Musings 2020

 

Musings 2020 
 

 

 

Published by 

Department of Humanities and Social Sciences,  

 BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus  

 

 

Musings 2020 

an anthology of poems, short stories, 
one-act plays and paintings 
 

Chief Advisor: Prof Sanjiv Kumar 
Choudhary 

Advisory Committee: Department of 
Humanities and Social Sciences 

 
Editor: Prof Devika 
Co-editor: Prof Kumar Neeraj Sachdev 
Student Editor: Mr Yogya Modi 

 

Department of Humanities and Social Sciences,  
BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus 
2020 

2 

 

Dedication 
 
 

To all the students whose entries 
could not be accommodated in this 
collection   

3 

 

Preface 

Creativity  is  not  an  ability;  it  is  a  passion  –  a  passion  that  keeps  itself  alive  and 
kicking,  thriving  at  its  own  command  and  with  its  own  grace. Every time whenever 
there  are  bigger  and  complicated  interventions,  it  grows  and  takes  a  shape 
simultaneously  awe  inspiring  and  awe  inducing.  During  this  sudden  turn  of  events, 
our  endeavour  also  got  influenced  by  delay  and  further  delay,  sometimes  with 
explicable and sometimes with an inexplicable development.  

The unflinching conviction of Prof Sanjiv Kumar Choudhary made an attempt for the 
revival of this legacy of the Humanities and Social Sciences Department, an initiative 
taken by Prof Sangeeta Sharma under the aegis of Prof Meenakshi Raman. After that 
this creative act kept blossoming in the hands of other mentors. Sudden changes in the 
system put a brief recess to it but only to bring it back with the same nostalgic fervour. 
The  administrative  dignitaries  had  always  been  supportive  and  appreciative.  At  the 
department level, the whole set of faculty had been contributing in their own ways.  

The  department  wishes  to  acknowledge  the  support  and  encouragement  of  the  vice 
chancellor  Prof  Souvik  Bhattacharyya,  the  director  Prof  Sudhirkumar  Barai,  dean 
administration Prof SK Verma, dean AUGSD Prof AP Singh and all other officials of 
BITS  Pilani,  Pilani  campus.  On  a  personal  note,  I  am  extremely  indebted  to  all  the 
faculty  members  of  HSS  department  not  only for their creative and critical feedback 
but  also  their  support  in  all  possible  ways.  Experts  from  myriad  areas  with  their 
individually  distinct  insight  could  add  only  a flavor that when savoured takes one to 
the another world probably never experienced before.   

The contribution of students also deserves special mention, specifically Ms Punita Raj 
and  Mr  Abhijith  Venugopal  who  helped  me  assimilate,  sort, and browse through the 
entries  along  with  running  other  errands.  Special  thanks  are  due  to  Mr  Yogya Modi 
who agreed to put the data into soft copy at the last moment when he himself was hard 
pressed  for  his  own assignments, presentations, tests and what not. Sincere thanks to 
all the contributors who made this happen; they were given the liberty to work on the 
ideas of their own choice.  

No  one  deserves  less  than  perfect  –  we  hope to provide the readers with entries that 
wield the charm to delight their aesthetic taste.  

Devika 

4 

 

  Table of Contents  10 
11 
Poems    13 

  15 
16 
Maps and Dreams  Dr. Rishikesh Vaidya  17 
That Library Bookmark of 1971  Dr. Rupam Goswami  18 
19 
Roaming for Hours on the BITS Roads  Sachin Kumar Sharma  21 
whether at Night or in the Early Morning  23 
24 
The Mountain’s Girl  Adil Khan  25 
26 
And There She Stood...  Prachi Jha  27 
28 
Smiles and cries  Sashakt Tripathi  30 
32 
Cityscape  Mukkamala Venkat Sai Ram  33 
34 
Star Stories  Akash Palrecha  35 
36 
A Simpler Life  Roshan Roy  37 
38 
Unforgettable  Chandra Prakash  39 
40 
A Song for my Love  Rajeev Singh Naruka  41 
42 
Adieu Ma Cherie  Sarkar Bharat A Waresh  43 

The Last Step  Swastik Mohanty  45 
48 
Breakage/ Mania  Aneri Jain  49 
50 
Chronology  Riddhesh Tiwaskar 
5 
Cold Love  Hrishikesh Chandrayan 

Dark Visceral  Prateek sharma 

Loss  Madhumitha Muralidharan 

Rain of Terror  Avani Sharma 

Under the Fold  Aakash Shah 

Soulmates  Kirti Sharma 

Seasons  Jayanth Tummalapenta 

Believe!  Adhithya Rokhith 

Crimson Creek  G Sundar 

Listen  Shubham Saxena 

Remembrance  U Aswathy 

Red  Avanti Sontakke 

What if those Thoughts to be Inanimate,  Isha Dogra 
had Unfathomable Feelings Innate? 

Greyscale  Srujana Niranjan 

Massacre  Yash Bhagat 

Love  Narendra Maheshwari 

Not Love    51 
Those who Cared to Marvel  52 
Ask Yourself  Ananya Singh  53 
Far and Farther  Smit Vadalia  54 
Life  Shivam Soni  55 
Life of a boat  Lakshay Nagpal  56 
Left Alone  Sikawat Pawankumar  57 
Brushing her Hair  Shivam Agarwal  58 
Hail the Power Called Woman!!  Atharva Patil  59 
The Heavenly Tracks of Dawn  Surya Lehar Yechuri  60 
The Babyish Fame  Raunaq Jiandani  61 
Song of the Kingdom of my Heart  Hridyanshu Singhal  62 
A Kite in the Storm  Ishita Das  63 
Face with One Eye  Pranav Dinesh Kumar  64 
Her  Kamal Khemka  65 
Do Old Birds Dream of a Paradise?  Aditya Upadhyay  66 
Thank you Cooper  Burhan Boxwalla  67 
Happiness  Kumar Utkarsh  69 
Until that Day  Arya Bhattacharyya  70 
The 2 AM  Neha Maheshwari  71 
The Last String  Anshul Khatkar  72 
A Bad Dream  Medha Bhat  73 
Me and my Shadow  Swadesh Vaibhav  74 
Winter Waters  Pradeep Saini  75 
Silhouette  Sayeed Ahmed  77 
The Spark  Raj Sanjay Shah  78 
Sun that left the surface of Ocean  Challapilla Satya Praneet  79 
Summer Rain  Siddhant Khandelwal  81 
The Final Exit  Yash Sarawgi  82 
Teenage Dreams  Devesh Todarwal  83 
The Day  Swati Taparia  84 
The Heavy Backpack  Shaily Bhatt  85 
The Last Poem  Sharang  86 
Time  Jivat Neet  87 
Tired of Hoping…  Ishan Mangotra  88 
Tomorrow is Going to be a New Day  Aditya Ramachandran  89 
Trapped Within  Anirudh Garg  90 
Ashutosh Bhatt 
Jai Vashishtha  6 

