Illuminate Lives

  I was about to take the last turn to my home after a brief walk to take some fresh morning sunshine. I noticed the little flowers that had fallen off on the left sidewalk from the tree last night and maybe a few previous nights. Still looking fresh, carrying the faint essence of their night duties. I picked up one, sized like a clove, hoping to smell the fragrance up close. It was very faint, obviously nothing compared with how it does in one of those large bunches up above. The flowers had already assured I was close, close to what I could call home for a while. There stood the tree with very small bunches, awaiting their full blooms. The buds were a testimony to that. I kept looking for a few more moments, analyzing how late they’ve bloomed. I wondered if the tree was blooming for the first time ever, because there it stood as tall as they grow. How come I’m standing there for the first time, feeling a narrow escape to heaven. The first time, my vision had to beat my olfactory ...

I keep walking on fire! My soles, burning! As I bleed from my heart, and see my blood falling. Every drop tries to douse the fire extinguish it from flaring, and me from diminishing.   I do not lose my control, Neither my consciousness. I watch me bleed, and I watch me burn. And I tell myself To be brave, strong and resilient, “You cannot give up, You have got to fight There’s light on the other side”   The sky turns red with pain and I look it in the eye. I try hard not to blink So, if it were death Let it see in my eyes too, let it know I’m not scared.   I’ve made a fire in me, That which can never be put off. My eyes glittering bright, brighter than the simmering, the one beneath my feet. I take a sigh of relief, a nd a tear drop falls, straight onto the ground. And I hear it fizzle. Steam rises from that fall, as though whispering, “It’s over! You’ve reached the edge, Don’t stop or you star...

 The beauty goes unnoticed, of silence and of peace. I keep gulping the poison, of words I do not speak.   I witness the evil, I hear that too. And I unhear the shrieks and screams, of chaos within my soul.   I silence what is sacred, for the sake of survival. I silence what is venomous, for the sake of goodwill.   And I often battle with myself! Could a war be waged, or anger poured out, or burning tears assuaged? But then, I silence the chaos, the words too silenced. Neither an emotion is hurt, nor a soul avenged. And if silence is the sword, eyes and ears shall bleed The mercy of truth, shall the souls plead. VEDIKA

Let your scars shine, brighter than the wounds that engraved them. Let your fears become the ladder, over which you climb and choose to breathe. Let your heart bleed, until it’s done hurting from the pain. Let your soul rebel, what’s not pure and indecent. Let your feet stumble through paths of perfection, show that imperfection is sacred. Let your fate surrender to what is destined, while your blood serves the ink. Let your truth scream through your silence, in this intense vacuum. Let the sky witness, who can bear the storms barely by the spirit. Let the waters notice your depth, and want to fathom what you behold Let the wind feel small, with your force and your grip. Let the sun feel dimmer when you appear, leaving the darkness behind. Let the world see what stays, when humanity ends. Let you live, till you breathe and your heart beats. VEDIKA

  My journey as a defence aspirant started way back in 2017. I got my first green flag for the SSB interview in May 2019 after clearing my written examination, which is the first screening test of intelligence. I was recuperating from Typhoid and had lost all my hopes despite having been preparing for it since February, because, my health had taken a complete U-turn and I was out of shape. My father sensed the reason for my disinclination, as he had seen me in full spirits just weeks before my reporting date. He requested one of his friends back from his school days to guide me and encourage me. He made a call from the office informing me that Sir had made some space to connect with me from his schedule. Anticipating some relief, I made a call to Col M P Dinesh Nair, who was already aware of the whole situation. After a call of about 20-25 minutes, I felt a bout of energy in me, keeping aside the fact that I was not still healthy enough to undergo a 5-day interview process of asses...

Today, let me be lost Nowhere to be found, Nowhere to be seen. Let my existence be a delusion, And let my past be a myth. Today, let me be no soul Let my body have no structure, Let my heart have no beats, Let me have no flesh and blood, Let me have no air to breathe. Today, let me come from nowhere, And have no place to reach. Let me have no name, Let my design be no species, Let my blood be no colour, Let no gender define me. Today, let me be forgotten No proofs be found in papers and concretes. No trace be found in hearts and minds. No content of mine is known or read, No time be my witness, No context defines me. Let only the land know where I travelled. Let the water decipher my silence. Let the air feel the touch of my skin. Let the stars track my directions. Let the sun shield my shadows. Let the moon keep my secrets. Let me be unknown to humanity, Let me be unknown to humankind.                             ...

