Travelling is that thing that showers you with impeccable joy, a heavenly solitude. To go to a place, to explore it gives the mind sheer bliss. Its an amazing feeling to feast your eyes upon a snow capped peak, a pink cloudy sky, the vast expanse of a sea or on a dazzling night sky. The scenic roads, deep valleys just compel us to take a peek into our own mind. You begin to discover a different world. And at the same time, you also discover your own self. Feeling perfectly at peace amidst the lush foliage, you begin to marvel upon the fact that you actually live in a life of partial oblivion. The smell of the fresh mountain air, the feel of the wind whipping on you, and the tiny raindrops sliding down your face is a mystical feeling. You realize the gravity, the magnitude of the magic of nature. All melancholy, all sadness just falls apart. Humming your favourite tune, you just want to capture as much as you can in the camera of your mind. A smile plays on your lips as you delve deeper into the magnificence of nature. You begin to envy the creations that spend their life in this perfect place. The pleasant, earthly smell after rains, -petrichor as it is called- just adds to the tranquility of the moment. This is what is called utopia. This is the precise epitome of what you call ethereal. This is like experiencing pure happiness. This is something ineffable. This is like getting lost and being found ’cause this is called the true beauty of life.
Whenever you come across something bizarre but true, your immediate reaction is, “Are you telling the truth?!” Deep in your heart, you know that it is the truth. Yet you find it hard to believe it. Every human lives in his or her own comfort zone.
This comfort zone is his own creation, woven out of dreams and aspirations. It is your own land of cupcakes and rainbows and one is perfectly at peace in this comfort zone. But when you hear something out of the blue, you start questioning its reality. Well, this is human nature. Truth is straight forward and at times harsh as well. Whereas fiction is your own wild imagination. It is rightly said that the truth is a beautiful s well as a terrible thing and hence must be handled with great care. According to human nature, this truth- beautiful or terrible- always comes as a bit of shock, either good or bad.
Hence it is harder to believe as it brings you suddenly to the earth, distancing you from your dream land. Fiction and fantasies are undoubtedly appealing as they are a perfect picture- a heavenly bliss. Whereas the truth is simply the truth. It hits you right onto your face and tells you to accept it without alterations. Many a times, you are unable to adapt to the truth just because you know that it is there and you don’t want it to be there. Result is, you feel strange. But think, if you somehow adjust to this strange feeling and if you start to live the present day, you will get the fantasy of your dreams. Truth is the ultimate gateway to a comfortable life. Hence, one must overcome the strangeness of truth, see its beauty and move forward, thereby accepting it. ~Mugdha Deshpande
I often wonder how come a few short words hold the power to change your outlook. I mean, its like you read something.. anything for that matter- a small quote, a beautiful poem or an inspirational article and it impacts your life more than you realise. You read one sentence, and then its meaning somehow strikes a chord and brings a smile on your face, doesn’t it? You relate it to some circumstance and begin to ponder upon it. There are some articles which are so very relevant to a particular situation in life, that one finds solace in those few sentences. Some words when arranged in a pattern that appeals to the mind of the writer can change the mind of millions of readers. Many great people wrote beautiful sentences and the entire world is cherishing those sentences today. Words coming straight from the heart go straight into hearts. Its nothing short of magic. But what makes this possible? The answer is ‘language’. It is a junction of all the emotions..the bridge between feelings.. Language..it is that thread which binds souls, connects hearts and creates a confluence of minds. ~Mugdha Deshpande
It was late in the night. I was busy reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Straining my eyes in order keep in focus the tiny print, I continued reading. Having no intention whatsoever of going to sleep, I ventured through the pages, on a journey through the mind of a legendary author.. Having embarked upon this journey, I have come to the conclusion that this journey through Rowling’s mind is indeed magical. One can never get down once you climb aboard. I am still travelling, as I discover new layers of life in every book, every time I read it. Harry Potter is a character that has embellished his mark on the minds of countless young readers. Written by a woman of exceptional writing style, Harry Potter is not just a series, but an insight to life. It is the tale of peace over war, of hope over darkness and of love over hate. Though it contains stuff about magic, all that stuff is nowhere close to the magic that J K Rowling has created with words. Her impeccable writing style just enchants each mind. Her apt vocabulary for every situation just hooks the reader onto it. Trust me, but JK Rowling is indeed a magician with words. The story is the perfect epitome of the power of love. Personally, I am more than a fan of Harry Potter. Each character, may it be Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore or Snape personifies something unique. Be it the wise words of Albus Dumbledore, the endless friendship of Ron and Hermione, the selfless love of Molly Weasley, the loyalty of Dobby, the support of Lupin and Sirius or the ‘Constant vigilance!’ of Moody, every character has something unique associated to him or her. Reading in between the lines, one concludes the fact that it does not matter how old or experienced you are to conquer any task. As long as you have the courage to stay put till the end, you are the winner. It is said that fiction reveals the truth that reality obscures. Well, in this context, this statement is more than true. Through Harry Potter, I got introduced to the magic hidden within each one of us and to the power of words. I learnt a lot from JK Rowling and she is a writing inspiration for me. Well, I can really go on and on. But I guess that I should stop for now. Until then..#Always
