वो रेलवे की बंद क्रासिंग...

वक़्त कब थम जाता है पता चलता है कभी? 

वक़्त थमते देखा है कभी? 

इस भाग दौड़ वाली दनिया में शान्ति फिर कैसी होती है, महसूस किया है क्या कभी? 

कभी उस रेलवे की बंद क्रासिंग पे रुको तो महसूस कर लेना ये सब...

रोज़मर्रा की ज़िन्दगी की भाग दौड़ का ठहराव है यह सब...

एक अनजानी दौड़ का अल्पविराम, कुछ देर सुस्ताने का इशारा...

वो रेलवे की बंद क्रासिंग जो कुछ देर के लिए ही सही मगर उस शोर से निजाद दिलाती है जिसे आम ज़िन्दगी का हिस्सा मान चुके है |

Of Holding On and Letting Go!

And just like that, we feel broken,
When all we should do is surrender,
But we choose to feel shaken,
Lying still in emotions that are tender.

Kya Khoob Keh Gya Tha Wo...

Kya khoob keh gya tha wo,
Zamane se alag tha wo.
Aasaan toh kbhi tha hi nhi ye safar,
Magar ulajh gyi hai ab har dagar.

Kya khoob keh gya tha wo,
Meri zindagi ban gya tha wo.
Umaar bhar ka saath nhi bhi toh,
Kuch pal toh theher gya tha wo.

Kya khoob keh gya tha wo,
Meri rooh ko chu gya tha wo.
Hawayon mei khusboo sa,
Wo tha kuch pal ka bharosa.

Kya khoob keh gya tha wo,
Zamane se alag tha wo.
Kaaton bhari zindagi mei tha,
Wo mere daftar-e-gul sa.

© Ila Garg

Mother

I know I haven’t been an easy child, 

There is no way I could be tamed or be mild.
At times, I need to scream and be apart,
But your tender touch is always there to ease my heart.

I get frightened when you are not in my sight,
You are the wall; the force to test my strength,
The chain I hammer at with all my might,
And yet you keep increasing its length.

It’s tough, I know, to be so calm and not be mad,
To at once play both good and bad,
Your care and faith never cease to come along.
The love against all odds still stays strong.

© Ila Garg

The Writer's Bloom - Book Review

The Writer’s Bloom
By Neha Katyal
Review By Ila Garg

The Writer’s Bloom, a novel by Neha Katyal, is published in Kindle edition. The cover is quite a sight. The blend of colours is attractive. The night glittery sky is amazing! I loved the colours and the concept. A writer is blooming from within the flower in a free flow. One of the best covers I have seen lately…

From the pen of a shy girl...

Recently, I became an editorial mentor for www.urbookmyreview.com

I have four interns under me. I decided to give them their first task which would help them look within. So, I told them to write about their writing journey, how they started writing, how writing helped them deal with their life.

I was totally amazed to see how they handled the task so well. They honestly penned down their stories. I gave them individual feedback too. But there's this one assignment that I loved the most, so with due permission from my intern Padmaja Phatak. I am sharing it with you all.

Save the Language, Save the Identities!

“The wisdom of humanity is coded in language. Once a language dies, the knowledge dies with it.” - Lyle Campbell