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4.3k · Jul 2015
It's a Girl
Gaurav Luthra Jul 2015
“It’s a Girl.” They said,
Destined to go to her ‘own’ home one day,
As if she is born into a strangers home.

Marriage has its own time,
Why make her birth seem like a crime?
Do give her the unconditional love but don’t consider her a bad luck.

“Who will bring forward the family name? She will bring only a shame”, they said
Destined to go to her ‘own’ home one day,
As if she is born into a strangers home.

If that were the case,
Ashamed are parents who gave birth to,
Kalpana Chawla, Asha Roy, Arundhati Battacharya and many more.

Worried about the family name?
Bring her out of the shallow box,
Filled with your narrow thoughts,
Help her reach her full potential,
Then watch the family name gain credentials.

“Do what he tells you to.” They said,
That is your house,
He is your everything.

From her, kings are born,
From her, woman is born,
Without her, there would be nobody at all,
So why then do we make her a slave?

Likes, shares, tweets and re-tweets can only do so much…
Empower your thoughts and not just the woman,
Teach your son to respect the girls,
Allow your daughters to reach their passion,
Then watch the empowerment take action.
2.1k · Jul 2015
Comparison or Destruction?
Gaurav Luthra Jul 2015
I want to be a criminal defence lawyer.
And I would be a ‘sincere’ criminal defence lawyer,
Breaking the norms.
Pretending to defend the criminal till the court date,
Just long enough to gather all of the evidence I get against him.
Give him just enough hope to stop the seed of suspicion to grow,
Then change my colour like a chameleon,
And sweep his sinful life into the darkness of prison.
But I will be rich right?
Because my uncle makes a fortune with this profession,
So yes, being a criminal defence lawyer would be a good idea.

I could also be a realtor.
And I would be an impatient realtor,
Yelling at the buyers when
They spend 6 months looking at houses and deciding not to buy it.
I would give them half of the information,
Leaving them wondering,
Like an individual looking for a drop of water in a desert.
And I would be able to live in a luxurious house,
With a huge chandelier at the entrance and a glass elevator, right?
Just like my cousin.
So yes, being a realtor is also not a bad idea.

Or I could be a writer.
And I would be an excellent writer,
Something that I wanted to be after the first book I read,
Reflecting upon what I know and,
Wondering about the unknown.
A grand chandelier I may not have but,
A wall decorated with my curious thoughts,
Lightning up the mind of the one who enters the small but cozy home.
I am not the water changing myself to fit the glass,
But I am the glass with unique design and space,
Allowing my dreams and imagination to fill the empty space.
Do not let the comparison take away who you really are. You do not know the situations that someone went through to get to the place they are at. Find out who you really are and focus on achieving what you really want and define the definition of rich, happy for yourself based on who you are and not by looking at what others have. I am not saying competition is bad but just use it wisely. Listen to everyone advice because you cannot stop anyone from speaking but do what is best for yourself.
1.6k · Jul 2015
Memories
Gaurav Luthra Jul 2015
When I think of home I think
Of waking up by the chilly wind
Of the morning sweeping my
Face, and walk at 5:00 AM in the
Morning to the milk shop with
My Dadaji, and the cold, refreshing
Lassi prepared by my Dadiji that
She did not let me leave the house
Without completely drinking it, and
The stories of my Naniji and the way
She can narrate and bring to life the
Feeling that should have swept away
With the flow of time, and I think of
The random but sweet conversations
I had with students walking to the
Same school as I was in making me
Realize how time flies when we are
Enjoying the moment, and that cricket
Match with my friends where we broke
Neighbours windows and ran away
Only to sneak in from back of the house
To get the ball back, and the sound of
Minute hand from old fashioned clock
Clicking away and transforming those
precious moments into beautiful
memories for me to sit here and
share with you all.
I was really missing my home back in India today and so decided to pen it down. Hope you guys enjoy reading it
1.1k · Jul 2015
Society: Mass Murder
Gaurav Luthra Jul 2015
What will society say? She asked.

