आज जब आइना देखती हूँ तो उसमें मुझे
अपनी माँ की सास की छवि दिखाई देती है
अपने आप से थकी हारी हताश
अपनी सब आशाएँ इच्छाएँ पीछे छोड़ कर
होनी से लड़ती हुई, अनहोनी से डरती हुई
सब ओर से मुँह मोड़ कर अपने आप में समाती हुई
खुद का सामना भी न कर पाने की शर्म को छुपाती हुई
किस चाह की चाह उठे जब चाह ही साथ छोड़ जाए
अकेले वीराने सुनसान में झंझावात की चादर ओढ जाए
आज सोचती हूँ कि काश उनकी उदासीनता
मैं तब भेद पाती
तो आज अपने मन में शायद थोड़ा सुकून तो पाती

As I picked up a biscuit to dip in my hot cup of tea some crumbs fell down. Making a mental note of cleaning the floor later I sat there engrossed in the Sunday edition of Indian express which always provided me with couple of good reads. Of late I had discovered that EYE, the attachment with Sunday paper, usually published some interesting articles. Away from the world of political gimmicks  or crime sagas the articles on history, art, tourism or some good book feel like fresh breeze. Lost in the world of words a sharp whistle somewhere very near my ear caught my attention. A little black and white bird was sitting on the back of the sofa next to me chirping happily after having fed itself on the crumbs. My sudden movement scared it and it flew away. I spent rest of the morning waiting for it to come back, whistling my ineffective windy whistle, peeping down from my balcony trying to spot it on the near by trees but it was nowhere to be seen. It had turned my happy hour into a restless waiting. Alas, it was time for me to go in and start my daily chores. But the the little black and white bird occupied my mind all day. Oh, I have to look up the bird, promising myself an extensive search on the Internet I absent mindedly entered the kitchen. 

The mornings have not only become interesting but also nostalgic in some ways. Along with the regular morning walkers of all shapes and sizes sometimes there is a random parent accompanied on their walk by their kid. It is a treat watching the communication of the two, parent pointing out various plants, flowers or birds, passing on information or may be telling a story from their own childhood and the child soaking in the information, enjoying the importance and attention showered by the parent, excitedly asking intermittent questions.
My flashback took me years back when my little girl's inquisitiveness kept me blabbering all day. An artist friend of mine, who advised me that this was the time when I should invoke creativeness and appreciation of art and wonders of nature in the little one, was so right. I did reap the benefits of that conscious effort in the later years. I am also acutely aware from my own experience that all the wise words that seem vain when spoken do seep in deep in the mind somewhere and sow a seed. They pop up like a life saver plant with the fruit of advise at crucial needful moments of life.
In this extremely busy thing that life has become these days, such moments spent with the child, without any distraction of technological intervention, are very valuable and indeed blessed!

Couple of days down with fever and I seem to have lost touch with my balcony. Back today with renewed energy and my hot cup of tea. I love to sit quietly and watch the morning walkers and other passersby. The best and most interesting is this group of senior ladies, all dressed up in their crisp sarees and a little handbag or shoulder bag carrying may be a handkerchief, mobile and house key, each one of them trying to beat other ladies on their choice of sarees. Initially I used to wonder why they dress up so much for the morning walk as against their younger counter parts in a crumpled tshirt and a track pant or a very casual loose outfit. Watching them for a few days made me realise that this was the only outing they get on their own in a day. What pleases me most is that at least they can take that time out of their busy schedules. I have seen a formidable lady in well fitted churidars kurta going down the lane and few minutes later coming back with this group of wobbly ladies wearing smart sneakers with their sarees. I am sure she must have been the one to inspire them to come out of their enclosed world to breathe in open in the mornings. They seem to forget their ailments and stresses and chatter away incessantly as they walk through the lanes...more steadily now placing each foot forward with confidence!