My Memoirs of Mesmerizing Memories



"What I am:", Jaipur

"If I am not for myself,who will be for me?And if I am not for others,

Rail experiences - Anukriti Sharma Photography

With each sip I think of people who have made my travels worthwhile... Would my trip to Lonavala be the same if there was no Lalita to bring me corn pakoras and 'cutting chai'? 

Lalita in Lonavala - Picture Credit - Aakriti Sharma

Would Kerala be as exotic, if there was no "Baby" to drive us through the land of spices? Wouldn't Varanasi's ghats seem morose, if "Mishraji's" Hindi poetry didn't enchant me while sailing through the Ganges? 

Sailing through Varanasi - Amarnath Sharma Photography

Would my trip to Goa be as musical, if I hadn't met "Prashant Malhotra" - a talented singer from Dehradun? Would Badrinath's majestic Himalayas seem so beautiful, if I hadn't met "Mamta Kulkarni", the little girl who sold beads to travellers? Would Kota-Delhi Jan Shatabdi seem the same if a newly wed couple (Ashu and Sangeeta) didn't narrate to me their romantic love-story?Every traveller I have come across shared something with me... something that connected me to him/her... And that something was - love for life. 

Me travelling in Train; Goa - Picture Credit - Rushali Khandelwal

A little three-year old peeps from the adjacent berth. He smiles at me and happiness spreads over my lips. A charming, cherubic face - beautiful smile juxtaposed against small dewy eyes. I play with him from a distance. The baby claps his hands and chuckles with glee. All I want is to make friends with him - talk to him, and let this interaction last forever... But a black coat comes in between and my train of thoughts comes to a standstill. He asks for ticket...I show him mine. It reads - Date - 26 February, 2012
Time of departure- 16:40
Train - Mumbai - Delhi Rajdhani Express
Class - 3AC
Passenger Details - Anukriti Sharma, 25F
Coach/Seat no. - B3, 32 (Side Upper)

The spotless white pillows - Anukriti Sharma Photography

I take my bag and climb over to my seat. Lying down on the spotless white pillow,I close my eyes and plug in the earphones."Anand" - Kahin door jab din dhal jaaye (Somewhere faraway when the day ends...) plays on my phone. The last few lines go deep within my heart - 

Sunset at Aksa Beach - Anukriti Sharma Photography

"Kahin To Yeh Dil Kabhi Mil Nahin Paate,
Kahin Pe Nikal Aaye Janmon Ke Naate"
(In some cases, hearts in love never meet,
and in others,old relations awaken to life..)

Wave-like memories - Anukriti Sharma Photography

Like a movie, thoughts flicker in the depths of my mind - Meandering down memory lane, I see an archive of fragments...forgotten tales, lost memories, beautiful people and enriching experiences...
....
....
.... .... ....

In conversation with myself - Anukriti Sharma Photography

July, 2010
I am back in Malabar Hills... At home
Mumbai...the city is drenched...swept by a ceaseless cloudburst...its drizzling since morning...the roads are jammed...high tide has anchored the sea...the temperature has ebbed... raindrops slip between my fingers...
the earth is wet... its smell is intoxicating, invigorating, inspiring...a cup of soup revives a few forgotten tales, poetry that was consigned to oblivion comes to life... I wish to compose them again...!

With Radha in Maharashtra - Picture Credit - Abha Sharma

December 5, 2011
I am in a scenic village near Nashik...

Tiny Tots - Gayatri, Omkar, Pappu and Amu - Anukriti Sharma Photography

Sharing chocolates with four tiny tots, who live in an unknown, sleepy village of Maharashtra... Omkar, Gayatri, Pappu and Amu... Having awesome dinner - home-made chicken curry garnished with love... cooked by a boatman's mother and served in a countryside hut... Pure bliss! What better way to celebrate my 25th birthday! Amidst innocent children, my country's tomorrow... In rustic villages... The essence of India. For most birthday means 5-star hotels and late night parties... But there are somethings money can't buy... the memories, smiles and happiness I take back with me to Mumbai - priceless!

