Empiric thoughts of a vintage soul

Dear Mumbai, People often scoff at me when I tell them I don’t like you. Who doesn’t like Mumbai? You have an ascending skyline, efficient public transport, delicious street food and most importantly, the Sea. What’s there to not like? You may be enshrined with the title of ‘City of Dreams’ but I don’t see any stars in your sky. I see smog and increasing pollution levels. You boast of efficient public transport but I don’t see how traveling in an overcrowded train with creaking seats would be a convenient ride. I read news of bridges collapsing or buildings that should have undergone redevelopment years back. I watch fire escalating on most high rises every month and I find myself stuck in traffic for hours. I witness this city being brought down to its knees, every damn monsoon. Being a filmy kid, I sit by the sea during sunset for introspection but I run into plastic bags and garbage. I see a city whose infrastructure crumbles and population only expands. I see a struggle so

Adjust your focus.

Image by: Radhika Udas The heart pounds louder when your insides feel empty. You could take a magnifying glass to assess the hollowed out shell of a being you are now, but I suggest you’d rather not.  Sure, we all see an envelope of nothingness digging a pit in your soul, but should you really dread it? Emptiness has earned itself the title of the worst kind of death because of the absence of feeling. It is said that there is no sound or gentle wind but absolute darkness in emptiness.  I disagree. You can hear your heart beating, isn’t it? Every time you shut the drapes, hear them drop with a fret.  Notice the dust that has accumulated on a pile of books you never read. The clock is ticking regularly and the door of your cupboard still creaks.  But most of all listen to the fluttering of those pages nestled at the corner of your side table, asking you to write again. I am not here to convince you that there is a sound to emptiness; I am only here to remind you t

Image source: Google Movie: Kal ho Na Ho Today, we mourn the passing away of a beloved emotion,  Love for Shah Rukh Khan , who has been with us for so many years. It’s been 25 years since this emotion developed in our hearts and gave us nothing but solace, affection and the joy of dreaming. It had accomplished the dream of " Chaand Taare Tod Lau, Saari Duniya par main chauu."  Image Source: Google This emotion will be remembered for so many valuable lessons it gave us such as; Bade bade deshon mein aisi choti choti baatein hoti rehti hai Pyaar dosti hai Aaj ek sapna aur dekh lo..aaj kya pata kal ho na ho Haar ke jeetne wale ko Baazigar kehte hai This emotion came into the world by displaying the beautiful concepts of love, life, and humility; it eventually went on dictating the concepts of heartbreak, pain, and infidelity. (hint: Happy New Year) This emotion lived by the simple philosophy that if we really want something, the universe will co

Image by: Radhika Udas Image location: Powai Lake Fight or Flight? It's all a matter of faith, really. There is strength in staying put and fighting but wisdom is in knowing when to choose flight.  Sometimes, you need to rise above the ceremony of clipping wings.

Image location: Church Street Social The autumn breeze strokes my hair As I switch lanes absentmindedly Greeted by a lone streetlight’s blare I push brakes on my car midway The radio buzzes furiously Gasping for connection The musk of bricked walls Makes my heart heavier The door of my old house creaks Dust clad and filthy Been a while since I visited Nothing had changed, just me A distinctly different person now Yet my soul was chirping Recognizing the old rhythm Wanting to match steps to the beat The trees swayed ceremoniously As though my arrival was inevitable A changed person I may be A part of me will always live here I take a deep breath to hold it forever in Just a few seconds here and I am Basked in the nostalgia of Newspapers and undiluted conversations.

Image by: Radhika Udas Location: Powai Lake, Mumbai The bulbs on the lone street flickered furiously making their effort of finding a connection more pronounced.  You stared at them, with empty eyes, and you didn’t stop. You could have done anything while they still quivered but you kept staring.  You stood there long enough, only so you could say – “The lights are out” Today, string by string you unravel in front of yourself as unpleasantly as humanly possible. You have held back so much that your insides ache with the poison your thoughts are feeding them. Your mind isn’t ready to change direction but your heart, your damn heart still believes in you. Still hopes for finding back your ground and not get buried under it. So even if the light quivers, you better not admit defeat and just stare. The light is struggling just to keep you company so you walk down from your hill of misery and you do something about it. You frantically run around to he

Fear is a very indulging emotion if you think about it. It fuels your imagination to reach the worst possible destination only to leave you paranoid about something that hasn’t even happened. It plays you like a puppet- you are basking in the morning sun on a hilltop, you look down and feel your stomach summersault. You have never fallen off the cliff but your mind has already played out that scenario multiple times. Would you dare to stand on the edge to witness the soothing view? The adrenaline rush would be great, sure. It amuses me how an emotion, which is born inside of us, has the power to manipulate us. Sadness, happiness, and jealousy are overrated. Fear surges through our blood into every other emotion and decides the things we do and we don’t for us. I am terrified of the sea. Just the thought of being engulfed by it even for tiny second wrenches my gut. I watch it reign through more than half a world, cackling like an empress while reducing to froth at the touc