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Showing posts from September, 2020

നഷ്ടസ്വപ്നങ്ങൾ

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നഷ്ടസ്വപ്നങ്ങൾ  എന്റെ സ്വപ്ന വർണച്ചിറകുകൾ  വീശി ഞാനെവിടെയെല്ലാം പറന്നിറങ്ങിയിരുന്നു.... മഞ്ഞുമൂടിയ മലനിരകളുടെ താഴ് വാരങ്ങളിലെ നീലജലാശയങ്ങളിൽ....  രാജഹംസങ്ങളോടൊത്ത് ഞാൻ നീന്തിത്തുടിച്ചിരുന്നു... ആടുകളും  കുതിരകളും പശുക്കളും  മേയുന്ന പച്ചപ്പുൽത്തകിടികളിൽ .... കടുകു പൂക്കുന്ന മഞ്ഞപ്പാടങ്ങളിൽ ... മധുര ഗാനം മൂളി പാറി നടന്നിരുന്നു.. നിബിഡ വനാന്തരങ്ങളിലെ വൻമരങ്ങളിൽ പറന്നിറങ്ങി കളകൂജനങ്ങൾക്ക്  മറുപാട്ട് പാടിയിരുന്നു....  ദലമർമരങ്ങൾ അതേറ്റുപാടിയിരുന്നു...  മുന്തിരിത്തോട്ടങ്ങൾക്കിടയിൽ   നടന്ന് മുന്തിരിച്ചാറു കുടിച്ചുന്മത്തയായിരുന്നു... പ്രണയാതുരയായ് ഗസലുകൾ  പാടി തിരമാലകളെ തൊട്ട് പറന്നിരുന്നു...  ഇപ്പോഴെന്തേ.. എന്തേ....  എന്റെ സ്വപ്നങ്ങളുടെ .... വർണച്ചിറകുകൾ തളർന്നു പോകാൻ?  ഗാനശകലങ്ങളുടെ ഉറവ വറ്റിപ്പോകാൻ? .... എന്റെ മധുര നാദമെന്തേ...  കണ്ഠത്തിൽ കുരുങ്ങിപ്പോകാൻ?  രോഗാതുരമായ പുറം ലോകത്തിൻ  ഇരുൾ  പടർന്നതാണോ? അതോ ഉള്ളിലെ തമോഗർത്തങ്ങൾ എല്ലാം തമസ്കരിക്കുകയാണോ?  പ്രീത രാജ്

വചനം

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വചനം മനുഷ്യനെ പ്രാപ്തനാക്കിയ ശക്തനാക്കിയ വചനം... കെട്ടിപ്പടുക്കാനും ചുട്ടെരിക്കാനും... ശേഷിയുള്ള   വചനം.... വചനം കൂരമ്പുകളാക്കാം... വെറുപ്പിന്റെ കാളകൂടവിഷം നിറച്ച് .... ചുട്ടു ചാമ്പലാക്കാം... പരിഹാസലിപ്തമാക്കി ...... ആത്മാഭിമാനത്തെ നുള്ളിക്കളയാം... ആക്ഷേപമുള്ളുകൾ നിറച്ച് .. മെല്ലെ കാർന്നുതിന്നുന്ന നോവ് പടർത്താം.. അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ..... സ്നേഹത്തിന്റെ പൂനിലാവ് പടർത്താം.... കരുണയുടെ തൂവൽസ്പർശമാക്കാം.. സാന്ത്വനത്തിന്റെ ആശ്ലേഷമാക്കാം... പ്രണയം നിറച്ച് പൂവമ്പാക്കാം.... ഈണങ്ങൾ ചേർത്ത് ആനന്ദമുളവാക്കാം... വചനം മൃദുവാകട്ടെ... വേദനാസംഹാരി ലേപനമാവട്ടെ... വചനം അമൃതാകട്ടെ ... ഉയിർത്തെഴുന്നേൽപിന് ഊർജ്ജമാവട്ടെ... വചനം ശക്തമാകട്ടെ... അതിജീവനത്തിന് കൈത്താങ്ങാവട്ടെ... പ്രീത രാജ് 

