Selfie Time

Being alone is not being lonely.

This is something I learned 4 years ago when I bought a ticket for Tom Cruise’s new release Knight and Day. Being a foreigner, thousands of miles away from home and stuck up in a hotel room I felt too sad and stepped out for a movie. Before that, I never knew how to watch a movie in the cinema alone followed by dinner as well.

In all honesty, the movie was crap but I was happy as I had nobody to bother me about the story, cast, acting, and the popcorn was all mine. Later in the evening, I scouted through random restaurants checking out menus, specialties, and finally settling for my own rendezvous with Moroccan food.

We meet people every day. Some of them are friends, colleagues and above all, we have a family as well. Hence, being alone for some time is very important. You get to meet yourself and the world around you. You must learn the world and its mechanics. By mechanics, I don’t mean physics, chemistry, or math of earth.  I mean the people, the events, the daily miracles, and a new thing.

When surrounded by people, one can’t make a decision or a choice without being influenced even if it’s as minor as having a Coke or Pepsi. One may end up having water only.

My daily life doesn't even let me hear the traffic sounds because I drive with windows rolled up and music. But whenever possible, I take a walk empty-handed and drop an ear on conversations on my way. I look at couples on bike immersed in conversation, making small laughs, waiting for the red signal to go green without any agitation.

I learned it’s perfectly alright to smile back at strangers just like children do without knowing you.

The world is huge and there are so many people in it with story of their own, environments to explore, even sunsets and sunrise can be different.

Spend time with yourself. You owe it to your mind & body.

When I am alone, I am not lonely. I enjoy the company of my own.

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Note of Gratitude

For the past few years, I haven’t spent my life without a sensation. My senses either went through love or hate or even anger sometimes. During all these years, I tried to desensitize myself from all those events of life which could take its toll on me.

I have succeeded finally.

I am deaf to the rhythm of life.

I am blind to the colors of the rainbow.

I am mute to speak of eternal pain.

Thank YOU!

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While the fountains danced, I wrote.

Sometimes you just need a hit, a hit strong enough to break you into tiny pieces.

This hit can be emotional, financial or even physical but it must break your personified shell so your true strength can come out and shine. One may be broken through worst of worst means, either he gives up or looks for means to gather himself and be a diamond. Why I say diamond? Because it’s a found amongst darkest and most uneven curves; once it is rigorously polished and shaped, it picks its worth.

We, humans, are more or less the same, we discover ourselves in dark and downtimes. That’s the only time when we literally shake ourselves to the core and surprise ourselves with a silver lining inside.

Once it’s over, nothing more can hit you or either you don’t let it hit you.

You become shockproof !!!

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Frostbite

Insaan se ziada khubsurat aur uski fitraat se ziada badsurat cheez dunya main nahi.

Khubsurat yun kay wo Khuda ki takhleeq hai, ek kamil haqeeqat. Jab kay uski fitrat main muhabbat daali gayi hai jo hazaar badsurtiyon ki wajah hai. Muhabbat kam ho tau insaan na-mukammal ehsaas liye phirta hai aur agar ziada hojaye tau………paani per tairti laash ki surat hota hai jo na kay ubharti hai na doobti hai.

Zindagi jumm jati hai…… K-2 ki choti per jami baraf kay jaisi jis k pighalne ka mausam jitna jaldi ata hai utna hi tezi se palat jata hai. Pighlane wale mausam tau guzar kar agay nikal jatay hain per zindagi behte bethte phir se jamne lagti hai.

Abb k palatna tau iss jami hui zindagi per peir rakh kar guzar jana…….yun guzarna kay koi nishaan baqi na rahay………uss doobay hue adh’maray jism ko bhi mat choona…….. iss baar hara’rat jala degi.

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Freezing Past

While reading “One Day”, I looked at time on my iPhone to decide whether I should sleep, and the change of date told me it’s going to be a sleepless night. Getting up on my elbows, I looked closely at calendar date counting years passed by; years spent well.

Fears repaired.

Inspirations instilled.

Aspirations achieved.

Smiles played.

Heart healed.

The night turned cold, hinting on upcoming winters and the warmth of my bed cover put me through a good night sleep.
I signature my past to ashes; it doesn’t worth more.

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Epilogue

ہر کہانی کا اختتام لازم و ملزوم ہے. مگر کچھ کہانیاں ایسی بھی ہیں جو اپنے آغاز پر ہی انجام کو جان لیتی ہیں.

اس کے باوجود ان کہانیوں کو شروع ہونے سے کوئی نہیں روک سکتا ....... ان کے کرداروں کے نصیبوں کو ملنے سے روک نہیں سکتا....... ایسی کہانیاں اپنے آپ میں عجیب بدصورت سی خوبصورتی کی حامل ہوتی ہیں.

ہم بھی اسی خوبصورتی کے پیچھے ہیں...... جو وقت کی قید سے آزاد لامکانی کی صورت ہمارے بھاگ سے جوڑ دی گئی ہے.

ایک خوبصورت آغاز سے بدصورت انجام کی جانب جاتے ہوئے ................ خواہشوں میں لپٹے، تمنناؤں کا رنگ اوڑھے ہمیں گم ہوجانا ہے وقت کی دھول اور دنیا کے گرد و غبار میں ........

ہم سے میں اور تم میں بدل جانا ہے.

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Preciously Possessed

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-->“Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson: You find the present tense and the past perfect”

- Robert Orben, an American Magician

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I was reminiscing with a class fellow about old days at university when I came across the above quotation. You read it and say, nobody could be more honest and striking about being nostalgic.

Nostalgia is a feeling which can take over you at any point in time but winters savor it best. If I go back into time, along with all those who were around and accompanied me, I had the best of life indeed. While reading the quote, I realized that it’s a fact that we only miss our past when we go through a bitter present. Otherwise who would miss the bad patch? It’s only the goodness and sheer happiness of times we miss and obviously the people.

As time passes, we grow older and lose our freedom at the hand of time and others. All our life we want to grow up and jump from school to college to university. It’s only after those years when we are trapped in the vicious circle of responsibilities; we cherish what we had in those years. We had freedom and fun. The enthusiasm was filled in each small activity of life. Laughter wrappers were all around our days and nights. From a small Rs.5 Kit Kat to cheating in the quiz was our essence of life.

The maximum tension we suffered was maintaining a GPA or small heart-matters. I call them small because life has taught me what is BIG.

I still remember how we saw the first reporting of the Iraq War at a friend’s house and discussed it with her late father, Baba. We had huge dreams of changing the world and making our names in the history of time. Lifetime plans were discussed between the small spaces of the library or over Samosas (Potato Patty).

The freedom of dreams and imagination we experienced is priceless. We just didn’t know that out beyond these iron gates, the reality and responsibility both awaits us.

In winters, we want the warmth of our memories to wrap us, or else the season can leave its mark on us.

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I am happy that many of us hold a delightful past which makes us optimistic about the future and harbor our present.

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