only recently, after the seventh and the last book was out, did my curiosity get the better of me. I borrowed the first book from a friend, and lo! and behold, I was plunged into the Dursley’s home at Number Four-Privet drive, willingly shoved into the Hogwarts Express, and charmed through the castle of Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft…I played Quidditch, I created patronuses against the deathly dementors, I fought the Boggarts and the trolls, and I set out on the long search for the Dark Lord’s horcruxes, fighting till the very end... I read the seven books in rapt succession, and by the end of the week, I was in love with all things magic!
It was roundabout this time, that my colleague flashed the idea of this story to me. The movies, the merchandise, the characters, the books – we’ve publicised and over-publicised all of that, but what about the very core of the book: What about the phenomena of magic? Potter symbolises the M word like no other. We wonder then if he, along with his creator Rowling, has managed to glamourise, among other things, Indian sorcery?
Street magic, as it is oft termed, has been a solid part of Indian culture and history. It immediately conjures in our mind the picture of our magicians, dressed in colourful garb and long flowing robes, showing us the might of the slight of hand. A deck of cards, rabbits, birds, hats, feathers, coins, and, in the case of P C Sorcar, even the Taj Mahal, dart across our mind. As I pen these lines, I wonder if Harry Potter has renewed interest in magic; and if Harry Potter has suddenly made one look at magic with the eye of greater respect.
My colleague Biswadip Mitra established a ‘Bong connection’ with super magician P C Sorcar Junior, and enjoyed his half hour telephonic chat with the man who modernised magic in India. Speaking from Nellore, in-between his prolonged magic-tour of Andhra Pradesh, Sorcar seemed invigorated while talking about magic. “Everything is magic. We are all magicians,” he said in his distinct style of speaking. “An artist becomes a magician when he draws a rose, because the flower looks so real that you could almost smell it, touch it, feel it. Similarly, poets and writers are magicians of words. Magic is a high-level art form. Through magic, we can try to reach the realm of infinity. But it is not possible. Even my father could not reach there…Magic is part of fantasy. Anything we cannot decipher, becomes magic.”
As Mitra steered the conversation to the lingering topic on our mind, Sorcar took a firm stand. “Harry Potter is a copied concept. You should first think about our ancient characters like Kach and Devjani. You should think about Shukracharya than what Miss Rowling has been brainwashing people with.” He didn’t need to be prodded on, but as Hogwarts School was mentioned, he continued, “This is a problem with us. We go by what the British have told us. The history we learn about our nation and the world was written by the British. They wrote it to serve their purpose…”
We wonder if ‘Miss Rowling’ would be offended! The conversation takes a detour to the future of Indian magic. It is a known fact that Sorcar is planning on opening a Magic University in the suburbs of Kolkata. He shares his vision, “It is my initiative to pass on the skills of Indrajaal Vidya that I have achieved to the next generation of magicians.” Through his Magic University project, he wants to document the skills of Indian who go unrecognised. “That’s my little effort to tell the world about those who sincerely carry forward the art,” he says humbly.
Sorcar’s views, though hard-hitting for the Potter maniacs, are, I have to admit, ground reality, as they were reflected in my talk with Pune’s well-known magician Vijay Raghuveer and his son Jitendra Ranghuveer. The father-son duo, though not as honestly harsh about Potter as Sorcar, admits that the book has in no apparent way helped their field. “The Harry Potter series have made no difference to our shows. The basic audience of our shows is in the age group of 8 and 15 years. I doubt whether most have even read the book,” says Vijay Raghuveer. He then softly adds, “Magic as a career is a difficult road, at least here in India. The investment is almost out of bounds for most, and returns are not guaranteed. Harry Potter is a major craze in UK and USA. There, the magicians have amazing facilities. They have special stages created with trapdoors and other necessities. Here, it’s not practical to spend so much money on these stages. Maybe a P C Sorcar can do it, but not everyone.”
Son Jitendra chips in, “We run the Magician Raghuveer Institute and American Academy of Magic here. The response has been good, and people are interested to learn magic, but I doubt if that can be credited to the book. It’s not that the book was released and we were flooded with calls! Kids know that the magic in the book and the magic of stage shows is very, very different.” A valid point there. Magic stage shows are, after all, meant for entertainment. There aren’t broomstick wars; there aren’t whispers of the evils of He-who-must-not-be-named; there aren’t magical beasts; there aren’t animagi; there aren’t wizards and witches…there are just muggles (non-magic people), and the fascinating tricks they’ve mastered. Vijay Raghuveer continues, “Our shows are meant to entertain gatherings and give people something different to look forward to. Now, people don’t have the inclination or the time to sit for three hours of magic. My son does one-hour shows, and that format has become popular now.” Jitendra sighs, “We don’t need a Harry Potter to increase the respect of our field or interest of people to learnt the art. We just need the media to support us.” Maybe this article will do the trick, we wink!

