Hyderabad, the city of pearls… a city fast becoming a metropolitan. A place where north and south India met, the many cultures of the nation came together and the diversity of the nation showed quite well.
In this city through the hubbub of vehicles and spread crowds, there was a little girl named Yamini. Yamini loved her family a lot. They meant more than life itself to her. Her dad, mom and her little sister who she loved so much… all had covered her in a blanket of love and care. She was very talented and could sketch anything with the greatest of ease. Her parents never left her side, but her little sister didn’t pay much attention to her. She never wanted to be alone at any time. Time passed and things did not change much. She was still loved and given company at all times. But not all good things last for ever. The day she dreaded so much soon came. Her parents had gone out, and her sister was in school. And she was alone at home.
She didn’t know what to do, and her fear at suddenly being alone didn’t let her sketch anything. She huddled on her couch and slowly closed her eyes. She saw something, and quickly opened her eyes again. She wasn’t sure she actually saw it. She closed her eyes again, opened it immediately. Could it be real? Questions were popping up in her mind now:
What did I see, when I closed my eyes?
Is it real or did I see just some lies?
Should I venture into this land unknown?
Will someone be there, or am I all alone?
She decided to close her eyes and venture there. She was all alone anyhow at home. When she closed her eyes, she saw a ladder going into the clouds. She began to climb it and reached the top most cloud. She slowly stepped onto it and saw that it didn’t break. She was in her very own Land of Dreams. She walked some distance and saw a gate. She wondered where the key was but lo and behold, the gate swung open for her. She went inside and the crowd near the gates cheered, “Long Live The Queen”. She turned around to see who they were cheering for, and even went outside the gate. But saw no one. She became confused. She thought perhaps the Queen might have entered when she had turned around, and decided to go back in again.
Where am I now, I wish I knew,
This place where my desire comes true,
This palace, where I know not the Queen,
This beautiful land that I have never before seen
She turned around to see an angel flying near her shoulders. It slowly sat on her shoulder and told her, “Greetings Queen Yamini. Welcome to the palace. We were awaiting your return to the kingdom since many years now and we are so delighted to see you here. Here you can be anyone you want to be. You can live in the palace and rule over us, your minions… you can come to our homes and be our dearest friend. You can be whoever you wanted to be when you were growing up. No one will stop you from doing it. If we can, we will help you do it too. Shall we enter, into your very own Land of Dreams?”
Yamini was very excited and agreed to go inside. Just as she was about to enter though, the world vanished in a haze, and her ceiling came into focus. She got up in a hurry, and looked at her side to see her mom smiling down at her. “Yami, you were smiling in your sleep also. Did you have a very nice dream my dear?” Yamini was too happy for words so she just nodded. She knew that at night, when she went to sleep, the Land of Dreams would appear again.
I saw a land, where I am the Queen,
So happy in my life, I have never been,
I just can’t wait to go back again,
To the land where I don’t feel any pain
Yamini’s parents were surprised to see her wanting to go to sleep early that night. Usually she would want to be with them till later in the night. As they tucked her in, she gave them each a kiss goodnight and drifted off quickly into her dreams. The angel was waiting to escort her in again. She had decided not to rule over them as a Queen, but as a friend. She was going to show others the way into the Land of Dreams. She was smiling all the time. She ordered them never to call her Queen, because she was a simple person and did not want to be considered as a ruler. Little did she knew, that she was already ruling so many hearts.
She saw a pen on her desk, and began to write. She wrote a lot, but she saw the ink bottle always full. She called the angel and asked him where the ink was coming from. He replied to her that in her land of dreams, she can write how much ever she wanted to and the bottle of ink would never finish. She was so happy that she wrote a poem…
A poem i wish to write
But words refuse to come in sight
I, alone in the room and the light
With my pen, I fight.
Right words, i don't find
Though i put my heart and mind
My imagination flew like a kite
In anger and annoy, my pen I Bite.
Of no topic i can think
Nothing else, then i blink, Scribbled lines
Which do not link?
I think, think and think.
In exhaustion my face grew pink.
Amazed, I have finished a full bottle of ink.
......!!!!!!
The angel saw it and proclaimed it as the stepping stone of a journey that will be endless, a rule that will be cherished forever… listening to that, Yamini smiled even more. She only had but a few citizens then, but she knew she was happy. Soon, hearing about the happy kingdom of Yamini, more people came to the land. They read her majesty’s works and decided never to leave her Land of Dreams again.
The queen had just written a poem wishing her citizens good morning when a weary traveler called Leo entered her happy kingdom. Tired after his travels, he found the Land a very relaxing place to be in. He decided to stay there for long. Yamini saw a good poet in him, and asked his opinions on her works more than once. Between them, a beautiful friendship began to weave... one that would last forever. His rhymes without reason began to inspire her, and he was happy that his little talent had some use to some one in that Land. Yamini began to write more and more as time flew by. She began nursing dreams of a little book of her poems. Leo knew that it would one day become reality.
Today as the rule nears 200 poems young, Yamini has decided to go on a travel and give the rule of her kingdom to her most trusted allies. Today it is Leo’s rule and Leo is happy that he decided to stay forever in this Land of Dreams. As Leo ponders on how to finish his rule, he is smiling. Yamini is not sure what Leo is cooking up for this big day. So Leo will end with something he is good at, an acrostic poem…
Treasured are my days here
Heart I read yours my dear
Eager I am for reading more
Leave I never shall indeed
Always here, when I you need
Never giving up, just continue to write
Dream away of a future bright
One day you shall be, who you dreamt
Free to fly unchained by your past
Destiny holds happiness for you
Reveal it does more joy and hope
Each moment you spend is a memory
Always in your heart to make you smile
My presence it will forever be there
Scar in your heart that you will never forget
Leo is now done with this long rule, hope that Yamini loves it and wishes that she reaches more heights with her blogging. It has been a cherished friendship between us Yamii, and I certainly don’t ever want it to end.
As I finish I wish to say
Don’t ever stop dreaming
Come what may
In this Land of Dreams
You are the best
No one is more loved
Stay forever blessed