Forgotten Spears

“She waited from the first blossom of the spring,
Till the last raindrop of the monsoon
And when she was about to close her eyes, she realized
Maybe he’ll arrive with the first dewdrops of winter”

November 2010

आज भी चुनरी से टप टप कर तुम्हारी यादें टपकती रही, आज भी सिरहाने के कोने से तुम्हारे संग बितायी रातें टपकती रही| आज फिर पिताजी ने शादी की बात छेड़ी थी, आज भी रह रह कर हर आहट तुम्हारे आने का ही एहसास करा रही थी| आज भी हर बादल के संग, तुम्हारे होने की एक आस आती है| आज भी हर झोंके के संग हवा तुम्हारी साँसों का संदेशा लाती है, न जाने क्यों इतना तड़पाते हो, आ कर अब मुझे क्यों नहीं ले जाते हो| अब बस भी करो ना, देखो हाथों की मेहँदी आज भी तुम्हारे बिना फीकी सी रह गयी|

“In her almirah, she hid all the letters
She had written for him,
The letters, which still waited for an address
Of that beautiful destination to deliver the magical words
She stored in them.
The stars searched for him,
As she asked moon to deliver her messages to him,
Everynight.”

June 2011

आज कॉलेज के बैग में कुछ ख़त पड़े हुए मिले थे, याद है तुमने दिए थे| आज मुझे संदूक में वो किताब मिली थी, जो तुमने स्कूल में दी थी| याद है वो गुलाब जो पिछली मुलाक़ात में तुमने मुझे दिया था, आज भी उस किताब में मौजूद है| उस गुलाब को आज भी इंतज़ार है उन उँगलियों का जिन्होंने कभी उन्हें अपने प्यार के साथ किसी को पकड़ाया था, और किसी गुलाब को आज भी इंतज़ार है उन उँगलियों का जिन्होंने कभी उसकी पंखुड़ियों को धीरे से सहलाया था और एक भँवरे की तरह चूम कर आने वाली हर रात को खूबसूरत बना दिया था| आज भी उन्ही रातों को अपनी झोली में संभाले वो गुलाब बैठा है इंतज़ार में, अब तो आ जाओ|

“Once again she stayed awake from the midnight
When once he used to catch her last tear,
Till the first morning light
When once he used to convert that tear into the first smile”

January 2012

आज की रात सब बहुत खुश थे, पिताजी कह रहे थे इससे अच्छा लड़का मुझे नहीं मिल सकता| मैं हँस दी, मन तो था की बता दूँ मुझे पहले ही ऐसा कोई मिल चुका है| वही जिसकी याद में कल एक और रात जग कर बिता दी थी| आज मेहँदी न जाने क्यों खिल कर आ रही है, आज न जाने क्यों तुम्हारे आने की आस न जाने क्यों फिरसे आ रही है? देखो आज भी हर पल में तुम्हारा ही नाम लिखा है, कल रात भी सोते हुए आखिरी सपना तुम्हारा ही दिखा है| न जाने ससुराल कैसा होगा, न जाने जो पिताजी ने मेरे लिए चुना है वो तुम्हारे जैसा होगा| न जाने तुम कब आओगे, न जाने संग अपने कब ले जाओगे|

“With the first rays of sun, drenched by her tears,
With the last rays of moonlight, once again she caressed her fears
She looked at those letters for the last time,
As the tears washed away his memories to the bottom of her heart,
Where they still give her a comforting pain after all these years,

Those forgotten spears…”

Photography by: Sarika Gangwal

Written by: Abhinav Chandel 

Caterpillar and the cutest girl I have ever seen

Lying in the green grass on a December morning, she saw a caterpillar crawling towards her. She observed its movement as it surged towards an unknown destination.

“Atleast it’s still crawling,” she thought while wondering about the difference between herself and that tiny creature. She tried to smile but a tear rolled down her eyes wiping away all the hints of the smile.

Her beautiful skin was glinting the purest of sunrays, and her black hair were weaving magic around the guy sitting a stone throw’s distance from her. His gaze was fixed on her as he tried concentrating on the book he was reading.

She was lost in her own thoughts. Thinking about the days gone by, thinking about ‘him’.

5 and half years ago, when he proposed her in front of the whole batch; it felt like the happiest day of her life. She too loved him but never knew that the person she used to stare through her classroom’s window since her first day in college, would echo the same emotions. She had found a perfect lover in him, as she always wanted. College became an excuse to meet him, late-night phone calls  took place of her dream to be a designer; her grades dropped but their relationship grew from teenage lovers to fiancés.

She remembered the nights that she spent staring at the diamond ring he placed on her soft and slender fingers; everyone said that her fingers made the ring look even more beautiful. She also remembered the nights that she spent staring blankly at the ceiling after she found him in someone else’s arms, a month before their marriage.

Few more tear drops rolled down her cheek; they reflected the sunlight like a pearl into the eyes of the guy sitting nearby. He wanted to approach her, but something stopped him. He decided to observe the girl; he wanted to witness where the next few moments would take her.

She wiped those tears and continued staring at the caterpillar. It had encountered a stone in its way, just like the one she had encountered six months ago. As the caterpillar desperately tried to cross the stone unsuccessfully, her gaze became even more intense. She thought about the five years with her ex, when like an idiot, she threw away her dreams.

The caterpillar took notice of its surroundings, and realized crossing the stone was its only option, or else it would deviate from its path. It started crawling over the stone, again but unsuccessfully and fell down. She almost removed the stone but something stopped her. She decided to observe the creature; she wanted to witness where the next few moments would take it.

Caterpillar stayed immobile for few seconds, as if it was nursing its injuries and repeated the procedure. This time the tiny creature was successful, a faint smile appeared on her lips.

It was her 23rd birthday, as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. On that December morning, she felt alive once again as the sun had covered her in its warmth; she had finally freed herself from the shackles of his memories but most importantly she felt like smiling for the first time in last six months. Her bangles clinked, producing a beautiful sound as if to celebrate that moment.

She got up, and started walking towards her home. She took a few steps forward and glanced at the boy sitting nearby her. He was reading a book, A thousand splendid suns; it was her favourite novel and something she always wanted her ex to read. She knew that he was staring at her from past few minutes. Suddenly, his face appeared from behind the pages; it was sporting a charming smile. She replied back with one from her side.

“Home and birthday party can wait a bit more,” she thought as she walked towards him with butterflies in her stomach.  She was in love with herself, with the surroundings and I guess with the book reading guy as well. They were happy,

The caterpillar and the cutest girl I have ever seen.

 

Photography by: Sarika Gangwal

Written by: Abhinav Chandel