I woke up before the noise,
breathed with the trees,
walked with the sky.
The sun hadn't yawned yet,
but I had — twice.

Back home, I made coffee
strong enough to slap me awake.
I whispered to my cup,
"Let's be productive today."
It didn’t answer —
but I believed in us.

I sat down with math—
chapter four, page full of promises.
I underlined the heading,
adjusted my pen cap five times,
then sharpened a pencil
I didn’t even need.
Pro-level procrastination unlocked.

Midway through one sad-looking equation,
my phone lit up—
first a comment,
then a reel,
then a cat dancing to lo-fi beats.
Fifteen minutes later,
I knew three dessert recipes
and forgot the formula
I never really knew.

Suddenly, a line hit me—
not from the textbook,
but from somewhere softer.
A poem idea.
Just a line, I thought.
A quick jot.
A harmless verse.

But the line grew limbs,
called in stanzas,
and started demanding metaphors.
So I gave in.
I gave it my quiet,
my hours,
my last sip of cold coffee.

A crow watched me
from the window grill
like it knew
I was failing both maths and time.

And now—
the sun is long gone,
the sky has tucked itself in.
The poem is finished,
polished and breathing.
But that chapter?
Still untouched.
Still waiting.

शाळेच्या पहिल्या दिवशी न्हवती अक्कल
लावता येत न्हवते साधे चड्डीचे बक्कल
तरी निघालो शाळेला वयाच्या तिसऱ्या वर्षानंतर
हातात बाटली, खिशात रुमाल, आणि पाठीवर दप्तर

शाळेत अनेक गोष्टी शिकलो
इंग्रजीतली ABCD शंभरदा घोकलो
मार्क्स मात्र सर्वांना हवे होते पुरे
रट्टा मारून केलेल्या अभ्यासाने मेंदू मात्र कोरे

दिवस गेले, महिने गेले, गेली खूप वर्षं
दहावी आली हे कळताच गेला जेवणातील सर्व हर्ष
दहावीबद्दल घातली सर्वांनी मनात भीती
घरचे म्हणाले, "अभ्यास कर, आपली नाही शेती"

अभ्यास केला दिवस आणि रात्र
MARKS च्या नादात विसरलो सारे मित्र
सोडवले प्रॅक्टिस पेपर्स आणि लिहिलेली जर्नल्स सर्व
अभ्यास पूर्ण झाल्याचा मात्र अजिबात नव्हता गर्व

परीक्षा दिली, RESULT आला
सर्व मित्रांना फोन केला
मार्क्स मला चांगले पडलेले
CONGRATS च्या मेसेजने सर्व CHATS भरलेले

मार्क्स चांगले मिळाल्याने चांगल्या कॉलेजमध्ये झाली ADMISSION
कोणी IAS तर कोणी ठेवलेलं ENGINEERING चं VISION
कॉलेजच्या पहिल्या दिवशी वाटलं की आपल्या कडे होती खूप सारी अक्कल
कारण माझेच मी लावलेले माझ्या चड्डीचे बक्कल...

Pen and paper.
Stains of ink.
The trouble I put to finish the incomplete.
Just for it to be discarded and unappreciated.
Words and thoughts, to make you proud.
Dear teacher, please give me a chance now.
Don't be so cruel and look at my efforts.
Blood, sweat and tears.
Though it may not be the best, at least I did it.
Why overlook my pain with cheer?
Why focus on those who did it right and ignore those who put effort?
Or scold those who did not?
Teacher hear me once, I just need thought and appreciation.

I'm sorry...

Frozen joints in a Georgian garret
Grudgingly stirring the fifth peasant soup
Shuffling shiftingly to share it
As lower eyelids, sleepless, hang and droop.
A right for some, a job in lands abroad
The luxury of learning dearly bought
And dearly payed for, still stalwartly moored
And chained with a ball, for living, sought.
I payed for a train to take me back
To the passion that will make a slave of me
But the company never had my back:
For two more score they would yet have of me.
What country fit for heroes is this?
What cradle for young hearts and minds make we?
And cushioned by the green stuff, dismiss
My wish that you may go where you take me.

These days in budgeted decadence
You twist on your thrifted finery
And leave me to mine own
You are children marching the cobblestones
Like soldiers into lines that you know very
Little of, together and alone
Collective and individual struggles fought
Black coffee for the morning
Ethanol for some inky hour after twelve
None of your souls have been bought
Yet, and I hope they won't in the true dawning
From the cutting of the safety net, may you delve
Into futures sufficient and abundant,
All ye heirs apparent.

A locked grave, a confined space
My heart pounding, a tight brace
the strongest oppression: time’s pace
alone and lost, I was chased.

Run, run, run, as fast as you can
Or do as some say: start, lest it began
But now it was too late, the attacker was behind
Edging close, a knife in her hand -

We will soon meet, at the time she feels
But there was a last resort, for those who were weak
I could leave the chase and fall off the cliff
Or just remain and receive death’s kiss

Arriving time, time has arrived
Slash, slash - a blood splash
A red boundary formed, impossible to cross.
Deadline - that’s what it was called.

Sausages and good beer at half past five
With dawn in the window yellowing
White walls and a collage of abstracts
Mismatched chairs at the table

We are only young if you see us
To hear our voices we are older than time
Cynics and lovers and philosophers arrogance
We have already been too much

This is where life happens
Where the loneliness beneath the tinsel lays bare
And brute honesty takes itself walking
Like a great black dog in our shadows

This is where we talk
Put words to what is dormant wordless
Dark brown ale between our teeth
Dark blue night behind our eyes

We don't know how to live you say,
Feelings, respect,love we keep them away.
Whiling away our time in phone,
You believe our culture is gone.
We do not know how to respect our parents,
May I ask where are my grandparents?
We live in nuclear families you see,
I see you and that's what I try to be.
We are the most spoilt generation,
But did you ever find a solution?
And while throwing at us your taunt *****,
Did you ever see our heartbreaks and downfalls?
Don't throw your commands of scoring 90s on my face,
Because I am running a different race.
Running after my ranks and positions,
Did you ever ask my ambitions?
You say IITs and IIMs, they have roles.
But you never asked about my goals.
You let me out, weekly once or twice,
And then you say that it's not wise.
You describe your cricket matches on field,
But never have I,on your face, seen a trace of guilt.
You say I am grown up,
No longer can I have my feelings messed up.
So I bury my fears and feelings deep inside,
And paste a graceful smile outside.
I try hard , I assure,
But when I can take it no more,
God take me away, I pray
Then I open up my heart and I cry.
We do not need all those money to be,
We just need your time and love you see.
With your time we shall thrive,
With your love we shall rise.
These words may cut deep through you, as sharp as a laser,
But yes, this is the story of every average Indian teenager.