Poetry, as a whole, is more about sharing the secrets to a peaceful life and imparting them through a lesser number of words in the most simplistic manner possible. “Aaina” by Ritu Barki is a poetry collection of thoughts, musings, observations and opinions that hold universal value. What gives the collection immense value and weightage is the fact that it is largely inspired by routine life and events, yet it makes the ordinary sound extraordinary and carries meaning beyond the surface level. Furthermore, the beauty of “Aaina” is in the rhythmic manner in which the poems are written, which are more meant to rejoice, rejuvenate, and simultaneously form new perspectives on life.

As a title, “Aaina” has more meanings than what the readers decode on the literal level. While the cover focuses on addressing the surface meaning, it is only later that the readers find further meanings being unravelled. On the one hand, it merely means a reflection, and the author explains the multiple meanings that the volume carries in her title poem, which is among the first ones in the collection. The poem also does the groundwork of giving the readers a foundation to examine, perceive and understand her forthcoming poems and the deeper meanings they carry. In light of this, the poems appearing eventually form a fragment of the poet’s inspiration. They are based on expectations, life and its reliance on time, a sense of being complete, spending and sparing time for self and development, human connections and their depths, life in this materialistic world and the sharp contrast it has to life some years back. Altogether, the poetry collection gives life-changing messages to the readers in a simplistic manner.

“Aaina” also urges the readers to explore the world beyond materialism, and like a true poet, the author ensures that she guides the readers on this road to enlightenment. Among the many poems she writes to awaken the readers’ thoughts, the major eye-openers include “Mere liye,” “Zindagi,” “Mauka,” “Antim Satya- Mrityu” and others. These poems are born from ordinary aspects and thoughts but the dimension they assume is larger than it appears on the surface level. However, it is “Adhunikta” that comes as strikingly unique and different due to its discussion of the new mode of social media that shows a different side of reality that is majorly projected, unreal, artificial, superficial and fake to quite an extent. She also discusses the consequent impact on our culture, values and behaviors through the poem. Even in a light-hearted manner, she discusses a subject of vital importance to human beings and how the impact is more in the form of ripples and waves and will continue to extend to the next generation, too. Every poem in this direction addresses a unique aspect and hence, creates a different universe for itself.

Every poem in “Aaina” explores a subject born from observation of the different aspects of human life. The author is a silent observer of people from various walks of life and handpicks subjects that are common to all of them and have universal validity. Moreover, she writes on subjects that will be valid even for the next generation. It is due to this universal validity and relevance that the poetry collection is recommended to readers of all ages. It is also due to its simplicity of language and clarity of conveying thoughts that the poetry of this collection will be easily understandable for readers. The subjects from human emotions, thoughts, reactions to situations, thoughts according to situations that are the inherent monologues of the poems that appear frequently throughout the collection. “Aaina” will come as a fresh wave of enlightenment that will take the readers beyond the world driven by smart media and devices and educate them on a deeper meaning of life. It may also come across as a spiritual journey where the readers will not be the same people once they have finished the collection. At the same time, the newfound wisdom may also give the readers a sense of peace, tranquility and connection with the inner self. Therefore, they are urged to go through the collection once and experience a wisdom that an entire lifetime may not even provide.