Posts Tagged ‘sadness’
हँसना सिखा दिया
मेरे दिल ने दर्द के साथ रहना सीख लिया था,
आँखों ने हमदर्द का खोना देख लिया था,
बातों ने खामोशी का गहना ओड लिया था,
क्यों तूने इस सोते दिल को जगा दिया,
क्यों तूने घायल अरमानों को हवा किया,
क्यों तूने आंखों को टिमटिमाना सिखा दिया,
क्यों तूने बेगाने को पशोपेश में फसा दिया|
मेरे नासूर जख्मों ने तड़पाना छोड़ दिया था,
मेरे मन ने भारी गम से समझौता किया था,
मेरे सपनों ने अपनों का खोना भांप लिया था,
मेरे रातों ने ओझिल हो जाना मान लिया था,
क्यों तेरे स्पर्श ने घायल मुझको दवा दिया,
क्यों मुझको फिर से हँसना सिखा दिया,
क्यों मेरे सपनों की महफ़िल को सजा दिया,
क्यों रातों में फिर बातें करना बता दिया||
गुमसुम
शून्य को बैठा ताक रहा,
जाने क्यों बगलें झाँक रहा,
अपनी मस्ती में था झूमा,
रहने लगा तू क्यों गुमसुम।
हर ओर तरंगें बिखरी थी,
घनघोर घटाएं छितरी सी,
हंसने से सवेरा होता था,
रहने लगा तू क्यों गुमसुम।
चलने से थिरकन होती थी,
धू-२ के शिकन न होती थी,
हर वाद-विवाद में था अव्वल,
रहने लगा तू क्यों गुमसुम।
कुल दीपक तू कहलाया था,
माहौल हुआ गरमाया सा,
अग्नि तपिश थी लगती नम,
रहने लगा तू क्यों गुमसुम।
सर माथे तुझे लगाते सब,
मूरत न कोई, अपना तू रब,
तू कलाबाज, मस्ती करतब,
रहने लगा तू क्यों गुमसुम।
प्रश्न का हर, तू था उत्तर,
हर दांव रहा मीले पत्थर,
ध्वनि तेरी धरती कम्पन,
रहने लगा तू क्यों गुमसुम।
काजल से काली रात है यह,
डूबे सब, कहर बरसात ठहे,
कठिन पहर, न आये समझ,
रहने लगा तू क्यों गुमसुम।।
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.
Racism: Reverse and Progressive
A lot has kept us busy as a nation last couple of weeks. CWG, Mohali win and most recently some serious allegations of racism against a few officials from down under.
If I am right, Ministry of External Affairs, India summoned High Commissioners of respective countries and lodged protests. Last I heard the said individuals either resigned or were ousted and rightly so. Such behavior has no place in civilized societies.
Okay, tell me one thing. Has racism sprung up all of a sudden during recent times? The answer would be a no. Racism is a perception which a society or a race developes about contemporary society or race overtime. It’s just that with the advent of Globalization, these days we get to know of it real time. Earlier Lord Ganesha on Chappals was mere fashion for a society that doesn’t know anything about him, Today it is offensive.
Tell me frankly, how many of us think Bhajji did indeed utter “Maa Ki” and not the racist slur. Why then were we as a nation hell bent on seeing Bhajji free of the allegations? Now come ‘on, it had nothing to do with lack of evidence or anything thereof. If such had been the case then all our politicians were saints.
To be frank it’s about who is leveling the allegations. Had the opposite team been Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, West Indies or for that matter South Africa, we as a nation might not have backed our player to that extent. Why? Coz we have seen long periods of unabashed Aussie sledging as a reminder of the days of the Raj perhaps.
When a society which has perception of being shamelessly racist, throws up allegations of such sort, it seems rubbing salt in the wound. You gotta handle what you dish out. Right?
But what worries me more is a developing phenomenon, Reverse Racism. In our part of world racism is generally related to prejudice that developed white nations have against us about them being superior. The aspect of racism under which emerging societies like us berate, taunt or create a certain perception about developed nations is what I call Reverse Racism.