 

The Love of her Life  Divya Kapur  91 
Mom…. You Knew It  Vedant Parwal  92 
Mysterious and Magical  Devansh Kamodia  93 
An Ode for A Note  Keshav Kumar  94 
I Deserve  Harshit Shrivastava  95 
Monsters  Kanishk Singh Raghav  96 
Before He Sleeps Tomorrow  N.C.Saketh  98 
Musings of a Watchman  Nisarg Vora  99 
A-live thought  Mankrit Singh  100 
He came!  Rakshit Mishra  101 
Lament  Avadh Harkishanka  103 
Transience  Durjai Sethi  104 
In a way, the world has never known  Anonymous  105 
ऐ रे साथी, सनु रे, ज़रा ठहर, पहर एक या दो पल, सही  Saiyedul Islam  107 
न ही पिरयां कोई अ सरा से कम है या  Manraj Singh Bhatia  109 
पतझड़ म प े जब िगरते होगं  े Digvijay Bansal  110 
थोड़ा, सहम जाता हूंॅ म  Sachin Kumar Sharma  111 
म सो जर, म और मरे ा दो त  Kartik Patil  112 
काश के   Mayank Verma  113 

Short Stories    115 
116 
It Never Came  Jivat Neet and Aditya Ramachandran  119 
Follow your heart  Sashakt Tripathi  120 
Where is Hari?  Venkat Sai Ram Mukkamala  123 
A Rebellious Conversation  Akash Palrecha  126 
Back to the present  Kanishk Singh Raghav  128 
The Hell and The Heaven  Aditya Upadhyay and Kamal Khemka  132 
The Wordless Friendship  Anshul Khatkar 
Prateek Sharma and Todarwal Devesh  135 
Oh Shit!  Santosh  138 
Chandra Prakash and Dimple  139 
Flowers  Aakash Shah  143 
Kryptonite  Jayanth Tummalapenta and U Aswathy 
Nightingale  Abhiram Manoj and Madhumitha  146 
Muralidharan  149 
What a Day!  Avanti Sontakke and Tanya Syag  153 
Shaily Bhatt  159 
Turning Tables  Ashutosh Bhatt and Anirudh Garg 
Walking Back with Death  7 
Going Home 

 

Just Another Boy  Swastik Mohanty  161 
Never Lose Hope  Narendra Maheshwari  163 
Omen!  Devesh Todarwal  165 
A Position to Bargain  Vedant Parwal  168 
Red with a Tinge of Orange  G Sundar and Atharva Patil  169 
Satya’s Dream  Hrishikesh Chandrayan  172 
Beyond the first Years  Shivam Soni  174 
The Epicenter  Hridyanshu Singhal and Raunaq Jiandani  176 
Heartbroken  Neha Maheshwari  179 
The Escape  Siddhant Khandelwal  181 
Remembrances of the Past  Pradeep Saini  185 
Arthur, from 2059  Surya Lehar Yechuri  186 
That Menacing Smile  Devansh Kamodia Smit Vadalia  188 
The Walkman  Kumar Utkarsh  190 
Sayeed Ahmed, Raj Sanjay Shah and 
A Sweet Encounter  Burhan Boxwalla  192 
Avani Sharma and Kirti Sharma  194 
My Funeral  Sharang Sharma  196 
Stairs?  Shivam Agarwal, Swadesh Vaibhav and 
Ishan Mangotra  198 
“Ohh!!”  Srujana Niranjan  199 
Swati Taparia and Damanjot Singh  202 
The Escape Room  Aneri Jain and Riddesh Tiwaskar  204 
Adventure of a Lifetime  Challapilla Satya Praneet and Lakshay 
The Curious Case of Benjamin’s Button  Nagpal  208 
Rajeev Singh Naruka, Sarkar Bharat A 
The Great Divide  Waresh and Yash Bhagat  210 
Divya Kapur  212 
The Pact  Pranav Dinesh Kumar and Roshan Roy  216 

The Story  Yatharth Gairola  219 
Zakhir the Purist, Company to the Dead  221 
The Man who Saved 15 and Inspired  Jai Vashishtha  223 
Millions  Esha Pahwa 
Phasing Dreams  228 
Summer   
229 
One-Act Plays  Aakash Shah, Avani Sharma, Kirti Sharma, 
Srujana Niranjan and Vedant Parwal  234 
Troubled Waters  Avanti Sontakke, Tanya Syag and Chandra 
Prakash Joshi 
The Will 

8 

 

