From The Quill of Suranya

 There are days I can't get you out of my head, There are nights when your memories Come haunting by — There are places where the wind speaks of you. When I close my eyes, I can feel you near me Just the way I used to feel, When your hands touched mine, Centuries ago, as we stood At this very place. Your thoughts reflect on my lips, And tells a story we have been living Time and time again Echoing through the Universe; Of a story that separates us, A love that binds us, A heart that yearns — And souls that know each other Since eternity. ©Suranya

 Once, just for once, imagine if this is the other side. The heaven or hell you dreaded,  A place you believed to exist (or not)  Because your faith said,  There was something good beyond. A reward for your virtues, a punishment for your sins.  What if it's just this, your world of good and bad?  No other repercussion of your actions exists. What if this is the place and you don't know it yet? It just gets worse and worst, doesn't it? That place you thought of often,  Your perfect parallel universe,  A loop of the same lives.  The seeking doesn't end. Then, what is the meaning of life? Is it just to reach the end? You keep asking, till you can't anymore.  Your head feels light, Everything is meaningless.  Silence fills the void; nobody answers. ~ Suranya

 The rain and the sunshine  How everything in the universe aligns  To make us meet at the perfect time  We praise it on fate and stars. The particles that we are made of,  The journey and the joy of life  The reason and rhyme for love  It all comes down to why. And all I can say, dear friend, Is that nothing is planned Yet chaos is a system  Beyond our minds. You and I are like particles.  Expanded and contracted with time  A part of this vast universe  Insignificant in the divine. We try in vain to understand  The mysteries that we take by chance  As a sudden coincidence or divine intervention.  But nothing in this universe is by chance. ~ Suranya

My heart is that of Radha's  Longing to reunite with my Beloved. My soul that of His,  One and the same, he and I.  There they sit together  Witnessing song, dance, and frolick  Colours that smear the same  On every skin,  Rich, poor, class and caste alike. The red of love, the orange of sacrifice  The yellow of spring, green of everlasting promises. And here I am, dancing in a frenzy  Singing the praises of the Lord  Who made you and I?  Would He not grant me a final wish,  And reveal Himself to me  As the drums play along? ~ Suranya Holi is celebrated across India as a day when Krishna confessed his affection for Radha. However, in most parts of East India, especially Odisha and Bengal, this full moon is celebrated as Dol Purnima. Here's why: Vishambhar Mishra was born in Nabadwip, Nadia, in a commoner's house on the day of Holi in 1486 CE. As he was born under a Neem tree, his nickname (Daak naam) was Nimai. His affecti...

I walk through the arches of the past  Seeking You in the little traces that last  Of Your existence beyond books. Of stories of Bards, that history refuses to tell  I look for You in mirrors and reflections  Within my soul and contemplation  And what troubles me is to know  That You never knew me. I look beyond Your bravery and might  At everything the man dreamt of at that time  And I ask the Dyers of Dreams  To colour my life in Your name. I am obsessed, possessed, beyond repair.  Seeking answers in despair  My soul refuses to stay put here  In an era far beyond Yours. ~ Suranya

 The city was dark even in the shimmering lights, Almost like it was evening at midday. The rain poured incessantly.  Like someone cried from the skies above. She watched the crowd, Amidst the cloud and downpour, Looking frantic in joy Cheering for an idol  That was quite a lookalike. They chanted Mantras, Offered the best of fruits  Paid their respects, hands folded Yet she sighed, unimpressed. She turned her back to the crowd, Walked away from the light, Into the darkest alley Of a city that barely survives. Hungry eyes asking for help, Homes washed away, identity at stake. A teardrop blurred her Kohl-drawn eyes, As she turned again in a corner That led to an end. There stood silhouettes  Of tortured souls wailing; Grasping at her, hoping. Young, old, rich, poor, Every soul tormented by touch; She, who is Justice Stood shocked and helpless at first; Anger and agony aligned, As She knelt before them Weeping in despair, asking questions, Could she help those who...