ഒരു ആത്മഹത്യയും അതുയർത്തുന്ന ചിന്തകളും

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ഈയിടെ കൊട്ടിയത്ത് ഒരു പെൺകുട്ടിയുടെ ആത്മഹത്യ വളരെയേറെ ദുഃഖവും നിരാശയും ഉണ്ടാക്കി. ഇരുപത്തി നാലു വയസ്സു മാത്രമുള്ള സുന്ദരിയും അത്യാവശ്യം വിദ്യാഭ്യാസവമുള്ള ഒരു പെൺകുട്ടി സ്വയം ജീവിതം അവസാനിപ്പിച്ചു എന്നതിലുപരി അതുയർത്തുന്ന ഒരുപാട് സാമൂഹ്യ പ്രശ്നങ്ങളുണ്ട്.   പത്തു കൊല്ലമായി പ്രണയത്തിലായിരുന്ന അല്ലെങ്കിൽ പ്രണയത്തിലായിരുന്നു എന്നവൾ വിചാരിച്ച കാമുകൻ കുറച്ചു കൂടി സാമ്പത്തിക സ്ഥിതിയുള്ള മറ്റൊരു പെൻ കുട്ടിയെ വിവാഹം കഴിക്കാൻ പോകുന്നു എന്നറിഞ്ഞ് തകർന്നു പോയി ആ പെൺകുട്ടി. അവൾ അയാളെ ഫോണിൽ വിളിച്ച് കെഞ്ചുന്നു. അയാളവളെ പരിഹസിക്കുകയും ചീത്ത വാക്കുകൾ ഉപയോഗിച്ച് ചീത്തയും  പറയുന്നു. എന്നിട്ടും ആ കുട്ടി അയാളോട് അയാൾ വാഗ്ദാനം ചെയ്ത ജീവിതം ഇരക്കുന്നു. ഒടുവിൽ നിരാശയായി ആത്മഹത്യ ചെയ്യുന്നു. ഹാ! കഷ്ടം!  അയാളും അയാളുടെ കുടുംബവും എന്നും അവളെ ഉപയോഗിക്കുകയായിരുന്നു. ഗർഭിണിയായപ്പോൾ പോലും വിവാഹത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ഒഴിഞ്ഞുമാറി. ഗർഭച്ഛിദ്രം ചെയ്യിച്ചു.അവളുടെ അച്ഛന്റെ കയ്യിൽ നിന്ന് പലപ്പോഴായി പണം വാങ്ങി. വീട്ടിലെ കുഞ്ഞിനെ നോക്കാൻ വിളിച്ചു വരുത്തി. എന്നിട്ടും അവൾ കെഞ്ചി. അവനോട് അവന്റെ അമ്മയോട്, ജീ...

കണ്ണൻ

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എന്റെ കണ്ണാ.... കളിക്കൂട്ടുകാരനായി  നിന്നെ  ആഗ്രഹിക്കാത്ത ... ബാല്യങ്ങളുണ്ടോ?  പ്രണയിയായി നിന്നെ മോഹിക്കാത്ത..  കന്യകമാരുണ്ടാവുമോ?  നിന്റെ ഉറ്റ തോഴനാവാൻ  ... കാംക്ഷിക്കാത്തവരുണ്ടാവുമോ? നിന്റെ കുട്ടിക്കുറുമ്പിൽ..  അലിയുന്ന വെണ്ണയാവാത്ത ... മാതൃ മാനസങ്ങളുണ്ടോ?  ഉരുകുന്ന ഹൃദയവും ... തുളുമ്പിത്തൂവുന്ന മിഴികളുമായി ... നിന്റെ മുന്നിൽ കൈകൂപ്പിയാൽ..... തീരാത്ത ദു:ഖങ്ങളുണ്ടോ?  നിന്റെ മയിൽപ്പീലിയും വേണുനാദവും ... ആനന്ദം നിറക്കാത്ത മാനസങ്ങളുണ്ടോ? എന്നും മനസ്സിൽ നിറയട്ടെ ... സുന്ദര ശ്യാമ വർണവും ... പീലിയുടെ സുഖദ സ്പർശവും..  മധുര വേണുനാദവും ...

My Soul Bird

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I can hear the flutter... The rustle of feathers.. The impatient tweets.. The restlessness of my little soul bird.. Craving attention.. She likes to fly... Fly high and far.. Into the mysterious lands.. Into the wilderness... I try hard to keep her calm.. With a beautiful song... With flowers in my garden.. A walk around the neighbourhood.. But she is a wanderer.. I let her go.. And pray she comes back unhurt.. For I worry she'll see all the atrocities on  earth.. Get hurt in wild fires or missiles.. I worry what the mountains, stars and the clouds are going to tell her.... about the nasty creatures on earth called humans.. I wish my little soul bird comes back unhurt, humming sweetly as ever.. With all her chirpiness, joyful spirit, hope and optimism intact.. I wish and pray against all odds.. Preetha Raj

