Archive for the ‘Literary’ Category
Strange Day Indeed
Sun was shining too bright,
Silence seemed too tight,
Fluffy clouds looked too light,
It was a strange day indeed.
Something seemed amiss, true,
This long, grass has never grew,
Ships were still, and no crew,
It was a strange day indeed.
The pace of wind horrified,
An abandoned child cried,
Couldn’t find a human, tried,
It was a strange day indeed.
Lot of feelings, inside,
More of seek and less of hide,
Lion and deer drinking side by side,
It was a strange day indeed.
I was walking on the cloud,
Did lot of things, not proud,
Tried shouting, couldn’t be loud,
It was a strange day indeed.
Everywhere I saw just one face,
More curious than Button, my case,
Time to slow down, what rat race,
It was a strange day indeed.
Just say it
It’s been around 10-12 years, but the importance of what my Dad told me that day, presents itself time and again.
Our family was having dinner together. Out of nowhere Dad said, “Today the food is great”. I found the food no different. It was the same. I was perplexed. Dad understood what I was thinking and told me, “It’s important once in a while to compliment your partner even if you don’t mean it. She puts in a lot of effort everyday for this usual food. A single word of praise goes a long way to ease the tiredness of the daily routine. It’s refreshing and a lovely thing”.
The Man was indeed right. My Mom passed a blushing smile and the tension of hard work was gone. It was replaced by satisfaction. Had my Dad not said anything to Mom, it would have been fine. But just fine and nothing else.
To feel is not enough. What’s important is to express those feelings time and again. With our monotonous routine, we fail to keep track of these things and life starts drifting. To keep the fun alive, timely intervention is needed.
When you love someone, be it your parents, your siblings, your friends, your partner, it’s necessary to remind them verbally of that love time and again. They know that you love them, but little reassurance is always nice. Next time you meet your Mom, tell her that you love her. You would be amazed to see the smile on her face.
Courtesy: A Lovely Cat
This Animal and You
I sneeze and you skip a breath,
I fall and you shed a tear,
So much good inside you, Stop.
This animal doesn’t deserve the care.
I err and you take the brunt,
I slur and you just listen,
Perplexes me why you are with me,
This animal doesn’t deserve the care.
Your time, you invest in me,
Your life, you trust with me,
I wonder am I worthy of it, no,
This animal doesn’t deserve the care.
When I hold your hand, the chill,
Your touch of assurance, I am still,
Don’t give me belief, wake up,
This animal doesn’t deserve the care.
My anxieties soothen by mere smile,
I am no substance, just style,
Worry you a lot about me, stop,
This animal doesn’t deserve the care.
The fast, the sacrifice you do for me,
That tied string under the banyan tree,
Quarrel with the maker for me, don’t,
This animal doesn’t deserve the care.
The future together, the hope,
I will make it happen, be assured,
Sadness be false, happiness be true,
This animal cares a lot about you.
