You are a gem of a friend
Whom it is very difficult to offend
I knew you as a colleague first
Your trustworthiness, is something to which I can completely attest
To work with, were you always fun
Because your mind was always open

You are a gem of a friend
Nothing gets past your clever mind
Not to mention, are you sweet as honey
Talking with you, is something I always enjoy
What I like about you the most
Is the fact, that when it cometh to speaking one's mind
You are undoubtedly one of the best
Because you always stand your ground
No matter what happens
Your courage is indeed immense

You are a gem of a friend
With whom it is not difficult to bond
Usually, no fan am I, of political discussions
However, for you can I make an exception
Imagine the fun we could have
Trashing the central government
I can already imagine your excitement
After all, you never shy away from a debate
A mere spark is enough
For your mind to ignite
Though your voice is the exact opposite of gruff!

You are a gem of a friend
To the world, are you a godsend
How do you manage your kids
Run the house
And work at the same time
Is something for which, an answer one cannot frame!!
Well, I do hope you take a pause
From time to time
Because you are indeed a hard worker
A great conversationalist and listener
And above all, a friend to remember!!
Yes, you are indeed a gem of a friend
With this, shall my poem end!!

Dear Tamil,
Wish you a very very happy birthday in advance!
May you get a chance
To make this occasion extra special
Rarely, are you dull
About you, that's what I love the most
Not to mention, never do you boast!

Go back a long way, do we
And very special are you, to me
From colleagues to family friends
May our relationship have no end!

One of the best things, about my first job
Was the fact that you cared not
About my strange mannerisms
Never was my autism
An issue to you whatsoever
Because you judged people never!

A long way have we come, since then
Very supportive, have you always been
Saving me from a disastrous marriage
You truly released me from a cage
In which I had been trapped, for over a month
Thus, do I turn to you the most
When my confidence is at its lowest

We may be in different places
But our friendship has a strong base
Occasional misunderstandings and fights, there may be
But always care for each other, do we

You are a loving wife and mother
Very close, were you and my late maternal grandmother
A good friend of mine, is your husband
Of you, is he extremely fond
A mischievous but cute boy, is your son
Being with your family is always fun

Very caring, is your mother
You brought me closer to my own sister and father
Well, wish you the happiest birthday ever
May you change never!

isn't it a pity
we're heading towards the end
there's a war without a winner
and no-one left to mend

an idea that's long been buried
by those who run the show
give peace a chance is over
a dream we'll never know

for the dreamers now are silenced
truth they can't afford
the end days set in motion
resolutions go ignored

isn't it a pity
they hurried us along
made us smart but we're not ready
now we see why that was wrong

they watch and wait and wonder
do they save or let us go
are we worth our own salvation
or do we start again...

all things come to pass
and the day will soon be here
so we smile and make our way
as if we have no fear

isn't it a pity
isn't it a shame

All the best again, dear Sis
You, I am gonna miss
All the time you were here
Never did I miss a gear
While driving the car of my life
Even were it never free of strife

Whether it be the tea you made
Or the pastas and noodles you cooked
Never will the memories fade
No matter how hard Satan tried
To put a spanner in our works
Very endearing, are your quirks

Your presence, did I almost take for granted
Because, no matter what
There was nothing you missed
Including meeting our neighbours and their cats!

You turned Despair Into Hope
Even if the devil in me
Tried its best to make me mope
You turned Hatred into Love
And never was there a problem
Which you could not solve
And finally, you turned Stress into Peace
With a remarkable ease

Always, was there a smile
On your beautiful face
Because you went the extra mile
To help us achieve inner peace

You, I am gonna miss badly
But all that matters
Is that you should be happy
And unless were I mad as a hatter
Always, will I love you
And always, shall our bond be thicker than glue
So, wish you all the very best
Sure am I, that you will face a stern test
However, equally am I sure
That, everything shall you endure
As ever, with a smile on your beautiful face
Irrespective of the place

Right from the moment
Did I clap my eyes upon you
In the movie "Jagame Thanthiram"
Felt, did I
That, was there something special about you

