सीख

PS:written in context of imbibing things from nature in your life,the traveller you want to be,the nomadic life you want to lead,the things you want to learn from the surroundings

काले घनेरे बादलों से

काजल चुराना सीख लूँ

थम के बरसना ना सही

आँसू बहाना सीख लूँ

चाँदनी सी रात में

टिमटिमाना सीख लूँ

चाँद के चकोर में

मुँह छुपाना सीख लूँ

तारों की फ़ौज़ में

गुम हो जाना सीख लूँ

खुद ही में खो जाउन

पर रस्ता दिखाना सीख लूँ

नदियों की मौज़ में

बहते जाना सीख लूँ

समंदर की गोद में

खुद को भुलाना सीख लूँ

पेड़ों की शाख पर

घर बनाना सीख लूँ

तिनको का आशियाँ हो 

और चहचाहना सीख लूँ

कौओं के बीच में

कोयल हो जाना सीख लूँ

दूसरों के घोंसले में

घर बनाना सीख लूँ

हंसों के झुंड में

जोड़ा बनाना सीख लूँ

मौसम की बदली में

सरहद पार जाना सीख लूँ

पतझड़ के पेड़ों सा

बेआबरू हो जाना सीख लूँ

बहारों के इंतज़ार में

दिन बिताना सीख लूँ

सड़कों की आँखमिचोली में

नज़रें चुराना सीख लूँ

खुद ही रस्ता भूल जाउन

फिर मंज़िल बनाना सीख लूँ

पहाड़ों के बीच में

झरने बहाना सीख लूँ

किरणों की रोशनी में

झिलमिलाना सीख लूँ

मटमैले झोपड़ो में

चूल्‍हे जलाना सीख लूँ

मुफ़लिसी की आग में

रोटी बनाना सीख लूँ

तेज़ रफ़्तार ज़िंदगी में

ठहर जाना सीख लूँ

जितना है उतना काफ़ी है

मन को मनाना सीख लूँ

मन के मंज़ीरों से

धुन बजाना सीख लूँ

ज़िंदगी के फ़लसफ़े का 

हर फसाना सीख लूँ

To Be Continued....

Scene 1:You were 10-13 years old and your father was busy watching news and you were jostling to watch a cartoon or may be a Shakalakaboomboom or a Junkyard wars;you were complaining in your mind how can someone watch these boring news channels.You used to glance through those newspapers and u preferred to go through the cartoons and children stuff and be amazed by your father reading it for hours,most of your time was spent in school or doing school stuff or playing outside.In the evening he dint allow mom to watch serials if there was some important news coming up.(single television at home)

Scene 2:You were 15-17 and your father was still busy watching news and going through his daily routine of newspapers;discussing political stuff with his friends in the evening and you were busy in your Solomons;Irodovs;TMH's.You dint understand any of the political stuff and only took time to watch some raunchy stuff on television,a song or two,some fashion tv,some surfing on net,Gtalk and Orkut,playboy magazine and mastram,cricket had got into your roots now,whatever logical talk you had apart from studies was about cricket.You used to glance through sports pages and discuss stats and strategies.Still amazed by your father watching news channels and reading the whole newspaper.

Scene3:You were 17-21,your father had the same routine,same news channels,you dint give a damn,you despised people with distinct taste of music;English/Rock music was cool for one sect and Hindi for the other and both despised each other,people talking about politics were so uncool,the only thing you cared about was your brand of coolness,what salary package you would get after getting out of college;that hot college chick;that cool Hollywood movie;that porn-star,that interesting series;that first heartbreak;that crush;those college parties and getting drunk.Cricket was in your blood now,you could give a Nobel lecture on it,IPL,World cup,EPL,UEFA,Wimbledon were the new hotshots of discussion. Politics and the country found no place in your discourses.People cared about CAT,GRE,getting out of the country.Those who were thinking of pursuing a different path were looked down upon and termed as "morons".