सारे जहाँ से अच्छा
सारे जहाँ से अच्छा, कहता था एक बच्चा,
हम बुलबुलें हैं इसकी, कहती थी दादी उसकी,
ग़ुरबत में हों अगर हम, विश्वास न हो बस कम,
रहता हो दिल वतन में, फक्र से न घुटन में|
परवत वो सब से ऊँचा, सबने लहू से सींचा,
गोदी में हज़ारों नदियाँ, हो गयी हैं जिनको सदियाँ,
ए आब-ए-रूद-ए-गंगा, दुबकी जो कर दे चंगा,
मज़हब नहीं सिखाता बैर, असल बात जाने दो खैर|
हिन्दी हैं हम वतन है, दुश्मन करें जतन हैं,
यूनान-ओ-मिस्र-ओ-रोमा, कुछ गए, कुछ को कोमा,
हस्ती मिटती नहीं हमारी, झूझने की है बीमारी,
हम तुझको क्यों सुनाएं, दर्द-ए-निहाँ हमारा|
PS: My tribute to Saare Jahan se Accha by Muhammad Iqbal
जल उठी धरती फिर
फिर हुआ स्तम्भ विस्तंभ आज,
छाती चौड़ी, अब जीता डरके,
गम में मुस्कराना, गहरा राज|
कुछ घना, कुछ गहरा, एक साया,
चहचहा उठे पंची सारे, सांझ भई,
धड़कन बढ़ी, सकुचा, दिल घबराया,
पुराने सब काल हुए, दुर्घटना नई|
कितने हँसे, कितने रोये, क्या गिनती,
मुखौटे से दिखे सब, मूक मय अवाक,
ग्रसित हैं, मुक्त करो, बस यही विनती,
कुछ न बचा, साथ गयी झूठी साख|
एक बटन दबा, एक घनघोर ध्वनी,
चिथड़े उड़े, हर ओर गिरे, सब शांत,
चीख भी उसकी, न निकली, न सुनी,
रो उठे सागर, हिंद से लेकर प्रशांत|
लाचार लगे अब, कुछ न कर पाऊँ,
शीश महल, अब नहीं बचा, चूर-चूर,
घर कब्जाया, खतरा, अब कहाँ जाऊं,
पास था साहिल, लगे अब दूर-दूर|
शैतान था वो, कुकृत्य किया जिसने,
बेबाक जिंदगी, न कभी जिए डरके,
सरफ़रोश हुआ, तृप्त-अमृत पिया उसने
जल उठी धरती जब धू धू करके|
Same Same but Different
Last night I had this amazing dream. I woke up at night with lights flashing all over. A man with big mustache and vintage golden dress was standing tall, over me, and laughing loud. “Wake up, you lazy bugger, Wake up”. Sleepy and startled, my first reaction was to blame it on the overdose of Vodka that night. But soon the gravity of the situation or can I say the lack of it dawned on me. Aaj toh lag gayi Mamu!
He told me I was dead. Died of a certain Gastropathic attack. Gas! Couldn’t it have been something legendary? Like being attacked by flying dragons while jumping of a plane which collided with a UFO. Leave it. I died of Gas alright.
Here I was, one moment trying to realize my dreams, my future and the very next facing the shock of my demise. My whole life flashed before my eyes. Family, Friends, Future. What now? I begged, pleaded with my soul transporter. Let me live to make things work, make things right.
It’s hard to say that it was my lucky day, given that I just died. But he took pity to me which clearly didn’t seem to match his M.O. “There’s one condition though”, said he. “Here it comes” “Give me a reason to let You live. Hey it’s easy, “I have so much left to do in my life. Get married. Make a career. Have kids”. He gave me a smile. “You don’t seem to get my question. Why should I let You and not some other person, live”
I was just an answer away. Given that I have been writing exams all my life, it shouldn’t have been that difficult. But believe you me, however hard I tried, I couldn’t get an answer.
Have you ever thought? Trying to make a mark in life, a place for ourselves, we have ended up being clones of each other. Lost that very individuality that we have been craving for, fighting for. When I look outside my apartment all I see is blinking stars. Only they are not stars, they are other apartments. We are all boxed up. All flats look same. All work looks same. All roads look same. All blokes look same. How is my life any different to my fellow men?
Well, it only seems logical that we all be same. The funda of evolution revolves around learning and surviving. We learn from others, grab the best of all and apply to our lives. Thereby becoming a hybrid.
With the advent of cut throat competition, this cloning process has only hastened. Don’t you remember your mother/wife saying, “Pados waale Sharma ji jo TV laaye hain humein bhi wohi chaiye” Or a kid crying that he wants the new Play station which his friends have. You covet other mans wife, car, house, life.
If we look at it the other way round, “What’s the problem in being clones” After all we are all born humans. Same at birth. Same creator. Same creation. Why is the need to be different? Just that it doesn’t seem all that right to be part of a monotonous system. It just seem what can I say, unnatural.
The similarity doesn’t end with the lives we tread; it follows us to our grave. However hard we have tried to make our post-death ceremonies different, the truth is, after a certain point, nothing but dust remains.