Rain

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It's beautiful to watch rain falling on trees.. They had been dry, dull and dusty... Throughout the summer... Eagerly waiting for rain to come.. And when the rain comes...  he pours his magical charm all over them.. Like a flirtatious lover,  He makes them dance with him... In his many tunes and rhythms.. Soon they are all green and shining.. There are tender sprouts all over.. When the Sun shines again... They flaunt their lustrous greens,  like girls brimming with love,   unable to contain their blush.. And they stand waiting for him yet again.. Preetha Raj

Vertigo

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Vertigo One fine morning... When I woke up .. I suddenly felt... I was the centre of the Universe... Everything around, revolved around me... It lasted only a few seconds... And the reality of  The day's kitchen work dawned on me... I walked to the kitchen... Did some chores... Felt a little dizzy.. And came back to bed... As soon as my head hit the pillow.. It started again... As if the pillow was enchanted.. Like the old throne of king Vikramaditya... The pillow momentarily made me  The core of the Universe ... Again and again... Regardless of my resistance.. I was taken to the hospital.. After examination... The doctor proclaimed... Some balancing problem of my inner ear... Well, it was not much of a shock.. I was never that balanced anyway... My friend, who had gone through it, A few years back, advised... "Learn to live with it... Enjoy the fun rides..." Well, she's as sensible as always... And for me, it's the next best thing... To my most cheris...

The web

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The web You got stuck in my soul .. Like an insect in a spider's web... Protruding from the fabric of my being... I tried to throw you out..  I tried  I toiled I fought But I failed To get you out of the web.. To mend my web.. To get it back to it's original calm... I failed miserably..  And now, I wish I want  I need I desperately desire To be spoilt by the might of your touch... To wither in the brightness of your gaze.. To fall apart in the breeze of your breath.. To decay into the soil of your being.. And cease to exist. Preetha Raj

Satellite

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I'm that satellite revolving you... Wonder-struck by the marvel of you... Never once looking away from you... I feel the pull...  Into you... Into the core... Into your heart.. I try hard.. To keep in control.. To keep the optimum velocity... To stay in the orbit... To stay in your horizon.. For I know... One moment of carelessness... Will make me crash land... Blast me into smithereens.. All over you.. For I know.. Achieving the escape velocity... To detach from you... Would be impossible.. The pull is extremely strong.. And I don't want any other Sun.. Preetha Raj

The Light

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In one of my darkest days... Caught in the whirlwind of thoughts.. Amidst the roaring rumble from the abyss.. While I laid stricken by hopelessness and grief, On the damp moss ridden floor... There came a thread of silver light... Through the slim gap of the shut windows... It danced on my clenched fist... Slid through my hair... And patted my tear-dried cheeks.... The soothing warmth... Eagerly, I opened the window... To bathe in the silver light... It was so nice to feel... And I basked in the gentle warmth... The light lit up my darkness.. Every nook and corner it touched.. Weariness gone, I danced in a trance... Then... Struck by selfishness and greed.. I wanted the light all for my own... I grabbed it and put it captive in a box... And suddenly it went all dark again... And I knew.. The warmth could only be felt... And the brightness rejoiced... But, it was never to be owned.. I opened the box... And suddenly it was bright and warm all over again.. Preetha Raj

Musings of a compulsive over thinker

I've been told many times not to overthink.. But, whenever I start to think or to analyse.. my over-enthusiastic brain brings out a lot of stuff...  from its many folds and pours it all upon me.. Memories, sensations... Images, smells,sounds,tunes,words .. Compelling me to go through it all.. Not that I never tried to control the information overflow... Often I tried to put away seemingly unimportant stuff.. But, those were unwieldy, fragile and leaky;  leaving traces as they move... making it even more chaotic.. Uncontrollable and messy --  perhaps that's how the brain is meant to be.. With all its wrinkles and creases, crevices and folds.. Bringing order is never easy if not impossible.. The compulsive overthinker has to live with it..

