Indian Romance

I see it in movies, I see it in real life

I see the confessions of love, 

The beauty of it and I realised 

I want to wake up next to you, tomorrow maybe 

In Manali, the snowcapped mountains, maybe 

Or perhaps Shimla 

Strolling along aimlessly down a path laden with flowers 

To the poetic sound of a sitar

Drop by Agra, they said

To the city of love 

Visit the Taj Mahal, the godly cosmos of real love

Exquisite, isn't it?

But I have different paths to cross

Memories to erase and with you, I want it to close

You're not my Shah, nor am I your Mumtaz

But this is our journey, a story about us

Wandering in the sandalwood forests 

Or maybe in dreamy hills

Maybe in ancient architectures 

Let the truth reveals itself 

Through the sweet sounds of birds 

Maybe the aroma of freshly brewed coffee  

Or through the charming boulevards

Maybe the sunrise in Pondicherry

They've also handpicked Kashmir - a beauty second to none 

A scene in Srinagar where Shammi Kapoor romancing Sharmila Tagore in her bun

Or should we go to Rajasthan and embrace the old-world charm?

Maybe relive Jodha-Akhbar's epic love,

Swaying to the sound of the Bansuri,
Me wrapped in your arms

And should we be around people?

Or should it just be you and me?

Breathing the fresh breeze of Baga

The pleasant ambience, an exotic sandy retreat

I'm throwing you options but I'll walk the bumpy paths with you 

Through your ups and downs, I'll be true to you 

Whether this romance will spark by the glistening lakes

Or by the beaches in Goa 

We'll never know what it takes

For I've only seen it in movies 

And a few in real life 

Never experienced it myself 

Maybe I will, the next sunrise

Maybe it won't 

But I will now leave it to chance 

Just know that between me and you

There will always be this Indian romance

Warm and true, just me and you 

Like tabla tarang

Our hearts beats for this Indian romance

-PRK-

I've Found You

Don't let me down, she said
Never let me drown
Never let the wave take me away from the sound
Never leave me on my own
Deep in the mountains
Lost in the woods
Even a mile or thousands

For I can't live without you now
Perhaps not ever
Perhaps you're a piece of my heart the angels brought over
Perhaps two lost souls now supposed to meet each other
Supposed to be together
Be soulmates or whatever

Even if you fade, losing your colour
I could feel the warmth
I could feel your energy, I could feel it roaming

Do I sound needy now, she asked me calmly
No, mommy, I said
I've been away
Now I'm back, I've found you
I'm sorry

-PRK-

The Manual

There is no manual to life
And I was born to let you down
I was born to disgrace you
Taint your name
And malign you till I die

But that's what they said
That's what they expect to see
Hatred, jealousy, anger
Perhaps, even bloodshed
And that's in their manual to life

I can't swim
And I have no life-vest
But I won't drown
For my manual to life is...
Just to be me

To exist to see you happy
To wake up to see you smile
To turn around to see you laugh
Hear your voice
And to feel your warmth

-PRK-

Can't Complain

Am I walking on air?
The characters around me are...
Definitely buoyant now
They used to be in doldrums
Constantly bathed in tears
Sometimes in poor health
Almost at death's door
Now, I certainly can't complain

-PRK-

I'll Have You Know

There are nights that I wish I didn't miss you
And there'll be nights that I wish I didn't see you
Passing by the lot like I never really knew you
It isn't about the touch but the memories we made, boo
There were nights that I'd wait for your calls
And when the phone don't ring, I'd slowly drown in my squalls
Sometimes the awful silence seems louder than our brawls
But these are the nights that explains it all
With every note that changes in every song
And as the pages change too, everything seems wrong
Did we fall out of love, or has it been too long?
Has it been long enough to rewrite the song?
Now don't sweat it, hun, I've seen the real you
I guess you're dealing with a lot of things I went through
But I'm sure it's more than just a hairdo
More than just another weekend you have to get through
You could be right, but I don't take excuses
You're telling me that I'm losing all my focus
The fact of the matter is, you're losing your muses
I'll have you know what an actual truce is

-PRK-

Happiness

“Why should we build our happiness on the opinons of others, when we can find it in our own hearts?”

― Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract and Discourses

You are right, Rousseau. I couldn't agree more.

-PRK-

A Paradigm Shift Perhaps

After the storm and unavoidable turbulences
I wanted to sit quietly and enjoy my own company
Or perhaps sit in a tree and watch the world go by
But I too wanted to sleep under the stars with you
Live today, talk about the world
And have a quiet time next to you
Find that balance that we both are looking for
And memorise poems that we can relate to
I want to listen to my own heartbeat
And love without fear
Forgive and forget, and find clarity of thought
Here, as I walk this earth with you
A paradigm shift perhaps, when I finally meet you

-PRK-

What Was Missing?