Honour & Ivory  Aditya Upadhyay, Devesh Todarwal, Kamal  240 
Khemka, Prateek Sharma and Riddhesh  246 
The Puppet Master  Tiwaskar  249 
The Oreo Baby  Rajeev Singh Naruka, Sarkar Bharat A  252 
Aishwarya and Arnav in the Pub  Waresh, Yash Bhagat and Sharang Sharma 
Atharva Patil, G Sundar, Lakshay Nagpal  254 
Stage Fright  and Satya Praneet 
Devansh Kamodia, Smit Vadalia, K  258 
Happily Married  Gyandeep and Shourya Sai  264 
Pranav Dinesh Kumar, Jayanth  267 
A Mother’s Love  Tummalapenta, Roshan Roy, Akash  274 
God knows how long this will go on!  Palrecha and U Aswathy 
Every Man for Himself  Jivat Neet, Aditya Ramachandran,  278 
Shubham Saxena, Siddhant Khandelwal  281 
A life, long lived!  and Jai Vashishtha 
Anirudh Garg, Venkat Sairam M., Ashutosh  284 
Valyrian Swords.  Bhatt, Swastik and Kanish  287 
Hridyanshu Singhal, Raunak Jiandavi, 
I wish I had known your name at least…  Anshul Khatkar and Arya Bhattacharya 
Sayeed Ahmed, Aneri Jain, Raj Sanjay 
Elliot and Tada  Shah, Hrishikesh and Burhan Boxwalla 
  Kumar Utkarsh, Harshit Shrivastava, Pawan 
Sikawat, Neha Maheshwari and Shaily 
  Bhatt 
Shivam Agarwal, Ishan Mangotra, Swadesh 
  Vaibhav and Narendra Maheshwari 
  Ananya Singh, Divya Kapur, Madhumitha 
Muralidharan, Abhiram Manoj and Baani 
Ajmani 
Damanjot Singh, Surya Lehar Yechuri, 
Keshav Kumar and Swati Taparia 

 

 
  

9 

 

Poems 

10 

  1 

Maps and Dreams  11 

Dr. Rishikesh Vaidya 
 

Not too long ago 
I was a child. 

Like a stream I ran wild 
Unmindful of east or west 
Chasing meandering curiosities. 

 
Afloat in the boat of here and now 

Freebies of lush meadows 
Of infinite azure of summer 
And the splash of vermilion 

on the distant horizon 
Were all goodies life promised. 

Too good to be true. 
 

Too good to be true it was. 
 

It all came to a grinding halt. 
The conveyor belt of life 

Threw the child in the basket of boyhood 
Unscathed --or so I thought. 
 

They were standing right there to guide me 
From the unknown sleepy purposeless by-lanes 

To the glitter of dazzling high ways. 
It was then they sold me a dream 
And handed me a map. 
 
With a backpack stuffed with past 

And eyes on a summit I was supposed to see 
I was good to go. 

No, I was not alone. 
We all dotted the crowd hoping 
Someone must be dotting the i’s 

And crossing the t’s. 
 

Time my friend is a strange machine 
It sucks in all kinds of animals 

Cats and dogs and insects and flies 
And whales and sharks and kangaroos 

And spits them all painted same. 
Uncannily similar in obsessions and ambitions 

Willing slaves of beeping notifications 
Available everywhere all the time 

For anything that is anybody's fantasy 

 

Good bad and the ugliest. 
 

But this my friend is hardly the full story. 
There were whales and sharks 
And cats and dogs 
Though few and far apart 

Who never deserted the boat of here and now. 
Free from the backpacks of past 

And from obsessions of borrowed summits 
Roaming empty sleepy unknown by-lanes 

They barked aloud to themselves 
And in time became 

Their most beautiful selves. 
 

Your dream is where you discover yourself. 
Your road-map, a journey within. 

Maps and dreams are your labours of love. 
Your carte blanche 

To reinvent yourself a million times 
If you must. 
 

Own your dreams. Build your maps. 
You have but one life. 
Make it count. 
  

12 

 

That Library Bookmark of 1971 

[Dedicated to everyone back in the ’70s.] 
Dr. Rupam Goswami 
 
December 5, 1971. 

Longewala, Rajasthan, India. 
O’ Moon of the distant East, 
I can hear not your silent complaints! 
A week since your last letter and 
I can only long more of your bangles’ clinks! 

 
You must know. 
I can rhyme in Urdu now! 
(Thanks to a bunker mate) 
Your songs ring in my ears… 
the ones you sang 
at your cousin’s wedding 
on that wintry night… 
The December fog veiled the stars 
or was it the January fervour? 

 
There’s cruelty all around, Fatima! 

I wish they simply end now! 
Mothers and wives bleed, 
and houses burnt to ash. 
Fear is a currency 
and I see no humanity. 

Alas! I can fire just one gun! 
The soil call for a final fight 

which I shall not deny 
for more than the war we fight, 
it is a question of acting right! 

 
You must weep not, Fatima. 
I shall be beside you by the summers. 
Together shall we recite in Urdu 
from the book that had first bound us… 
that book I had stolen from our college library. 
In my bunker, I have it still. 
It carries that ugly but sweet bookmark 
On the withered page, sixty-seven, 
where rests our favourite lines: 
“The world shall die one morning, 
and we shall still be together!” 
 

 

13 

 

  

14 

 

Roaming for Hours on the BITS Roads whether at Night or in the 
Early Morning 

Sachin Kumar Sharma 2017H1120232P 
 

these long roads 
with hussy me walking around with some hopes 

sometimes shatters sometimes glitters 
these long roads curving like a snake 

with each parts a different Jake 
just roam around these roads 
for hours in the morning and night loads 
every time there is some sense special 
that moment missing without denial 
so much to cover, so much to hover 
feeling of leaving this gets over 

ohh these long roads 
now it’s time to leave them with sad Pharisee 

this feeling of sadness already reprise 
but truth of life is that time tickles 

along with it, memories started to sickles 
begging time to slow down like a trickles 

these long roads 

 

15 

 

The Mountain’s Girl 

Adil Khan 2016A4PS0221P 
 

The girl lived up on the mountain top. 
Her hut hid in those dark green trees, 
Where rabbits dwell, and frogs do hop, 
And songs are sung by humming bees. 

 
Her cheeks, untouched, and apple red. 

Her eyes, brown, pretty, hazelnut. 
Her hair, as soft as feather bed, 

And brown, as brown as her little hut. 
 

She'd wake up and run out to play, 
With squirrels, kittens, birds and does. 
Their ground was golden fields of hay, 
And dew would shine on buds of rose. 

 
She lived where no man would tread. 
The wood her friend. Her family, the wood. 

Nature, the only book she read. 
And learnt from her all she could. 

 
The vernal wood, her only sir. 
Her only school, her kingdom too. 
The chiding stream would talk to her, 
As it shone in fifty shades of blue. 

