The door of the golden cage was kept open until the bird with clipped wings expressed her desire to fly...as it was only then that the world realised that she was capable of dreaming.
But how had she dared to commit such a blasphemous crime? The foolish creature had taken undue advantage of the privilege bestowed upon her---she had dared to fall in love with the sky.
The Gods were now fuming with anger. She had left them with no other choice. They had to act immediately. And that's what they did.
Soon enough, the dice was cast. Her fate was sealed. The door of the golden cage would stay shut until the day she'd lose her will to soar....unil the day she'd gaze blankly at the open door and choose the comfort of the golden cage...until the day she'd laugh at the memory of the silly dream she'd once dared to dream, of a brilliant blue sky that she'd once wished to venture.
However, the bird with the clipped wings was resilient. She refused to resign to her fate and continued to dream. Every day, she'd watch the sky through the bars of the golden cage. She'd pray for the door to open. But the Gods paid a deaf ear to her pleas. Afterall, some rules could never be broken---birds with clipped wings should not dream of flying.
And so life went on, as it always did. The door stayed shut. Grief stricken, the broken hearted bird kept dreaming and humming her melancholic tunes from the golden cage.
Until one day, she finally gave up and died.
That was when the door opened. As her soul escaped her body, the cage was cleaned. She was now free to make love to the open sky. Her clipped wings didn't matter anymore. She was finally a free bird.
You must be really surprised to see me addressing you with such terms of endearment today. I don't usually have positive things to say about you,
no? But there are days when I also count my blessings. And lucky for
you, today is one of them.
So tadaa! Here I am, Zindagi. For all you are worth, here I am, my head
bent low, my eyes brimming with emotions and my heart full of gratitude.
For you, only for you, and for all that you have taught me till date, I
have only one thing to say...Thank you!
Thank you, Zindagi, for giving me a brand new chance every day---a new
opportunity get things right; to learn, to prove my worth, to improve.
You are the best teacher and worst critic one could ask for. You never allow me to be too hard on myself for the mistakes I
commit and yet make sure I'm guilty enough not to repeat them. Of
course, there are times you end up being an utter disappointment.
Fretting and fuming, ranting and raving, cursing, blaming, and fighting
with you for being unfair...has almost been a habit.
But in hindsight, I do realize that every second chance you refuse to
bestow upon me does me a whole lot of good. Thanks to this, I have
learned to value my relationships...to cherish and treasure them. You
have taught me never to take for granted those who love me. In fact, it
is this constant fear of not being allowed a second chance that helps
keep me in check. And I owe you big for that.
People say I have changed. I think I have too, for the better. You have
made me emotionally stronger and more hurt-resistant over time. There
was a time when I was so hopelessly sensitive that one push (from
someone who mattered) was all it'd take to shatter me. I thought I'd
never be able to survive the agony of heart break, stressful
relationships, work pressure. But you exposed me to the big bad world
and convinced me that nothing here is indispensable, no one is
irreplaceable. Friends backbite lovers betray, relationships putrify,
and you can't do much than break the bonds that chain you, burn bridges
that lead to nowhere, and never look back.
You taught me that there is nothing more important than self worth and
peace of mind. to leave before I'm left, to learn the difference
between want and need, love and lust. I learned that sacrifice can be
liberating, that love need not always mean attaining, and that hearts,
no matter how badly bruised, will heal with time. I also realised that a
mug of freshly brewed coffee and a good nap can provide an instant fix
to most problems.
Of course, I cannot forget to thank you for the more permanent reasons
to smile--the amazing friendships you have helped me forge. Some that
have won over time, distance and even fate to stand by me. Some that
have proved my cynical heart wrong by showing me how lucky I am to have
them in my life.
However, pain and grief are part of every journey. I have had my share
of it as well. Cliched though it may sound, it made me stronger, showed
me what I did not want, and helped me see what I really needed. I needed
to believe in myself, respect myself, fall in love with myself before
expecting that from anyone else.
You, Zindagi, taught me the true meaning of love. To love
unconditionally is a heart breaking yet surreal experience. I think
everyone should try it at least once. You taught me that love need not
always have a fairytale ending. It can be very different from what you
were expecting and yet be love all the same.
Gradually, I discovered your myriad hues. Each experience you offered
taught me a little more about you. It made me realize that we are never
in the place to judge anyone, for their reality might be way different
from ours. To judge someone, we need to run a mile in their shoes. I'm
grateful to you, Zindagi, for you evoked in me enough compassion to
attempt seeing beyond the masks people wear, to try listening beyond the
words they speak. In the process, I discovered hearts of gold beneath
many steel armours and malevolent intentions behind the sweetest of
smiles. You snapped me out of my childish delusions and planned a
rendezvous with reality. I hated you then for snatching away my rose
tinted glasses. But thinking back, I'm so glad you smashed them. You
helped me grow up. And although we all would love to be kids forever, I
learned that growing up was inevitable. Gradually, I realised it wasn't
all that bad. As I stared awestruck at your various nuances, you made me
realise how I'd never be able to comprehend you fully, that some
questions were best unanswered, some things were best undiscussed. I
couldn't understand then but I realise now that it did work out for the
best. It almost always does...