Soldiers fighting the invisible

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They are soldiers fighting the invisible enemy..  Health care workers around the world.  When you are hit by the enemy.. And rendered helpless... There they stand by you...  With hearts full of kindness.. Donning the armour... Fighting relentlessly.. No, they are not Gods or angels.. They are so human... Pining for their loved ones.. Missing the kisses and hugs .. But they never leave your side... Respect is what they rightfully deserve.. And if you can't give them that.. You are shame on humanity.. Preetha Raj

The Book Thief

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The Book thief,  Markus Zusak The story of Liesel Meminger, an orphan living with adoptive parents in Nazi Germany during World War ll, as narrated by Death..."when Death tells a story, you listen.." Liesel has an irresistible affinity towards books and words. Though Mr. Death is extremely busy with his work that is collecting souls, during the war, he somehow irresistibly follows her. Liesel's love for words and books turns her into a book thief.. Death first meets her when he comes over to collect her little brother's soul.. There he sees her first theft, " The Gravedigger's handbook". And that's the book her papa ( adoptive father) uses to teach her words, later. Death follows her through her childhood, other thefts, adolescence, friendship and a tender bud of love that is charred by a bombing attack.. It is a wonderful book.. Set in a very dark time yet hopeful.. The narration is unique as the narrator himself and makes the book in...

Perfect love

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They say be yourself... Never let someone else define you... But, then someone comes along... Unveils you.. Look deep into your eyes... Reaches out to your soul... And then.... You can see yourself in those eyes... The beautiful curves and sharp edges... That is the moment of self realisation... That is the moment of divine pleasure... And you are not at all your old self any more.. You are redefined... That is what perfect love is all about.. Preetha Raj

The Mindfulness Affair

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I sat relaxed.. To meditate... To be mindful... Mindful of my feelings... My emotions... As they say.. But as soon as I closed my eyes.. She sprang out of her chamber... My unruly adamant soul.. She nudged me... And pulled me to go along with her.. I resisted... Saying I'm doing something important.. She laughed at me... "Hahaha.. Hohoho... Those cells inside your head... And your hair... Both are dull and grey .. Come with me old fool..." She's such a rogue thing.. And I had to go along.. Soon we're in the woods... The fallen autumn leaves.. Myriad hues and smells.. Some were soggy.. Some withered.. Some crisp and fresh adorning dew drops... The woods of my youth... My joys and sorrows... Hopes and heartbreaks... Glories and losses .. I was swept by a whirlwind of emotions... Then she dragged me to another corner... Songs of merriment... Laughter and hush-hushes and whispers... A swaying swing... A tiny sob over a broken doll.. A peacock feather kept ...

Catch 22 , Joseph Heller

Incredible book!!! But not an easy read at all. The plot is an island in Itali ( Pianosa), during World War II. I could get hitched to the book only in my second attempt. When I attempted to read it years back, I couldn't progress beyond some twenty odd pages. It seemed so haphazard and complicated then. This time I was determined and as I progressed found it incredibly humorous and satirical. At the beginning I thought Yossarian, the protagonist, was completely mad, even psychotic. People around him too thought so. But as he tried to get out of combat citing mental instability, there was the 'catch 22'. Catch 22 was a very straight forward clause as follows: Catch 22 specified that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers that were real immediate was the process of a rational mind. A crazy person could be grounded.( taken out of combat duty). All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missi...

Feminine

Being a woman is like being caught in a web with wings sewn into the body ( an intricate web of culture, customs, religious views, family honour......). It takes immense courage, huge effort, and lots of unlearning and untangling to break free.. Flutter..... flutter .... Flutter... Break free.. spread the wings and fly.😀 Preetha Raj

Pain

Pain.. The throbbing, debilitating feeling inside.. Like the whole being is being squeezed by mighty iron fists.. But remember you are a warrior.. You are the conqueror.. Take out every weapon in your armoury and fight... When the fist gradually loosens and gone, you are left with a pulsating scar.. Wear it like a badge of honour... As a mark of your bravery.. Preetha Raj

Independence Day

It's more than seven decades since our nation attained independence.. But, are we, the citizens of this great country, really independent? Aren't our opinions and even thoughts becoming more and more dependent on the party or religion that we are part of? Do we really understand and value freedom? Do we really accept others' freedom to think differently, to express novel thoughts and ideas, to live the way one wants practicing the religion of choice, living with the person of choice etc.... If not what are we celebrating? Let's celebrate independence in it's true essence, upholding our own and others' freedom.. Jai Hind!! Preetha Raj

Surrender

Death is not always an unwanted visitor.. There are times when all you can wish for someone is.. May death visits you soon.. Surrender with dignity to the ultimate truth in life.. Have a peaceful transition to the other world... Preetha Raj

The sea

Be like the sea.. Lively at the surface and calm at the bottom.. Stay layered and unpredictable.. Keep secret treasures at the very bottom.. And be wavy at the top.. Enchanting, frothy, soothing.. Or... Furious, turbulent, raging.. Whatever it takes...