 
And she'd sit down to play her flute. 
The whistling wind, the bees that moan, 
The chirping birds, would all turn mute. 
Lonely was her song, she sang alone. 

  

16 

 

And There She Stood... 

Prachi Jha 2018A5PS1001P 
 

And there she stood, 
The one who had always sought solitude over the worldly glimpses of shimmering lavishes. 

She desired a place all for herself, with no life, only an atmosphere she so deserved. 
 

Autumn leaves fell upon her feet and she, still feeling the warmth of those lifeless, fallen, 
dejected beauties, breathed an air of similarity. For we had always heard of brightness, life 
and happiness as signs of beauty in life. And she, found joy amidst her timid nature. She 
found happiness standing near the balcony you see, watching people surpass the doors she 
always kept locked for herself. She found peace in what we fear to see and chose her dignity 

as the top priority. 
 

For it was her, life in itself, with a world no one else knew of. The world she lived in was 
near, but so far we could not see, nor hear, nor feel. But it was somewhere near, that she lived 

in every day, every moment, amongst us. 
 

For it was she, who taught me, what real peace and happiness could be. It is not always being 
in company of those we already know, or even try to know. But it is knowing oneself as a 

whole and hence, getting to meet the world's most wonderful person residing within, the one 
we never try to know actually. 

And with this, she gave self-introspection an whole new meaning, and herself, a whole new 
life... 

 
  

17 

 

Smiles and cries 

Sashakt Tripathi 2017A7PS0051P 
 

Lovely people all around, 
Lovelier souls lost and found. 
At cheap prices being sold and bought, 
Hearts which were once long sought. 
Someone is meant for everyone they say, 
But alone you must face the obstacles on the way. 
The reckless emotions, the untold fear, 
Make the hurt and hate crystal clear. 

Yet no one notices the fact, 
That everyone’s lonely despite best friends intact. 

When hurt envelopes the loving heart, 
And the closeness is taken apart. 
Crying eyes behind every smile, 
Broken pieces of heart fragile, 

Never repaired are the hearts which are broken, 
Yet people express a fake love token. 
Broken hearts should not be seen, 
For the world laughs at what has been. 

But there is one exception that will console you, 
For that one person cries behind his own smiles too. 

 
  

18 

 

Cityscape 

Mukkamala Venkat Sai Ram 2017A7PS0133P 
 

the great cloud-whale 
wanders idly through the blue mid-winter sky 

gazing at the silent city. 
 

fading yellow school buses 
cut through restless streets 
and grumbling traffic lights, 
plucking out fine stitches 
of this vehicle embroidered city, 

one by one, 
like a countdown. 

 
a curious kitten peeks quietly from behind 
the tall sack of fresh green lemons, uncannily perfect, 
at clamouring people: unpracticed smiles, 

meaningless sweet-flowing words, 
clicking their tongues in the ever-flowing rhythm of 

‘sweet oranges! two for ten!’ echoing faintly 
over a hundred, four hundred distant voices, 
and the hovering cold tinkling of polished new coins; 

a sunburnt breeze breathes deeply 
with the flaking, blue tarpaulin roof, 
unnoticed, like innocence, painting the marketplace 

in light sunlit dust. 
 

golden-winged kites circle high in slow motion 
above asphalt roads- burning, melting 
into hushed murmurs of late afternoons. 
paint crumbles off cemented walls 
into stray winds in surrender 
to oversized names and brand new 
windless elevators; grey pigeons 

now ventilate a dozen flights of lonely stairs; 
rusted railings chuckle and sigh 
when grandmotherly grumbles 

about “this generation” and “back in my days” 
 

echo down the corridors, 
a sweet breeze of homely spices 
and faint clinking from the curtained kitchen 
spill over the oil-stained window sill. 

 
cracks that spread like veins 
along tall ancient fortress walls 
that watch over their timeless city, 

19 

 
smoulder like charcoal in the sunset; 

they cradle their dear cloud whale 
and the winking evening star 

each time they fall apart over the city. 
 

the golden moon 
floats into the starry mid-winter sky 

gazing at the silent city… 
 
  

20 

 

Star Stories  

Akash Palrecha 2017B4A30559P 
 

A cosmic solace, 
is what I seek, 

in an abandoned star, 
Above the creek, 

that runs its course, 
through stranger lands, 

of hidden treasures, 
and forgotten sands. 

 
Sands that by, 
some happenstance, 
missed Civilization's 
curious glance. 
and thus virgin, 
golden and bare, 
they still may have 
secrets to share. 

 
Secrets that are 
whispered from afar, 
To the fading moon, 
or a shining star, 
and thus we have, 
constellations above, 
knowing something of loss, 
and something of love. 

 
So you will hear, 
the Orion* say, 
"Love is always, 
a long way away. " 
and I know in my heart, 

It is not a lie, 
Forever he's been chasing it 

across the sky. 
 

But I guess, 
Seeking a cosmic solace, 

would be wrong, 
For stars are not, 
where I belong. 
something about me, 

tells me so, 
 

For I am a stray bird; 

21 

 
and stray birds like me, 

have nowhere to go. 
 

  

22 

 

A Simpler Life 

Roshan Roy 2017A7PS1172P 
 

I wish life was simpler 
A great big battle of light and dark 
Of fires and beasts and holy grails 
Wars, and kings, and men of faith. 

 
But no, that's not what we got 
Chains, these chains are all around 
The dreary responsibility, the needless aspirations 
This endless cycle of want and get. 

 
We wish to leave these bonds 
Run to a world with bigger things 
Where thoughts are clearer and minds are free 
Where fishermen fish, and thinkers think. 

 
We wish we had the courage 

The daring to let us pass 
This gate, built by Tartarus 
To the lands where no bonds gnaw. 

 
But no, that's not what we got 
Chains, these chains are all around 
The dreary responsibility, the needless aspirations 
This endless cycle of want and get. 

 
Oh, what will happen if you don't win? 
To the others, the ones who dream your dreams 

You must win, oh you must 
That's what matters, you see, winning is a must. 

