The letter (A short story)

He entered the room looking for her, but found an uncanny silence that was unbearable for him instead of the non-stop chatter and peals of laughter. He shrugged, if only he had more time with her. Looking at the emptied out wardrobe and dressing table, he remembered how she much she loved shopping and there were always too many shoes, too many dresses, too many accessories lying about the entire place which now just had few empty cartons and boxes.

But there was one place that was still living. Her favorite corner, her bookshelf next to the window and the small mattress on which she snuggled up night after night, reading and reading some more. It still had a book lying upside down with a small fold at one page. “My adorable little bookworm”, he almost sighed when he said it.

He reached out for the book wondering what she could possibly be reading last night. “Of course, it had to be Gone with the Wind”, holding up the book and noting how she was always so strong and temperamental like Scarlett O’Hara. And suddenly, a paper flew off the book right on his lap. He picked it up and read the first few words:

My dear papa,

Teary eyed with hands that could not stop shaking, he started to read what was his daughter’s letter to him.

My dear papa,

I knew you would be coming to my room after everyone has left. And I knew you would find comfort in my favorite corner hoping to see me as you usually did, lost in the world of my books.

You mean everything to me, papa! You are my hero, my idol, and my inspiration. Everything I do, it is because I want to make you proud of me. You and mom brought me into this world and raised me like I was your biggest treasure. You cannot imagine the kind of security and comfort I felt always knowing that I had you guys to watch my back. That sense of safety has given me the wings to fly and soar high in the world. You gave me the gift of life, the gift of values, the gift of love but most importantly, you gave me the gift to be myself.

You always encouraged me to be individualistic; you always wanted me to realize my potential. You always made me see the best in me. When I made this decision to pursue education and career in a different country, you did everything in your might to realize my dream. Last night as I sat back for one last time after going through my checklist the nth time, I just thought of you and mom. Mom and I had a good sobbing session last afternoon. But you papa, you just try to stay calm all the time. Somehow, I never want to even imagine you crying. So this is for you papa, I am always going to be your little girl and you are always going to be the best man in my life.

I know you will always be watching my back and praying for me, no matter which corner of the earth I may be in. I know I will be fine. I want to know that you will be fine too.

Love you,

Your Sun, Moon, and Stars – Pari

Tears flowed freely and he cried like a small child. His little sparrow had flown over the nest to claim her skies.

 P.S.  This story was written to answer a Quora question - Can you complete this story .. The link is 

https://www.quora.com/Can-you-complete-this-story-starting-with-%E2%80%9CHe-entered-the-room-looking-for-her-but-found%E2%80%A6%E2%80%9D

Eclipses are temporary, the Sun is eternal!

Hello, so without much ado let me give it to you straight - I had a really tough day yesterday! Oh yes I did! Remember the days you that make you wonder why you really got yourself out of the bed? Yesterday was one of those days.

You're running late, things just happen to go wrong in spite of your best efforts. You try to fix meetings, they get delayed. You try to complete deadlines, and they’re not going to be met. You try to reach home early; the on-the-way chores don't let you. See, I've been whining so much already. And then you realize that the intensity of your reactions should never have been this high in the first place.

Okay sanity has just returned in my life and this post. And how did that happen?  I was just watching this spectacular solar eclipse video with the Sun being rendered totally dark by the moon. And then I thought about it, the Moon is really tiny as compared to the Sun. But when the time is right, it can make the Sun disappear, if only for some time. Every eclipse is a miracle, thought I with the surprised innocence of a Winnie the Pooh!

As soon as I got this lovely thought in my head, I left for work. And the moment I stepped down my building I was completely taken aback by the brightest light of our glorious Sun. And I smiled to myself and said, Eclipses are temporary, the Sun is eternal! And so it is with life - Problems are temporary, the light of your soul is eternal. 

The bad phases in your life are just eclipses. Sometimes they are partial, they give you a tough time, but you know you can sort things out alright. There are some that come annually, think appraisals and the burden of layoffs. Once again, it’s just an eclipse! Some are total eclipses; they really make you feel defeated. People you trusted most, betray. People whom you idolize, start hating you just like that. Sometimes there's just no support from anyone. You feel broke and devastated, financially and spiritually.

The worst of all eclipses is when you lose your loved ones. Then the darkness that follows is so real, it stabs you right in the heart and leaves you bleeding till you feel you have no love to give and no life to live. But then, tomorrow will be another day, said Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind. And it is so true, for eventually you will shake yourself good! Sometimes with the help of a very supporting family, or maybe the friends that miss the good old You. Sometimes, you will do it for yourself, or maybe because you know the person you miss may not have liked to see you suffer. But rise up, you will! That is the law of human nature, we are survivors, nay Warriors and most of us will learn to pick up our swords and fight again. 

Will you now think about some of the people you knew, who ended up believing that the total eclipse in their life is permanent? I know and have loved a precious few dear friends who have believed they were destined a life of darkness and chose to give it up. It's like the sun believing the eclipse will forever cast a shadow on its light. Their loss leaves you numb, you have nightmares questioning them - why they did, what they did. You just cannot fathom the amount of pain and regret filled in their hearts that made them take the most drastic step of all. All you want to do is to go back in time and just tell them, dude, it will all work out fine, really! Yet you know too well, there's no coming back either of the person or the time. 