Scene4: You were 21-24,Your father is still very much interested in news,you started earning,don't have time to talk about news and stuff,most of your time is at the office on your computer screens,you are busy partying in clubs in the weekend,you watch movies on weekends,you go for holidays to exotic spots,you are online most of the time;you are two-three relationships old now;you get irritated with any girly talk or talk about taking up responsibilities,get pestered by your mom asking you to take care of your health and food and at the end of say two years from job ,this kind of routine makes you disinterested,you wanna change,may be skip a job,go for a MBA,a start-up,MS,UPSC,you see a lot more things now than merely being cool,you start seeing news may be because its what trending now and you have to have an opinion about stuff,you may have started reading newspaper,worrying about economy as you might get a pink slip or may be that might be asked in one of your interviews.

Scene 5:24-27,A lot has happened in the country,you are almost into knowing the political stuff,people with no interest in politics have a political opinion now,Post MBA or 3-4 years in the job you have nothing to do apart from getting married.You see friends experimenting,people starting to get married,people excelling in their fields,people getting promoted,a lot of holidays and vacation has already been done,Getting a trip back home is the best thing u like these days,You appreciate the importance of family,You appreciate Ghazals and different genres of music now,you return home and see your father watching news in the same way and he makes a comment about AAP and you are like he does not know anything;he is very cynical.You have candid debate on the current political scenario with him.You put statuses and notes about current political scenario,have a candid debate with friends too.You go through papers in the morning,other news also fascinate you now;you talk about family stuff with your mom and she does not forget to ring the marriage alarm.In the evening you are watching some news stuff and suddenly your mom changes the channel for Balika Vadhu or Madhubala...Dad doesn't make a whimper..He seems interested in them too....And you are like how can people watch these moronic saas bahu serials??

People are changing;buzz of politics and change all around..IDIOT BOX;INTERNET,NEWSPAPERS;FRIENDS,FAMILY
The bells ring in the same as they used to but make a different sound :)
To be continued .....

Dear Mr Kejriwal

Dear Mr Kejriwal

Sir,

Since you were writing so many letters to so many people with so many concerns.I as a not so "aam aadmi" ask you few simple questions.

What should I do to convince my dad who is a communist by ideologue and a judge by profession to clear doubts about you and your party? He raises the following questions.

Sardaar sab corrupt they

1)He says that all the political movements which started with an ideologue like yours eventually ended into something which is nowhere close to its earliest starting point.For instance the JP movement culminated into multiple parties who have no clear ideologue and contest people with all types of shortfalls in elections viz corrupts, criminals, dynastic,castists et al. Even the communists are very divided and unclear.With your party not having a clear ideologue on many issues why should someone vote for you?

2)He says that you might be the most honest person in your party and many others in your party are deemed to be honest.But what about everybody in your party,the members,the people who are giving you donations,the people who would vote for you??.You say that a Lokpal will change everything.He says that corruption is so deeply rooted in our mindsets that its not merely systemic but its in the Indian psyche inherited from our ancestors.How would you improve the morals of Indians?How would mere bringing a Lok pal change the whole scene of corruption ?Keeping in mind that Lokpal is mainly to deal with corrupt govt servants, how would you punish the corrupt businessmen who don't pay taxes,the traveller who boards a train without a ticket,the street vendor who is ready to pay a bribe in order to stand on a crowded chowk,the common man who litters on the streets,the person who is ready to pay more so that he can book his ticket quickly? Don't you think according to you standards even a Tatkal is a hitch for common man.??He says its not always about punishment and fear ..many a times its about mentality and culture.

3)He is too apprehensive about the complaining nature of you and your party members.While he is used to complaint cases in his profession,he thinks mere complaining and not having a proper backup of evidence proves useful only for buying time and not on the ground and in the courts.What would you do to really tab up the corrupts?How would you change the criminal justice system which lacks everything??There is scarcity of resources,there is scarcity of policemen,there is scarcity of judges,there are complexities and bottlenecks in the system.How would mere complaining bring the change or even a Lokpal as an institution single handedly change everything?

4)You talk about Mohalla Sabhas and people participation in day to day decision making of their areas.Don't you think it might prove a havoc.?Suppose if a ward/mohalla decides to build a drain which is ought to affect an adjacent mohalla as well,who would be the final decision making authority?Sometimes giving everything in the hand of Janta might lead to delays and litigation in courts? There are specialists and people who have been elected by the Junta who can very well work with the people. But to give the whole decision making thing into the hands of the Janta might not be useful.As it might lead to the neglect of the minority interest in that area and might lead to further systemic complexity and wastage of time.He thinks there are enough institutions in our country and we should work to improve them rather than putting in more institutions and more complexity.Don't you think our constitution makers would have included every aspect of Gandhian Swaraj at the word go if it had been feasible??Whats your take on this ??