Gandhijayanthi

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We need to celebrate Gandhi Jayanthi to make ourselves believe that such a man lived here in flesh and blood.. A dark little man clad in a dhothi loaded with virtuous attributes.. Let us sing, narrate and chronicle his life again and again to see that such a life is possible, even if we can't actually live it.. And yes, let us find out his judgemental errors too.. That'll make it easier for the generations to come to believe his existence as a human.. Let Mahatma live on in our minds!! Preetha Raj

Happiness

Happiness takes several forms.. It can be overwhelming... Ecstatic... Flamboyant.. Mild.. Contented.. Lingering.. The best is when it lingers in the mind, producing a smile on the lips for a very long time.. 😊 Preetha Raj

Beautiful little things

Rain falling on the trees.. Trees and plants flaunting their lustrous greens in the sun after a rain.. Rivers, flowers, butterflies... When nature is so beautiful, how can one be sad for long? A baby singing with it's baby sounds...., A little kitten trying to catch a fly... A couple of birds flying across the river and suddenly one returns as if to get a forgotten thing from the nest... When the world is full of amusements, how can one hold onto anger for long? Being engrossed in a book.. Getting immersed in a melodious song... Watching a great movie... Travel to faraway destinations.. When there are so much to do, how can anyone harbour hatred? Keep the mind wide open ... Let the beautiful little things heal all the wounds of anger, jealousy and hatred... Preetha Raj

Pandemic lessons

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Covid19 changed our world, our lives, our perceptions, ..It made us go back to something we learned long ago, as children.. The basic necessities of life..Needs for sustenance.. Air, water, food and shelter..All others are luxuries..   Did it open our eyes? All our proud systems are in shambles now.. We saw people whom we thought secured their retirement going away not claiming even that six feet of earth..   We were in a rat race, as individuals, as communities, as countries.. We lived every single minutes of our lives thinking about achieving targets, cutting new business deals, enhancing financial capabilities.. We even adorned our children with armours.. Always told them life is a race..We put them in the battlefield of life stealing all their childhood charms..   And now as we stand in the shambles, we are numbed, perplexed, confused, .. There may be job losses, financial difficulties..It's upto each of us to decide whether to stand there and weep on the ...

To the Divine

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Oh God, please forgive us... Are we so bad that we are being punished like this? That you prevented us from entering your divine abodes on earth... That whatever we were proud about are now in total shambles... Do we deserve this relentless misery?... We already feel like discards.. Hateful infectious beings in this beautiful planet... Yes, our mistakes were huge,  We did hurt mother Earth and fellow beings... In big way... The damages are enormous... Oh God, please give us a chance to repent and repair.. Yes, there are nasty people among us.. But, so are there a lot of beautiful souls... Most of our hearts are filled with love... Love for nature, fellow human and other beings... You know that, Oh God!!! As we believe, that is where you reside... In hearts filled with love.. It breaks our hearts to see dead bodies piling up in heaps... We don't even get to say farewell to the departed souls in a proper way... In the ways we believe their souls will reach and rest with y...

Mother nature

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Grief is what connects you more with nature.. When you are emotionally drained or grief-struck, Go into the arms of mother nature.. Let her embrace you... You can feel her breath in the breeze caressing your hair.. Hear her heartbeat in the rustling of leaves.. She then shows you around, like a mother soothes her crying baby... Tiny plants moving gently in the wind, full of hope.. A kingfisher patiently waiting by a pond for the momentary splash of a fish.. A sparrow pecking up threads and bits one by one to build a nest.. A spider tirelessly working on it's net.. Water lilies glowing brightly  in a muddy pond.. Trees which survived all weathers to stand tall and strong.. On and on goes the list of spectacles.. All through these you see the essence of life... Hope, perseverance and resilience.. Hold on, hang on and move on.. Preetha Raj

Endurance

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You will never see me cry.. I possess the skill to direct my tears inwards so that it would heal my bleeding heart.. I have learned to cover my brokenness in the veil of my smile.. I have acquired the technique to smother my sobs with my songs.. I have mastered endurance... I know time will blunt the sharp edges, making it easier to carry the pain along.. You'll never see me cry.. Preetha Raj

Inside me..

