Maa!

I still remember how she was. How she held my hand while we walked. How she would always give in to my requests. How she used to play with me and my dolls. And how she used to feed me with her hands.

Though she's not with me, she still is. All that she taught me. All the love she gave. All of it, I remember. And I know, none of it would ever die.

By: Mahi

Fragment Of My Art?

I sit here looking for you to help me cross this river of fire,

In the garden of remembrance, I await you on the spire,

I feel you swirl, in my thoughts, in my mind,

But I haven't had any trace of you have I turned blind,

I have broken all the chains, I twirl in freedom like a kite,

I've searched for you everywhere, are my eyes losing their sight?

To you, I give my heart full of longing, full of love,

Keep it safe, give my war zone heart some dove, 

Oh!! Should I walk to Shrines or should I beg at the temple, 

You and me facing each other, isn't my wish too simple?

I'll make myself your slave, just let my dreams see the light of the day,

One last time begging at your door, I'm leaving won't you ask me to stay?

You shattered my longing and soft heart into small shreds,

You're happy in your palace, why am I sleeping on thorny beds? 

You pierced sharp arrows in my longing and soft heart,

There you are; the saint of this crowd, can I be its a dark part? 

Do all that you can do to hide my love, Alas! one day you'll face your own self,

There you are talking happily to every unknown but not me, am I the only elf?

Your smile can burn a hole, through the core of my sorrow,

There you are glad and complete, why am I bitter and hollow?

A part of me is dead, I'm lost, you could sense my inner darkness,

I can't feel your warmth, have I became too empty and heartless?

I swear by my tears, by my broken longing heart, you are all I need,

There you are happy and joyful with everyone, why do I bleed?

I found solace in your smile when I was defeated,

They're asking me, why isn't my love story completed?

There are wounds in my mind, my heart, spilling blood through my eyes,

There you are still smiling, aren't you hearing my painful cries?

I'm spitting rhetoric every time someone asks me about me,

Complete my love story now, don't you hear my plea?

I can't understand what's wrong, have you build walls around your heart?

Everything makes me wonder what's real, whether you were just a thought?

Were you a poem I wrote, or the only dream I sought?

Were you a complete book, or just the fragment of my art?

By: Roma

 

Healer!

The dust of Your doorstep is just the right thing to apply, 

If the Collyrium doesn't show its beauty in my eye, 

Oh, healer? Are you angry with me have You forgotten me? 

I have none except for You who will take care of me? 

The shock of Your desertion has come as a blow to me, 

Who's gonna listen to my cries? Who's gonna soothe me? 

My soul--I'll weep and weep for you, the world has caught you in its spell, 

Oh, Healer! Will you help me, help me to get out of this hell? 

Poor me--Not even a single shadow of the things you love will go with you when you are dead, 

Self--Why then have you forgotten your true self, every ounce of conscience why have you bled? 

Oh, Healer! I send all the nameless unknowns to You, 

Do they tell You that I seek for You, towards You my devotion is true? 

Or do they speak only evil of me? 

Who's been able to change destiny? 

I'll seek You down the wandering brooks, praying We must meet again, 

I'll look for You where the sun sleeps, don't tell me We shan't meet again, 

You taught me that this youth is a loss, Why were we born? Why did we not die? 

Why such beautiful faces with ugly soul why such melodious words turn out to be a lie? 

Like water in cups of unbaked clay,  I run to waste, 

Would I ever reach my home, or I shall be replaced? 

The way of the world is a meaningless fun, I invited a difficult fate, 

One day I shall find You, one day for me, You shall open the gate, 

The flowers left the garden, to make way for me, make way for a sin

I'll find You soon, but will You welcome me, will You let me in?

 

By: Mahi

I'll Hold On.

I call on the spirit and a coven,  the maiden and the crone, 

I call on wishes and black magic but in the end, I'm still alone, 

I can't bear the pain that's you are being so far away from me, 

You promised you'll always wipe my tears, I'm crying can't you see? 

You have abandoned me to pity; to feel the pain that follows pain, 

This helplessness of not being able to hold you is driving me insane, 

The sunshine, my son, has shamed the light of the moon-- I'm waiting, wilting, 

You said you'll come back to heal me, can't you just see my broken wing? 

You've loosened me my love to fall-- I can't stand on my feet,

Now, whom have you fallen for is she more beautiful sweeter? 

In this garden of love flowers are wounds of my heart,  the swaying cypress sounds my sighs; with tears, I fill rivulets, 

You're upset, but I'll run right after you,  I'll hold on grab you by the collar of your cloak,  I swear I'll grip its hem till my sunsets.

By: R-zooo

 

Insecurities!

But there are insecurities that take my breath and my spot, 

Those insecurities feel like guillotine blades in my throat, 

I often break down thinking about how things will not be the same, 

You'll fall in love with someone else and forget me as a lost game, 

And I swear by Gods-- new and old, 

Without you, my heart will turn cold, 

You'll be over me, even if you couldn't, you'll move on somehow, 

You'll heal, you'll survive, you'll find your moment of a dove, 

Survive-- but how can I when you taught me to live,  live with you, 

But you never talked about the time when you'll be gone, you'll find someone new, 

Gone-- you'll be gone, gone so far that I'll strain my eyes tracing your footprints, 

Our little home, our love, would be blown away by the winds,

 God, I don't want to but I break down every night thinking how one morning I'll wake up to nothing, 

I break down thinking that one fine night when I won't be able to sleep you won't be there to sing, 

But I want to enjoy this time while you smile, laugh, kiss, love, hold hands and walk with you beside me, 

Because once you are gone, I don't want to leave certain things undone,  also please if you can stay with me!

