The Masks

John Blake: When you started, why the mask? .
Bruce Wayne/Batman: To protect the people closest to me.

=The Dark Knight Rises=

Bruce Wayne/Batman: If you're working alone, wear a mask.
Blake: I'm not afraid to be seen standing up to these guys.

Bruce Wayne/Batman: The mask is not for you. It's to protect the people you care about. 

=The Dark Knight Rises=

Everyone of us wears a mask. We hide our vulnerable selves behind the mask to face the ruthless and merciless realities of life. Some hide their true self behind the masks of humour, laughter and smiles ; but the humour is not to make you laugh, the laughter is not because a joke is funny and the smile is not because he is happy! Its all to make them feel comfortable, without revealing their poor lonely and delicate selves to the cold world. The masks - they give you a way to decide how much of yourself, and which parts of yourself, you reveal to the world.

Some wears mask for their own protection. For their own safe-guard. To blend to societies expecations and keep themselves well  in their circle oof colleagues and friends.But the others wears it, as Batman says,  for the protection of people they care. The people you care has a fixed set of beliefs and idealogies about you. And if you reveal you true self, how you truly feel, how you wish to achieve more of something or anything and how vulnerable you are in truth, that might just hurt the persons closest to you. That might just break them. So you wear the mask of the tough guy, with everything achieved and everything under control. Also, if you remove that mask, you opponents may well know your weakness and use it to harm your loved ones.

A sad face behind a happy mask!

Hence masks are important. It protects us. And we have every right to protect ourselves.

But masks are healthy as long as when you realize its just a mask and not your true self. Beyond the mask lies your true self. But, sometimes some people wears the mask for too long or gets too comfortable in a particular mask, they tend to forget that its a mask they are wearing. They confuse reality with 'perception'. Thus, they lose touch of their true self. They end up in a hollowness and a shallowness devoid of happiness, feeling life useless. They become the deceiver and the deceived, the liar in a lie, and soul with uncatered yearning.


So, you need a mean to remove your masks and just be you. Afterall masks shan't be permanent. They are temporary.


Thus, in this masked world, true happiness lies in finding a Special Someone in front of whom you can remove your mask - and lay bare your naked soul with all its flaws and weeknesses in front of her - without any inhibition. Or true happiness lies in having faith and hope that one day you will find that Special Someone at a Special Moment and be with her.

And when you are with that Special Someone, you let your mask slip and let her see the real you behind all the persona, and She takes you as you are with Love. The peace you feel is transcendent, these moments precious. you are stripped naked before another person and feel completely safe. In those moments you become one, you can't ever forget such a person. For it is Pure Love. And it will nourish your soul and flourish you growth.

Its is in front of God and Pure Love you can feel completely safe while completely unmasked! So may God guide us to our Pure Love.

Contentment & Patience!

The Passing Life

What has life brought me,
At this cross-roads what shall I be?
Shall I go right,
Shall I go left.
Shall I go straight,
Or shall I just wait?

What has life taught me,
Will its lesson ever ease me?
Sorrows and Pains,
Joys and gains.
Two sides plain,
of the same old coin.

What does of life mean me,
What shall of my dreams be?
Shall it be crushed,
Shall it be rushed.
Shall it be just,
dreams till I be dust.

And what of life's fleeting time,
What use its to use it to whine,
without wait time do pass,
and so pass many marks on paths,
A ray of hope in the heart
I shall travel in this birth.

A little "soul" on life's journey

Yearning Passion

It has not perished,
It has not vanished,
It is still here, deep in deep,
Feel it - Growing and Growing...

Can I forever lock it,
Can I forever block it,
Can I ignore its strength,
Unsated, it howls and growls.

Like a hunger that never dies,
This passion burns like fire,
I just so wish you are here,
To sate this burning desire.

A beautiful person in Life - Part 2

As I was left in thought, Yousef asked, " Do you know Sura Al-Hamdh?" and before i could answer he chuckled, "Ofcourse you would know, but do you know its meaning?"

