© lifestoriesbychristin
Silent Saturday
Holika Dahan
I saw the moon through the fire, and it shimmered, wavered, as a delicate painting, remembering the poem i first read this marvel in. While my father explained how this is due to different refractive index of air, cold and hot above the blazing fire. From which our attention was diverted to my sister’s constant foot tapping, for she wanted to go home and wash her funny coloured face( just holi things). Hence we moved towards home, before reaching encountered another story by my brother, that it is barred to go the basement of apartment building after 8’o clock. And a natural ‘why ‘ left my mouth, to which he revealed that there lives a ghost there- called momo. I wondered what was more funny, the ghost called momo or his belief on it.
Happy Holika Dahan or Choti Holi everyone.
To those who don’t know, Holika Dahan is an indian festival, marking the victory of belief in god, that one’s faith in the higher power prevails above all worldly powers. And evil burns itself in the pursuit of harming others. Happy Holika Dahan again!
Morning
Gave away resentments, and
way to hope, new beginnings
For the morning, was
too beautiful to be missed.
Zindagi k Safar me( lament or life?)
ज़िन्दगी के सफ़र में
गुज़र जाते हैं जो मकाम
वो फिर नहीं आते
वो फिर नहीं आते
फूल खिलते हैं
लोग मिलते हैं
फूल खिलते हैं
लोग मिलते हैं
मगर पतझड़ में
जो फूल मुरझा जाते हैं
वो बहारों के आने से खिलते नहीं
कुछ लोग एक रोज़
जो बिछड़ जाते हैं
वो हजारों के
आने से मिलते नहीं
उम्र भर चाहे कोई
पुकारा करे उनका नाम वो फिर नहीं आते…
source: https://www.hinditracks.in/zindagi-ke-safar-mein-hindi-lyrics-kishor-kumar
The moments that you pass
in the journey of life
don’t return
never return
flowers bloom
people meet
they bloom
they meet
the flowers which
die in the fall
don’t bloom again
with spring
people who one day
we part from
they don’t return
with arrival of thousands
even when for a lifetime
one calls their name
my attempt at translation
listen to the song once while reading.
I don’t usually share songs, but this song, ‘Zindagi k Safar me’ got me hooked. Maybe it’s the simple, pleasant music of RD Burman, the melodious voice of Kishore da or the beautiful lamenting lyrics by Anand Bakshi. My better guess is the harmony of all, enchants you. What is surprising is, there is no other fantasy world they are talking about, where you fly and have superpowers or a perfect escape for our anxious generation. Rather it presents life in the bare face of it, that things that pass do not return, like the flowers which fell in autumn. It doesn’t advice to cherish people because of uncertainties or tries to console you continuously. It merely states the fact, some people shall leave you, you may try to make them stay, you may succeed and sometimes you don’t. This is what it is, it is past you now.
I think my journey with this song is, initially listening with a sorrowful heart and singing the lyrics as a lament to, acceptance and enjoying the melody with a calm and light one, and saving the song as the best slice-of-life i came across.
Any more good songs you would like to suggest, I am all ears!
Amma’s world, Her life
When amma said that cool evening, while knitting her cardigan probably for someone else, “I did all I wanted in life.” That was the first time I heard someone say it.
I kept listening to her enchanted while she described her escapades, “I weaved clothes, of every designs and patterns i knew for my children, made food everyone licked their fingers too, fulfilled every mid night craving of your Dadu with chat, papad and samosas. you know what he had an unsual habit of drinking tea whenever he woke up. I can’t even recall how many times we sipped tea at 3 am.” for a moment she drifted in her own world, maybe where she and dadu were snacking papad and tea. love and nostalgia embraced her face.
She continued “In our family of 8, it wasn’t possible for 6 of us to get to study. Being 5th, i didn’t get much of a chance, but i fulfilled my wishes after marriage. I didn’t only complete my graduation, but also taught children in a nearby school.( a pleasant smile, silent yet screaming how she won her world. Her determination, the kindling spirit still apparent in those deep brown eyes, after a pause she said). I have no regrets Shubba, I made and lived the best of what life gave me.”
I have no regrets Shubba, I made and lived the best of what life gave me.”
Those words rung in harmony within me. For i felt assured that this was the feat, the satisfaction and smile after living life on your own terms, an endeavour that is life at its best. And i just knew ,they would be the perfect epilogue to my story. Theme to my prologue. Goals to my journey. And these little conversation will be the bookmarked pages.