A simple question it maybe but
good enough to **** the dreams
of many, a one man army and
a disease responsible for
killing more than any deadly
disease can manage to ****; a
disease, that attacks early on
in life, slowly penetrating the
depth of our body, strengthening
our looks but weakening our
soul.

“Society will laugh at you”, she said.

They will laugh AT you if you are
Short, tall, fat, slim, intelligent,
Rich, poor and basically anytime
When you try to be yourself because
all they can do is laugh AT you but never
WITH you. They are that hungry demon
Whose hunger cannot be satisfied
No matter how much you change
Yourself so why bother involving
Them in every decision we make?

Is it the same society who kills others on name of religion? I said.

A question that gave me many
Sleepless nights and confusing days
until a realization was made
During my walk through the
Religious section of a library
And a gaze fell upon the books
With title The Quran, The
Talmud, The Holy Bible, The
Gita, The Granth and I saw the
Covers with no fingerprints
And no red colour staining them,
Then I realized people who sworn
To **** on the name of these
Precious books probably
Never bothered to read them.
So why have a faith on this society
When they base their actions on
Blind faith?

The real question should be “What will society NOT say?” I said.

Majority will not tell you to keep
Going, they will not say to do
Something different because
They want you to stay where you
Are, they will not ask you to get
Up after you fall rather they will
Use the opportunity to climb on
Your shoulder to get themselves
Up to where they want. So stop
Worrying about what society will
Say and start worrying about
What your inner soul will say when
You fail from following your passion
Because of someone who probably
Never followed theirs.
I want to get one point clear before you read this. I am not saying that we should not care about society at all but I am saying that we cannot base every single personal decision on what others will think. A prime example is parents telling their kids to choose a prestigious profession (by the way, no profession is small or big if you do it with passion) just because society will laugh at them if their kid chose to do something they want (lets take being a writer for example). This is just one example and there are many. So, this is directed for those individuals who follow this mentality and I am sure they have their own reason for thinking and I fully respect that but maybe re-think for a bit and see how you are affecting yourself and your loved ones by putting society ahead in every single decision. Life is unpredictable and short so live it as if it is your last day because at the end of the day, yes society will laugh at your decisions but it is that same society who will follow you when you succeed in whatever your passion is.
695 · Jul 2015
Tough Men
Gaurav Luthra Jul 2015
“Keep that mask on, it will make you look stronger.” They said,
Constricting my empty veins,
Shielding my vulnerability,
Hiding my humanity,
Making my bones stronger but my soul much weaker.

All ‘real men’ must take on this mask,
Exposing fraction of yourself is your task,
‘Real men’ are…
Physical, Strong, Independent, Powerful,
Scary, Hard, Stud, Muscular and
List goes on.

I am scared and I need help,
Scared to rip this mask,
It is such a hard task when,
Wuss, Wimp,
*** and *****,
Are what defines the ‘True men’.

Sitting in this narrow box,
Suffocating from these shallow thoughts,
Attempting to jump out,
Thrown back by societies mouth.
600 · Jul 2015
Early Morning
Gaurav Luthra Jul 2015
I stare at the sky through a small window,
As the redness of sunrise spread beyond sight,
Red, Yellow, Blue all come together,
As if it is a grand wedding of colours,
All making plans to disrupt everyone’s dreams.
I sit there, immersed in the environment,
So quiet,
I can hear the wind rushing through the window,
Ripping across my face,
Making my loss of sleep fully worth it.
I sit there, thinking,
Who am I?
Where am I heading?
What is my next step?
Because if I fail to plan then I plan to fail.
All I can think of is the fact,
That I’m thankful to the sun,
And sunshine,
And window,
To allow me to reflect on my actions,
And to give me the courage to fight ‘SNOOZE’ demon,
Because If I had slept for just another hour,
Building false empires in my dream,
And dreaming of things I can’t have,
I would never get the chance to plan,
Amongst the chaos of the society,
And I would be scattered throughout the day,
Because nothing scares me more than,
Doing nothing and wasting time.
579 · Jul 2015
यादें/Memories
Gaurav Luthra Jul 2015
अरे हवा, आज रात मेरा ये दर्द उसे सुना देना,
अरे हवा, उसका दर्द मेरे मे समा देना,
अगर फिर भी ना सो पाए,
तो उसे लोरी सुना देना|