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Inside me..... I can see mighty mountains... The snow-capped top.. Garlands of clouds.. I inhale the pristine smell and know.. I'm at one with divinity.. I'm mother.. Inside me... I can see vastness of the ocean.. The relentless waves... Mystery of it's trenches.. I inhale the salty smell and know... I'm at one with the ocean.. I'm woman.. Inside me... I can see liveliness of forests.. Myriad hues and noises.. I inhale the woody smell and know.. I'm at one with the forests... With the universe... I'm human... Preetha Raj

The lockdown

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Waiting in a queue... One metre apart from each other... Outside a supermarket... I felt all the differences a few days of lockdown made... The patient discipline of shoppers.. None is in a hurry.. The air is cool in a March morning.. A pleasant breeze through hair.. No haphazard parking on the road.. No honking decibels.. The golden blooms of konnappoo reminded of the upcoming Vishu.. When the tree showered blossoms on me... I suddenly felt, we are being forgiven... Forgiven for all the damage we caused.. The crisis is soon to be over.. The big human engine will slowly start to move soon.. Preetha Raj

Stuck at home

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Ohhh!! How I miss them all!! Morning walk scents and colours... Chirpy birds and a lazy cat.. Window shopping in a mall .. Driving through bustling roads for errands.. Serenity of evening temple visits... Children splashing into the swimming pool... A movie night and dining out... Hanging out with friends.. Stuck at home I miss them all... But,...Thank God!!  I can still enjoy a tiny bloom and new sprouts in my garden.. A breeze that makes them dance..  Watch birds take bath and quench thirst in the fountain.. Watch those regular stray dogs on the empty road.. The stoic trees standing aloof.. And I have Mark, Larry(Page) and Sergey(Brin) to fill up the void and fill me in... Preetha Raj

Art of coexistence

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Don't panic.. Don't lose hope.. Yes, it's tiring times.. But, not an apocalypse yet.. Let's see what we can do.. Keep the distance, but stay united.. Stay clean and keep them away.. May be all it takes is just some adjustments.. Some mending of the ways here and there.. Some compassion... Not just for our own species.. But for all the coinhabitants.. For the planet.. Some new art of living... The art of coexistence.. Let's stay united for all of us.. Preetha Raj

Isolation charms!!

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Waging war against the virus is way easier than waging bloody wars among ourselves.. Take a break from the mad rush.. Do some soul-searching.. Enjoy colours of daybreaks and twilights. Enjoy afternoon siestas... Indulge in daydreaming, books, music and movies.. Tend to the little plants in the yards or balconies.. Chances are there the grey cells come up with something creative.. In fact self isolation can even be real fun.. We can have real reality shows ( read Big Boss) at home.. Anyways, let mother Earth relax a bit as the naughtiest of her offsprings tucked away peacefully in their burrows.. Preetha Raj

Did Atlas shrug?

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What an irony!! A cluster of microbes terrorise the mighty Sapiens growing upto pandemic proportions..   Sapiens the most narcissistic species on earth, so proud of their wrinkled brains, who believe in leaving their marks on and beyond earth..Who go on to disrupt food chains, ecosystems, with a ruthless illusion of ownership of the planet..  These tiny microbes don't recognise man-made installations or systems but manage to disrupt everything.. They spread across borders, races, religions, mansions and shanties.. They don't distinguish between the lawmakers or protesters. They recognise only humans, the most vicious creatures on earth..  Well, nature has her own ways to bring about some order. She might have asked Atlas( the mythological giant who carries her on his shoulders) to just shrug.. Preetha Raj

An individual

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Still a long way to go..  Slow and steady, march ahead.. Break invisible chains and glass ceilings.. Don't conform.. Don't be content in the comforts of conventions.. Be bold enough to shed those comforts.. For they render lives mundane or even pathetic.. Stay beyond the trap of glorious adjectives.. Stay beyond definitions.. A woman, an individual; that's enough.. Happy women's day!! Preetha Raj

Being Mortal

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When death decides to strike he does... We sit there in front of the rooms equipped with the most sophisticated machines handled by an army of experts hoping this time we put him off... But his armoury is infinite having plethora of devices that can operate both in microscopic and macroscopic levels.. He just walks in there, does his work and walks away.. We say he is a joker who doesn't know where and when to step in.. But, we, the most intelligent species ever lived in this planet as we boast, are, after all,  as mortal as any other dumb creature here. We often tend to forget that ultimate fact.. These little perishable lives are all that we've got.. A series of breaths from the first to the last.. We don't know when and which of death's many devices strikes us.. We don't know what is beyond death.. The only thing that remains in this world are the memories you made in the minds of the people around you.. One who leaves beautiful memories in many minds...