 
We look at the lands of freedom - we see it everyday 

In the moving frames, the letter blocks, 
They are there - we look at them 
These lives of earnest living. 
 
I wish life was simpler 
A great big battle of light and dark 
Of fires and beasts and holy grails 
Wars, and kings, and men of faith. 
 
But no, that's not what we got 
Chains, these chains are all around 

The dreary responsibility, the needless aspirations 
This endless cycle of want and get. 

23 

 

Unforgettable 

Chandra Prakash 2017A2PS0910P 
 

My hand in your hand 
That you got me to school 

Why do you cry 
When I cry 
Don’t you cry 

Troubles that I’ve caused you 
Am I as yet adorable to you 

My sleepless nights 
That you ease me 

Ask me if I ate 
Have you 

Don’t you worry 
It’s a beautiful life 
You’ve given me 

 
Chocolate 

 
I have a memory 
Of a chocolate 
That someone gave me 
It fills my heart like dancing 
Not that every day is the same 
I reminisce and I long 
I feel sorry for myself 
But it is mere time 
They gave me their love 
That was just a chocolate 

 
  

24 

 

A Song for my Love 

Rajeev Singh Naruka 2017A7PS0010P 
 

Long long ago, when the winters reigned, 
Sand was ice and breathes were mist, 
Lived a king, tall and brave, 
Unknown love and the moonlight tryst. 

Time was frozen and his world stood in abyss 
But the night then spread, from woods to the old towns 

Darkest and coldest, the old lords had ever seen. 
Corn-silk froze and flew as the winds howled 
Hearths were cold and wolves growled. 
The King was not ready for the storm to come 
A thousand fires, but the keep was no warm. 

The King loved a lowborn and the reason was suffice 
Rebellion was set with the roll of a dice. 
The bravest fighters in the three kingdoms, 

Bought with the silvers and the stories they spun, 
Rebels marched onto the keep of the Royals. 
Few brave loyals marched with their king, 
A pride of lions to fight the wolves. 
They marched in glory, no fear in their eyes 
The end they knew; heads were held high. 

The great battle of the Keep, the old master says 
Lasted twenty-one nights and twenty-one days. 
The King was defeated and chained in the darkest dungeon. 
His love remembered their tryst lying lifeless with eyes wide open 
The King never drank a drop of water all along, 
For a week he sang the beautiest of all songs, 

For his warm love in the coldest of nights. 
He smiled and cried, a sorry sight. 

And then the dungeon made no sound. 
For the years and years to come around. 
The rebel king could never live in the castle Red, 
Stones were cold and the blazing wood sung the same song, 
His kingdom failed and his health went wrong. 
The Old One says, The King still sings in the high halls, 
The keep waits for his love before it falls. 

  

25 

 

Adieu Ma Cherie 

Sarkar Bharat A Waresh 2017A7PS0087P 
 

Sound of the mindless filled the room of mourners 
The high priest murmured arcane words and cryptic actions 

There She laid, lifeless on the cold stone, 
In the palace where her crown once shone. 
Not a single eye without the pain, cried the heaven in the coldest rain. 
Once the life of every ballroom, charmed with her grace 
Living life on her terms with her honesty and innocence 
A single bee lost her way into this room, come maybe to pay obeisance 
Dressed in death in finery, the mourners stood frozen in the abbey, 
The rains lashed heavily as she stepped out for her final journey 
Asphalt on the wet road will miss her wild abandonment in every parade 
Soon the last of the prayers rent the air heavy with despair 
Flames from the already burning pyres threw heat at the families standing by 
Stray dogs with vermilion marks across their forehead mingled with the mourners 
Crows sheltering from the pouring rains cawed their grief in unison 
Heavy steel gates swung open and the sight of the heated furnace seared us all 
A stately figure in sparkling bright robes seemed so lonely as sobs raked his frame 
Holding his daughter close to him he watched helplessly in grief 
As images of their life together played deep within his mind’s screen 
As life’s long and winding highways lay ahead without his constant companion 

 

26 

 

The Last Step 

Swastik Mohanty 2017A8PS0282P 
 

There was a time I stood at the bottom, counting stairs, 
Now I’m almost at the top, 

Throughout my journey I was looked down upon by several stares, 
But they couldn’t make me stop, 
 
Like a virus I stuck to my cause, 
Never ever did I take a long pause, 

Blindly believing in my brain and body, 
All the haters suddenly became nobody, 

 
Then why is it that even after surviving hell, 

Do I hesitate to step into the heavens, 
Why am I at sixes and sevens, 

When all that is left is just to take the last step 
 
  

27 

 

Breakage/ Mania 

Aneri Jain 2017B4A30759P 
 

The breeze blew the blue silent 
Fate forewarned the new assailant 
Mania conquered the boy young 
Once vibrant and now unstrung. 

 
Breaking away bit by bit 
Falling down an endless pit 
Numb- so numb he can’t feel 
That it’s his skin that's being peeled. 

 
So dazed and confused he fused 
This new darkness in his bruise  
Rage and control he craved some more 
In grief and pain it's himself he tore. 

 
War was peace and peace was war 
He fought and burnt away his core 

Tearing and ripping until no life 
He saw his hand move 'tward a knife. 

The maniac-  
He expressed so less 
Devoid of a simple caress 
So stress and stress then broke his will 
Devout demonic devour digressed in self- kill. 

 
So the end was it? The last fit? 
The floor of this devilish pit? 
So weak was he? To not be free? 
To go on a self-killing spree? 

 
We joy, enjoy the careless mess 
Swim in a world that wouldn’t care less 
The strong we think wouldn’t fall in a sink 
The weak and fallen would rot and stink 

 
'Fool' you say yet fool you are 
A man he fell before he flew far 

A life ended alone in vain 
Yet you don’t mean to share the pain. 

 
You-  
yes, YOU ignored this disease. 
Every day he must’ve begged please 
To let him go and grow and glow 
To see another new tomorrow. 

28 

 

 
The blood, it flows on your hand. 

Why alone you let him stand? 
Why you broke the broken bone? 
Alone who dimmed before he shone? 