Even today, I can count on you to believe in me when the chips are
down...even when everyone else leaves my side. It's true you make me
stumble at times. I have even fallen flat face-down a couple of times,
but it is only because of you that I have learned to pick myself up,
brush away the humiliation, hold my head held high and continue walking.
I am faced with challenges every day. And everyday, I fight, I survive, I
triumph the odds. You have taught me to believe in myself, to value my
strength and confront my weaknesses. At times, you break down my
defenses, and I give in to you. I trust you to show me the way, and you
trust me enough to know I'd not let you down. There are times I can't
help feel frustrated at your antics and want to let go. But you, in your
own stubborn little way, make me realize how fragile you really are. In
my career as a doctor, there have been several incidents that have made
me value you more than I ever had. I have witnessed patients struggle
for a breath of air while their loved ones watch helplessly, watching
them suffer. They make me aware of the times I take you for granted; be
it wrong food, stress, a lethargic lifestyle, the truth is I am guilty
of cheating on you. Every time they look at me, that pleading look in
their eyes, I see you there, dear Zindagi...gasping, hurting, groaning,
compromising, and yet putting up a brave face for me. When a patient
leaves the hospital premises in good health. I feel you beaming with
joy. But when I fail, I find it impossible to confront you. These are
times I try to block you out by scribbling furiously in my journal in
an attempt to stonewall the disappointment I feel. However, writing is a
contemplative and introspective task and you manage to find your way
out through my words.
You inspire me to write, Zindagi. And for that, I am eternally indebted.
Even today, you continue to be my greatest muse. Words fall short to
capture your true essence. But I'm not giving up...neither on you nor on
writing. We are stuck together for good.
You have taught me when to hang on and when to let go. And that is a
lesson I hold very dear. You have made me understand the difference
between strength and wisdom, integrity and courage. Every day, you make
me open up to the unparalleled beauty in the world---stars wrapped in
the blanket of a clear sky, a breathtaking view of the setting sun, the
sound of babies gurgling, the musical quality of a flowing brook, the
natural fragrance of wild flowers. I find poetry all around me. I find
it within me too.
You have watched me dream and crumble. You've witnessed me sprint and
crawl. You've seen me soar and crash. It has been one hell of a journey.
But every step of the way has been an adventure in it's own sense.
Come to think of it, hasn't ours always been a queer relationship? I do
not believe in definite beginnings or strong endings. And I believe
neither do you. (You are my mirror after all.) All we can be sure of is a
worthwhile middle. We might not have had a great start, and I have no
idea how we are going to end. But I feel strongly about this transition
period of learning. And I have learned from you never to give up on
something you feel so strongly about.
So let's make the best of this symbiotic relationship. Let's show the
world how strong a team we really make. No cribbing, no complaining, no
mud-slinging. Just loads of gratitude for what was, what is, and what
will be...because every moment can impart us with wisdom, knowledge, or
experience if only we allow it to.
So here's to making more memories...
Here's to you, me, and tomorrow...
It is amusingly heart-breaking when you realise how something you
considered unique is so very common. Be it a new dress that you
purchased at the newest shopping outlet, or a talent that you thought
only you possessed, or the fine nuances of a relationship that you once
prided in. Not even the questions and doubts that arise in your mind are
exclusive; someone has surely felt them before.
Every thought, idea, emotion, gesture going on in your mind and life has run its complete course before, traveled similar journeys through the minds and lives of others before you embraced it as your own.
So next time you feel special about something, stop!
Life has nothing to feel privileged about. It's all a temporary state of mind.
Our joys are common. So are our perils. Our happiness, pain,
struggle, love, grief is all so common that in the grand scheme of
things, it won't even matter. We'd then realise how our journeys had
been almost clones of each other, our paths so familiar, our choices so
similar. We'd laugh then (with the conviction we now lack) at how
foolish we were to assume we were the only one experiencing something
almost everyone else was.
Yes, I believe what we need is an after-life...because life is way too mainstream!
We are both drifters, you and me
Amongst a million other things
Our affection in constant motion
On tender gossamer wings
We lean and float in trust and hope
And live on love and dreams
But come morning, we may realise
Life is nothing what it seems.
For we are both drifters, you and me
We will drift apart some day,
And the finders and the keepers
Will have only this to say;
"We were so sure it'd happen,
They were drifters from the start
Theirs was but a 'butterfly-love'
And it had to fall apart!"
But they do not know, the silly fools,
Short lived though it might be
We drifters live in thoughts and words
And each other's memory.
We may fleet in and out of love
Together or apart,
But will always live where it matters most
In spirit and in heart!