 

By: Hammy

Better Without You!

 

Pandemic And The Online Classes.

One of the most concerning topics or difficulty during this pandemic faced by educational institutions is the source of teaching, regardless to mention since the start of 2020, nearly all the schools and colleges have opted for an online interactive session to keep the flow of education moving.

While for many it has been a source of the problem, some teachers and professors see this opportunity as a form of breakthrough to implant new creative methods and use E-education to its fullest potential. Teachers and professors both alike are trying to impart the same amount of knowledge into their students as they use to in offline mode.

Roohi Sultana, a humble teacher from the valley of Kashmir has made her way to bag the National teachers' award 2020 along 47 more.

Sultana has been selected for her 'play-way' method to teach her students. The play-way method of learning allows an overall development of the child in terms of feelings, intellect, and skills parameters. It does not just focus on subjective development but the emotional development of the child as well. In this method playing acts as the driving force as the entire learning method revolves around activity-based learning. It encourages expression and creative skills among children.

This is just one of the many examples that teachers across the country are developing new ideas for an innovative overall growth amongst the students. Lecturers in the colleges are trying to make their online classes more of an interactive session to engage the students and make certain things more clears to them.

Surely, this pandemic has brought many difficulties with it in our day-to-day life, but as the simplest task is coped up with eager enthusiasm, it turns out to be a small victory and as the saying goes it is the smallest of victories that matter the most.

By: Hammy

 

Pandemic And Life Of A Student.

It seems like yesterday; just two days were left for my last twelfth board. I had planned on so many outings for my after-school time even more than I was studying. I remember being excited about finishing school and just when I thought life for me is changing,  it changed for the worse !my exam got canceled and we went under a complete lockdown. It has been 5 months and ever since I keep asking myself what happens to my plans now?

Someway, somehow the results were announced a month back, I got 92.4%. Which might not be enough for me to get into a college of my choice? I still have a second chance though, entrance test. However, I don't even know when they would take place. It's September already and we were supposed to be enjoying college life but alas! we're stuck at home just wondering when would all of this be over and we begin with what we have been waiting for so long.

I would be changing streams, science to arts. I don't want to do engineering. I think I am lucky that way. My classmates would have to give JEE. Sitting in that examination hall for 4 hours straight, wearing facemask and gloves, and to top it off the anxiousness, one for the exam and two for catching the well-known disease.

It has been very difficult to sit at home and ponder upon so many things. Would I be able to get into that college? What if I go for the entrance test and catch you-know-what? This was the time I was supposed to be enjoying at my fullest and I feel like I've been locked inside this prison without knowing for how long. Would we even have a fresher's party this year? Would the colleges even start or are we going to drop this year? So many questions no one knows the answer to.

By: Mahi

 

Pandemic And The Emotional Quotient!

Recent events in our lives greatly affect both our mood and the way we feel about ourselves. Some research suggests that up to 40% of our “emotional quotient” is based on recent life events. The biggest negative contributor to happiness is the ending of a relationship but life has a quota of pain beyond any human can sustain and each one of us is going through some trauma or the other during this pandemic which has to lead to several negative health events. Since unhappiness also influences your self-esteem, failure and rejection can deliver a double whammy to your confidence. It can be summed up that rejection inevitably leads us to see both ourselves and other people more negatively, at least for a time, and for the past 167 days our life has been a directionless ship sinking in the storm of uncertainty And those of us who have lower self-esteem, to begin with, are more reactive to failure. It is as if an experience like losing your job grabs old negative beliefs about your self-worth and activates them. It may help to understand that failure is a nearly ubiquitous experience: Before becoming president, Abraham Lincoln lost his job, was defeated for nomination to Congress, and failed at least twice in Senate bids. Persevering despite setbacks can lead to eventual successes—which raise your self-esteem. Nevertheless, how does one focuses on positives when everything around remains negative.

To begin with, it is not easy but nothing good in life comes without a price. It does not matter if you are dealing with low self-esteem or depression or anxiety is consuming you from the inside talking to yourself always helps. Talkback to your inner critic. Remind yourself of all the reasons that you should keep moving forward, believing that someday even this phase will be past you.

Set yourself a limited, realistic goal. This could be anything from talking to two new people or finding out more about one person’s work and hobbies. If you are engaging with others you will not feel like a left out because a socially active person is less likely to feel lonely. Deliberately focus on others to combat intense self-focus. Put on your observer hat and notice what other people seem to be feeling and doing, and you will realize they are no better than you are! However, they have a will to go on! Moreover, so should you.

By: Hammy
 

Pranab Mukherjee: A Self-Styled Constitutional Purist.

 

Former president of India and an eminent politician was the living example of what is called transcending self. His thoughts were never obstruct by self. A true karmyogi is the one who dedicates his self to his work, and that was Pranab Mukerjee .He dedicated his life to the work, before him, stands nationality and humanity. He was a positive reflection of every person before him or even a crowd.

Transcendence of the self is the last frontier in human quest for emancipation and Pranab Mukherjee had crossed it so long ago that he could never notice it.

A five decade long political career, and after administering multiple offices, he became the president of India. A quintessential politician who rose to become the president of India after a remarkable political career. He was a conservative politician and a self-styled constitutional purist with unmatched experience in government and the fine art of statecraft. He was never a mass leader but had commanded the unrivalled respect and admiration of his peers across the political divide.

An erudite and astute politician, fondly called Pranab Da by his colleagues, who graced the situations even when things did not side with him. To recall a memory of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 'Pranab ji was one of the most distinguished colleagues I had. He had every reason to feel a grievance that he was better qualified than I was to become the prime minister' an excellent politician like him will always hold a dear place to the heart of the nation.

By: Roma