Heard a thousand times, but did you ever feel?
Times when you are immensely happy are always followed by an ordeal.
You're not ready to grow up but you don't have a choice.
When you're calling out for people, screaming their names but all you hear is your own voice.
Have you ever cried so much in life that your eyes went out of tears?
Did you have to let go of the person you've been addicted to for years?
Did you ever have a million friends and still feel lonely?
Have you ever been to your only home and still did not feel homely?
Have you ever been so shocked at something, it shook your entire world?
Like you were flying up in the sky and down to the ground you've been hurled?
Did you ever go without smiling for months together?
And started wondering if it'll stay like that forever?
Have you ever loved and hated someone extremely and simultaneously?
Like you know you'll cry looking at it but you reach for their photo spontaneously.
Did you ever want to scream and shout but not say a word?
Like you want to speak up all about it but not want to be heard?
Did you ever just lay in bed till 5:00 am trying to fall asleep?
Like you've tried all you can but nothing soothes your heart because the wound is too deep?

Amongst alien places and alien faces,
Where familiarity had no traces,
In the scorching sun, still feeling cold,
Falling down and having nobody to hold,
My fears untold ,I had a fake smile,
I secretly shed a tear , every once in a while,
I longed to be independent of those chains of misery,
Little did I know , that was my key to be free,
My key to step out of my cocoon,
My chance to touch the stars and the moon,
My chance to start a brand new tale,
I had no one to judge me even when I fail,
I failed and I failed but I knew I would sail,
You won't feel pleasure if you haven't seen pain,
Trust me , the struggle never goes in vain,
I met the kind of people, I didn't even know exist,
I felt good about the opportunities I hadn't missed,
I thought I had a terrible life , but I was wrong,
The struggle stays for a bit , but the pleasure period is long,
I looked back , from where I started,
From where me and my comfort parted,
And the transformation in me brought tears in my eyes,
I had finally achieved victory, the new me, was my prize ,
It was the best feeling I had ever felt ,
I went to my Mom and down I knelt,
I thanked her for sending me away,
And I thanked her again, everyday.
-Aastha Arora