A letter from a concerned consumer
Dear samose-wale-bhaiya,
First of all thank you for the yummy golden delicacies which lightens my soul, lets not talk about body. Here is a little suggestion, not on your cooking skills which give way to 200 plus samosas daily or the hygiene of the same, i would like to trust you, despite what others say. It is about you pouring hot sizzling water of your chai-pan with utter generosity on the opposite green banyan tree, that is not so green anymore. i appreciate your effort of saving water and watering trees, as trees-save-life, but the tree couldn’t accept your sizzling generosity, as it’s leaves have turned brown and no new leaves are growing. But the poor thing couldn’t say it out loud to you out of modesty, so here i am, with no intention to hurt you, with utmost humility, please refrain from pouring chai-pan water on the tree. As for your tree-saving drive, give it good cool water even once a day and it will be green and happy in no time. You know its all about the cool these days.
Your cool-customer
This is my first time writing a satirical piece. Any suggestions, criticism or feedback are most welcome.
You are doing fine.
To all those who are in pain and hurt and still hopeful.
It takes courage to say you are okay.
Collecting compassion and hope to be okay
Persisting to smile through chaos to be okay
Calming your inner child to be just okay
And trying and trying being hopeful
Someday you actually start feeling okay.
I came across a beautiful post by Allison that told me, it is fine to feel both hurt and hopeful, at the same time. “To loathe the dystopian reality we are living in and at the same time fight for a better future with fierce compassion and strong conviction.”in Allison’s words.
Just tell yourself today that you are doing just fine. It is absolutely fine to take it easy sometimes.
Love, Christin
That angry Emoji made me laugh.
Happiness often needs no reason, I was reminded of it again. We just become selective and choosy in what would make us happy. And what is stupid and can’t. Rather as the old mystics often said that happiness is internal. It’s a state of being, a journey not a destination. If you are happy everything around is jolly, every leaf, every humm and everyone makes you happy. You laugh at every moment life presents you. My grandmother (or as I like to call her Amma) in her peculiar ways reminded of that again.
I saw Amma today, who is newly acquainted with the smart phone and still learning the complex typing features and Whatsapp. She has a zeal to learn. A passion to know more and be self reliant even in the territory of unknown. That has been my source of inspiration more than once.
With curiosity burning in her eyes as she asked me today, “how do I send that red faced angry emoji people use? I am so furious.” I couldn’t help myself and laughed. eventually ,i showed her how to select that emoji on your various levels of anger, there is even one for swearing (it got me a grin) and then all you have to do is choose the subject of your wrath (this was my aunt in this case). And hit send.
“Okayyy” she said as she hit send.And started laughing lifting all corners of her mouth, so happy with this new skill of hers, one more level of becoming a pro of smartphones and deeply satisfied with herself.
There was a sense of accomplishment and achievement and above all happiness radiating form her aura. That lit up the surroundings with her toothless smile. One couldn’t help but reciprocate that pure smile.
There is something about laughter that is infectious, especially the one that comes from deep nooks of the heart and reverberates within your whole body.
So I laughed with her naturally. And i laughed after a long while, so hard that time flew by and yet i laughed.
What makes you laugh friends? Is it something silly or is it some person?Is it a habit or occasional? Or are you a natural laughing person? What makes you laugh so hard that it shakes your whole body?
Jai Shree Krishna!
On the auspicious festival today, I tried my hand on madhubani art. This is my first such sketch, so ignore the messy lines. May everyone of you reading this be blessed with happiness,health and amazing people in your life. Happy krishna janmashtami!!
Contemplating.
I have been contemplating for a long while now, whether to post or not, start things I have always wanted to try or not, shall I take a break or not, just let things be or try hard.
I feel I have been lost for too long now. Trying to stick with my schedule and I couldn’t. Then trying to refresh myself, it didn’t help. A time where you are being hit from all sides, physical, emotional,mental or whatever more I can add on.
After going through many hard-to-remember days, what I did and how time passed, I have absolutely no idea, I decided it couldn’t be possibly more miserable than this. So I should stop right here and get back.
I had given myself a break, to just loosen up and let things go, probably just flow. And I flowed too far, now it is time to get up and walk back where I left. With a new smile, a new start.
This one song really kept me going- Blind faith by Gamper and Dadoni
P.S. And my laptop broke. Let’s hope I can manage posting via Android.
life stories by christin 