5)He is apprehensive about govt servants,social activists,journalists joining your party.While he says there is a need to have people with diverse backgrounds in politics.He also says that its sending a wrong signal to the dedicated govt servants,activists,journalists.How is your party different from others when soon to retire govt servants are joining politics through your platform, isn't it opportunist?Aren't social activists joining your cause in a way divulging from the interest of the people they are involved with?

6)He says that while you are raising the issue of gas prices and corruption why are you not raising environmental issues,issues pertaining to pollution,science and technology,space? Is it because they don't garner media attention?.While the letters written by you to the stalwarts of big political parties contains very important issues, there are other important issues than corruption as well which these stalwarts do not raise in their speeches.Are you not acting in the same way as these and others media mongers do?

7)He says that you talk about democratization in politics and political parties.How is your party different from others when you are choosing people for standing in the national elections merely on the basis of the decision of your political committee?? Don't you have a way to involve people in that decision making?This is not much different from other political parties.What are you going to do to bring transparency and democracy within political parties.??

While I used to be a staunch AAP supporter from the word go and to an extent I will still vote for them in the national elections.I have had enough doubts raised and I echo many thoughts of my father.Even my maid says now"Mera zindagi toh jhaadoo lagaate hi beeta hai is baar jhaado lagaane se kucch hoga kya??"

Hope you people have answers to these questions and you bring in real change in this country.

Regards

A not so "aam admi"

PS:Its my fathers questions in my own words and few questions of my own and this has nothing to with BJP or Congress in any way :)

तारीफ़

तारीफ़ 
Context :It all started from a feeling of not able to compliment people.My father has been doing that for long.And I endorsed the lineage with full virtue.I can still remember those dining table conversations where my mom would ask "kaisa bana hai" and my father would say without an tweaks "Theek hai".It used to kill everything.Its not that we people don't like complimenting.Its just that our ways are different.While I prefer a witty sense of complimenting or may be a compliment in disguise or a hyperbole.Sometimes even my criticism is a compliment.And I must tell you this goes very badly with girls.Experience se bol rha hun.

थोड़ी हिचकिचाहट है 

लफ्ज़ टटोल रहा हूँ 

थोडा सब्र तो करो 

पूरा दिल ही खोल रहा हूँ 

झुकी नज़रों से देखा है 

बस अब रूह घोल रहा हूँ 

ऐ वक़्त ज़रा ठहर जाओ 

खालिस  सच बोल रहा हूँ 

मुस्कुराती शाम की हंसी में 

सुहानी रात का ताला है 

सपने दरवाज़े पे खड़े हैं 

बस चाबी का उजाला है 

तुम्हारी तारीफों के पुल को 

कुछ दरख्तों का इंतज़ार है 

तुम्हारे ज़ुल्फ़ों के घने जंगल में 

अब भी बहार ही बहार है 

तुम्हारी शक्शियत कि शान में 

दो शेर बोल रहा हूँ 

पर वो कुछ भारी से हैं 

इसलिए अब भी तोल रहा हूँ 

1-खुली खिड़की है बारिश में 

   हवा के झोंकों का आग़ाज़ है 

   वो बूँदें चेहरे पे पड़तीं 

   और दिल में दस्तक की आवाज़ है 

2 -बरस कर देखती हो तुम 

    मैं कितने दिन से बादल हूँ 

    बरसना भूल जाता हूँ 

    तेरी आँखों का काजल हूँ 

कि झिलमिल रोशनी से मैं 

ये कितनी बार हूँ कहता 

अगर तुम चांदनी होती 

तो मैं दरिया सा ना बहता 

चलो अब बैठकर फिर से 

बहाने याद करता हूँ 

तुम्हें लफ़्ज़ों के पिंजड़े से 

मैं फिर आज़ाद करता हूँ

I remember this Nusrat Fateh Ali Khaan Song right now.Aafreen Aafreen.Husn-e-jaana ki taarif Mumkin nahi

ख़ालिस:pure
दरख़्त:  wood
बरस : rain,tears ,anger
आग़ाज़ :start 
25.01.2014

Look Beyond Mr Sherlock

I was never an avid reader;or a literature enthusiast;or a critic or even a writer.What I was or what I am and what I have been is a "keen observer".I try to see things not as they are;but as a cumulative of related incidents and things which are interconnected and which co-influence each other.Am I a geek ?? No;nowhere close to that.To sum it all,I am just a little Sherlock of my own world and I am trying to look beyond.What I am seeking is not clear;it might be distant; it might be close but I am trying to look hard enough to gaze beyond all the haze.

