Poems:

1. Apart:

We started off little,

We started off slow,
Our relationship brittle,
In-between risks and flow.
We started off weak,
We started off low,
An insanity streak,
A pinch of glow.
Step by step we grew,
Colored whatever life drew,
Inch by inch we survived,
Into the deepest oceans we dived,
Piece by piece we learnt to be stronger,
Pushed each other to the limits to make it last longer.
Then one day, it started to shake,
Started noticing the mistakes we made,
The other day, we felt like strays,
So that day, we parted ways.
Soon, we moved on in life,
She got her husband, I got my wife,
Life was back on track,
Little did we know, life never had our back,
No matter how much we question life, at the end we say touché,
So we stumbled upon each other in an empty café,
Looking down, we didn't make eye contact,
For we knew it wouldn't let us stay intact,
We did talk, but there were no words,
 Two skies battling for the same world,
But the world wasn't theirs at all,
So they abandoned their past and accepted the fall.
We smiled and exchanged thoughts,
Hiding the battles we had fought,
We laugh and bid our farewells,
The tough past upon us dwells,
Yet we walk away, yet we move on,
For we know, it's too real to be dwelled on.
Here we are back at our homes,
Here, where nothing but happiness roams,
Yet some part of us still wants to be there,
To have the other to hold onto,
To have someone who cares.

2. Life:

You might see the depth in one's swollen eye,

You might hear the depth in a baby's cry,
You might feel the depth of a broken heart,
You might question the depth of a mother's sigh.
You might see the pain in a fake smile,
You might hear the pain in a deserted mile,
You might feel the pain of being torn apart,
You might question existence for a while.
In the end, you'd fall on your knees and weep,
For there is so much to sweep,
So let the tiny moments be your biggest part,
For at the end, there are only memories to keep.
3. Fortress of stone:

The heart is a lock, a fortress of stone,

With walls so high, it seems impenetrable and alone,
A guarded treasure, protected with care,
A place of secrets that few are aware .

But within this fortress, a key does exist,

A precious object, that cannot be missed,
A symbol of trust, a sign of surrender,
A way to unlock the heart's true splendor.

For when the key is found, the lock will yield,

And the heart's treasures, will be finally revealed,
A love that's pure, a passion so deep,
A connection that will forever keep.

But the key is fragile, and must be handled with care,

For the heart is a precious thing, that's rare,
It must be cherished, and treated with love,
For it's a gift from the heavens above.

So let us search for that key, with patience and grace,

And when we find it, let us embrace,
The beauty of the heart, that's finally free,
And the love that it holds, for you and me.
 4. Forgotten Love

We used to walk along the shore

And watch the waves and stars align
We used to whisper words of more
And hold each other tight and fine

But then the seasons changed their course

And we grew distant, cold and numb
We lost the spark that was our source
And let our love become a crumb

Now I can only dream of you

And wonder if you miss me too
Or if you've found another one
Who makes you laugh and have some fun

But I will always keep you in my heart

Even if we are so far apart
You were my first and truest love
The one I can't forget, my dove

Stories:

Her Perfect Match

Taking a bite of her cookie, she looked at the last words of her favorite book and felt a
tingle in her stomach. The kind of tingle that she had to read more. She closed the book
with a sigh and looked at her bookshelf. She had read every single book and still
wanted to read more. She took a sip of her coffee and got up. She didn’t know what that
tingle and agitation were but it was like her inner self calling to her. She put on her coat
and shoes and left the house. Along the way she started to look at things to remember
books, she could read. Like Stars for The Fault in Our Stars, the River for By The
River Piedra I Sat and Wept, and simply everything for Everything, Everything. She
was very irritated by now. Why was she feeling this way? Why was she being so crazy
about books? Yes, we can say that she was addicted but why the sudden rage
regarding the books she had already read? She was now furious. She walked down the
dirt road toward the town library. Entering the town, she noticed people texting, watching
videos, and all that stuff. She wondered why they didn’t read books in such a peaceful
environment. The reason she came here was only that she wanted a peaceful place to
read and was fed up with the hectic city life. She looked at the sky, it was dark, lit by
stars. She had always loved the night. The darkness defining light itself. It was the time
she could use to be herself without pretending to be anyone else. She walked into the
library and greeted Lucy-the librarian. It was like a desert in there. Not a single soul was
in sight. This killed her inside. She sat on a chair and grabbed a book from the table.
Disappointed, she put it back as she had already read that one too. Felt so alone and
“Bookless” in a library. Maybe that was how it felt like to be abandoned, or maybe even
dead. Her series of thoughts were cut off by the sound of books falling at the last aisle.
She got up and went there. She came across a guy with books in his hand, on his
knees. He was wearing a blue T-shirt and grey jeans. He had brown hair and a very
toned body. She bent down to help him pick up the books from the floor. He looked at
her and that’s when she noticed his eyes. They were different in color. She was
stunned. She kept staring at him for a minute straight. He asked her if she was okay
and that’s when she snapped out of it. She apologized and picked up the books. They
walked to the table and sat down. She introduced herself as Lily. She asked him about
the books. He explained how he was fed up with technology and had read every single
book he had and was now trying to find a new one. She had the same problem so she
went ahead and told him about it. He handed her a book. She laughed thinking she
would’ve already read that one too but that was not the case. She saw the book and
realized that she had never read it but she felt a connection to it. Like she had read the
title somewhere, Looking for Alaska. He said it was what she was looking for. She
thought nothing much of it as she was just excited to read it. She took the book, thanked
him, and left. Looking back, he was nowhere to be seen. She shrugged it off and
headed home. She read the book overnight and loved it. It was something she was
looking for. The next day she went to meet him again. And there he was, the gorgeous
man with another book. She felt like she was falling in love as each day went by with
more and more perfect books in her hand. But, there were exactly ten days and ten
books. Ten amazing books that always put a smile on her face. She read every book
overnight as once she had started, she just couldn’t stop.

