Audeamus

It’s a cold Saturday evening, I’d say cool, but cold had it not been for this warm woolen jacket that I’m wearing.The room smells of vanilla, while ‘It’s a wonderful life’ is playing on the television. I can’t seem to remember the sources of both the fragrance and the film. How is the movie even on television? Hadn’t I just watched it in a theatre, the day before?  As I make a futile attempt to join pieces of my memory, somebody knocks on the door. I walk to the door, switching the television off, but find myself staring at the doorknob instead. Knock. Then, I quietly open the door. I find a man in haggard attire, maybe in his late forties, standing outside, with some magazines and a laptop in his hands and a badge, saying ‘VISITOR’ around his neck. He cheerfully smiles at me and the expression on his face clearly demands one in return. “May I know who you are?” I ask courteously. “I’ve got some stories for you.” He replies, without the slightest offence taken and ca...

Suppose you're walking on a silent and deserted street, after a long day of work - tired, stressed, disoriented, angry, and confused. And then, you look up, at the majestic and mystic sky. You see all those  tiny points of light, burning out, to lighten your night, just like the gleam in the eyes of someone you love; you notice the moon, maybe crescent, overshadowing the cotton like clouds with its white glow. And then, you see a shooting star. For that moment, the pain doesn't matter. No answers are required; all that remains in the void of your mind is a wish, a hope, a change. You make a silent wish and watch the departure of the star into the fading sky. You pray, maybe for yourself, maybe for someone close to you or sometime for the world at large. You pray, for your prayers to be heard, for your dedication to be noted, for hopes to be reawakened. That is when a sudden bliss warms up your heart. It is the utter uncertainty of the entire situation that that ironically ...

Everyone in this world belongs somewhere, to someone, to somebody or to something. Everyone has a reason to have been born; to be given that shot at life. For some, it may take a very long time to find that reason, while others, they may just be born with it.  But what if you lose your way? What if a day comes when the world doesn't make sense anymore? There are many people down that road, and sometimes, you may walk among them. In the midst of this, that sense of belonging is our salvation. Every living soul needs to be needed, wants to be wanted and loves to be loved. Any denial of the above statement is just a contradiction of one’s heart’s true desire, because, this is what makes us human. A famous and noted author, Mr. Rabindranath Tagore once wrote, “Who belongs to whom in the world?” making it immensely clear that the feeling of belonging is just an illusion, an excuse for the heart to find hope. I believe he was wrong. Every man belongs to the ideas, people or...