Lies in you, a burning intensity
Which can reduce your enemies to dust
With the same frightening ease
Did the West Indies dominate cricket
Many a decade ago

Not a big role did you play in "PS1"
Or for that matter, "PS2"
However, come when your scenes did
So enraptured were we
Unable, were we
To take our eyes off you
Never had anyone played the role of "Poonguzhali"
With such simple elegance
Combined with wit and humour
Of the highest order

However, "Gatta Kusthi" was it
Where came you, into your own
Transitioning from a fiery wrestler
Into a traditional housewife
And back
With remarkable ease
The scene where you single-handedly took on those armed goons
And beat them to a pulp
As though it were child's play
Will remain etched in my mind forever
Seriously did I think
Hath arrived, a new superstar

Truly versatile, art thou
Thus did "Archana 31 Not out" prove
Where played you, the role of a teacher
Struggling to discipline a class full of troublemakers
And at the same time, facing a future full of uncertainties
Due to ongoing layoffs
Not to mention, facing rejection after rejection
When it cometh to marriage proposals
Quite the emotional rollercoaster did it turn out to be
And truly did you own the character
Rooting for "Archana", was I throughout
And when came the ******
Truly inspirational, was your speech
Showed us all, did you
The importance of taking our life in our own hands

Blessed with beauty, art thou
However, it stops not there
An exceptionally skilled actress are you
And a humble and down-to-earth person
Who, nevertheless, is afraid not
To speak her mind, no matter what
May you continue rocking and inspiring young artists
And shall the Lord bless you
With all the love, happiness, peace and prosperity in the world
Amen!

You are my source of comfort
The candle that provides me light
On the darkest of nights
The day I met you
Was the luckiest day of my life
Over nine years has it been since
And has our relationship grown
From colleagues to friends
From friends to best friends
And last but not the least
From best friends to family friends

Cared, have you, for me
Like Hermione Granger did for Harry Potter
And vice-versa, of course
Advised me on many an occasion
Even took the liberty to scold me
Not to mention, once asking me to google "Friendship"!!

Living proof are we
That a boy and a girl can friends be
In fact, not just friends, but best friends!!
Not to mention, even after your marriage
Has our bond continued to flourish
In fact, grown has it, by leaps and bounds!!

Fought have we, many a time
However, on each occasion
Has our understanding deepened
As has our mutual respect
Our relationship having a foundation
Even mightier than Team India in this Cricket World Cup!!

Saved me, have you
From a trainwreck of a marriage
And a few other crisis situations
There simply ain't nothing
You can do for me not

A part of my extended family, are you
And vice-versa too!!
Lost count have I, seriously
Of the number of times
Have we helped each other out!!

I love you
As I love my sister
And shall we continue
To be there for each other
Till Death do us part
Thank you for entering my life
And may God bless you
With oodles of love, peace, happiness and prosperity!!

Hi Aishwarya, very very hearty congratulations!!
You deserve this
As much as we recruiters deserve success
After burning the midnight oil
For months and months

Of you I'm so proud
Of course, always have I known
That, extremely talented are you
Not to mention, dedicated and hardworking
Nevertheless, quite the feather in your cap this is
And gives you bragging rights, it does!!

From "Jagame Thanthiram" to "Archana 31 Not Out"
And from "Gatta Kusthi" to "King of Kotha"
Always, have I been enamoured
By your ability to act in a variety of roles
AND play them all to perfection
By your expressions
Which change as frequently
As a chameleon changes its colours
And finally
By your utterly bewitching beauty and charm
Something that can be replicated not
Even by the most celebrated divas of Bollywood!!

An amazing actress are you
And an even better human being
Nicer than Keanu Reeves
More humble than Johnny Depp
And at the same time
Extremely outspoken and brutally frank
There ain't nothing
That you can achieve not
I endeth on this note
You are under arrest
For the crime of stealing my heart!!