I replied, "Yes. I know the meaning of the Surah"

But he went on telling me the meaning. As he reached the sixth verse, "Ihdina alssirata almustaqeem" , he again asked, "Do you know what it means?"

I replied, "Yes, It means "Guide us to the correct path.. that is guide us to Islam."

Then he said, "It means, 'Show us the straight road'.. it doesn't say anything about Islam" 

This puzzled me, so I challenged, " But the Thafsir, interpretation says it means Islam, am I wrong?" 

He replied, "Ofcourse interpretation says that. And its right too. The straighest mos correct path is Islam. And so we are asking Allah to Guide us to that path. So, interpretation by scholar is absolutely right."

He smiled, and then he added, " But a Ayah (verse) has a greater meaning than its interpretation. When you read Quran, you are not reading a narrative nor a history book. Quran is a Live book. When you read Quran, you are communicating with Allah. So the meaning will have a more personal meaning too."

Then he started giving example. He said, "Now when I am driving I dont know which road is better, left or right. In life you dont know which path is good. This decision or that.. So you always ask Allah, " Ihdina alssirata almustaqeem" many times in all your Salahs ( obligatory prayers).We are guided to Islam, MaSha Allah, but we keep on making that prayer many time a day."

That was another gem of an advice I got from Yousef, that day. I pondered on what he had said. And when I deeply looked into the Quran and meaning, I just got in awe with the Glorious Quran. Its a Book alive. It was revealed to Prophet Muhammadh (saw). But it was intended for the Ummah, a gift to each and everyone of us.

When we recite, through it, we are conversing with God. Many verse has a personal feel, a personal meaning you can attach to it. True, there are some incidents of the past, like stories of prophets told in Quran, but on them you can reflect yourself and situation of your life on those stories. 

And some ayah make more sense and are more meaningful when throught through a personal perspective. Like the first Ayah of Surah Kafirun. It says, " Say : You Disbelievers" .. But what disbelievers am I calling to when I am reciting alone at home? Will disbelieving human folks even wait to listen to this? When you put it in the personal context, you immediately know it is referring to Disbelieving Satans (with evil whispers) around you.That whole surah is more meaningful in this context.

Blessed be Yousef. In his brief time with me he gave valuable advise in words and by character. Our encounters may not be lengthy, but he had made my mind more inquisitive and made me more closer to Holy Quran. 

Some people come to life and you meet them just for a few days,but they make an impact on you. And some people you never get to properly meet,  yet have a drastic life changing impact on you.

A good person in life - part 1

"One beautiful person with a beautiful heart and mind is worth more than a thousand put together"

One of the beauty of studying abroad and living in or around university campus is the different types of people around you and the different cultures you are exposed to. I was blessed to study in a University with a health number of foreign students and as such was introduced to a variety of cultures and beliefs. In such an atmosphere, you learn some times by interacting with the people around and some times just by observing them. Such an education by the outside world is more worth and character building than any inside classroom lesson. And there is always atleast one or two guys you will never forget, however few days you had seen them or been with them. And though decades pass, you still  remember them. For me, one such person is Yousef.

Yousef, is a curly haired, well-built Libyan Arab who was ten years older than me. At the time I got introduced to him, he was struggling with a family of his wife and three kids (all below 9 years of age that time), managing with the small stipend he is getting from his sponsor. He was also struggling to finish his thesis on time, with deadline fast approaching. Since he is a senior student in same Faculty of Studies as I am, we had come to know each other. But my Nigerian housemate introduced me to Yousef and asked me to correct the typo mistakes and proofread his thesis - that's how our friendship started.

One reason I remember him is one unforgettable conversation I had with him.

The day before that, I saw Yousef literally running out of faculty to car park, the heavily built person all perspiring and upset. I asked him what was wrong and he replied, "I have to hurry, my youngest son is very sick, have to go hospital.Can't talk now". And he rushed past me.

