Ten years old, Jay wrote this poem during last FIND YOUR VOICE class! creativeHappiness is proud nurturing the voice of tomorrow.
New In School
Writer – Ayush Pratap Age – 14 years, Student of FIND YOUR VOICE by creativeHappiness
It was 1st July and I was new to this school. I had recently shifted to Gurgaon from Meerut and was still getting used to the change. I had left behind all my friends and was lonely in this ‘Millennium City’.
The school was full of children running around and creating a nuisance. The teachers were trying to keep them quiet but with no success. I asked a teacher where Grade IX B was and he pointed to a door down a dimly lit hallway. I walked up to the class and opened the bulky wooden door.
The classroom was jam-packed with about forty students in a room that could only take thirty. I sat down in the second row and realised that everyone was staring at me, including the teacher.
“What’s your name kid?” the teacher asked.
“Ajay, sir” I replied obediently.
“Are you new?” he again inquired.
“Yes sir.” I replied.
I could hear some whispers behind me.
“Alright class, silence” he ordered.
After the many boring classes, the recess started and the class was again filled with noise.
“Hey you, new kid, come here” a boy standing along with his friends called.
“Yes, what do you want?” I asked.
“Where are you from?” he asked me.
“Um… Meerut, in UP” I answered.
I heard laughter everywhere but I didn’t know what was so funny in it.
“Meerut? That village… Ha Ha Ha” he laughed.
I felt embarrassed and humiliated. I felt alone and hurt. Were all Gurgaon children like this? Is this how a new kid is treated? Why was I the one who was bullied?
I had plenty of questions but no one to share them with. I came back home and asked my parents to change my school. As I had expected, they refused without giving it a second thought and I went to bed.
That was my first day of school. I tried really hard to sleep that night but couldn’t. I became restless and needed answers. I slept on the matter and realised that school was not really fun anymore.
Captive
How can I ever forget…
The first time our eyes met…
It was a contact…eye to eye
That went straight to our hearts
And made me a captive…for life!
It’s a prison I love to be in….
With no desire to be released…even for a moment.
It’s the prison of our happiness
Yours and mine together.
Built for each other…since that first glance…
That first contact.
– Sheena Arora
मौन की गूँज
मन मस्त हो तो क्या हैं बोल
शब्द हीन हो हर भाव, हर संकेत अनमोल
अगर हृदय हो शूल चूभा
अश्रू कहें कथा झर झर
और अगर मन हो प्रफुल्लित
तब भी खुशी के आँसू से भर जाए नज़र
नयनो से हो व्यक्त हर बात
भय, संकोच, क्रोध, या प्रमाद
पर सत्य, स्वधर्म पर चले जो वीर
नेत्र उसके उज्जवल, ज्यों स्वच्छ नीर
बाहर के कोलाहल में भी जो
रख सके अंतर के मौन का मान
सुन कर मीठे अनकहे बोल
तेजोमय हो, पाए सम्मान
युग युग से यह मौन की धारा
बहती आती, कहती पल पल
गूँज मौन की बड़ी निराली
चखना है तो, आ संग चल
Nivedita Sharma
My intimate friend
My heart is overflowing with love
for a friend closest to my heart,
When I am sad,
He just utters a symphony of words
that play on me as if I am a musical instrument.
The strings of my heart begin to sing,
my whole being resonates with the music,
Eyes begin to water and
the glacier inside me starts melting.
I start flowing freely like a river.
Mesmerisingly dancing to His tunes,
Oblivious of the world,
I am smiling and dancing,
Smiling and dancing.
– By Meenakshi Chadha
Blue Jeans
You are old, my friends
So old and frayed
You are torn, my friends
Scraped, stained, a-fade
Yet nothing, my friends
Feels as good on me
No nothing, my friends
Feels so comfy
The people they say
Chhi! Throw them away
The people may say
You’re wearing THAT today?
But they just don’t know
All we’ve gone through together
They just don’t know
I’ve dwelt in you forever
Yes forever…
In so many lives you have been
My comfort, my stalwart,
My pair of blue jeans
– Sherebanu Frosh
Rosie
“Oh Rosie, Rosie”, said Amit, pulling himself up. “See what you do to me. Rosie, Rosie, Rosie.”
“Don’t you Rosie, Rosie me!” She said, untangling herself from the heap into which they had just fallen. Barbaric, that is what it was. Every night, for years, she had dealt with drunk stumbling brutes. Every night she smelt their foul breath, cleaned their foul vomit, pulled them off herself or each other. Every bloody night.
She wearily dusted herself off, but Amit wasn’t done yet. “What yaar Rosie, don’t be angry yaar, chalo chalo, kiss and makeup?”