Those ten days were the best days of her life and she couldn’t stop there… she
knew it. He was her perfect match. She got up on the 11th morning, ready to confess her
love for the charming man. She was really happy and it was the best journey to the town
after a long time. She saw beauty in everything and was smiling constantly. Walking
down the street, heading towards the library to finally have a peaceful stop in her
chaotic life. She entered the library and started looking for the love of her life. Usually,
he used to be there but this time, she couldn’t find him. Finally, she decided to ask Lucy.
The reply she got was not shocking but also creepy as well. Lucy stared at her with a
funny look in her eyes and said that there has never been a guy like the one she had
described in the library. She was shocked but instead of asking she just ran back home.
She fell on the bathroom floor, doubting her sanity. She stayed home and cried for days.
How could it be? How can he just disappear? Was she going crazy? All those thoughts
were going through her head. Finally, she decided to prove herself right, if not anyone
else, at least to herself. She started going through her books trying to find a clue or
something. Suddenly, an envelope fell out of one of her childhood books, A Trip to the
Farm. She picked it up and there was a title on the back, it read, “10 books to read
when I am older.” It was her handwriting. She opened the envelope to reveal a list of
ten books, the ten books she had read in the past ten days, the ten books given to her
by the love of her life. All the books were from when she wanted to read them but was
too young to read them. That’s when it struck her. He was a figment of her imagination,
her inner self calling out to her, telling her about the desires she’d had since her
childhood. She was fascinated for sure but also was heartbroken. She felt stupid for a
moment that she had fallen in love with a guy from her imagination. But she was at least
happy that she found a way to love herself. Soon, she found out how to meet him. Every
time she went to the bookstore and selected a few books, she had to put at least one
down as she couldn’t spend too much money on books, the title would be there in her
head, and whenever she’d come across the book again, she would have him hand it
over to her himself. She knew how to meet him now. And she soon discovered or
should we say, rediscovered herself in his eyes, the two different colors representing her
two worlds. The real one and the best one. In the end, she, herself, was her perfect
match.

Whispering Woods

On the day Sarah returned from college, her father had planned a trip to the hot springs
for the vacation. She went upstairs to freshen up a little and pack things for the trip.
When she came downstairs, she saw that her father was already in the car and was
ready to rock and roll. After that, they started the car, but as soon as they started, a
black cat crossed their path. They ignored it and went ahead with their plan. On the
way, Sarah asked her father,

"Where is this so-called hot spring?"

Her father said that it is located in the mountains known as "Whispering Woods," or so
the people of that area say. She was perplexed as to how a mountain could be named
Whispering Woods. She curiously inquired,

"Is there a specific reason or a background to the name?"

Her father gave her a very long description, but the only thing that piqued her interest
was when he mentioned the rumor of people going missing when they were passing
through the mountain. We ate food and enjoyed our ride to the hot springs. By the time
they reached the foot of the mountain, it was already midnight. When they approached
the foot of the mountain, suddenly fog engulfed them and welcomed them into a new
atmosphere where everything was in the hands of fate. The further they went, the
denser the fog got and the harder it became to navigate. The road was surrounded by
huge trees that were covering the road as moonlight couldn’t even pass through them.
Suddenly, her father said,

"I know a shortcut, but we have to get off-track."

Sarah confirmed with her father that he was confident that it was the right route. He said
that he saw the signboard mentioning the route. As soon as they got off the main road,
the road became more narrow and rough. After going ahead on the narrow road, Sarah
said, with a sigh,

"I think that we are lost."

Her suspicion turned into reality when her father said,

"We are lost."

Due to extreme fog, they couldn’t notice a tree that was in front of them and went
crashing into it. After some time, they recovered from the trauma of the accident, but
their car couldn’t. Sarah’s father decided to go and fetch a mechanic. As he was
departing, he said to Sarah,

"Lock the doors and don’t go out until and unless I have returned."

After saying this, he left. After some time, Sarah started to get scared because the
mountain was too silent. Only the wind gushing was heard. As time passed, she got
worried because her father was getting late. Soon after that, she saw someone
approaching the car, but the fog was too dense to see through. As the person reached
the car, she saw that he was holding something in his hand, and that was her father’s
head. She screamed and locked all the doors of the car, but the man came to the
window side where she was sitting and pulled out the car keys, and showed them to
her.