The Ugly Duckling!

I was the ugly duckling you don't know.

I built my own shelter inside my shell.
I schemed it with hopes and dreams.
But never had I knew that the shell has to be broken,
Never had I tried.

At times I heard someone knocking at my shell.
Knock knock.
But I didn't mind open.
I kept on looking at my illuminated dreams and hopes.
I feared the collapse of them with the shell opening.
I sharpened my ears and listened to the voices outside.
I heard someone laughing at me , someone sympathising, yet another sobbing.
None minded to break my shell.
I was comfortable and cozy inside , I slept tight.
But they said I lacked something.
What was it? I didn't know.

Day by day the hopes and dreams increased.
I should find space to occupy some more.
At times I bullied myself.
And made my shell more strong.
I longed to see the world outside,
But something prevented me
and the shell was still closed.
They called me ugly, coward, and many more names, my shell world was unaware of.
What if they do the same once I'm out?

I looked at the mirror like it was the first time.
Who is she? How come she is this pretty?
I ran my hands against my fragile skin.
I found it pretending to be something else.
I scanned my body and smiled.
To be one and pretending another.
The shell had to be broken,
Shattered and scattered into pieces.
No prince charming would have done it for me.
I had to broke it myself.

Once and for all I punched my shell.
There it laid shattered and scattered into pieces.
All my hopes and dreams tumbled down,
Easy enough for me to pick them.
I stepped on the new world with pride.
I spoke out and stood for myself and my dreams.
The new world is a better place,
damn the shell life.
No longer I'm an ugly duckling, I'm going to be the whizzkid.
I longed for the days and places I missed out, the people I missed to see.
I walked ahead to make it out , to feed my long lost hunger for the outside world.
Now I'm the pretty duckling who destroyed her ugly plume herself!
New world, embrace me!
Here I come , to your heart, the pretty duckling!

A.C

Comments

Promise

She promised me she would wait at the other side, Convinced me they won't touch her, Because she is one of them. But on the other side, I cannot find her, Except for the ring that lies, dipped in soil. We came all this way, for the ring, How irrelevant has our love turned out to be for her people? She said it was the ring she saved for me, And made it for me, the day she came out, As eternal love served by the lines on the ring, She has become my eternal anguish. I search for her everywhere, Even her people, who think I have bewitched her, Acts indifferent, the ones who saw her for the last time. I know you have made her disappear to a realm, Where I cannot bewitch her. But I cannot offer you that promise. I have lost track of time, She was always the courageous one, To stand beside me, And assured me fight in this war together, But she left my hand, To fi...

Reminders

I want you to remember The photograph, you loved On the wall, That reminds me Of the last spring Where the potted sunflowers At our home smiled And the hanging creepers Mumbled, Of the girl who was looking For someone. You saw a thousand figures Dancing in her pupils A Mexican woman in Her huipil, A drunken man with his Lyre; Looking for the right Strings,And A peahen waiting to mate. You admired the Vine stems heading North In the picture, The cheap beads that The girl wore And the broken bridge Behind her, From which a fish Jumped for a self introduction. And when you remember Your dear picture, I want to remind You of the Coffee cup that tasted Your lips, The laundry drugged By your smell And the mirrors that Reflected your images. And you should know that The sunflowers no longer smiled And the creepers were silent Till yesterday. But today when The rain sprinkled its drops I see clearly the pupil Of the girl, Dark and intense,...

Tu Koi Aur Hai

The characters of Imtiaz Ali are always difficult to decipher and can only be done if the actors do complete justice to it. And two such celebrated characters of Imtiaz Ali are Ved and Tara of Tamasha . Meeting Ved in Corsica was accidental to Tara. Both of them came there to be alone and enjoy some time away from their busy life. But what destiny had for them was different. But for Tara, what happened in Corsica didn't just stay at Corsica. What attracted Tara towards Ved was his coolness and the quirkiness which ultimately made her fall in love with him and break up with her boyfriend. She continued to pamper the memories at Corsica even without knowing Ved or his name. But meeting Ved which she longed for four years and being his girlfriend was not what Tara wanted. Tara fell in love with the Ved whom she met at Corsica not the Ved at Delhi. But it was all difficult for the Ved who is actually battling bipolar disorder to accept his reality. Ved wanted to live the life that he d...

THE FORGOTTEN STORIES

Search This Blog