The next day morning as I was waiting in the bus stop I saw him in his car signalling me to come in. He said he is going to Faculty and so he can drop me to there too. I looked at his eyes and knew he hadn't slept much that night. 

So I asked, " Yousef, how are you?"

He replied,  "Al-hamdhLillahi"

I asked, "So your son is well now?"

He shook his head and said, "No, still fever very high.He has caught dengue fever.He's critical.Admitted in hospital. Doctor says he may go to a coma... But Al-hamdLillahi"

I quizzed, "Al-hamdLillahi??"

He must have seen the puzzled look on my face and said, "Yes Akhee(brother), Al-HamdLillahi. Al-HamdLillahi because he is getting a good treatment in hospital. Al-HamdLillahi because I have this phone and my wife can call me if anything needed. Al-HamdLillahi because i have this car and i can rush if needed. Al-HamdLillahi because my stipend arrived and also my family has sent some money so I can pay fees inSha Allah. Al-HamdLillahi for all the niumah (favours) by Al-HamdLillahi"

Also he added, " don't stop saying Al-HamdLillahi when a bad thing happen. Think of all the good. If you fall, Al-HamdLillahi, if you dont break a leg or arm. If you break a bone, Al-HamdLillahi because you are alive and you can pray or repent.Always AlhamdLillahi and always have Sabr (patience)"

This made me to think. Here is a man, with his 10 months old son with dengue fever critical in hospital,with worries of money and worries of studies. But here is a man who has his Faith and is fast in Praising Allah. Here is a man who could have easily gone into depression or decadency. But here he is looking at every goodness in his life, being optimistic.

What he had just said and his behaviour (being optimistic and courageously facing all obstacle with Faith) had profound affect on me. He was in my life for three months only, but he had helped my character to build. I realised, Life could be lived in two ways ; looking down concentrating in all negativities and going down that pessimistic drain, or looking up at all the positivities and reaching up to heavens with Faith. I resolved, I would chose the latter.

 

The Sparrow I lost grip

Sparrow kiss under full-moon

"Mush un dhoovi ghumree vi fadha ali gamar,
Dhushun edheme adhi saafukoh effahar,
Kushun vevunu kuhthah kuravvaa ma'aaf,
Fushun alhage nudhanees fanaa vevi umur"  

The Sparrow with radiance like the fullmoon, that I lost grip of

How I wish to see you lucidly once more,

(Please) Forgive the mistakes I have done by erring

Before I am ruined and my life ends

Silence and Absence

silence filling the space between two glowing souls

 Silence

“One of the tasks of true friendship is to listen compassionately and creatively to the hidden silences. Often secrets are not revealed in words, they lie concealed in the silence between the words or in the depth of what is unsayable between two people.” ~ John O’Donohue





  Absence

A silent soul in  A fire with passion

"Absence is to Love, what Wind is to Fire.
It extinguishes the small, yet rekindles the great" ~ Comte De Bussy

Friend I Love

Some memories may fade, but some are bound to stay,
And you my friend, I love you
And yours is not a memory,
But a Hope watered by a mysterious fountain

The Dream

The man woke up with a burning passion, a longing desire and a feeling of emptiness. He was woken up by a sudden jolt from a dream - a dream that always touches his heart, mind, body and soul.

Twice before he had this dream, exactly the same way. But those two times were a few months when things are much different in reality than this third time. The subject of his dream has always been in his mind, and so is it sub-conscious playing on him, or is it a Sign from Above, or a distraction by devil? But it can't be the devil cause the man always says his prayers before sleep.

Twice before he had dreamt the same dream, and twice he had woken up at this exact very moment in the dream leaving him wondering an wandering. Its like the Best Director ending the episode in a suspense cliff-hanger, for the man to patiently wait for the next episode.

It wasn't a rather long dream, at least at the woken stage the man remembers it to be rather short. He remembers the subject of his "dreams", the desire of his heart, the girl or rather the Lady he loves sitting all alone and forlorn on a tree log on a beach. The Man can't exactly remember whether its just before dawn or just after dusk, but the skies are dark, but not the darkest of deep night. Some stars twinkle their shiny lights, and some clouds move to obscure it. It was breezy and cold, and wave after wave of the shallow lagoon breaks near her on the beach where she is sitting all alone.