Eclipses will come and go, our karma, our destiny will always help us meet people who make life difficult for us and situations that can make all our pride and self-respect crumble. Yet, there are also those who love us unconditionally and support us in trying times. Eclipses in life are indeed miracles! They teach us humility, simplicity and keep us grounded to reality. They also help us realize what are true priorities are; who are the people that really care for us and most importantly the ones that we should really care about. Shouldn't we then be equally grateful of these eclipses as we are for every gift that life offers?

Next time when there is an eclipse in your life that makes you feel dejected and depressed, be thankful for them. 

Remember:

Eclipses are miracles! 

They enlighten your soul and help you discover the true gems in your life! 

~Priti Gaikwad Dhende 

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A prayer for every soul!

A prayer for peace across the lands and inside our souls, rains where there is drought, sunshine where there are floods, a comforting shelter for refugees, jobs for those seeking employment, health for those who are unwell, love for lonely souls,  a happy secure and abuse free  childhood for children, patience with loved ones, more time to spend with parents and children, more moderate all accommodating religious beliefs, and compassion in all our hearts to think speak and spread love! This is all I want to ask God .. And he will answer me for the highest good of all!

Back after a really long time

So I've finally decided to write again. There are so many things I want to write that I don't know where I begin. There are so many things bottled up inside of everyone; good feelings, bad feelings, anger, hatred, scorn, discomfort, fears but I believe the one thing that's really choking us out and making us so upset is love! Yes, Love and more importantly the words that express this love!
A bit difficult to believe, ain't it? I must be nursing a hangover from yesterday, you think? But take time to think and take time to understand. Normally, when we are angry, sad, scorned, cheated, dumped whatever the negative feeling we experience at the moment, don't we get that out right away. Maybe with arguments, sometimes just during words, sometimes commendable silent treatment, sometimes a full on battle of words to see who has the last say and sometimes very unfortunately a lifelong separation.
I do understand I'm generalizing the topic, yes and I am guilty as charged in all the above situations too. Practice before you preach is sometimes just a proverb, we are learning at our varied consciousness levels. Maybe a lot of us forgive and forget. And more power to them. But this topic is not about negativity. It's about how much love do you truly express to your loved ones.
For example, with most spouses, after a time love is unspoken. Doing things for each other without even being asked, a set routine, a set way of life. Still there's a lot to be said, there's a lot to be thankful for, and there's always a reason for saying I Love You again and again. This doesn't mean that if you don't feel the need to say it, you don't love each other. But in this world where do many relationships come falling apart every other day, isn't it just great we're still together? Just that qualifies a reason to celebrate.
Our parents, children, siblings, relatives, friends every other person means so much to us. How many times do we actually tell them so?
When a person is on their death bed, the biggest regrets are never about what they did in life, but about things they never did or never spoke. Think about it, say your positive feelings more often, express the positive more often, spread love not only through your actions but also your words. Let the people in your life go out in the world smiling away with their hearts full of gratitude because you love them enough to tell them. Speak love!

We still have a long way to go..(Part 1)

I never thought a 2-day trip to the village could be so full of contradictions. So many things to to get amazed and inspired and so many ugly truths to numb your very soul. We got our independence in 1947, how much has changed in more than 60 years and how many cobwebs are still untouched.

Within minutes of reaching there, I experienced a purity, a freshness that makes everything seem like magic. While resting in the veranda and watching the birds flying home as the sun is setting, life seems nothing short of a miracle. The clear blue sky changes so many hues it almost seems it is trying out every color to see which one looks best on it. The pinks and oranges, the reds and purples, nature's palette is never out of shades. I kept gazing as much as I could trying to drink the colors with my eyes and wondering how many colors are yet to come. But suddenly all turned dark and there was just the dark deep blue of the night. While I was about to give up on my sky-watching, suddenly I saw a star appear, another, then another, and one more. One by one they came in; all twinkling and smiling. I tried to keep count like I used to as a 10 year old, and I lost again. The one game I really love to lose at. 

The world was quiet, serene and tranquil, it felt so lovely, so wonderful that I started weeping and said a silent prayer thanking God for letting me witness the beauty of his creation. I felt as if the peace I had been seeking forever, the peace that had left me long ago and evaded me time and again, had returned to my heart.   The only thing that I missed then was my grandma's lap, to rest my head and for once sleep without a worry playing with my mind. 

The next day we started with a renewed vigor towards the farms and orchards. Lush green patches surrounded by dry, brown mountains. Have you ever stood alone in a farm with not a soul nearby. Not a single sound, not a single chirp. I closed my eyes to be a part of this nothingness. And then I started hearing the wind, almost singing, almost dancing. I can't explain what it is about the wind. All I felt like doing then was just run around with an unknown joy and grin like a little girl.

Just as I became let the child in me out, they asked me to come and pluck the grapes in the vineyard. A thorough city-bred like me almost started clapping my hands at the sight of grapes hanging. I started plucking them and had them right away. Never ate any fruit sweeter than this. All I wanted to do was eat grapes all day and laze around in the grass and watch the sky - all day long, all night long. But life always has other plans...

The little flower and the snow

Winters always seem to last longer than they are! Yet amidst all the snow when you see the littlest flower rising above the earth with a leaf or two in tow, you know spring has finally arrived. Life has many winters that could turn the kindest hearts into stone but one day the snow does melt and so do these hearts. I just keep looking out for the little flower that braves the cold and stands up to welcome the Sun. Because I have seen many harsh winters disappear whenever that flower blooms in my heart.