Warriors

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What an unstable thing life is!!! It swings relentlessly between the extremes... In-between successes and failures.. In- between rights and wrongs.. In-between truths and lies.. In-between love and hatred.. In-between presence and absence.. In-between perfection and blunders.. In-between heaven and hell... We still hang on and move forward  Along the bumpy road  Negotiating the thick haze of ambiguities.. Warriors indeed.. Preetha Raj

The Help, Kathryn Stockett.

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The Help, Kathryn Stockett    The book is about the black helps and their white bosses in Jackson, Mississippi during early 1960s. Story unfolds in three women's viewpoints, 22 year old Skeeter who aspires to become a writer, Aibiline and Minni two coloured helps. It is Skeeter's idea to write a book about the helps and their perspective of their work is what brings these three women together and changes their lives..   Of all the characters, Aibiline stands out, being wise, kind and dignified. Just out of the trauma of the tragic death of her own son she is attached to the little girl she is looking after. She is raising her seventeenth white child, Mae Mobley, a chubby 2 year old, who is deprived of her own mother's love and care. The bond between Aibiline and Mae Mobley is the most touching part of the novel. Aibiline tries to make the 'baby girl' a confident young lady and also tries her bit to pull out the seeds of racial discrimination from the min...

A Minute to Midnight, David Baldacci.

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That is the thing about crime thrillers.. You might not remember a thing after some time..But, they keep you tethered.. You have this urge to turn the pages to know "who did it"? That exactly what "A Minute to Midnight" by David Baldacci is. Weed, meth, porn, multiple murders, psychopaths and a 6 feet tall muscular and gorgeous female FBI agent.  Preetha Raj

The Frankenstein of Sapiens

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Which one was created first, man or religion? Is it humans for religion or religion for humans? Which one is real, a man in flesh and blood or a set of myths and beliefs? It's obvious that finally it all has been reduced to religion for politics and politics for religion.. Both are so merged that it is difficult to distinguish between the two.. Religious salutations are now political slogans... Or slaughtering roars of barbarians? The deadly combo of the imaginary realities; Politics and religion.. The products of human imagination.. The Frankenstein of Homo sapiens... Preetha Raj

The kite

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My soul is stuck in you.. like the thread of a kite.. Untangle it if you can.. But, please hold on to it.. Else, let it stay that way, tangled.. And pull you a bit while you move.. Don't cut it loose... Lest it'll be lost forever.. Preetha Raj

Why I am a Hindu, Sashi Tharoor.

Why I am a Hindu by Sashi Tharoor. I started reading this book to look for reasons not to feel guilty being a Hindu, practising  rituals and festivals that have become habit. Because these days, people can't be just an ordinary Hindu without bring judged politically. We are now such a highly polarised people. The book helped me in that respect. Starting from the philosophical basis of Hinduism and it's practices and slowly moving to the political hinduthva ideology. Philosophy of hinduism being very difficult to absorb, it may be interpreted in many ways. Also it could be the maladjustment of a predominantly introspective philosophy being converted into a social, political and nationalistic ideology.  Anyways, if a group of people defined their hinduism and propagating it, well, that is not my hinduism. I align myself to the philosophical and spiritual hinduism of which tolerance and pluralism are the most prominent aspects. Thank you, Dr. Tharoor for providing the...

Waves of memories

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Memories are like waves.. Just stand there on the shore.. And they come one after the other... Bringing up all those things from the depths.. Sometimes as a soft feathery touch... Sometimes leaving frothy marks.. Sometimes taking away the sand from under the feet.. Sometimes soaking completely in saline water.. Creating saline fountains in the eyes... Sometimes as huge tsunami waves  consuming everything, every senses.. Unbounded are memories and waves.. Preetha Raj

The omnipresent Love

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Let's laud and cheer omnipresent love!! The binding force of the Universe..  Love is present in many forms and colours... It is there in the courting pigeons.. In the wagging tail of a stray dog  And in the face of the one who feeds it.. In the toothless smile of an old woman.. And the one holding the wrinkled hand.. In the laughter of a child.. And the joyful pride of the parents.. Love spills all over when lovers' eyes meet.. It's there in heartbreaks too.. And there in wishes, messages and phonecalls.. It is there in art, books, music and movies.. Let love prevail and shine... Always and everywhere.. Preetha Raj

Promises

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It is not easy to keep promises..  Altered circumstances or some added information can render a promise invalid or even stupid..  It's better to refrain from giving and receiving promises.. Regard promises as they are.. Words spoken with a lot of feelings...  with a lot of good intentions.. Preetha Raj

