My Tryst With Red Bricks...

Its time for my graduation... and I felt like penning down my reflections on the last two years of my life, which I spent here at IIMA - the most memorable and fruitful years of my life...
This poem : a tribute to the much-loved famous red brick-walled campus at Ahmedabad...

'Neath the arches, the very first day
Nervous but eager, I entered the fray
Ambitious, excited, eager to please
That was me, to say the least

Two long years - the best I've had
Having fun and mugging like mad !
Friends I found, many and true
How the years passed ? I've no clue !

Evenings spent at the LKP
IIMA @ night : ablaze with glory
Then there was CT - our favourite haunt
For midnight snacks or a little jaunt

Chaos, Conflu, Combos came
Cases and b-plans - paths to fame
Mugging apart, they held the sway
We were dragged, gaily, into the fray

I learnt a lot, studies apart
To be confident and bold at heart
I learnt to be a true professional
Never, for me, was any moment dull

The brick-walled campus, red and soft
Made me a woman and held me aloft
Aloft for the world to gaze at me
And admire the sapling - now a tree

'Neath these arches, millions tread
And take with them, a piece of the red
Their souls, to this place, will remain tied
And the torch of IIMA, will be their guide.

From the Bottom of my Heart...

Deep within, a warm glow spreads
Divine, it seems, pure and strong
Dizzying heights, soul on ascent
Dream-like it is, sweet n long...

Ever since inception, stronger its grown
Energizing, elevating, joy to the core
Emptiness surrounds but nuthing matters
Everything's within, alive and more

Verdant and lush, the world is green
Vastness so vacant, now filled with the glow
Victory smiles, my joy spills forth
Vibrant, exhilarating, ecstasy does flow...

Dew Drops on my Sill...

Little wee beads
Silver soldiers
Glistening bright
Water tight ?!

March they do
Motionless it seems
Hues-a-changing
Tiny and shining

Wee little soldiers
Little crystal scopes
Stare at them long
And u'll drift along

Drift deep inside
Sifting through thoughts
Musing at your leisure
Over to greener pasture

Pastures that boast
Of lush green crop
Of seeds u sowed
Now in bloom - u're awed

The endless earth
Its intoxicating scent
Enraptured that u are
U'll follow it far

Thru endless paths
'Neath the woods
Winding like a snake
Ur freedom's at stake

For a zombie u'll become
If u stare for long
For the dew drops on my sill
Will steal ur free will...

The Journey of a Fachha-Bachha...

For ppl who are strangers to the lingo, Fachhas are the tender budding managers just entering the hallowed portals of IIMA, while Tuchhas are the all-knowing PGP2s (more-than-half-MBAs) known to haunt the same portals leading their eventful lives in Tuchhadom, brandishing their hard-earned free time and other such frivolous previleges much to the chagrin of the poor Fachha-Bachhas...

I look to my left, I look to my right
Faces so eager, faces so bright
Brisk long steps, a zing in the stride
Masks of confidence, hearts racing inside

Faces will transform, the sands will shift
Confident and humbled, as time flies, swift
Omniscient, I look on, wise beyond my years
Waiting for the change, a shift in gears

Time will slow down, ennui will set in
Quizzes and PPTs, a rat race to win
Some will take detours, choices they'll make
While other rats run on, records they'll break...

Each actor in the race, a rat in the maze
In search of self, some hard to face...
Some find glory, some face hardship
But all do escape, in ships of friendship

Escape the tunnels, the baffling maze
And emerge into light, still in a daze
Into tuchhadom, finally propelled
And attain Nirvana, all worries quelled

I wait, I watch, my soul strums a song
A smile on my lips, coz nuthing can go wrong
The path is set, the course already charted
The journey of the Fachha has just now started...

A Ghost from the Past

A faint outline, that unmistakable profile
It quickly whizzed past, that same cute smile
Just for a second, our eyes seemed to meet
Forget that face ? An impossible feat...