I have met you not
But I know you enough
To see that you can be trusted
With almost anything

Colleagues we are, now
And have we quite the cordial relationship
Almost always are we, on the same page
Though of course, one of us
Can come up with a fresh perspective sometimes

Quite cool, are you
In spite of the fact
That it's been long not
Since you started your career

Always, have I enjoyed
Working with you
And never have we had
Any disagreements whatsoever

There have times been
When I was at the end of my tether
Then have you offered words of comfort
Thus changing my outlook for the better

Colleagues we are, yes
But do I see you as a friend too
Never do you judge
And always have I felt at ease
While interacting with you
May you please be the way you are
And continue spreading love, happiness and peace
God bless you, yaar

For four years have I known you
From railfans to close friends
Quite the journey has it been
In the train of relationships

Thou art innocent and sweet
But when it comest to talking
Oh boy, do you set the bar high
With an expertise in four languages
At the age of just twenty-four!!

Every outing we've had
Has been nothing short of memorable
From the hurricane run
On board the famous Pune Shatabdi
To the thrilling boat ride
Through the equally famous Bhigwan Bird Sanctuary
Add a few movies in between
Not to mention, drinks *** dinner
And you have the icing on the cake

Whenever I've come to Pune
I've always felt at home
Your family being the engine
To my train of love, happiness and peace
From your mother's cooking
To your father's hospitality
Not to mention, your lavish home
With a plethora of facilities

You ain't just no friend
But a younger brother as well
Quite the honour has it been
To have you at our home
Something we should do more often
After all, we are thick as thieves

For four years have I known you
And with every year
Our bond has grown stronger
Than even the Rock of Gibraltar
Which ain't no surprise
Since we have a lot in common
Trains, cricket, movies
Food, drinks, cats
The list is endless

For four years have I known you
And our friendship is something to be cherished
As much as India winning a Cricket World Cup
Or a journey in a diesel-hauled train
Or even, Hyderabad's finest Mutton Biryani!!
I endeth on this note
Age is just a number
Even when it comest to relationships

What's life without a role model?
A Slytherin without ambition
A Hufflepuff without loyalty
A Ravenclaw without curiosity
And finally
A Gryffindor without courage

All of us have role models
Well, maybe not those poor souls
Who aim to achieve as much in their lives
As have done Bermuda
When it comest to cricket

Well, I know I will be asked
Who is my role model?
It is the one and only Harris Jayaraj
A musician who produces magic
Which sweeps you off your feet
And transports you into a whole new universe
Where all your dreams come true
And every unhappy memory of yours vanishes
With just a lazy flick of his wand
A wand that can be bested not
Even by the legendary Elder Wand

Dear Harris Sir,
You are my inspiration
The key that unlockest the door
Beyond which, lies my true potential

The sheer variety of music
Which lies in your repertoire
Doth make proud
Even a Hans Zimmer or a John Williams
Therefore, it cometh not as a surprise
That one of them is your idol

Everyone heaps a ton of praises
On your captivating melodies
Which, of course, is thoroughly well deserved
However, it is your background music
Which, according to me, is the gamechanger
Because it doth transform even the most boring movies
Into a spectacle of entertainment
Recall the famous India vs Australia Test match
At Eden Gardens, Kolkata, circa 2001
From a certain innings defeat
To a glorious victory
Was a transformation par excellence
Thanks to the sheer magic produced by three people
For whom the word "impossible"
Doth not exist in the dictionary
Thou hadst achieved the same
With a snooze fest of a movie, known as "Vaaranam Aayiram"
Thy BGMs playing the role of the Pied Piper of Hamelin
A movie that deserved to be a flop
Ended up becoming a hit
Thanks to Harris, the one man army

Dear Harris Sir,
You are my inspiration
Not because you have achieved many a success
But because you give up not
In the event of a failure
And even that has happened not
For want of trying

Dear Harris Sir,
You are my inspiration
Even if your fame has reached the mighty skies
The word "pride" doth not exist in your dictionary
Your greatness truly lies
In your sheer simplicity
Not to mention, your acute awareness
Of yours strengths and weaknesses

Dear Harris Sir,
You are an inspiration
Not only to me
But also to millions of aspiring artists
Because there is so much to learn from you
And it is not all about music
Your hard work and dedication
As well as your willingness to learn
And keep on learning
No matter how far you have progressed in life
Sets an example for all of us
I would like to end on this note
Once a Harris fan, always a Harris fan!