Many a time when you think you like someone, you somehow refuse to look at it from a different perspective. Often times, the possible ugly side of it. And believing that something special could happen and you want it to, you'd really hope it will. And thinking that you've matured and beginning to understand more about this thing you weren't sure of before, you want to give it a try and want it to work. And then it didn't. You'd think you're at fault, but it wasn't you. It's just how nature takes its course. In short, SHIT HAPPENS.

Now, time has passed. Take 5 and think. What was missing?

You find out that you were not on the same wavelength. You have nothing much in common. To make yourself feel better, you'd tell yourself that it was just an infatuation. And that it was not worth it. although it did break you. It devastated you. It drained you. You became so weak that you lost your directions. You wanted to die.

Now, that has happened. You didn't die. You've passed that. Take 5 and think. What was missing?

A grown ass, sincere passionate soul.

-PRK-

Dear Kywee

I remember vividly that day you came into my life
And moments where you'd hold my hand, stroke my hair, look into my eyes
You'd tell me things, your dreams, your wishes, plans and blisters
And if I don't listen, you'd stomp your feet
Or you'd pat me on my shoulder
If I don't pay attention, you'd be in my face
Sometimes under the table, just so I can see you and get all my attention
You were four, now you're nine
Born a chatterbox; always guilty of that crime
Soon, you'll be talking about boys and how they are scums
Famous girls in school and how they are dumb
And how teachers make your brain numb
And show me your paintings, waiting for the thumb
When you were four, explaining things weren't as hard
Now you're nine; my experiences in life will play their part
We'll talk about expectations and heartbreaks, people and cupcakes
The game of baseball and about safety nets
About happiness and what makes me sad
For you don't know who I am
And you need to know who I am

-PRK-

Inside, You Cry

I remember that time when you talk about your past
How you upset the people around you
The games you played
The hearts you broke
But I also remember the other side of you
You're not heartless
Just a temporary emotional cripple
To hide who you really are from others
The vulnerable side of you
The part that would bleed
And takes longer to heal than a cut
But that's you on the outside
Inside, you cry
But you'd try not to
You'd push them aside
Your pain, your anger
You're in agony and you won't admit it
You just want to be strong
At least show them that you are
When you're not
Because inside, you cry

-PRK-

Love, When Nothing Else Matters

Someone once said,
"You're losing it."
"You've lost your game."
"You're going nowhere."
I didn't ask why
But that thought lingered in my head for a while
How will you know when you truly are in love?
I supposed, when nothing else matters
Just love, when nothing else matters
Be there when nothing else matters
Be present in the moment like nothing else matters

-PRK-

The Other End

They say trust his words
I doubt him always
I couldn't bring myself to trust his words and promises

They say trust his work
"What work?" I asked
It's not his but another
One that I will never understand its mechanism

They say trust his people
"His people? Which kind?" I said
The one who speaks or the one who listens?
Or the one who leave others with their belief

Well that is that
It's still a long way to go
And a lot more convincing to do

I'm on the other end, a different person
Not a thing like you

-PRK-

Tick Tock

Time... My relationship with time is complicated
Maybe I'm overthinking it
Sometimes I'd ask what exactly don't I have time for?
Hobbies? People? Relationship?
Social life? Drinks? Sports? Movies?
Work?
No, I constantly think of work, sometimes I dream of work
Even while I'm talking to someone, work will make a cameo in my head
And I'll go home and think about it again
As time pass me by, I know it's tick tock and work
Not one second in my life I don't think of work
They say don't live to work but work to live
I don't know which one I'm practising
But I'd drop everything and talk to you if you convince me enough to spend my time talking to you
For hours maybe, about anything,
Even about the silliest things and your weird dreams
And I'll pay attention to you
Because you're way more important than my work when I'm not at work

-PRK-

The Morning After

I went to bed last night, realising how noisy my quiet world is
I could hear the spiders spinning their webs
I could hear the moth flying through my bathroom window
The clouds crashing into one another
The stars moving around
I usually can't hear all this
Now I'm asking myself some questions
Are your choices being frowned upon?
Is your memory space getting smaller?
Are you waking up with a numb arm?
Is the last slice of pizza yours?
Are you repeating yourself regularly?
Questions after questions
Is the room temperature okay for you?
It never ends
Until the morning after

-PRK-