Stars..they are just tiny pin pricks on a vast stretch of canvas.. And yet..when hundreds of them come together, it is a sight to behold.. They are of every shade, every hue.. Some of them bright, some of them faint.. But each one shines with all its might.. You just look at it and can do nothing but marvel at the stunning sight your eyes feast upon.. A smile plays on your lips as you try to capture this heavenly rapture in the camera of your mind.. The stars help to remind us that we are a part of this beautiful universe, that we can also shine when the time is right.. I really wonder how..but looking at the stars each night makes us think differently.. It helps us to broaden our horizons..to push our limits. And they also teach us countless things in a language of their own..there is so much to learn.. At the end of the day, we are just tiny creatures..just a fraction of the cosmos.. But, you know..there is beauty in being small.. You can learn as much you can.. The cosmos is a dictionary of words written in a language that needs a different outlook to understand.. Every one of us has it, we just need the time to enhance it. At the end of the day..you just need a starry sky for the finale..The perfect sign off for every day. Stars..they do many things.. They compel you to retrospect your own perspective.. They motivate you to shine as per your own free will.. And lastly..they inspire your mind to see something beyond the soul.. #DiscoverTheUniverseWithYourEyes #DiscoverYourselfWithTheEyes OfTheUniverse ~Mugdha Deshpande
The tiger is the hallmark of India. It roams the jungles of this land with pride. The tiger is rightly called as the large hearted gentleman. So let us get a glimpse of this ‘pride of the wild’.
In the jungles of Kanha, the tale began.. On the search of tigers we were an eager group, waiting to get a glimpse of the ruler of the forest. As we travelled deep into the jungle, there was excitement in the air. Our elephant ventured deep in the forest. Suddenly there was movement among the bushes.
After a few heart stopping moments he came into view- the proud tiger sitting in a perfect position amidst the tall grass. I was stunned beyond words. His eyes reflected a quiet aura of pride. The stance in which he was sitting clearly mirrored his command over the surrounding territory. We went closer to him. Our elephant came to a halt just beside him. Then suddenly he looked up- directly into my eyes. A shiver ran down my spine as my eyes literally locked into his. I am sure, I will not forget that gaze ever in life.
Since that encounter, I have had a passion for the tiger. He is really a large hearted gentleman. We are lucky to have the tiger walking on this Indian soil. Yet sadly, some people do not understand his worth. Selfish motives being the prime cause of poaching tigers, the ruler of the forests is indeed facing a huge threat. The cold wind of terror and the footprints of death are approaching tigers fast. We blame the tigers for bursting into human settlements. But truth be told, humans are the ones responsible for this situation. Who asked them to burst into the habitat of tigers? Though the tigers are quite unaware of the motives of these uninvited guests it is not that they are going to keep quiet for long.. Humans either need to stop these activities, else just wait and watch.. Because in the end they are TIGERS..
The Universe
The cosmos is within us.. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the Universe to know itself. -Carl Sagan
The sun was spreading its familiar glow, birds were chirping and the city was awakening. I stood in my window watching this transition. There was solitude in the air, a feeling that today would bring with it something different just as everyday does. Looking at the vast stretch of the Pune suburb before my eyes, my thoughts journeyed far.. Was there any place beyond the Earth that held something similar to ours? Are we alone? And then..the inevitable one- is there life beyond the Earth? I could just ponder. Looking up at the sky, we experience its celestial beauty and no doubt it is vast. In fact it is the biggest creation we have ever known. But what if we broaden our horizon?
Going beyond the earth’s atmosphere, we enter a whole new world. A colossal and majestic world full of wonders. The sky is like a shield for our ‘pale blue dot’. It is a comfort zone, secured and secluded. We do not like to come out of it. And yet we are curious to know what lies out there. I think that we live in a life of partial oblivion. I mean that there are so many things that humans are unheard of. As it is said, we just need to have eyes to see, hearts to feel, a will to know and curiosity to discover. Just for once look up at the stars. I know that it is not going to help you get good admissions, good jobs and stuff like that. But it is essential to remind us that humans are mere puppets in the hands of the universe..
After these thoughts, I came back to Earth and suddenly realised that I had virtually travelled beyond the Earth. A feeling of happiness washed over me. And I can assure you that you too will experience heavenly bliss. Just have the time to discover yourself through the eyes of the Universe and to discover the Universe through your own eyes..
Literary Worms 