 
....and the maniacal laughter echoed through the once vibrant mind. 

 
 
 

-Thummala V V Satya Saran 
 
  

29 

 

Chronology 

Riddhesh Tiwaskar 2017B4A30537P 
 

Each century comes and passes by, 
Humanity hopes against oblivion 
Countless years have passed alright 
There is no reason for the end to be nigh 

 
Each decade comes and passes by, 
The world around has grown so much 
“And with the world have grown I” 
With sleepless nights of work and missing a lullaby 

 
Each year comes and passes by, 
As we work harder and strive 

No time to lay or loiter 
Must get paid to survive 

 
Each month comes and passes by, 
Now with some hopes shattered 

“I got what I deserve” 
Say some with delight, some with a sigh 

 
Each fortnight comes and passes by, 
There is still time to get what you seek 

After all, since your promise, 
It’s only been a week! 
 

Each week comes and passes by, 
As we seek out what they need 
Towards a goal we must work 
Must start now in order to succeed 

 
Each day comes and passes by, 

As all step into the future 
It's now time to rise and shine 
The sun’s up high and we have no time to whine 

 
Each hour comes and passes by 

As all set their aims high 
“Hard work is the key to a future very bright” 

Towards a goal all set their sight 
 

Each minute comes and passes by 
As we dream of the far-sighted glory 

Plan ahead move ahead 
Is all that you need to worry 

 

30 

 
Each second comes and passes by 
We don't know what, when or why 

Fate may render you useless 
But the power to 'how' is left for you to try 

 
Finally, each life comes and passes by, 

As we wonder about its legacy 
It's was never about his kin or creed 

But just about what he did. 
 
 
 
 
  

31 

 

 Cold Love

Hrishikesh Chandrayan 2017A1PS0665P 
 

Nothing seems to differ 
She stares into my eyes 
Peeping into my soul 
My heart skips a beat 

But not out of love 
 

Nothing seems to differ 
That expression on her face 

Wanting me to speak 
Clawing up my throat 

Choking stutters 
 

Nothing seems to differ 
I would still not blink 
When I look at her eyes 
She sits stiff and still 
Just as her heartbeats 

 
Nothing seems to differ 
Wearing ruby necklace 
Cold she is, so she looks 
Still shiver before I speak 
A shiver down my spine 

 
Nothing seems to differ 
Even today I dint speak 
Even today I flinched 
Now I have an excuse 
Death proposed and she said a "yes". 

  

32 

 

Dark Visceral 

Prateek sharma 2017B5A20711P 
 

Flawless hues pour into the room 
They let me know I'm in a costume 

Stitched by the unhindered time 
A bolt dimensionally confined 

Be that as it may, 
I'm an endless condition 
That fills my head full with pain 
The future's okay with what it contains 

Appears my nature 
If quotes as ageless as life ever was 

 
Since I am the only one and only one of me exists 

A lot of chance, I guess I do belong 
But there is no silver of hope 
Only platinum of doubt 

Concerning if my soul is here at all 
Or living through days, that are no longer whole 

If I ever went out 
Would it mean that I could live again? 
Or something completely unimaginable 
I'm demented about the reasons why I happen to be 
A part, a whole, of this world full of dark energy 

And finally 
This life goes on endlessly 

  

33 

 

Loss 

Madhumitha Muralidharan 2017B4A21194P 
 

(in loving memory of my Sairam mama, who the world lost to cancer) 
You taught me my shapes, you used to sit with me 
Hugging me, telling me “I love you, Madhu baby!” 

I will always remember the time you made me my first cup of ginger tea 
Telling me “Madhu, it’s great! Try it, you’ll see.” 

I sat for hours with you that night as you told me a story 
About how the good and righteous always get glory. 
I had moved back to India, you were still in London 

And when you visited, you brought chocolates in abundance 
I remember the day you were diagnosed with cancer, that dreadful disease 
I remember crying the whole day, praying “Don’t do this to him, God. Please!” 

I remember the day I last saw you, a month before you passed 
I wish I could have had one more chance to see you after that, just one last. 

I shall keep your memory, forever in my heart 
I know you’re watching over me from heaven, though I hate being so apart. 

  

34 

 

Rain of Terror 

Avani Sharma 2017B2A10718P 
 

As water droplets start falling from the sky, 
The hearts of millions start to rejoice. 

The scorched lands let out a sigh of relief, 
The farmers smile ever so brief. 
Children run out of their homes, 
In every heart a little joy roams. 
The poet’s paradise, 

Like a shower of love from the skies. 
 

As it rains, families come together, 
To watch the endearing weather. 
The sound of the droplets hitting the ground, 
Seems like music, making us spellbound. 
The smell of the earth after the rain, 

Washing away all our pain. 
 

So mesmerising is the beauty of the rain, 
That we forget that it comes at a price. 

Rain, they say, is 
A desert blessing, an ocean curse. 

The deserts seem more alive 
As the water quenches it’s thirst. 
But the rain also brings with them, 

Waves of destruction. 
 
 

The water in the rivers, 
So ferocious it induces shivers. 

The water washes away, 
Anything and everything that stands in its way. 

It takes over the land from the sea, 
Causing destruction as far as you can see. 
Mothers weeping for their lost children, 

The dismay, the loss and the grief. 
 

Tears form in the eyes of people, 
As they see their life’s work, 

Wash away with the waters of the flood. 
Flooded roads, ruined buildings, 
And the hope almost lost, 
Amongst this colossal chaos, 
Rain does come with a cost. 
  

35 

 

Under the Fold 

Aakash Shah 2015A8PS0392P 
 

What lies beneath the fold? 
Is it some intricate mystery? 
Or are there countless stories untold? 
The weakness is concealed, 
But does that make him bold? 
Feel his abstruse strength, 

It is a sight to behold. 
Once dominated by others, 
Suffered beyond the pain threshold, 
Desolation knocks the gates, 
But mind stands guard at the heart’s stronghold 
And all those jolly memories, 
Not for a million bucks can be sold. 
So, should you judge a person, 
First remove the blindfold 
At the poles he is an igloo, 
You will find warmth within the cold. 

