tranQUILLity 🤍

Dear world. I cursed myself for being an ugly duckling - until one fine day, I discovered I was a swan. Lesson 1 : FAITH. I didn't lose my way - rather, a journey to a better destination began. I yearned for their eyes, their wings, their feet - oblivious to my own grace and charm. Lesson 2 : SELF-WORTH. Their contempt and sneer certainly hurt; but my self-loathing did me the greatest harm. "You're such a misfit amidst the ducks." I chided myself until my fellow swans came along. Lesson 3 : ACCEPTANCE. I needed to be no different- around the right people, just the way I was, I would feel, "here do I belong." "You're 'ugly'. You can't be one among us." they snapped, when I wept, "Please, will you be a friend of mine?" Lesson 4 : KINDNESS. Be not too quick to judge, O Sun! When her time arrives, the gentle Moon too will shine. The very eyes that threw me sneering glances, would one day shower me with many an envious stare Le...

YES. Yes, I have. My answers to you, certainly, are the same no more But are your questions to me, exactly what they were before? True, I no longer appear to be who I once was But don't you now observe me through a different eyeglass? Agreed, I am quite changed from the person you've always seen But why don't you notice, my circumstances are also not what they'd once been? "I've been in your shoes and walked a good mile, that's no excuse. You are just not the person I've known" How do I make you see, the shoes you've been in are ones that I've outgrown? You scrutinize what I say, you judge what I do, but turn a blind eye to what I feel. What you don't see is that the load I now carry, is heavier a great deal. "You mustn't allow what's around you, to alter what is inside" I know not how far I succeeded, my friend, but trust me when I say I tried. Perhaps, you have a point. My words, deeds, thoughts may be the same no mo...

"All the world’s a stage, and all men and women, merely players.” What then, makes one man a saint, and what makes another, a brute? Why do we loathe the one, but worship the ground on which another sets foot? Who dictates our definitions of ‘bad’ and ‘good’, of ‘wrong’ and ‘right’? Is the message that of the tale told – or of the person who does recite? Could the deity be the devil, if perspectives were to be flipped? The dilemma then arises – is such a deity indeed worth being worshipped? Do one’s deeds - or intentions - really sculpt a hero or villain? Or, is this power wielded simply by the ‘grey cells’ of spectating men and women? Why is the hero's every deed a 'crusade for justice', and the villain's, the gateway to war? When each but stands true to a cause he cherishes, why do we uphold one - while the other, we abhor? The fine line that separates the 'good' from the 'evil' - with which yardstick must it be chalked? Are not the real wrongdoer...

Little acts of kindness, they go a long way They lessen someone's burden, they brighten someone's day.  Sometimes, all it takes, is a touch of human-ness,  To make someone feel it's okay, even if things are a mess.  Whatever happened to the art of putting people at ease?  Why is man so consumed, by his own ills and worries?  When was the last time we helped to wipe someone's tears?  Why don't we make friends anymore - just competitors, rivals and peers?  Are we too busy existing, that we don't have time to LIVE?  Blindfolded by our wants, have we forgotten how to GIVE?  Is it a life worth living, if Mankind is Mankind's biggest threat?  What remains at all, when the curtain falls - except pain, deception and regret?  A reassuring nod here, a helpful hand there A patiently listening ear, tiny gestures which show that you care.  A friendly pat on the back, a quick word of concern,  Does it cost anything at all, to do someone...

We live, we love, we TRY and we HOPE Sometimes, the result is rewarding. Many a time, it's a setback too hard to cope We forget that it's human to falter, to fall short, to be a mess Which diamond ever glistened within the first few moments of being put to stress? Can PAssIoN exist at all, without some latent pain? Does a setback imply our dreams are a farce? Do they not deserve to be embraced ever again? No bird has ever flown high, that has never once dropped down on land No tree has ever risen tall, which was never once buried under the sand Does the Sun that sets every day, ever feel too exhausted to rise? How far out of reach can that dream be, which has never once been away from our eyes? Oftentimes, we need to hear this : all that matters is to try With patience, perseverance and prayer - come wings that let us soar high and high. We live, we love, we try One day, we'll be limitless like the lovely sky  One day we'll be limitless, like the lovely sky. 🩵 The Tran...

She floats along like a little dandelion, Tossed around by the winds of fear. Gentle shoulders burdened by great expectations Her footsteps waver, her path is unclear. With dreams in her eyes and longings in her heart, She also carries insecurities, failures and pain. Yes. She is flawed. But she's a work of art - Vulnerable, not weak; she's raw, not plain. Big aspirations always come with high stakes She has expectations to fulfill, standards to meet The world lies in wait to judge her tiniest mistakes She falls, fails; but she rises and tries - she's learning to face the heat. On some days, she can afford to smile, some days make her cry Ripped apart by fear and doubt, nights are troubled and long Some days are so heavy, it takes all her effort to just try But the hope she carries through it all - in the end, it'll make her strong. Questions but no answers, destinations but no road Sometimes she braves it all, with grace so demure Sometimes she succumbs to the weight o...