अरे हवा, मेरे यह एहसास उसे सुना देना,
और उसके एहसास मुझ तक पहुँचा देना,
अगर फिर भी ना माने,
तो इस आसुओं से भरे पन्ने का एहसास करवा देना|

अरे हवा, मेरा यह पहगाम उस्तक पहुँचा देना,
माफ करना दोस्त मगर पूरी जिंदगी साथ रहने का वादा ना निभा पाया,
वादा तो नही निभाया मगर दुया ये दिल से है,
जहाँ भी रहो, जैसे भी हो, आज़ादी तुम्हारे कदमो मे हो|

कौन कहता है की एक जानवर हमारा दोस्त नही होता,
मुझसे पूछो तो उससे अछा तो शायद कोई इंसान भी नही होता|


Memories (English Translation)

Oh wind, let him hear this pain of mine,
Oh wind, let him mix his pain with mine,
If this does not bring sleep to his eyes,
Sing him a sweet lullaby like mine.

Oh wind, let him feel my emotions tonight,
And allow his to reach my mind,
If he still don’t agree,
Then allow him to feel the emotions in these tears of mine.

Oh wind, convey my message to him,
Forgive me my friend for breaking the promise of living my life with you,
Although a promise I could not live upto, I will pray for you,
Wherever you live, wherever you maybe, freedom always shine upon you.

Who says that animals cannot be friend of ours,
If you ask me, maybe even humans are nothing in comparison.
This piece of writing is dedicated to my parrot who had to be given away today for some personal reasons. He had lived with me for long enough to leave a bold impression. This parrot taught me life lessons that my close ones could not teach.
I wish instead of killing animals to fill our stomach or for hunting purposes, people should learn from them. Their curiosity and loyalty is really something to be admired.
Also, I would like to apologize for any errors in English translation. It was a bit hard to translate exactly with some of rhymes but I tried and in future, I will try to make it even better.
Thank You for taking the time to read.
558 · Jul 2015
Unending Complaints
Gaurav Luthra Jul 2015
Pain is not in waking up at sunrise,
Pain is in those exhausted eyes working till sunrise.

Pain is not in the cold water of shower,
Pain is in the dried body begging for water.

Pain is not in eating uncooked breakfast,
Pain is in the tears of children who have no breakfast.

Pain is not in throwing your leftovers,
Pain is in the mouth eating your leftovers.

Pain is not in walking to school,
Pain is not having means to afford school.

Pain is not in having no friends,
Pain is in the rejection with an attempt to make friends.

Pain in not in writing these lines,
Pain is in the heart of those living these lines.
Be happy with what you have and work towards sharing with those who don’t have. We complain every single moment of our life without considering the fact that there are millions begging to experience our life. This is for the man that I once talked to sitting under a tree who told me “You are worried about gaining admission to school, feel my pain of knowing that my kids cannot even look towards a school let alone think about admission”. From that moment, I decided to not complain but rather fix the problems in my life and make myself capable to help those in need.
Gaurav Luthra Jul 2015
They said, “The easiest thing is to live a lie”,
Is it really that easy?
The story took place couple years back,
That night, I cannot forget.
That evening, I don’t want to face.
Because I lied to not just a friend,
To myself,
To my parents beliefs.
I lied because,
I was afraid to lose a friend.
So yes, it was an easy option.
After the meet in the evening,
We went separate ways,
Back to home.
That night,
I wanted to sleep but my eyes gave up,
I wanted to eat but my stomach gave up,
I wanted to write but my fingers gave up,
I wanted to cry but tears dried up,
4 hours went by,
Just walking here and there thinking,
What happens if he finds out?
I will lose a friend
And once again alone I will be.
It was now 1:00 AM,
Night as dark as dark can be,
I went out and sat under a tree,
My heart was afraid but my brain gave up,
I could feel the blood rushing through my heart but,
My brain boggled with the same thought.
This feeling,
I pray none of you ever feel.  
So, I repeat my friends,
It is not easy to live a lie.
Telling the truth and making someone cry,
Is better than telling a lie and making someone smile.
520 · Jul 2015
आदत
Gaurav Luthra Jul 2015
इस सुनसान रास्ते पे चलने की,
जैसे आदत सी पड़ गयी है|
अब सूखी सी इस मिटी पर,
जब आशा के फूल खिलते हैं,
और इस अंधेरे से भरी दूनिया मे,
जब सूरज की किरन पड़ती है,
तो गमों को गिनने की,
जैसे आदत सी पद गयी है|