The girl sits there clad in black in the darkness, or is it the blackness of night that makes her appear dressed in black, the Man can't remember. The girl sits there in silence as if counting the innumerous waves, feeling the breeze while engulfed in darkness.The girl sits there waiting in loneliness, as if waiting for someone to lift her solitariness and accompany her for rest of her moments. It's as if she had waited long enough.

Then the Man sees, himself approaching to her from a distance, and a faint smile runs over the beautiful lips of the girl.  The man approaches her, from the beach with shallow waves playing on his bare-foot. He approaches her with intention and a longing look, as if saying "now I am here, don't be alone anymore". The man approaches her closing the distance between them and reaches for, to embrace her to hug her...and she moves towards him...

At that very moment, the cloud obscures the sky lights and darkness between them gets darker.. and at that very moment the Man wakes up with a sudden jolt. He never knew whether he reached the girl, embraced her or even touched her.. The Man woke with an agony at the heart and relentless thoughts in his mind. But he was sure the dream doesn't end there..but just something is waking him up to reality of today...But why is this dream recurrent?

The Dream shall continue..Maybe the Man will see the next part of it, and what it beholds - in dream and in reality.

.

Life's Mockery

It's not that you don't care,
It's not that you don't tries,
It's not that you tell tales to scare
And it's not that you live in a lies.

It's just that some people,
Some people that you really care,
Find it hard to accept certain things,
Certain things that are as they are.

So truth is said with no making up,
And its a good will that you seek,
Its just that they don't understand,
Alas! then this self-hate makes you weak.

See, you have got it all set straight,
However convoluted for some it may see
The people just don't get,
The things that you think and see.

So You poor heart  be in ruthless reality
Mocks the bird's tweets like eternity
You ask, "Is there no moment of serenity
Am i blessed or cursed in this sanity".

 

It's Always Summer Under the Sea

This Song striked a cord within me.

The song below is from Game of Throne Series (Season 3, Episode 5). It may seem a silly song at first. But when you dig into the depth, it just seems wishful longing of a child for a change. A child confined to undesired, harsh and cruel realities which she so wishes to change. But the childish wishes come true under the sea - where there is no means and no ways the child can live. And still the shadows come to stay..Sad indeed.

She believes in her wishes(although how unreal it seems), thats why she says " i know, i know". And she knows the price she has to pay for it to come true, thats why she says  "oh oh oh".

[note : the song may mean prophecies of things to come in the whole GoT seasons, but i have intrepreted from the child's perspective, maybe 'cos i am like Shereen B. trapped in a reality which i wish isn't ;)]



It's always summer, under the sea
I know, I know, oh, oh, oh

The birds have scales, and the fish take wing
I know, I know, oh oh oh

The rain is dry, and the snow falls up
I know, I know, oh, oh, oh

The stones crack open, the water burns
The shadows come to dance, my lord

The shadows come to play
The shadows come to dance, my lord

The shadows come to stay...

Retrospect

My heart whispered to me :

When you try so hard to be perfect,
And you fall right throught the cracks,
When you try to hide pain and its impact,
But tears keep leaving the tracks.

When you try to make your feelings unheard,
And you so very nearly succeed,
When you try so hard to hold your heart,
To stifle the painful ache and need.

The world is cold, its a cruel place,
And you have no one but yourself,
You're just a page in an ancient book
On a lonely, dusty shelf.

People may look, but always they pursue,
The thing that they wants to see,
So they may hear your voice, its true,
But they won't hear your wounded plea

You have to understand most of people,
With their pre-judged ways and acceptations,
They'll attempt to mould you feeble,
To their flawed perceptions  and expectations..

So while your soul shatters and riles,
And your heart gets doubly broken,
You'll hide behind a facade of smiles
And of words that are happily spoken.