Anyways that was not what I was referring to;I was pointing towards the night sky.Looking at the dark patch of the sky and the illuminati of stars I am wondering which one of these complements the other.Whether its the twinkling stars which complete the darkness or whether its the darkness which fills in the collage of stars.Nice question isn't it?? Lets not find the answer.Lets not analyze this relationship.Let us see the moon.Its bright but it has patches too.And it shrinks and then expands.That is true for any human emotion or any relationship.But let us not compare.Let us stop here.

Anyways that was not what I was referring to.I was pointing towards that child in his mothers lap.He looks contented.Has he had food or has he been lulled by a lullaby?? Even I had food sometime back but my face would never look so serene.Sing me a lullaby then.Where is the I pod?Oh Shut up.You are not getting the point.Is it the mothers lap then??He is giggling now. That's innate isn't it?? Or has he learnt the tricks of the world?;laugh at others and be contented.No-no you are not getting my point;he is a child for god sake. Okay let us stop here.

Anyways that was not what I was referring to;I was pointing to that old lady who sells vegetables in my neighborhood.That basket looks heavy;sweat is tumbling down her forehead and neck.Oh but she stops whenever someone beckons;puts it down; slyly agrees to all the bargain,gets few pennies but has a sense of contentment and glaze on her face a midst those wrinkles.Should I fetch a glass of water for her?? Who cares?? Let us not be humane.Better I should buy some vegetables.Oh crap;Its not trendy enough.I ll get it from Big Bazaar or something.I think she has lived her life and is probably married long back;might have grandchildren too.Why is she selling those vegetables then??;doesn't she have kids to work for her?? Ok they might not sell vegetable; its not trendy enough;working as a car driver in a distant land is much trendier.He might have a mobile.Let me get his no and call him and tell him what his mother is going through.Chuck it.Why should I poke in."Amma aalu kaise diya?" She whimpers "10 rupaiya kilo". "8 lagaogi toh 2 kilo lunga".She agrees.Deal closed.Let us stop here.

Anyways that was not what I was referring to;I was pointing to Sharma Uncles new car.Its a silver grey Honda City.But they had a car no.Ya Ya they had a Esteem. That's outlandish now.But Honda demands a hefty sum of money. Isn't it? Don't you know he is filthy rich.He deserves a car like that. Ohh but his driver uses a rickety bicycle.What about that??You moron,what has Sharma Uncle to do with that?.I was just saying.Here comes aunty;"Memsaab gaadi jabardust lag rhi hai""Ab paise lagein hai toh lagegi hi;per dhyaan se chalana aajkal tum bahut laparwaah ho gye ho".He nods,locks his bicycle sits in the front seat and vroom vroom.Contrast isnt it??Chuck it. Let us stop here.

Anyways that was not what I was referring to;I was pointing to that group of street children playing with a rug in the park.They look tarred but happy.Here comes Kush; he wants to play with them.Gets into the group;starts playing soccer with that rug. Ohh that's pure Ronaldo stuff.He is a talented chap.They seem too happy with each other.But they are ragged and he is in his classy uniform.Don't you see the difference?? Ahh they are kids and its a soccer game;all that matters is kicking at the right time and with the right force.Who cares?. Ohh and now his mother calls;"Kush beta uniform gandi ho jaayegi teri ;aake khaana khaa le".He is not bothered.But seems his mother is.She calls umpteen times and he has to obey with a distraught mind."Beta tereko bola hai naa un bacchon ke saath mat khela kar".Yup they are different. Kush is different for them too;but they dont seem to be bothered and neither does Kush care about all this.Ohh you don't know about mothers.So don't judge.Ahh I know about vanity but Let us stop here.

Anyways that was not what I was referring to;I was pointing at myself.Am I even close to understanding this world or even me??Am I a narcissist?? STFU Mr SHERLOCK.Let us not judge.Let us stop here.