Prayer / പ്രാർത്ഥന

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അശാന്തിയുടെ നാളുകൾ .... അലങ്കോലമായ മനസ്സ് .. ചിന്തകളുടെ പടുകൂറ്റൻ തിരമാലകൾ ബോധതീരങ്ങളിൽ ആർത്തലക്കുന്നു... സുനാമിത്തിരകളായി ബോധതലങ്ങളെ കവർന്നെടുക്കുന്നു.... തകർന്നടിഞ്ഞ തീരത്ത്   മരവിച്ചു നിൽക്കവെ.. സാന്ത്വനത്തിൻ ദിവ്യസ്പർശത്തിനായ്... ആശ്രയത്തിൻ കൈത്താങ്ങിനായ് ... നിറമിഴികളോടെ കൈകൂപ്പുന്നു.... മനസ്സ് പ്രാർത്ഥനാനിരതമാവുന്നു... മാർഗദർശിയായ ദീപം തെളിയാൻ.. പഞ്ചാരമണലിൽ അലസമായ് കിടന്ന് തിരകളുയർത്തും  താളനിബദ്ധസംഗീതം  കേൾക്കാൻ.. മേഘജാലങ്ങൾതൻ നൃത്തച്ചുവടുകൾ  ആസ്വദിക്കാൻ .. മിന്നിത്തെളിയും നക്ഷത്രജാലങ്ങൾ കാണാൻ ... ശാന്തിയുടെ നാളുകൾ വീണ്ടെടുക്കാൻ .. Disturbed mind.. Huge waves of thoughts break on the shores of awareness... Sometimes they take the form of gigantic tsunami waves.. Consuming the whole space of  consciousness.. And when they recede finally, you stay helpless on the shore.. Dumb and numb on the face of devastation.. Hoping for calmness.. Calmness of the rhythmic waves.. Melody of their soft breaking sound on the shores.. To lay awake on the cl...

Treasure box

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I used to have a little treasure box as a little girl.. My little box contained bangles, broken pieces of favourite bangles, strings of beads, loose beads, miniature plastic animals,  kunni and manjadi seeds collected from fences..and all those things I fancied at that time..  Meeting schoolmates are like a time machine ride to your childhood days and opening that most cherished little box of childhood wonders.. Now I realise that these people are the most precious contents of my most cherished box of memories.. Preetha Raj

The enigma of religion

  I always thought of religion as a set of rules to follow for one's mental and spiritual well-being..It doesn't matter which set one chooses to follow from the myriad options, as the ultimate goal is the same for all of them..     I totally fail to understand how religion has become an overwhelming presence in every aspects of life..Especially when one's religion is just a random probability, that is beyond one's control..As far as I see we are in a certain religion because our parents were born in that religion.. Any attempt to choose one's religion is not accepted lightly..So, once you are born in a religion, you are imprisoned in it.. There are people who set rules for the general good for that category, assuming that what they think appropriate is applicable to everyone else.     I sometimes wonder what they think the divine selection is like? Do the Supreme God creates human beings and roll a dice to see to which group the new life should be induced into? ...

Love in the Time of Cholera

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Love in the time of cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez Story of an eternal, obsessive love.. Florentino Arza's love for Fermina Daza was so overwhelming that it was the lifeline and driving force of his very existence. At the age of 20 when he fell in love, he was a  timid, pathetically love stricken bastard son of a single mother. When Fermina Daza rejected him returning all his love letters he was shattered completely. As his mother found out, lovesickness had the same symptoms of cholera, the epidemic of the time.. There came many women in his life for the fulfilment of physical and emotional needs, but none could get him out of his obsession or rather he never wanted to come out of it. He lived his life carefully, staying fit, climbing the social and career ladder to be worthy of her, because he wishfully believed one day she would be his. And that dream came true after half a century when both are septuagenarians.    Fermina Daza fell for the intense love of...

The sky is pink ( Movie)

Having a child who needs constant care and attention is very stressful for all the members of the family.. It needs a lot of determination and sacrifices to go on. But above all someone should be there to take decisions, to execute plans, and to take the real hot seat of the primary caregiver. That's what is portrayed in " The sky is Pink"..The plight of the parents of a critically Ill child to give her a chance and then a meaningful life.. It is based on a true story.    What stands out in the movie is sterling performance by Priyanka Chopra as Aditi, the mother.. Her steely determination and strength combined with support from the husband, Niren,  give Aysha 18 years of meaningful life..'Moose', as Aysha calls her mother, does extensive research on the condition of her child so much so that she even argues with doctors and takes immediate actions in every crisis. Aditi's philosophy is clear as she tells her son over a long distance call to never let someone ...