Literally speaking
Randhir Khare, writer
Very often, it happens that because a whole lot of other people are going ga-ga over something, it becomes the in thing to own a particular book. How many have actually read the Potter books that they’ve bought? Also, quality reading is hardly prevalent. Today is the age of fast and abridged reading, so I doubt if what people have read has actually registered.
We’ve moved on to a much more urban, studied and artificial way of life. We’ve lost touch with the early impulses of a higher self. It’s highly unlikely that a book with magical quality will bring back that connection and respect.
Also, I feel many have latched on to the merchandising, the language, the look of characters – basically the peripherals of Harry Potter. The original product (magic) has been left behind. I doubt the series will empower and renew interest in Indian magic.

Deepak Dalal, writer
Oh, not at all! The book can’t do anything for our real magic because there’s simply no relationship between the two. The magic written in Harry Potter has got no relation with our Indian street magic. Wands and brooms aren’t the essence of our magic.

Our wizards and witches
Mention the ‘H’ of Harry Potter, and a true fan will twinkle his/her eyes and sigh. Our real world immediately dissolves and we’re transported to the Hogwarts Castle. “Oh! How I wish I could find a Port Key that could transfer me to Harry’s world. What I wouldn’t give for the seven years of studies at Hogwarts,” squeals 17-year-old Namrata Singh. Her younger sister Arwa chimes, “We should have an Indian Academy of Wizardry and Witchcraft, ditto on the lines of Hogwarts. I’d love to be part of Gryffindor house and learn Herbology! I particularly like the concept of plants with magical properties.”
22-year-old Ashwin Reddy, who is doing his Masters in English, from the Pune University, speaks of his fantasy. “It would be super to have an academy like Hogwarts. India has enough mountainous locations. This one could probably be somewhere in the Himalayas where non-gifted people couldn’t reach!” And, what if he were one of the non-gifted…? Even before we could complete our sentence, he breaks in, “No way. I’m definitely wizardish material! Defence Against the Dark Arts is a cool subject. I could probably go on to be an Auror and then Minister of Magic…” We leave him to his dreams, and look around for some other Harry fans. Finding one is the easiest thing I’ve ever done, I suppose! Nishitha Kulkarni, who is a ‘just-out-of-school-and-into-college’ girl, remarks, in a very Hermioneish manner, “I’ve read Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, and it’s very interesting. I’d want to teach about these magical creatures in a magic academy.”
If we were to trace the hidden desires of Harry Potter fans, we’d probably fill up pages for the whole year, but just to show you the variety in their thinking, here’s another maniac! “I’d want a magic academy with Dumbledore as the headmaster. He’s my favourite in the book. With him around, there wouldn’t be any need for us to worry about dementors, Lord Voldermorts and other dark stuff. The dark stuff should be there, of course, because there’s no fun with everything being goody-goody!” laughs Nadeem Kazi, a 25-year-old working at a city BPO.
I can’t help adding my viewpoint having been inducted into the Potter circle – I can’t dream of any other academy than Hogwarts, so I’d love to be 11 again, scramble into the Hogwarts Express at platform nine and three quarters, meet Hagrid at the end of the journey as he screams ‘First years, come ’ere’, ride the boat to the looming Hogwarts castle, beam at the Sorting Hat, dart my eyes at Harry Potter, and join him at his table…I want just that, nothing more, nothing less.