The wind whispers warnings to me, The whirling fan speaks of dark thoughts Yet another failure, yet another struggle. From the moment, I feel like not getting up, To the moment I lay back in bed Why do we do what we do? The curtains sway in the gentle breeze, Forming shapes of memories, only I can see. Sometimes I speak to You, and I hear You're answering me. Your voice is distinct in my head,  As if I remember how you speak. I cook up stories in my head, Happy endings, to help me sleep. Hoping there is a world somewhere, Where it's all real, like yesterday was Without those, my day has no meaning. I don't care if I don't understand What I share with you is a bond redefined. You are the light I seek in my darkness, The will I chase with hope, Not to run out of it, as I lay in tears Struggling to get out of bed again, Looking for purpose and meaning Of a small, insignificant life in this chaos. ~ Suranya

 "The typewriter tap dances  Right in the centre stage  Where the protagonist meets Their fate." The writer pauses  In between spaces,  Pages to be changed  Ink to be replaced Often wondering about The One Greatest Writer of them all. The One whose commas continue life  And periods end chapters good and bad.  Tragedy, comedy, romance and drama  Sometimes thrillers and dark desire  They can write any genre without a care. Are we all protagonists in life? Most aren't in books.  Some are just side characters existing.  Driving others' stories. What if the writer is one of them? Never a protagonist in her own life?  Could something be more nightmarish Than that? © Suranya

 For all the times I believed it's true,  I had searched the world for You. Up in the mountains, down by the seas,  Dense in the forest, by the fort's gentle breeze. Dawn and dusk, winter and summer,  I have looked far and near. "Magic and love", they say,  "Are illusions, never stay in their delusions." But woke every day, with a faith stronger  Couldn't wait for you any longer,  And in my darkness searched Your light,  In my eyes, Your holy sight. It was just when I started losing hope,  It was then that I couldn't cope,  That You showed Your true might. My dawn meets Your dusk,  My morning meets Your night;  And in every moment You make me realise  Love isn't an easy task,  But for it, fight, we must! © Suranya

 I am born of fury,  I was born in bloodshed.  In some corner of the world  I reincarnate as Death.  No choosing, no right or wrong  No age or religion, or caste  I seek blood and I draw it  Causes mingled and morality at stake;  Battles won and lost in the struggle for those  Who is up in the high chairs yet  The sufferings are of those stampeded below  The weight of power. I am born from battles,  They created me to balance the good and bad. Yet when wars are fought,  It all becomes just stories. Versions of the truth,  Yours and theirs. False hopes and assurance  That wars are inevitably good  For humankind seeks the blood of its own  Pretending they are different.  You hope history doesn't repeat. You hope battles spare children and women Who becomes pawns in your ego games But nothing changes, does it? Era after era the stories repeat, And you pray harder every day. Irony is, you worship ...

 They say it is destiny,  What happens under Your scrutiny. They say it is meant to be,  You puppet the strings of me. They say it is an order  Of universe, divine numbers  And laws in patterns sublime; But isn't the universe itself an absolute?  A lawless, timeless, endless attribute?  Isn't the earth in unorganised havoc?  Isn't it chaos that runs the cosmos? © Suranya

 My heart is wild and in a frenzy  Like a sudden spell of rain  Makes a peacock dance.  For I see you then,  O Lover of Love,  In amidst the grey scale clouds,  Like a ray of sunshine,  Rebelling through the sky. I see you in the soaking earth  That smells so sweet. I see you in that puddle and mud,  Perhaps a rainbow rarely in sight.  In the raindrops making art  On the window panes it hit.  In the music they make  On each plastic sheet. The monsoon has arrived in all its glory  And with each droplet that falls,  Like a waterfall  Curving through my body  Into my soul, I feel you nearer, in me,  As the monsoon drenches me in your love! © Suranya

 Stop saying God will save you  God doesn't save you  You struggle for it yourself  Your belief just gives you the strength to endure. Stop making gods out of men  It demeans their human sacrifices  With divine poetic justice. They suffered, they pained, they were torn  But they had the strength to pick themselves up again.  So will you. © Suranya

The darkness danced around me, Silhouettes of ghosts of the past Appeared as a form of regret Shattering me within. And I embrace it with grace For in its intoxicated presence I could see You near me. I weren't I yet You were You. We talked, we danced, we recited poems We dreamt that things weren't the same; Until the evening sky gave way to morning gloom And you faded just like the crescent moon And now I have to wait for tonight To see you again. - Suranya