Beth at home - Anukriti Sharma Photography

25 February, 2012
I travel through the fascinating streets of Mumbai's Colaba Causeway - a colourful place, dotted with shops of artificial jewellery, handicrafts, scarves and whatnot. I stop at Leopold Cafe, a well-known joint for foodies in Mumbai. I'm with Beth - who has come to India for the first time...  she is from my sister's University. I discuss a lot of things with her over huge glasses of Mango Lassi.

Cloudy land, Lonavala - Anukriti Sharma Photography

Golden Crimson Sunset - Anukriti Sharma Photography

Her kaleidoscopic description reminds me of a short story by Anton Chekhov. I feel like the young lawyer of "The Bet" who discovers the world's beauty through words written in books - "I have climbed to the peaks of Elburz and Mont Blanc, and from there I have seen the sun rise and have watched it at evening flood the sky, the ocean, and the mountain-tops with gold and crimson."
December 4, 2011
Bhandardhara, Maharashtra

Green Maharashtra, Clean Maharashtra - Anukriti Sharma Photography

Having Tea in Bhandardhara - Picture Credit - Abha Sharma

I am with my parents at a tea-stall... An old woman clad in tattered clothes walks by... Her saree is tied tightly across her waist... thighs are bare. She carries a huge vessel on top of her head... she seems older than history... wrinkles obscure her indistinct facial features... people fondly call her "mad". They say she waters the plants in the area - from early morning till late at night... incessantly... Climatic changes can't weather her spirit... Nobody pays her a paisa for what she does... Nobody pays any attention to what she does.

Even Gods reside here, Maharashtra - Anukriti Sharma Photography

She is insane for the world. But for me, she is a role model... A woman who serves the humanity... If I ever go to Bhandardhara again and find green plants blossoming in the area...I will think about this old woman... her perseverance has germinated the seed of life in the area...

Nurturing the seed of life - Anukriti Sharma Photography

The train halts at Surat. I put a neatly folded fawn-coloured blanket on my lap. The satin edges seem like my experiences - beautiful against a rough life.
I take out a pen and paper from my bag and write down:

Tales of the open Road

Soon dinner is served... Chicken curry mixed with dal and rice reminds me of the delicious tales of Satyajit Ray. I think about all the people I have met so far... They have been such wonderful companions... I wish I could talk to them forever... Learn new things from them...
But then I realize...

Seeking permanence in a temporary life - Anukriti Sharma Photography

Isn't it strange-all our lives we strive for permanence - a permanent residence, permanent career, permanent happiness, permanent love... Not realizing that we are mere travellers traversing this world. Why do we seek permanence when life itself is temporary?The cries of the cherubic boy jerks me to reality. He is crying with affliction... I look at him trying to do my best to lessen his pain... His parents seem distraught. The family sitting opposite me, nudge one another and mutter in hushed tones, "Don't you see, that child is mentally challenged... "

A cherubic boy at India Gate - Anukriti Sharma Photography

Ruskin Bond's lines resound in my ears again as a tear trickles down my cheeks -
"If I am not for myself,
who will be for me?
And if I am not for others,
what am I?
And if not now, when?"

A tear trickles down my cheek; Picture Credit - Sambuddha Jash

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Varanasi: Anukriti Sharma Photography

They say I've lived a million years...
They say I'll live a million more.
Orange flames
paint my skin...
Camouflaging
the scars beneath.

Somnolent
I see the world
That lies before
'Her' mangled ghats...

The horizon
is on
the brink of decay...
Choked
with viscous
Urbane-ness.

I immerse myself
in Ganga's depths.
Her holiness
Chars my body...
Scalds it,
till I exist no more.

The river
still burns
upon my scars -
Exhuming
dead bodies
from her womb.

And -
My shadow walks away from me
Eclipsing the million years I've lived
Eclipsing the million years I'll live.