Happiness…

… is recognizing the fact that you’ve SuzuKaze Combo around you to cheer you up!

As always, here’s that page to compare the above sketches.

If you are sort of wondering why the two faces look so similar, let me remind you of this strip:

But still I think my sketch of Fuu is much better than Ryou’s because Ryou’s sketch feels a bit unbalanced… Anyway, they both look much better than some of my earlier sketches so I’m satisfied with the hours I spent. I’ll leave you with some random link on

Sketching

Essence

Second scanlation of Sketchbook’s Volume 8 has arrived and they don’t disappoint apart from typo(s) (once again). Here’s a corrected strip:

Sketchbook & Physics… Well, it’s just a mention of a name but exciting enough! As exciting as Nagisa being upset after accidentally dropping discharged & charged batteries (for her camera) and being unable to sort them out!

The title of this post is due to the following strip, where our most beloved Sora does what she does best – get shocked by her own thoughts:

This strip is the epitome of the simplicity that Sketchbook is so keen on demonstrating without being so relentlessly forceful about it! What the hell does that mean? No idea but it is supposed to mean something good about this manga.

Anyway, how can one miss our most least-appearing Ooba! By that definition, one can surely guess that her entry is not as entertaining as her exit:

Definitely, a brilliant exit… As brilliant as the famous Cartoon character uttering that unforgettable phrase:

Exit – Stage Left

Bitter-sweet

It is an oxymoron, a Great one and the following is what I could interpret of the lyrics after listening to the very wonderful song by Spencer Schmidt.

It is, kind of bittersweet,
Like the smile one would have,
When they know they've given it their all,
But the smile can't change,
The game has been lost,
That smile is the only thing you've got,
But it's enough, to move on.
And I could spend forever in your eyes,
I could spend forever here tonight,
And even if you never care for me,
I will share wish cherish every memory,
I spend with you.

It is, kind of bittersweet,
Like the fire-flies five lines previous,
And the fire-flies feeling felt right now,
Like if you heard, that a loved one had been lost,
But their last words were,
I know this is my time,
I am strong.
And I could spend forever in your eyes,
I could spend forever here tonight,
And even if you never care for me,
I will cherish every memory,
That I spend with you.
That I spend with you.

And I could spend forever in your eyes,
I could spend forever here tonight,
And even if you never care for me,
I will cherish every memory,
And though I know it's kind of bittersweet,
Sometimes we have to accept the feat defeat,
Then ensues the peace like falling snow,
Take a deep breath in and let it go,
I am free.
I am free.
And I could spend forever in your eyes.

And you might like to listen to it here.
Enjoy!!

Comeback

Rahat Indori

This post celebrates the pretty dense yet porous shayari (read the similarly titled tab located above first) of Rahat Indori. For example:

ये सहारा जो नहीं हो तो परेशान हो जाएँ
मुश्किलें जान ही ले लें अगर आसान हो जाएँ

Ye sahaara jo na ho to pareshaan ho jaaen
Mushkilein jaan hi le lein agar aasaan ho jaaen

The absence of such support can make anyone anxious
The problems may even take one’s life, if they get any simpler

ये जो कुछ लोग फरिश्तों से बने फिरते हैं
मेरे हत्ते कभी चढ़ जाएँ तो इंसान हो जाएँ

Ye jo kuch log farishton se bane firte hain
Mere hatte kabhi chadh jaaen to insaan ho jaaen

These few people who roam around being angels
If they ever confront me, they’ll become humans

-राहत इंदौरी (Rahat Indori)

Now time for his two ‘teaser’ shers (I apologize to Hindi-illiterate crowd for not offering any translations of the two shers that follow. That’s just because they sound dumb-in-translation!):

राज़ जो कुछ हो इशारों में बता भी देना
हाथ जब उससे मिलाना तो दबा भी देना

Raaz jo kuch ho ishaaron mein bata bhi dena
Haath jab usse milaana to daba bhi dena

-राहत इंदौरी (Rahat Indori)

When I shared this sher with my superpartner, she instantly replied with a comeback:

इशारों में जब बताएं तो समझ भी जाना
हाथ की बात चेहरे से बयां करा भी देना

Ishaaron mein jab bataaen to samajh bhi jaana
Haath ki baat chehre se bayaan kara bhi dena

Well, this sher has been edited slightly by removing spurious pronouns from her original version but the feelings are all intact (I hope). But I guess this sher coming from her most probably means she still hasn’t forgotten that time during our engagement ceremony when I squeezed her ring finger a little too hard in a futile attempt to slide THE ring over it. Anyway, no hard feelings then and / or now so lets continue to the next sher:

जागने की भी, जगाने की भी आदत हो जाये
काश तुझको किसी शायर से मोहब्बत हो जाये

Jaagne ki bhi, jagaane ki bhi aadat ho jaaye
Kaash tujhko kisi shaayar se mohabbat ho jaaye

-राहत इंदौरी (Rahat Indori)

She shared her thoughts after reading the above sher:

रातें तो कई आयीं और कई गयीं, पर आज कि रात कुछ सुहानी है
किसी के आने कि खबर इसको भी है, इतनी हलचल ऐसे ही नहीं है

Raatein to kai aaeen aur kai gaeen, par aaj ki raat kuch suhaani hai
Kisi ke aane ki khabar isko bhi hai, itni halchal aise hi nahin hai

Well, it’s not quite a comeback but feels great to read it, anyway. It also feels like I’ve heard / read it or something similar before but am not 100% sure. So I’ll consider this sher of hers to be an original one till proven wrong (which I hope never happens as that could involve an awkward confrontation). That’s it for today… If you’ve some more time to waste, head over to the freshly prepared

Her Page