Fondly do I look back, at the years that have passed Gratified I am, by every milestone - big or small - that I've crossed Standing on the threshold of a world, alien and unknown Reluctant I am, to let go of the comforting times bygone. At every step lies a hurdle - I need tread with caution and fear Caught in the whirlwind of change, ripped away from everything safe and familiar. Transplanted to a new world, I struggle to cling to my roots I yearn for a glimpse of home, a source of solace - alas! In vain are my frantic pursuits. At the cost of carrying my own weight, hath come the liberty to soar far and high; A hundred pairs of eyes lie watching - I have not the privilege to fall, rise and retry. As expectations weigh down heavily on my fragile shoulder I am submerged by a myriad of doubts. "I wish I were smarter, prettier, bolder." In a cold, ruthless world that's running a blindfolded race I struggle to create my trail - each step at my own pace. "With all it...

“Verily. With every hardship, comes ease.” - Quran 94:5 Little did I know, oh! rocks that shattered my fragile four-walls You were but making way for my palace of brick and stone; Little did I wonder, oh! my ‘path-breaking’ obstacles and pitfalls But for you, how could I have ever spread my wings and flown? Little did I appreciate, oh! pangs of fear, oh twinges of dread The gifts of courage and acceptance you generously bestowed Little did I notice, oh! little thorns upon whom I unwittingly tread The seeds of caution and resilience you silently sowed. Little did I foresee, oh! bitter, distressing, painful night Your comforting moonlight; your hopeful, twinkling stars Little did I imagine, oh! loneliness and quiet, Your silent lullaby would soothe and heal my scars. Little did I fathom, oh! gales of guilt, regret and woe; You would carry me to a fulfilling life. Little did I think, oh! waves of sorrow and dismay You would teach me to bounce back from strife. Little did I believe, oh! fa...

Seldom can I be found, whither the herd does flock The trail I pursue is my own, one that few others may choose to walk To the tunes the world gently hums, I know not how to sway I am blind to the sights the crowd sees, and deaf to the notes they play. My choices are unlike most others', our priorities don't quite align Where the world finds its pleasure and its pain, contrasts with whither I derive mine. Some call me a loner, some say I'm brimming with conceit "You've built yourself a shell", yet others remark, "into which, you love to retreat" I would never do such claims the injustice of calling them untrue or wrong But oftentimes, I quietly contemplate - where I'm alone is where I belong. Sometimes I wish, the girl in the mirror hadn't been such an alien among the crowd Sometimes I embrace her uniqueness. She's eccentric, but real. And that's reason to be proud. I would be deceiving myself if I claimed I don't yearn to fit in ...

Gusts of solitude wipe away traces of sleep Tempestuous thoughts bid this wretched heart weep Shears of helplessness have rendered my peace to shreds Amidst deafening silence, resurge concealed wounds and buried dreads. Words unspoken weigh down heavily on my soul Engulfed by isolation, I slide down a deep, dark hole. Laughter has long since deserted, no more do tears roll down my cheek Shadows besiege every glimmer of hope - Providence has despaired; future is bleak. Questions abound everywhere; their answers, alas! are scarce A heart that once carried shining dreams, now bears but painful scars. Dreams of a sparkling tomorrow crumble under the burden of today Visions of a vibrant future now dwindle into a dull, listless grey. Oh! if the skies were to be mirrors, if the Moon could watch herself wane Would not the scorching Sun be drenched, by her tears of agony and pain? Painful indeed is the sight of one withering away before one's own eyes The empty silence within is deafening -...

Dear me. Several years hence, when the lane of nostalgia leads you to this note on a faded, yellow page May your heart brim with joy as you look back at all that you've done, been and seen with passion, faith and courage. May your shining dreams grow brighter as you glance back at every peak you've conquered - high or small. May the values you uphold, be rooted deeper in your heart as you reminisce the lessons you learned with every slip, every fall. As you flip through pages of pain and hopelessness, may you be grateful - you never let the fire in you, die. As your eyes dwell on chapters that were particularly hard, may you be proud - you never were too tired to try. May you experience peace and thanks, not regret, in poring over wishes unfulfilled and words untold For, to dream is a privilege; to cherish, a luxury. May your dreams find you, may the bookmarked corners unfold! These pages are a testament to your journey having been far from a smooth ride: Where tear-smudged scr...