That lopsided grin lightened many a day
Kind bright eyes to which many fell prey
Sweet pink lips that whispered sweet nothings
Sharp regal features - the king of kings

It was not as if there was a fight
Frankly to say, I still don't see light
One day you were there, right by my side
The next, between us, was a great wide divide

I know not why, but something was amiss
The way we parted, without even a kiss
A small misunderstanding, a wee little fire
That burnt our garden like a funeral pyre

The fleeting glimpse - the same funny face
That lit up on seeing me - those golden days
That same old spark, I glimpsed in your eyes
That same old love, which nothing can disguise

For that fleeting instant, when our eyes met
I saw in your eyes, the same fire, I'd bet
Time seemed to freeze, for that single instant
Our souls seemed to fuse, joyous and vibrant

I looked once more - whither did you go ?
Lost in the crowd ? Or did I dream so ?
I blinked my eyes, you seemed to fade
In the desert of life, a mirage of shade ?

Life goes on and I'm moving ahead
Haunt me not, for I've buried the dead
In the desert of life, now green with spring
Unshackled, I fly high, hopeful and daring...

Bliss... The Present

It burst upon me unexpectedly
Catching me unawares, awed, stupified
The scent of lilacs filled the air
Teleported to heaven, I stared, wide-eyed

Lilacs in bloom, smiled benevolently
Bobbing their heads, as if in greeting
I stepped onto the grass, velvety soft
One with nature, green, breathtaking.

A gentle breeze - softly, it caressed
Whispered sweet nothings, gentle but strong
A gentle lullaby wafted from afar
Angels strumming their immortal song ?

My spirits soared, I flew after them
The breeze threatened to carry me away
My heart seemed light, burdens non-existent
I seemed to float, over the blooms, I lay...

A little rose shyly peeked out
Beneath me, I spied her pink nose
A wee little blossom that seemed to say
Here I am, bereft of woes

I seemed to melt - flow with the breeze
One with nature - the lilacs and rose
Unanchored, unshackled, free as ever
Brimming with bliss, unwrinkled brows.

My heart expands to fill the emptiness
Touching everything - a gentle caress
Spurting joy, fresh and green
Every crevasse, it fills, flawless.

A pang of regret tugged at my heart
From deep within, a tiny ray
Of things that were, and could have been
Of another life, had I had my way...

The rush of air jolted me back
Bringing me back to the blissful present
I wilted under her reproachful gaze
The rose that said "The present, you resent ?"

I cast my eyes on the world around me
A slight shadow seem to reign
It dawned on me, I cleared the fog
Crushed the regret, crushed the pain.

I smiled with thanks at the little rose
It seemed as if she smiled back at me
The breeze tugged and she nodded her head,
"C'mon, smile; Spread happiness" said she.

It seemed to lift, the shadowy haze
Brightening the scene so fresh and green
I laughed merrily, the world joined in
Happy in the present, I reigned like a queen...

The Vast Expanse of Emptiness...

He claws through me
On a burning spree
Ravaging his way
Not heeding my plea.

Mercy! I cry
His eyes stay dry
A heart of stone ?
I wonder with a sigh...

Riding resolutely
Exploring thoroughly
Destruction in his wake
He rides to glory

I sob and plead
But the fiery steed
It gallops on its way
Paying no heed

He rides ahead
I fill with dread
Fiery tentacles
Turn my heart to lead

I turn to flee
No escape I see
I watch, tortured,
Lost and empty.

A vast emptiness
A blanket of blackness
A shroud that wards off
All happiness

A fulfilled whim
He rides off, grim
All life and light
Trailing behind him

I watch helpless
Dead and lifeless
Wishing I was home
Safe and fearless

It tugs, I moan
Some dark unknown
An alien feeling
I struggle, alone

I wish for hope
To help me cope
And set things right
In the dark, I grope

I know it will end
To my wounds, I tend
How much longer
Do I wait for a friend ?