Passion

In the room all alone

The words spill out, on their own.

Curving letters in a handwriting neat,

Morph into words sticky-sweet

I can be who I’m not or who I want to be,

I can get away from the truth, get lost in fantasy.

I battle villains in the shower,

In the washroom I have every power!

I can change the world, sitting on my bed,

I befriend characters from a story I read.

Let’s get away form this world so cruel,

Discover Atlantis under a pool!

Do the impossible! Records to beat–ah!

Escape 2 Africa! Ride on a cheetah!

From so many topics I have to select,

With letters and words I am an architect.

I design and I style (and I cut and I scratch)

It may take a while (‘till we find the right match)

I’m not an engineer, cook, pilot, or fighter.

No, I have all the powers: I am a writer.

Cardboard boxes

It’s one of my last days here, 72 hours later I would be gone. I enter the house to see shrink wrap, tape, and boxes. The hall is empty of everything but these objects, and a bunch o f people. I set my bag and shoes down, I have nowhere to go. My parents are directing all the movers in and out of rooms, people are drilling, hammering, removing, and wrapping. I decide to see my room; so skipping alternate steps I come into an empty wooden-floored room, with nothing, absolutely nothing but some more boxes. The bathroom looks somewhat more realistic, probably because no one intended to pack the toilet and the bath. Thank God for that. However, the little shelf that had held some stuff before had disappeared. I exit the room and arrive at the landing, where the exercise equipment has been crudely packed with shrink wrap and orange tape. Usually, I adore popping the little bubbles of the shrink wrap, but now I’ll do anything to stay away from it. I don’t want to be anywhere near a cardboard box, so perhaps the only other options were staying locked up in the bathroom or to go outside in the scorching sun. I choose going outside. I leap down the steps and make my way out of the boxed up house. I feel a little guilty, remembering the promise I made to my parents, to help them whenever they needed it. But they are handling it well, and I am getting sick of those brown packages. I need nothing more to remind me of the limited time I have here.  So, I run to the front of my friend’s house to invite her outside, and to keep my mind of off those villainous cardboard boxes.

Lovely….

It is such a lovely name. It’s got such a lovely meaning too. The view of a grassy field. That’s all it was. But it spoke of peace, and simplicity. It spoke of loveliness.

Glenview was lovely.

The neighborhood where I used to live, Big Oak, was beautiful. It consisted of tall, friendly trees. The plants were gently cared for and nurtured, thus glowing many shades of green. It had that serenity and calmness, the closeness to nature, which simply charmed anybody who ever set foot there. It brought immediate trust and comfort. On the downside, it was quite lonely for any child. There were not many kids around, but you did have caring neighbors, and they made up for the loneliness.

My school was just as great. It contained an open and friendly atmosphere. I had some awesome teachers. I was in TREE (Technology Rich Educational Environment).I enjoyed that experience. I learned to present and speak confidently. I had friends who were very close to me. I confided a lot of things to them. They kept me cheerful and lively and eager to go to school every day.

I attended 3 after-school classes. Swimming, my favorite sport, which I had been learning (and loving) since I was seven. I wasn’t very good in it, I never DID exceed in any sport, but I took swimming seriously, and on top of everything I enjoyed it. I also tap-danced, and it was a great experience. There were 2 of 3 recitals I gave up foolishly because I didn’t like the dress. Nonetheless, I participated in the class, substituting for any absent person. The last recital was one in which I DID participate, having fun, and earning a pretty red dress just for it. The last and most recent class I had joined was a piano class. I had been taking an interest in piano, so I started to attend a class. It didn’t go on for very long, but it ended well with a small performance.

These 3 things kept my life full and happy. Of course, this didn’t mean life came free, and without problems. There were arguments, and fights, and tears, but somehow I felt that Gurgaon took more pain from me, than Glenview ever had. It’s odd to say for I lived in Glenview for7-8 years whereas I lived in Gurgaon for only 2 years, but I have a good reason for saying this. It was my age. By the time I had moved from US to India, I had started ‘growing up’. My emotions went deep and a bit wild. In Glenview, I was more innocent and quiet. My friends were growing up with me and things were very much age appropriate. I’m thankful that I stayed in US through my slightly more tender years because it nurtured me in the right way. By the time I had moved, I had enough experience to go a bit more hard-core.

To sum it up, I can only call life in US lovely, because that’s what it was. The right age in the right area with the right people. And the result can only be so much lovelier!

Journey...

There was a time when moving straight from U.S. to Bangalore was considered. And if that had happened, if all obstacles had been addressed and overcome, then life may have been easier. Initially, it would have been hard anyway, Bangalore or Gurgaon. But Bangalore has its own advantages, the wonderful weather, my many relatives, and besides it was home from the start. Delhi only had my uncle, aunt, and cousin (whom we very much needed),  but besides that...nothing. The weather was intense and horrible, not many relatives, and it wasn't a very familiar place.
Though I don't know how it would have been in Bangalore, I know that this place took a lot from me. There were tears, and fights, and heartbreaks, and lots of changes and pain to endure, and many new things to take in too. Bangalore may have not been very much different, but it has its own comforts.
Little did I know that soon enough I'd start calling this place as 'home'. I term these 2 years as some of the best in my life. It wasn't all fun and easy, actually it was quite the opposite. No one was as nice as people were in the U.S., but I never knew that playing outside could become one of the best parts of my life. And these 2 years were different from the ones in U.S. and I don't regret a moment.
I would have never imagined a 5 day trip to mountains, or para-sailing, or the fact that one day I would have known most parts of a cycle. Because of my school, I opened up, and started writing more and perhaps, better than ever. Till then, my work was just for my family, it was done so quietly, and suddenly, I was being called 'Ms. Poet'.
And I would never have known, had I gone straight to Bangalore, that one day, I would be ready to take a bullet for a friend. Here, in Gurgaon, I met 2 girls, Rajashree and Rhea, who changed my life (as of now!). I had never had a bond so strong with a friend that I would have been able to tell them EVERY SINGLE thing about myself. But these 2 girls know me from cover to cover.
We're like sisters, we argue, and quarrel, and tease and embarrass each other. But we would DIE for each other. It's rare and precious having such friendships, especially in trios. Yes, occasionally one of us may get left out, but not for long. These 2 girls made me happy to come to school each day. I love them.
I'm sad to leave, heart-broken, actually. But I'm glad to go now, where our friendship is so strong instead of 2 years later, when we may be falling apart.
Moving is never easy, it never was, and never will be. As humans, we have the ability to adapt to locations soon enough, and to fall in love with them. And leaving is always hard, but leaving from a place you love and don't want to leave, is always better than leaving a place that you hate.
I don't want to go. If I had an option I'd stay here forever. But since I HAVE to go, my parents couldn't have chosen a better time, because I'm happy and content at the moment and that leaves me with a clear mind to ponder about the future...