Hold my Hand

I know it is tough today,

to take every step

and make the effort to sit upright.

But believe me my love,

things will change fast

and night will turn to day.

You just have to hold on

for another second,

another minute,

another hour,

another day;

But know that through all of this,

you will have my hand to hold;

to tighten the grip

when its cold,
entwine our fingers

when things turn gold.

I will be behind you my love,

beside you

and leading you,

through this road less travelled,

the hurdles unknown,

the blind turns ahead and,

the roadblocks in the way.

Take me as a fact of life

that no one can deny,
no one can contest;
I am and will be,
there with you
every day,
every night.

One more step

You only gotta take that step,
I promise all will be okay.
Just look into my eyes
and do as your heart says.
I understand the fear,
the panic in your eyes,
but believe my love,
I will always be here.
You just need to take that step
and hold my hand.
We will walk together
and leave the world behind.

That's what she said

It's easy! she said
I know what I want
and what I need
I know the path to walk
and the potholes to avoid
I know where I will be
10 years down the line
It's easy! she said
To be what I dream

It's easy! she said
To ask for help
I still know what I need
and what I want
But I also need help
and I know who to ask
One who was here
when I started
and is still around
now that I am stuck

It's easy! she said
You stayed when others didn't
and I know you will forever
So you are the place I will be
10 years from now
And we will build the future
as we had planned

You is kind. You is smart. You is important.

You've held my hand when I was in doubt.

Made me see the light at the end of the tunnel,

when all I saw was the darkness around.

You are the one I can trust to fall back on,

because you have always been there,

and promised to stay forever.

You is kind.

I've had problems with solutions I couldn't find.

You taught me to see things in a different light;

Made me face my problems,

and find the answers I sought. 

Molded me into the person I am today.

You is smart.

You are a shining light, brighter than the stars.

You are everything I could hope for,

and everything I didn't know I needed.

Let me show you who you are;

See yourself from my eyes, and believe.

You is IMPORTANT.

 

Note: The title is taken from the 2011 Oscar nominated movie "Help," adapted from Kathryn Stockett's 2009 novel of the same name.

Metro Tales: Music for the Soul

This is a story that every Delhi metro commuter has witnessed for sure. A person travelling alone, armed with headphones, probably in one or the other corner that they can snag before anyone else. This is a common scene at any given time in the day. I say this with conviction because I am one of them. Spending years travelling in the metro has definitely improved my appreciation of the privacy that headphones can give you in a crowded location.

How to know if someone wearing headphones is as engrossed in the music as it looks? There are some simple things to notice, certain characteristics that distinguish them from other passengers:
the silently, sometimes not so silently, moving lips; the tapping foot or the tapping hand; the head nodding, and sometimes a slight body sway as well. Losing yourself in the music is an easy task, but when travelling in metro, it is meant for so much more.

Music is an escape. It can be from the the loud conversations you are not a part of, hushed sweet nothings shared between couples, arguments you don't want to get involved in, or the general chaos of the crowd. Headphones in your ears give you the choice of cranking up the volume and forgetting the fact that you are being jostled between people you don't know and who have no qualms in using your body as an anchor. It is music that lets people handle long travel hours on a bad day,  or help them face an early morning travel when your brain just refuses to wake up.

Photo Courtesy: www.livemint.com

My personal favourite use of headphones is to avoid and ignore.

I do not like aunties. I am not generalizing, but you will know them anywhere because they are loud and they are intrusive! Putting on my headphones gives me the best excuse to ignore their looks and comments. Not blaming all the aunties on the metro here, but there are definitely some who you can't help but cringe away from. Another thing it helps me in is to keep my seat when I am damn tired and lucky enough to get one. If my eyes are closed I can't see you and if I have my headphones on I can't hear you. I'm tired and I am a bit lazy, sue me for thinking about myself sometimes! Even then I have had my shoulder jostled just for an aunty to ask me to "adjust." I will gladly give my seat if you are a person in need, but please don't ask me to adjust. That's just encroaching on my personal space and is not appreciated. 

To avoid making this only a rant, I believe I can give an accurate description of how it is on the other sound. The head banging and foot tapping is amusing from afar, but if it keeps jostling me, the amusement turns into frustration. Blocking every noise also blocks the polite requests, and ignoring them only makes you (me) seems like a snob.

What is clear from all the above ranting on my part is that music is part and parcel of the Delhi metro. It is something that either you choose for yourself or you suffer, or not, with a fellow passenger. The somber announcements are just not enough to pass the time or enjoy it.