  What sets aside the Holi of 2024? Firstly, the festival coincided with an Eclipse. It happens when the sun, moon and earth form an alignment called syzygy and on a full moon day. Secondly, it was one of the hottest Holi day our nation saw, accredited to the El Nino and rise in global average temperature. What’s more? Well, it was hot like really hot even though the summer has just knocked on the doors and we’ve opened the doors. We’ve still not let our guest inside. My sister was sick a week ago. Suffering from seasonal transition viral, after an exhausting travel schedule and still performing her duties as board invigilator, supervisor and other mandatory duties at her school. She had to push herself hard throughout her schedules not because she isn’t used to but because there was an added contingency to deal with, her health. Even after knowing her schedules, she didn’t want to exchange her duties for the sake of clarity and the least she wanted was to take antibiotics. Ala...

Weary of the day and stressed of latest challenges, I stepped out after having dinner. Lonely, just to have a self-talk and to remind myself that I shall make through this time. The little crossroad just a few meters away was all dark, due to unserviceable streetlights. Although, it wasn’t all dark, I could still see very faint shadow of mine. I took an about turn, oblivious if I really wanted to return this soon. And then, my usual admiration for the night sky drove my vision to the sky. I could still feel the chill in air after the evening rain showers. The dark sky was all cloudy with no visibility to stars, giving it a very hazy concrete grey look. It was as though I could spend my whole life gazing and admiring the moon if it could stay as long as I wished. It felt as though all my fatigue had evaporated that very instant. It was a Halo-moon (also known as Lunar Halo), something which I had neither noticed before nor known about. Well to those who are also new to this term, scie...

We notice everything with our eyesight, but we perceive, realize and learn only with a keen insight….   I was pretty much anxious. Keeping myself from helping the little creature lying helpless on the platform, was out of my normal. While mom kept iterating from the kitchen, "Don't touch them, their mother will surely come to get them. If you touch them, she might as well abandon them.". Her concern was right whereas mine was also justified. I feared for we had seen a large snake roaming around our house a couple of times since that morning. Also, it was getting dark since dusk. I had in fact made up my mind, that if the squirrels don't reach here on time, I shall rescue the baby squirrel and give it a home. I waited from inside of my wire-mesh door with lights switched off, not to frighten away the baby squirrel's parents by my silhouette. Also, my mind kept wondering if the snake might have crawled up to the squirrel's nest and caused havoc. How else...

  I’m a believer, having deep reverence for all the religions, their teachings and beliefs. Don’t know how to put it better but ever since I recollect, I was a curious child always wanting to accompany my grandma to her temple visits. Back then, it was just an eagerness to pluck flowers on the way and watch her worship. And to this day, I’ve gone to temple almost daily as long as I’m not on a journey or under imposed lockdown. Somehow, every time when we were posted to a new place, the temple used to be around the corner, so call it more of an excuse which turned into a habit. Previous evening was a bit gloomy at my place with moderate cold weather and seasonal intermittent rain showers giving a wild feel of rainforest weather. There were very sparse people to be seen around. I enjoyed the way to our temple feeling the gentle breeze, the seemingly endless dark sky and those little drops of joy falling on us inherently. When I reached our campus temple with my sister, I met my d...

Be me a tapestry, that evokes jittery, in a gloomy wintery. Be me a tapestry, of an unknown history. May you win! May you win! Be me your victory, and flow through you like electricity. Be me an accessory, Which makes it all silvery. May you keep a souvenir, Like an excellent tapestry. And Be me a royal history.                                               VEDIKA

As we grow, we lose a few things and we gain some others.  We grieve to let go some childhood moments.  And quite often when I let the child inside me take control over me, it educes the following thoughts.   The child inside me is fanatic. It wishes to span the fields of freedom, where no rules obstruct.   The child inside me is a bird. It wants to fly high and watch the world around, while no bonds strangle it.   The child inside me is a little mermaid. It wants to dive deep into the waters, and gossip with the fishes.   The child inside me is a painter. It wants to colour the worldly canvas, with colours of joy and sparkles.   The child inside me is endearing. Event the smallest of the things, appear to offer profound happiness to it.   The child inside me is playful. It still wants to climb on trees, jump on grass and run behind the butterflies.   The child inside me does not want to hesitate. It wants to be freed from the society's rules...