 I wander aimlessly in the thirst for knowledge Aware am I not? Questions shroud my sleepless nights, Awakened am I not? I looked for you in idols and stones  Temples, mosques, churches and domes I looked for you in the rain and the sun  Seasons that change, time that runs. In the chaos and the rules,  In the wise and so-called fools. Looking for a soul in despair To answer what I ask in dare  Alone, hopeless, I look into the mirror  And there a soul I see very clear  Enlightened, I smile,  As You call from the Divine,  Answering the riddles of Time. I am You and You are I,  Now I will not live any more in a lie;  I am your seeking student, just like Rumi,  In the path of Love, you show me. You are my guiding star, Sufistic  Like Shams, the mystic. © Suranya

 I see night break  Into dawn every day,  The shadows disappear into light.  I lose my grip on dreams again,  Intoxicated in the reality of life.  The blue Illusion appears clearer  Till the sun burns into moonlight tonight. Yet my thirst for love remains  To meet Your soul somewhere divine.  My soul burnt in flames of Love,  Tonight, I smile in peace. I choose to give my love a name.  I dare to call it Devotion;  I vow to wait like a queen does for her king  Endless days and nights. The wind doesn't whisper your stories anymore,  Decades have turned to eras,  Your name has faded in the oasis far away  Yet I waited to hear,  Hoping for You to show the way  To help my soul grow to reach Yours. Oh, where have You gone?  Hidden yourself from me?  Why do you not see me burn  In the trance of Your Elixir of Love? After decades of unfulfilled desires and suffering,  I give my love a p...

 I stand beneath your stone statue,  Staring at a distant dream,  I feel like I have belonged here,  Since eternity or so it seems. People call you History,  The perfect hero of the past. You to them is a warrior,  Perhaps a king, fighting for freedom.  You to me is a Heart,  That battles against the brain,  Stands alone against the odds of every pain. You come across as perhaps a rebel child.  To me, you fought for your belief.  To them, you were about the war,  To me, you are her Love. All they see is a statue or two,  Your values and soul forgotten.  They remember you for two days a year,  While the rest seem unimportant. © Suranya

 I know not what to call you now  We aren't strangers  But we were never friends.  I have known you over the years  But it looks like you have changed.  Your face brings up a lot of memories  But your name fades in the same.  Shall I call you what you liked?  Or perhaps what I wanted to?  Do you remember the name you gave me?  Or the one I annoyed you with? I have tried in vain to reach you,  You hide somewhere amused,  Like one of our silly games;  In some nook or corner of the world  Where I can't reach, but my words can.  With this hope in my heart  I have penned down my thoughts;  But what if you don't know it's me?  What if you forgot my name?  So tonight I write again,  Letting my thoughts be known  To the universe that makes us  But under your pseudonym. ©SURANYA

 I walk down the jolly road  Basking in the Christmas glow,  Families decorating trees,  Fairy lights and all things pretty.  I witness them make merry,  Decorating homes with reindeer  Lucky are they to have one, I swear.  Homeless in an alien land  I find myself alone again.  No festivities for the beggars  The crowd only mean more alms and onlookers. I shrugged almost in a sarcastic smile,  "Are you only for the rich, Almighty Divine?" Suddenly, as the sun still shone bright  A shower of rain came pouring down,  While the sky looked bright white.  People ran to find shelters and cars  I stood in awe, looking up.  Soaking wet in the winter rain,  I noticed the droplets hitting my face.  There they were, tiny drops  Shining in the rays, in bright colours.  Smiling, I folded my hands in thanks,  He had given me my own colourful lanterns. ~ Suranya

 A crowd was gathered, busy making idols of clay;  She placed her luggage down there, looking for a place to stay. "Excuse me, can you help me out?" They scrutinised her in doubt.  Hair unbound, curls falling back on her waist,  "Tie it up, good girls don't let their hair loose." They said. Her skin was dark; she didn't care.  They told her, "Oh, true beauty is always fair!" Her attire was short and sassy,  "Clothes often make a girl easy." Her opinions strong, her determination fiery,  "Opinionated feminists are intimidating and scary." She stood strong, ready to do a man's job.  "You can't do what nature has decided as a man's work." She smiled at them, ready to take their leave,  "Oh, wait, where are you going, giving up so easily?" She stared back at the idol, almost ready,  "I will come back in a few days,  Or when you are less heady anyway." They frowned at her, got back to work, u...