“Sure darling, anytime” she smiled brightly. Keeping the pathetic bevdas happy was her job and Amit, at the end, didn’t tip too badly.
She helped Amit back to his seat, a precarious tall stool at the bar, entirely too unsafe given his state of intoxication. Rahul, the bar owner and tender, scowled at him. “Too much ho gaya now. Leave Rosie alone.”
Rosie raised an eyebrow. Rahul had never displayed any such concern before. Nice surprise, she thought, shrugging and turning back to work.
Amit, however, decided to take offense. “Kyo be? Teri kya lagti hai? Bata bata”. His voice got louder. Gaalis flowed freely. Teri Ma ki… Someone turned off the blaring item number and his incoherent shouting echoed in the dark cellar like room. Heads began to turn.
Rahul angrily stepped out. Rosie, feeling guilty, also stepped up to the bar. That was the last thing she remembered.
When she woke up, she was in a shabby grey hospital room. All alone as far as she could tell. Her head swirled with snatches of dreams, item numbers, neon lights, clinking of whiskey glasses, loud shouts all echoed together with a dull throbbing sound. She realized with a start that the dull throbbing was real. It got louder and louder. She screamed and passed out again.
– By Sherebanu Frosh
Happiness
Ruhin switched off the T.V. She was in no mood to do anything.The sun was shinning bright.It was just 11 o’clock but really difficult to move out.Naresh has just left for office.Dhamm’ – the noise came from kitchen and Lalita came hurriedly-“Didi, this glass is broken. I don’t know how it slipped from my hand.”She was very nervous.I gave smile just to calm her down.Broono, who was just sleeping on floor also start grunting in low voice as if agree with me.
She closed her eyes and lost in her own world.Belonged to highly educated family and a service class,she got married to a business family who was traditional.After doing Govt job for two years,Naresh said one day,”Ruhin, there is no need to do job.What amount do you get?This much we give to our one employee.”She rebelled a lot.But all in vain.As a traditional Indian woman ,she had to quit her job for family sack.
The bell rang.Amit had come to get some paper signed from her.She got up and just like machine she did what was being told .Sun has risen high .It was just 12 o’clock.but she was feeling as if lots of time has gone. “Lalita bring me tea,”she ordered her. She went outside .She stood under the shadow of Ashoka trees and took a long breath. “Am I just these Ashoka trees —just standing and watching.Of no use, no freedom to go ,move and do something.Only to be in house and be there.”-she talked to self. Meantime, mali interrupted her thoughts to ask for money to sharpen the aari ,an instrument.
“Why you don’t go out and do shopping for self.Jiju earn so much ,then you have right to spoil some of it atleast.”laughed Reeta.But I don’t know why I don’t like going out and shopping. There is hardly any charm left .My heart as sinking .”I am nothing.I don’t know the tricks of world.I can’t do anything.”—such thoughts wer rushing in my mind. Ooph such a nervousness.What to do .I dont know.Whom to share all these things.Naresh only say –“Manage your house and kids. That is itself a great job.Take care of your kids.They need you.But what about me.Here I am standing alone among all non livings and becoming still like them.The sinking feeling in the heart is running fast .An uneasy feeling is gripping me hard.I want to cry.oh, cant stand here .I just came inside. Didi take chai –said Lalita. I took the hot sip of tea in the hope to cool down my mind. But the restless still spreading in my blood.I started breathing fast. Nothing interest me –not even talking to kids,Naresh . Only sinking heart and restlessness has become my companion.I hold my head and just start analyzing things again and again with a hope to get a way and live a happy,lively and funny life .Basically I love to talk to people and have lots of masti and fun.Oh God please help me and take me out of this situation.But even God seems to be angry with me.My hands start trembling.”
Didi ,what will be made in lunch—palak mathi or dal? asked Neelam. Kids don’t eat vegetables at all. We want something mast- is what they always say.What a poor cook I am that I can’t satisfy them. Really I can’t do anything.Again something bit me hard from inside.
Is it that I am mad or is it hollowness that overpowering me . I do’t know.I simply can’t understand the relation between money,freedom and happiness——
– By Savita Yadav
Them is what I have missed!
With the crown on my head
And a gait in my walk
I lead my pack
With all I’ve got
Each moment I get
I sit brooding
Missing them both
Will I ever see them?
Morning has dawned
Never so perfect
Did I hear the whispers right?
I speed on…..
Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!
There they are!
They really are!
My heart is overflowing…
With a surge I envelope them
Can I ever get enough of it?
With the jungle at my feet
Them is what I have missed!
– Sheena Arora
I wrote after seeing the clip in which the lion meets the two people who had looked after him as a cub.
THE VOICE - BOLD & BEAUTIFUL 