PS:Inspired by RAVISH KUMAR's QUOTE:शौक-ए-दीदार अगर है तो नज़र पैदा कर

Bear-with the!punctuation*marks#and other stuffs?

नंबर का खेल

PS:It all started from a Gulzar song from Izazat;Mera kuch Saaman tumhare paas pada hai...The line was"116 chaand ki raatein aur tumhare kaandhe ka til".It was shuttling in my mind.I wrote few random lines to start with.But the main poem happened on a train journey to Ranchi.

                                    {चालीस चोर

                                       दस बहाने

                                   हज़ार की रिश्वत

                                      एक ना माने

                                     तीन इकके
                                     पाँच पांडव

                                      सौ कौरव

                                      एक जीत

                                      सात सुर
                                       नव रस

                                       दो प्रेमी

                                      एक गीत }

                         

                                     लाखॊं  लोग
                                  हज़ारोँ  ख्वाहिशें

                                 एक चुटकी नमक

                                  दो मुट्ठी गुंजाइशें

                                 चार दिन की चाँदनी

                                सात जन्मो का साथ

                                 एक और एक ग्यारह

                                    दो और दो पाँच

                                चार मुस्कुराते मौसम

                                   तीन सौ पैंसठ रातें

                                    आधा अधूरा चाँद

                                   दस तरह की बातें

                                   आधा पेट खाना

                                    आधे मुँह हँसी

                                   एक ग्लास पानी

                                     दो घूँट बेबसी

                                   गालोँ  पे दो भंवर

                                  आँखोँ  के दो झील

                                 दो होठोँ  की खिड़की

                                  मुहाने पे एक तिल

                                  सवा रुपैया चढ़ावा

                                 विष्णु दश-अवतार

                                हज़ार फूलो की चादर

                                  एक पीर की मज़ार

                              खोली नंबर एक सौ आठ

                            बिल्ला नंबर सात सौ छियासी

                                    एक आना खुशी

                                    दो पैसा उदासी

                                 एक जलती सिगरेट

                                     चार कप चाय

                                  चार दोस्त साथ में

                                     दो बातें हो जाए

                                   लाखॊं की कमाई

                                 दो पैसे की हाय हाय

                                  आठ पर्सेंट इंटेरेस्ट

                                 दस हज़ार की EMI

                                 एक कटोरी ज़िंदगी

                                आधा चममच प्यार

                               चार सीटियाँ कूकर क़ी

                               एक रेसिपी मसालेदार

                                   मेरा एक सवाल

                               उसका दो टुक जवाब

                                एक मैं;एक चौराहा

                               अनगिनत मेरे ख्वाब

तो फिर कैसा हो ?

तेरी ज़ुल्फ़ के साये में
अगर रात गुज़र जाए
तो फिर कैसा हो ?

सुबह के जैसा हो

तेरे नूर के सजदे में
अगर तारे टिमटिमाएं
तो फिर कैसा हो ?

शमा के जैसा हो

तेरी हंसी के झोंके में
अगर हवा भी इठलाये
तो फिर कैसा हो ?

सबा के जैसा हो 

तेरी रूह की  झलक से 

अगर चांदनी शरमाये
तो फिर कैसा हो ?

घटा के जैसा हो

तेरी बेवजह बातों में
अगर काम भी फंस जाए 

तो फिर कैसा हो?

वजह के जैसा हो

तेरी झील सी आँखों में
अगर बात फिसल जाए 

तो फिर कैसा हो?

पनाह के जैसा हो 

तेरे हुस्न की गर्मी में
अगर शाम पिघल जाए
तो फिर कैसा हो?

फना के जैसा हो 

तेरे चेहरे की रौनक से
अगर रंग बिखर आयें
तो फिर कैसा हो ?

हिना के जैसा हो 

तेरे इश्क़ के जादू में
अगर आदमी खो जाए
तो फिर कैसा हो ?

खुदाई जैसा हो 

किसी के इश्क़ के पहलू में
मेरा दिल भी मचल जाए
वो फिर कैसा हो ?

तुम्हारे जैसा हो


PS:शमा:Light      सबा:morning breeze
      घटा:cloud      पनाह:refuge
      फना:death      पहलू:veil      हिना:mehandi