Hope

Photo Credit - Asha Dimri

Hope is a good thing

It keeps me waiting for the love to return

Not a person but a feeling

Deep, tough, true

Unafraid of the pain it brings

But fearful of its absence

Of the void it leaves

When it's all gone

Love, faith, dreams

And the endless stories

Incomplete or with sad endings

Hope is a bad thing

It keeps me waiting

For what doesn't exist

A mirage?

A truth wrapped in a lie?

Or memories to turn real?

I don’t know what exactly

But it keeps me waiting

For the unreal

And I am happy

Or sad? I don't know

Hope is a strange thing

It keeps me alive between dead moments

The moments that belonged to me

Yet were strangers

It mends the broken dreams

Fills in the cracks of reality

And makes it new

As if it was never broken

Dreams and heart are anew

Sometimes for a moment

And sometimes a little longer

Moments

E-book of my Debut Novel

I am glad to inform that my debut novel “45 Days in a Cancer Hospital” is now available as an e-book.  

Here is the link for the e-book: Dailyhunt.in/Ebooks

For those who are new to my site, I am mentioning some details of the book.

The book is a fiction novel about terminal cancer patients who are being murdered under the masquerade of natural death. Why would anyone kill poor cancer patients who are anyhow going to breathe their last in some time? These are the questions Ashritha, a novel writer who is staying in the hospital to write her book on cancer patients, is struggling to unravel, risking her own life. Initially, she shrugs off her suspicion as she finds it illogical, but later the odd incidents going on in the hospital force her to take her suspicion seriously. Challenging all the dangers head on, she digs for the truth and unearths secrets deeply woven within the hospital, with the help of his college friend and CBI officer Animesh. What comes out as a wretched act initially turns out to be a deeply woven plan and a heinous conspiracy. 45 Days in a Cancer Hospital is a suspense thriller with a strong female protagonist and a series of shocking events that culminate in a shocker. The story also touches on the life of doctors and cancer patients and is woven around aspiration, love, hatred, betrayal, greed and suspense within the walls of the hospital that takes place during the 45 days of Ashritha's stay.

The novel for longlisted for Crossword Books Award 2013.

Here are links to some of the many reviews I received:

Goosemummynest.blogspot.in

Mamamiareviews.wordpress.com            

Jukeboxaloud.blogspot.in

The paperback version of the book is also available on major online bookstores.

I hope you will enjoy reading this novel.

Happy Birthday - My Blog

Happy Birthday dear blog. Wow, my blog is one-year-old today. 

It feels like yesterday when I posted my first blog "In Search of Love"

The journey from my first blog to the one I posted a few day ago "यादों का बस्ता बहुत भारी हो गया" was wonderful.

There were times I could decorate my thoughts with beautiful words and there were times I just posted them raw, without any flavours.

There were times I posted like this

And there were times I had the leisure of undisturbed writing; at 2 in the night. 

Looking back, I remember how apprehensive I was about starting a blog. It was way outside my comfort zone. But, sometimes our happiness lies beyond our comfort zone. And believe me, crossing the boundary is the toughest thing, the journey ahead is fun.

What better time to thank you all for making this journey easier for me, for the views, likes, comments and messages you sent my way. They fuelled my confidence and passion for writing. And I hope we will travel this journey together for years to come.

It’s our journey so don't forget to share your thoughts on my thoughts :)

See you soon with a new post. In the meantime, take time to discover the new world outside your comfort zone.

यादों का बस्ता बहुत भारी हो गया

कुछ पल मैं लौटा दूँ वक़्त को

की यादों का बस्ता बहुत भारी हो गया.

धीरे धीरे ना जाने कब

मेरे आज पर हावी हो गया.

ज़िन्दगी की दौड़ से थक कर

कुछ पल चुराए थे छुप कर.

कुछ सुकूं सा मिला था दिल को

यादों की छाँव में रूककर.

लेकिन धीरे धीरे ये पल ना जाने कब

गुज़रे कल के हवाले हो गया.

कुछ पल मैं लौटा दूँ वक़्त को

की यादों का बस्ता बहुत भारी हो गया.

एक कदम आगे, दो पीछे चलते रहे

नए पन्नो पर पुरानी कहानी लिखते रहे.

एक नयी सुबह की चाह में

बड़ी देर तक वो पन्ने मुझसे लड़ते रहे.

शब्दों से भरा वो पन्ना

उम्मीदों से खाली हो गया.

कुछ पल मैं लौटा दूँ वक़्त को

की यादों का बस्ता बहुत भारी हो गया.

Isn't Life All About Choices

Isn't life all about choices.

Choice between passion and career

                              Duties and responsibilities
                              Emotions and realism
                              Heart and brain

Sadly, the list is endless.

And as we select one of the two, do we really leave the other? Or we leave a part of us with the one we abandon or rather pretend to abandon.

Lost in these thoughts, I saw my 5-year-old submerging a painting in water. Hesitantly, slowly, the colors dissolved in water, leaving its soul - the painting.

And I wondered aren’t we all like that faded painting, losing our colors bit by bit, every time we leave the water – oh, I mean one precious thing for other in life.

ज़िन्दगी

Photo Credit - Asha Dimri

एक एक पल से बुनी ये ज़िन्दगी

कुछ पलों में है हँसी तो कुछ में छुपी है ख़ामोशी

ये ज़िन्दगी तो हँसती रोती यादों का आशियाना है

रूठे पलों को जादू से कोई हमें मनाना है

यादों को चाहे साथी बना लो, बनाना ना हमसफ़र

यादों में रहती है उदासी, उदास न करना जीवन की डगर

यादों में खो जाती है कहीं पहचान आज की

कुछ पलों में है हँसी तो कुछ में छुपी है ख़ामोशी

हमने ज़िन्दगी से आने वाले कल का पता पूछा

तो वो हंसके हमें बोली इस आज को करो नहीं यु रुस्वा

बुरा नहीं जो इन आखों ने कल के सपने सजाये

पर उसके पीछे यूँ न भागो की ये आज कहीं खो जाये

बीते हुए ये पल फिर लौटाएगी नहीं ज़िन्दगी

कुछ पलों में है हँसी तो कुछ में छुपी है ख़ामोशी

हर पल नया कुछ रंग नए लाता है

हर गुज़रता लम्हा ये एहसास दिलाता है

एक पल की कीमत को हमने जाना है

किसी लम्हे को अब कहीं गंवाना नहीं

हर पल में न जाने कितनी सौगातें बसी

कुछ पलों में है हँसी तो कुछ में छुपी है ख़ामोशी