Anyhow, I was not able to answer the question of the big mustached guy. Good that it was just a dream. Am not sure what I had done for real. Not even sure I really do care to be all that distinctive. I might try now and then, something out of the blue to be different. Might also be successful at that for a while. Till someone decides to catch up and steal my thunder of course.
अनजान हँसी
पिछली सर्दी की बात है ये
घर पर था छुट्टी मना रहा
धुंध की चादर ओड़े था
सूरज भी ठुर ठुर ठिठुर रहा |
सुबह सुबह सी दोपहर थी जो
तफरी करने को निकला मैं
सायें सायें कर हवा कटी
सुड सुड करती सी नाक बही |
साथ मैं मेरे जॉय थी था
गुस्से से मुझको घूर रहा
खुद को तो चले मारने तुम
मेरे को काहे खत्म करो |
तभी दिखी कुछ दूर तलक
एक जानी पहचानी अनजान झलक
वो खिल खिल करती एक मस्त हँसी
जॉय की भी पूँछ हिली |
छम छम करती वो हुस्न परी
गरमाती मौसम तरी तरी
जी भरकर देख ना पाया मैं
कुछ और धुंध सी बही तभी |
वो चेहरा ढूँढ रहा तबसे
एक झलक मांग रहा रबसे
पर मिल ना पाया मुझे कभी
भूलने की कोशिश करुँ अभी |
वो थी एक अनजान हसीं
मेरी धड़कन उसमें है फसीं
पिछली सर्दी की जो है बात
इस सर्दी मैं काश हो मुलाक़ात |
रैगिंग
बड़े जोश से चले निकल के,
नन्हे माँ के लाल रे|
मन में जैसे उछल रहे थे,
बन्दर डाल डाल रे||
स्कूल से जाना था कॉलेज,
फुदक रही थी चाल रे|
हृदय में थी नयी उमंगें,
खोजेंगे जल ताल रे||
कॉलेज का था एक हॉस्टल,
कमरे थे बेहाल रे|
देख उनको बुद्धि ठनकी,
आया घर का ख्याल रे||
घूर रहे थे सभी सीनिअर,
होठ थे उनके लाल रे|
सोच रहे थे आया मुर्गा,
रैगिंग ले ही डाल रे||
पुछा नाम पता frequency,
हुए शर्म से ला रे|
पकड़ के ले गए नाई के,
कटवाए हमारे बाल रे||
फिर चला चल चित्र का दौर,
इज्जत ली निकाल रे|
Superman हमें बनाया,
He-man बनकर किया धमाल रे||
गर्ल्स हॉस्टल के चक्कर लगवाए,
क्या क्या सवाल न हमसे पुछवाये|
चवन्नी अठन्नी थी हमने निकाली,
हस हस के बेहाल रे|
दुपक रहे थे हम कमरों में,
सीना अन्दर दाल रे||
धीरे धीरे थी बात खुली,
पूरी तस्वीर थी साफ़ धुली,
वो तो सिर्फ एक मुखौटा था,
सच्चाई से कुछ छोटा था||
पूरा परिदृश्य ही बदल गया,
हॉस्टल लगने लगा नया,
सब सीनिअर अपने दोस्त बने,
साथ में मौज मस्ती करे,
P.D.P तो एक बहाना था,
सबको नजदीक जो आना था||
Dear Rose
Leaving thy, with a sigh!
Back will I, don’t cry,
Task this, must I pursue,
Let me go, O! wonderful you.
I ask you this, not for me wait,
To start a new life don’t hesitate,
My heartly blessings are with you,
My dear Rose whatever you do.
Dumbstruck was she to this,
Hinting something was amiss,
Replied she with deepset grief,
Don’t worry, I would be brief.
Leave you! I would not budge,
There is task you must indulge,
Understand this me enough.
But how could you say my dear love,
That I should find a new partner,
This was a dagger that you just utter,
I would be waiting till the end of time,
Uptill I be far past my prime,
You would find me when you come,
Just your Rose and not else some,
So go away just don’t worry,
If I were rude, can I just say…Sorry.
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