One Stop Destination

I had kept you, all locked up, inside a trunk. Yet, you made your presence felt in some way or the other. Be it as a commendation badge on my uniform, or the present rank ribbons on my shoulders, you made yourself visible to the world. I thought I had had enough of you around, but knowing you, I could never be too sure. I knew you had something up your sleeve. I tried harder to lock you out of my sight, but finally got cornered by my own tryst with Destiny. The world wanted an overall, and I had no choice but to seek you out. I could visualize a smile on an imaginary face, a smirk with an 'I told you so' writ large on it. I went with halting steps to you. After all, I had to take you out of a steel trunk that had been locked up three years ago. My hands shivered and my heart cried. I searched and searched through the painful reminders of moments that would never return. Newspaper clippings, a pair of flying boots, a book on 'Chicken Soup For Fathers and Daught

Life is a constant teacher. Every milestone you cross and say "This is it," life smiles and replies, "Honey, there is more!!!" Living like a widow is never easy. And for a defiant one like me, its even more difficult. I can't live wearing only whites (its not the favourite colour of the man I loved, still do and always will!!!) I can't live without smiling (because thats the only way I can hide my pain!!!). Maybe, these are what make me even more vulnerable to comments. If I say that I am unaffected by everything negative, I will be lying. I ponder, shed tears in private, get upset. I can't fathom why one needs to be insensitive to another person's feelings and hit where it hurts the most!!! Its so easy to point fingers at others, seldom realizing that in the bargain, their own fingers are pointing towards them as well. Anyways, I have neither the zeal nor the drive to turn back and squabble. I already have enough on my life's platter. I

Life is full of chances. Its up to us to grab or let go. That besides, isn't it really boring if we stop challenging ourselves and live a mundane life?? It was on a whimsical note that I decided to take a plunge back into the world of books. I was a bibliophile (Yes, you heard it right, I WAS in the past). As I got lost in the humdrum of routined life, I realized that this was not what I truly wanted to be. I lost my hobbies, my inherent dreams and my wishes. I felt that I was slowly losing myself and my sanity.  As this regression was slowly devouring me, a small inner voice slowly questioned me "Whats new???" It was with a sudden jolt that I realized that the answer was a mere NOTHING since a long, long time. A control freak to the core, I decided that enough was enough and I needed to do something about this life of mine. A quick introspection, and voila, the world if books called me back. Like a child taking baby steps, I restarted my journey, one book at

It was a saturday morning. Like always, I thought it was going to be no different. But then, as the day unfolded, I realized that it was not going to be a 'yet another weekend'.  It was nine 'o' clock in the morning. I still had time to get ready and get going. I did leave my house in time to reach the venue, however, I managed to collect a packet lying on the table and pop it into my bag. Finally, I reached the exact spot, at the exact time (precision, I tell you!!!!). There they were, my class of 14. Fourteen innocent children who had nothing to show off- no fancy shoes, brand new clothes, nothing. They were, well, childrem aged 2 to 7, who were there for their learn.  I was not alone in my teachings. Along with me was a lady who felt the same as I did and shared the same happiness that I had when then the class ended. As yes, that packet of balloons was enough to light up the faces of my students that day. Doing something which the heart has been year