On Mumbai

Sown together from seven islands,
My new found love,
Glimmers by the light of its own soul,
And is reflected by the sea full of vigour,
A city that never sleeps,
Alive, not merely awake every moment,
Busy, yet patient,
Wealthy yet simple,
Its rainwashed buildings stand as monuments,
Of tireless yet humble effort,
Adding to the beauty of this utterly magnificent land,
Its banks filled with righteous wealth,
Its people flourishing with the grace of the Mother,
A melting pot of cultures,
A mirror to India,
No wonder a delight to residents and visitors alike,
The epitome of simplicity,
She shines forth,
On the map and in our hearts,
The true capital of Bharata.

Written on 24th August, 2016 (23rd night?) on a drive along Worli Sea Link

Fear When Alone

Solitude is the true test of one's might,

And that too, at an unfamiliar place at night,

When the mind rises after an activity,

It sees one's ambience and charges up its creativity,

Conjuring images at a distance or on long hallways,

Perhaps only sometimes, not always,

Ideas from that book one read,

Or a movie of someone rising from the dead,

Plot ideas fill one's mind,

Paralysing one with a fear of a unique kind,

That ghost in a film one probably laughed at,

Now flashes stark or seems to watch from one's back,

Oh, the anticipation of danger,

Seems far worse, there is nothing stranger,

The heart beats fast,

As long as the panic lasts,

Perhaps until one finds a familiar lane,

Or a friend or a cane,

The fear that sprouts, it awakens one,

Bringing springs of life that are indeed fun,

The fear might stay on for a few seconds or maybe longer,

But the jerk it gives is a jolt that will linger.

Written on 16th Aug 2016 at 2:38am at Aero structures lab