दूसरों की खुशियों मे अपनी खुशी ढूनडते,
येह ज़िंदगी गुज़र गयी है|
हर मोड़ पे निराशा का मिलना,
हर काम मे आशा का बिखरना,
घर से बाहर निकलने के ख्याल पर,
हज़ार बार सोचना,
इस सोचने के च्कर मे ही,
ज़िंदगी गुज़र गयी है|
My attempt at hindi poetry :)
494 · Jul 2015
Last Call
Gaurav Luthra Jul 2015
Another morning it was,
Just like always…her hand on my head,
Moving back and forth,
So soft and gentle,
Enough pressure to get me up,
Just like always…but a little different.
Held my hand and took me to veranda,
Such delicacy,
The feeling…greater than a mother touch,
Maybe that’s why we call her Grandmother,
Sat me down on floor,
Covered with a cloth so I don’t get cold,
Just like always…but a little different.
A little uneasiness, feeling which was unknown,
Then, we walk and talk to school together,
Her hands on the walker while eyes on me,
As if I was her eyes guiding her way,
Those talks never left me alone,
It was there,
Congratulating on success,
And confidence on failure,
Just like always…but a little different that day.
Days went by,
Weeks went by,
Uneasiness grew beyond the limit,
Then came the morning,
When we had to move to the land of dreams they call it,
Leaving her behind,
Fooled by my young mind to relate unease to separation,
With stone on my heart, I said my last Goodbye and sat in the car,
What she said after resonates my ear today,
“You go ahead my son, I will follow”,
Never did she came,
But instead came a message 10 days later,
“She is no more”.
I felt as if a better part of me burnt away,
But that fire keeps me going everyday,
Because she always taught me to keep moving.
Looking back now,
The unease was just a signal from a power beyond us,
But no point mourning because life goes on, just like always.
This is for Grandmother, who will always stay in my heart forever.
463 · Jul 2015
Inherent Gift
Gaurav Luthra Jul 2015
He starts the preparation from the moment he gets the news.
Thinking of names, buying clothes, worrying about how to carry you in his arms properly, planning schedule to spend more time with you…
He is your best friend, the truest friend you’ve ever had.

He is the one to give you courage to stand when you fell.
He is the one to keep you moving when you got well.

He is the one to tell you, ‘It’s OK’, when you made a mistake as young.
He is also the only one to be there for you when everyone else walked away.

He is the one to change himself just so you don’t have to change yourself.
He is also the one to embarrass himself at times just so you don’t embarrass yourself

He is the one to dream great dreams for you.
He is also the one to light up your own dreams.

I know what I wrote is not something new
But, the problem is that it is only understood by few.

He is the one to answer you hundred times when you were young.
Why then do you tell him to leave you alone when he ask you something for just the second time?

He is one to take you to park every evening.
Why then do you not have time to say hello in the morning?

He is the one to scold to bring you back on the right track.
Why then do you look at just the harsh words and not the intentions behind it?

He is the first one to put his hand forward when you fell.
Why then do you not even give him finger worth of support?