When white girls are considered nothing but free meat. Whole society is said to lack values. If it’s not racism, what is it? I was shocked to see in a recent episode of Bigg Boss, a dozen white models in skimpy dresses made to dance with the ousted contestant. Just as his inaam. When the whole crowd enjoys it, it’s not just racism, it’s sadness.
Equally frightening is Progressive Racism. Progressive racism is when slightly more developed race is prejudiced against slightly lesser developed race.
When an African student in Delhi University is called Kaalu. A person from the same region is called Habshi on national TV. When CWG teams from African countries are given step motherly treatment. On daily basis do we see jokes being made on color of skin on TV. “Abey door hat, tu rang chodta hai”. “Sab log fair and lovely lagate hain, yeh cherry blossom lagata hai”. “Abe langoor ke bhai”.
I am not trying to be apologetic here, I hate that frankly. But if such progressive and reverse racism continues in our society, we too would lose our moral right to complain. We would just be another hypocrite in the bunch. Do we really want that? It’s bit scary to answer, isn’t it?
The day I cried
What is the most passionate human emotion? Love, happiness, anger, sadness would be some guess perhaps. Well, not exactly. It would be tears. The singlemost, strong emotion on earth. You feel happy, Tears of joy. You feel sad, Tears of sorrow. You feel angry, unable to control yourself, Tears of madness. You fall in love, Tears of passion. You feel hurt, Tears of pain. You are caught red handed, Tears asking for forgiveness. When someone departs, Tears of loss. When your child excels, Tears of pride. The list is endless. Tears span all emotions.
Let me admit at the onset, I do cry sometimes. Not in public though. After all I have to keep my male ego going. I have never even imagined myself doing so. Would be a highly embarrassing moment. Or so I thought!
Last time I remember myself crying was when my grandfather died. I was in my hostel room when my sister called me. The tears just flowed, they were spontaneous. But it all got over with no one around.
This time it was an auspicious and public occasion. My sisters wedding. I was busy with arrangements and couldn’t foresee what was to come. It was the Ladies Sangeet function. Few words about this Ladies Sangeet. It is organized as a pre-wed ritual on a grand scale in North. Stage is set up. Professional dance and music troop is called. Everyone from the family is supposed to dance. However good or bad it might be.
I am not a type to dance or sing. So I decided to duck via what I could do. Say a poem. Little did I know that it would prove to be my nemesis. There wasn’t enough time so I jotted down a few lines and added tit-bits from my older writings. Everything seemed fine. I was through with most of the lines. I had just described an incidence from our childhood and there were awes all around.
As I reached the end where I chastised her for deserting us, something happened. I can’t describe it. I tried to resist myself, cautious of being on stage and eyes staring at me. Couldn’t help it. The tears followed. What a Man was I!
I managed to finish the poem just in time to see my crying sister rushing towards me. And the worst part, I was forced to dance too. Here is what I wrote.
कुछ सुनो तो कुछ में कहूं कहानी,
मैं बीच रस्ते चेंटा था,
कुछ हठ था भरा कुछ रूठा था,
मुझे था वही खिलौना लेना,
जिस में थे दो तोते और एक मैना|
पैसे थे चार जरूरतें थी दस,
मैं रो रो कर चिंघडाया था,
माँ ने भी थप्पड़ लगाया था,
तभी किसी ने प्यार से थपकाया था,
माँ मुझे कुछ नहीं है लेना,
भैया का बस चुप कर दो रोना|
वैसे भी ऐसा क्या मांगे वो,
बस दो तोते और एक मैना,
बस दो तोते और एक मैना|
…
…
आज तू बिदा हो है चली, बाबुल का घर छोड़ के,
बनाने चली तू नए रिश्ते, पुरानों से मुहँ मोड़ के,
कुछ और देर तक रहती तो, मिल बैठ के बातें करते हम,
कुछ बात पुरानी कहता मैं, कुछ गम मिल-जुलकर करते कम,
कुछ और देर तक रहती तो (सिसक-सिसक), मिल बैठ के बातें करते हम,
कुछ बात पुरानी कहता मैं, कुछ गम मिल-जुलकर (सिसक-सिसक)…”
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