  

36 

 

Soulmates 

Kirti Sharma 2017ABPS0310 
 

Under the stars, started the tale of two souls, 
They couldn't more different from the way they were, 

Still connected with each other's concern. 
Hearts locking the truth away, 

Innocently they carried their friendship in a real way. 
Secrets exchanged under the dark sky, 
Giggles occupied the fresh light 
Soon eyes started their conversations, 

The voice expressing one's state of mind. 
The distance was a big test, 

Time was there to see how long patience persist. 
There were times when feelings did outburst, 
But words never come up. 
Having faith in their connection, 
One opened the doors of heart for other, 
And the other wholeheartedly entered. 
Happiness had no bounds, 
On cheeks, the blush had a bounce. 
Together they stood against obstacles, 
Wiping other's tears, they shared sorrows. 
Love strengthened their bond, 
Trust and support empowered their thoughts. 
If there would be a shooting star, 
Send him a wish to unite the two hearts 
till infinity and beyond the bars. 
  

37 

 

Seasons 

Jayanth Tummalapenta 2017A7PS0075P 
 

With summer’s final kiss on our skin 
The amber leaves come rolling in 
Like the breeze, my laughter flows 
As beautiful as a spring rose 
 

Autumn sun falls through the window 
On your smile, as cold as snow 
A warm summer on your surface 
Hides a winter far below 
  

38 

 

Believe! 

Adhithya Rokhith 2016A4PS0416P 
 

They doubted you, 
They laughed at you, 
They were sure about your failure. 

 
You heard them, 
You started believing them, 

You failed, 
You started thinking, 

You started again, 
They were the same, 
You ignored them, 
You won the battle, 
And you defeated the luck. 
Was it their thoughts about you which gave you failure? 

Or 
Is it your assumptions? 

 
Do what they say you cannot do, 
Believe in your words that your heart says to your mind. 

 
After all, you believe in the sun even when it is not shining, 

You believe in god even when he’s quietly sitting. 
Forget all the reasons why it won’t work, 
And believe the one reason why it will. 
Be the you. 
  

39 

 

Crimson Creek 

G Sundar 2017A4PS0383P 
 

A creek of red flows 
Through a path forged by fallen men 
Fight for the land, fight for the air, fight for the sea 
Misguided by avaricious leaders’ fallacy 
Mother with no son, son with no father 
To mask the sorrow, pride they pretend 

Don’t look now to the near-east 
It might be your homeland 

The crimson creek continues to flow 
On and on with no end 
 

 
 

-Divyanshu Goyal 

40 

 

Listen 

Shubham Saxena 2017A7PS0302P 

 

I want you to listen. 

Listen to the calm, the quiet 

Listen to what's left unspoken 

Listen to the words we can't say 

Listen 

Lay calm for a while 

Stop everything 

And listen. 

Keep listening to what you can't hear 

For the silence does speak 

The walls; they speak, they don't just listen 

The things, animate or not, they speak 

All they do is speak 

Not listen 

That's what makes it different 

That's what makes it unique 

Listening 

A lost art; or just found? 

Keep listening 

For you may hear what you've been waiting for 

Your whole life 

Keep listening 

Keep listening 

Keep listening to what the world has to say 

Don't stop 

For you may miss out on something 

Something important... 

 

Don't stop 

Keep listening 

Even as I stop speaking, 

Keep listening   

41 

 

Remembrance 

U Aswathy 2017ABPS1051P 
 

I see you in strangers with green eyes 
And faces that look nothing like yours, 
In swarming streets, on sweltering nights, 

And I can’t help but look twice. 
I see you sometimes, with my eyes closed-- 

Flashing a see-saw smile, 
Winking from across the table-- 
And wish for you when I open them. 

Memories of you 
Are like a constant, dull throb 

At the back of my skull 
And yet, I find myself 
Wanting to remember 
More than I want to forget. 

  

42 

 

Red 

Avanti Sontakke 2017B4AB0613P 
 

She left 
No note 
No piece of paper 
To stare him in the face 
To tell him what pushed her over 
The tipping point 
That she sat perched on 
Every hour of every day 
As he played with her face 
His canvas 
A display of art 
Filled with colour 
A swirling mosaic greeted her 
In the mirror 
After he was done 
The colours swished and mixed 
Everyday presenting stories 
Different but yet the same 

 
No colour gave him as much joy as red 

Red of the sunset 
Red of the rose 
Red of her face when he used to wink at her 
Red that bled between her legs 
It was very much like the red 
That he now painted 
On her cheeks 
Which he once caressed 
On her temple 
Which he once kissed 

On her chin 
Which he once held with a delicate hand 

 
She used to tell people 
That he wasn’t a painter at heart 

He was a good man 
Just mislead 

That his canvas was covered 
Only in mistakes 
 

But she could not find her voice 
On the night that he set out 
To create a masterpiece 
His eyes bore no mercy 
How could they 

43 

 

When they weren’t his 
They were a monster’s 

Furious 
Tired of having his paints washed away 

He set out to make something 
Which would last 
That night 
She knew 

It was only she herself 
Who could decide 

Whether he was to paint her eyes closed 
Or not paint anymore 
Close to giving in 
She heard a guttural cry 
It echoed off the walls 

Which they’d built together 
It echoed in her head 

Which stopped thinking 
It echoed in her throat 
Where it came from 

And stopped 
She found her voice 

And left. 
  

44 

 

What if those Thoughts to be Inanimate, had Unfathomable Feelings 
Innate? 

Isha Dogra 2017A1PS0041P 

 

What if the majestically robust and "high-headed" trees, 
with their hard impenetrable brown rough exterior and luscious green and mellow yellow 

leaves, 
occasionally metaphors for being humble, hosting symbiotic relations and standing your 

ground, 
actually long to be more- to reach for the skies, and also just move around, 

To maybe stand out rather than just surround, 
To probably be unpredictable and astound, 
To set free and not be bound. 
 