If he cries, be the tissue paper!
If he stumbles, be the cane!

He is my FATHER, He is your FATHER
To us, he is an inherent gift,
For him, you are the brightest star in his sky.

Light up his nights and not make it even darker.
Be thankful for this gift because go ask the unfortunate one who has lost this gift.
I was standing outside my house when I saw a son talking disrespectfully to his old father. I could not say anything to him at that point so I decided to put it down on paper. No matter what the matter is, being disrespectful to anyone is never an option. There is a saying in our culture: when you have more than one utensils then they are bound to make noise referring to the small arguments within a family. But, violence and shouting never gets the point across, in fact it makes it worse.
459 · Jul 2015
Friends Forever
Gaurav Luthra Jul 2015
Sight of the coffee refreshes
the golden memories we shared.
Burning sensation of the hot cup
melts the rough moments we shared.
Mild sugar sweetens
even the most bitter moments.

The faith that kept 7 years together
strengthens everyday by each sip.
The strength of the steam
pulls away slightest of sad memories.
For as long as the coffee exists
you will stay with me here, there and everywhere.
314 · Jul 2015
Forever Alone
Gaurav Luthra Jul 2015
I sat down to puff out memories of yours,
I sat down to filter out that breath of yours,
I tried…I really tried,
The smoke shaped your face,
With a hint of black and a smudge of white,
Formed in the air, shining from the sunlight,
I tried…believe me I really tried.

I sat down to drink away those moments of ours,
To wash away those feelings of ours,
Feelings so deep,
Far from anyone’s reach,
I tried…I really tried,
Moments a drink could not wipe,
Rather took it to new heights,
I tried…believe me I really tried.
This poem reflects on the situation that addicts are going through and their need for connection. They also have dreams just like ours and they also want to talk but they just cannot. Hope I have done justice to this sensitive topic by giving proper wording. When their loved ones leave them, they use these addictions to deal with themselves and their desire to have a shoulder to cry on.
It was another great morning yesterday filled with refreshing wind as the birds sing. My mind filled with same old everyday thoughts about the hurdles in my application and ways to overcome, ways to make my day effective, to reflect on things I know, to learn about things I don’t know and so on. So a typical 4:00 AM morning with just myself and the beautiful green park empty yet full but it was a bit different today. Just across from where I was sitting, I saw a boy (my age) sitting under a tree. I could not figure out what he was doing from the distance so I decided to walk closer and found him injecting drugs. Now, my first reaction was “what a waste of life?”, he knows the side effects on his body so “why does he do it?, why why why?”. I was going to walk away just when a thought came into mind of actually asking him why he does this. I write about helping others so this was my chance to maybe help him so I should not walk away. Scared from the way he would react, I took my steps carefully one after another and in a soft voice gave a quick introduction while I sat myself beside him. This decision changed my perspective completely. He talked about how he never really wanted to do this but as he was growing up, he saw his parents using it. He saw his siblings using it so he wanted to try it out. So, basically he had nobody to stop him. Then of-course the chemicals took its course and he could not let go. But it was not just this that got him addicted. It was the fact that when his parents were no more and his brother was never there for him, he was ALONE. One by one everyone left him and he had nobody to talk to. Now, he said, everyone looks at him as criminal. Nobody wants to be with him. Humans have a natural and innate need to bond. When we are happy and healthy, we bond and connect with each other. But if someone is traumatized, isolated or beaten down by life then they will bond with something which will provide them relief and that usually comes in the form of gambling, *******, cannabis and many more (you name it). He kept talking and talking like he has not talked before and then crying. That moment changed who I was. Its like my thoughts were being ripped apart and re-constructed.

So I request you with my folded hands to talk to people if they are in trouble. All they want you to say is “I love you and I am there for you”; “My lips are shut and my ears are open so say whatever you want”; “I am there for you”. Its these small things that bring the greatest difference. Not every yellow thing is gold and not every black thing is coal.

— The End —