What if the pretty pink bright bougainvillea, 
wanted something more than just philia, 

Aspired to not be just sidelined or valued for her external beauty, 
probably more for her magic, sense, simplicity, and sensitivity, 

To not just be plucked one day and then be thrown away, 
To but be nurtured, taken care of and loved every day, 
To set free and not having to play. 
 

What if the great expansive light blue day sky, 
despite being on top of the world, would sometimes wonder and sigh, 

if he could try to come down touch the land, 
and finally, feel what it feels like to roll around in the sand, 
To be calmly loved, caressed gently, comfortably accepted and quietly held, 

And eventually, see togetherness as happiness' herald, 
To set free and not be withheld. 
 

What if the white soft clouds that were reckoned to be so independent and happy, 
were actually estranged spirits, still raw and sappy, 
but still had the courage and life to go on, 
feel all they felt, die every day and fight to be reborn, 

And wish to be reassured when they cry, spilling all over, silently, 
When everyone rejoices and they break down secretly, 
To set free and live fully. 
 

What if the mysteriously alluring much-admired dark night skies, 
knew better than anyone how time flies, 

had seen more hurt than probably anyone else, 
believing in kindness in a world where now self-interest sells, 

To see many of her stars die in front of her eyes, 
But choose to continue to have faith despite cries and sighs, 

To set free and look past inconsequential lies. 
What if the tranquil, serenely approaching and receding waters of the sea, 

45 

 

desired to stop for a while, and rest fully, 
though they knew it's life comes from moving constantly, 

the circularity of it all made it all seem unnecessary, 
They craved to feel good, meaningful and purposeful, 

To be of service, consequence and helpful, 
To set free and be unapologetic and unremorseful. 

 
What if the earth, with a myriad of hues and textures, epitomizing elegance and grace, 
is at times in situations, where she seeks the light at the end of the tunnel, acknowledgment, 

and solace, 
had first-hand experienced and felt ups and downs quite literally, to the maximum extent, 
moreover, always managed to bear all burdens and face all problems while maintaining a 

pure intent, 
Just hoped that people would stop mistaking her resilience for condonation, 
And understand, empathize when she cracked under all the pressure and admonition, 

To set free and be supported without any ulterior motivation. 
 

What if the scorching summer Sun wished to be remembered as the source of warmth in the 
chilly winters, 

and realized simultaneously that even a log of wood, full of potential, is cursed when it 
pierces our skin with its splinters, 

the creator of all life, the harbinger of vitality, up above, often wishes to sit and talk to his 
friends 

the partakers of the ecosystem- to freeze time and moments, and look beyond all trends, 
To share his deepest paradoxes and enigmas, kindness and compassion, 
To make originality and authenticity the new fashion and passion, 
To set free and trust without apprehension. 
 

What if the rays of the Sun filtering through the clouds, 
were in reality, or rather fantasy, blessings from a higher power descending upon the crowds, 

sifting through the silken flourishing foliage, 
endowing the skin a heavenly tenderness, making it forget all concepts of age, 

Sinking below the horizon, rising above the hills, 
Illuminating all they graze, accentuating the grandeur in naturally extraordinary thrills, 

To set free and liberate the heart of its ills. 
 

What if, finally, all the fantasies, were actually different perspectives and interpretations of 
the parallel realities, 

a multiverse of worlds unexplored, words adored and deplored, a concoction of standards, 
idiosyncrasies and supposed abnormalities, 

ideally devoid of formalities, full of verities and fallacies- all elements amalgamating to form 
a masterpiece, 

it takes courage, and keen, conscious observation to perceive the creativities amidst all 
obstacles and agonies, 

and calculated intelligent audacities, pushing the envelope, escalating capacities, aggregating 
true families, 

46 

 
far from the small-mindedness, "not-good-enough"s and superficialities, towards a fresh 

breeze. 
There is inconspicuously, or not, a deeper connotation to universal existence and meaning, as 

is the case for these analogies; 

There is much more reality in these fantasies than in projected unfounded practicalities. 
  

47 

 

Greyscale 

Srujana Niranjan 2017A7PS0013P 
 

Born into this world 
You are 

Naive and full of hope. 
 

Protected by a loving mother 
Dreams are meant to chase after. 
A ray of white light, possibilities galore. 

 
Now a little curious 

You are 
Observing and learning. 

 
Cherished by a family 
Spending time; ever so happily. 
Always demanding more. 

 
Young and rebellious 

You are 
Questioning your existence. 

 
Seeing the other side 
Life is a mess but still, you bide. 
Seeking what’s in store. 

 
A little wiser 

You are 
Stable and calm. 

 
A monochromatic gradient in your way 
What was white, now turning to grey. 
Fascinated by a life which you now adore. 

 
Old 
You are 
Sagacious yet tired. 

 
Now able to see the end 
Accepting what life has given, something godsend. 
Returning into a black void forevermore. 

 
  

48 

 

Massacre 

Yash Bhagat 2017A7PS0063P 
 

Living in the Orphanage 
They hold dreams and not tears. 
Their smiles truer than the scriptures 
Finding happiness despite the fears. Two kids sit playing in the balcony 
Neglecting the past and careless about future. 
While one maybe Khan, other might be Tripathi 
People here don’t differentiate on the basis of culture. 

I the caretaker, sometimes 
Still remember that day 

When screams of women and kids 
Echoed in city through every alleyway. 
Every crossroad every house was vandalized 

And the kids left on the road crying. 
With their parents killed and lying on the ground 
Scenes which they saw were more than horrifying.  

That day, preachers of peace roamed the city 
With swords in one hand 

Blood dripped though whose edges. 
From the tip to the holy armband. 

The kids here don’t remember 
The screams and screeches that filled the alleys 

But believe in a world where the 
Last name doesn’t carry their identities. 

  

49 

 

Love 

Narendra Maheshwari 2017D2TS1239P 
 

Love is blind 
That all I say 
But keep in mind 
It is always kind. 
You love the one 
You like the most 
But don’t wait for one 
Who vanish as a ghost. 
Love is to care. 
Love is to share. 
Who love each other 
Gets in to pair. 
Love is to create 
Love is to think 
That we can create many happy beings. 

  

50