I cannot come up with any title for this — May be Pursuit of Happiness..

In a profession I am in, it is necessary that I write something every day and yes post and update my walls or blog to  let people know I write. But the problem  I face is I can’t get hold of the topic or subject I should write upon . There has been  many days I have written something good, and today I want to break that break.  And yes without a topic, or something which would ultimately wave back to my favourite topic, finding happiness.

I am stuck up in office. I am using the word stuck because I have been given a work which I have no clue as to how will I complete it and its terribly boring . This job is something I love to do though not the assignment I am assigned with . I have a flair for writing and I don’t know but somewhere out of the blue, against everything else I do , I feel a lot of satisfaction and happiness when I write something. And yes more or less that is much much more than for  money. I know that.

I know, people do sometimes consider me as naïve  or stupid if I say that money is not be- all and end- all of everything .  They do feel that I don’t know how much is money important in life. They thing I am being ignorant of the world’s facts, the society’s ways. May be yes. May be I am relieved and unconcerned with the money I am earning because of the several support I am enjoying currently . May be I won’t be so relieved and fearless, when I have to fend myself alone . But I believe I will be still happy . I believe that, that extra money which I may earn by doing something I am not happy in, or doing that does not creatively satisfies me , may not give me my peace of mind and satisfaction as that  other work would do.

I know I write the same things again and again, as if  like reminding myself  the same thing or may be its like reminding others that its ok if you are not earning like your peers or you are not a corporate giant. What important is what you  are , what you want to do and what you think will give you happiness. I have always seen people go behind the nerd mentality and that too desperately. I still fail to understand why.  I have and will always try to go against the crowd. Though I am very sure I will make my self very proud one day, I will fulfil all my dreams and I will become what I wish for sooner or later, but yet if, god forbid I am unable to do so, I get unable to earn like my peers by their profession( which they like or not ) I am confident I will be much happier, may be not richer. I will be listening to my heart and not my mind. Will bow before my happiness and not my pocket.

Though I still wait for ‘that’ perfect moment and ‘that’ right moment, I try my best to live my life fully in the moment , because I know that life is one and I have to do a lot of things in that single one. I know that I cannot and should waste my youth in doing things I can do all my life. I know I am a little conservative, little orthodox and little being full of constraints and limits for myself, but I think that is something I am working hard upon.

I come from a superbly defined family. Definite in values and goodness, in virtues and randomness, love and happiness. But what they have given me in abundance is good soul, a good heart and yes lots of support.

Lastly I may  be contended and satisfied by how my life is going on presently, may be that will be a little roadblock in my further life, because I get too optimistic sometimes, already happy and grateful for what I have . But I know that gratitude has helped me evolve in a better person I am today, to ignore the bad experiences and bad events happening, like a  passing stone on a road. It has helped me be a happier person, making my life  happier.

I do not know why did I write and also post these things, but the one thing I know is that it has given mw creative satisfaction. I hope you know  what  I mean …

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अभी कुछ दिन और लगेंगे …

निकल कर जा चुकी हो,

इस मकान को छोड़ कर कहीं,  तुम

पर इस घर को तुम्हे छोड़ने में

अभी कुछ दिन और लगेंगे .

 

ओझल भले ही हो गयी हो तुम नज़रों के सामने से,

पर वो बोलती आँखों की गुस्ताखियाँ को

जेहन से निकालने मे ,

अभी कुछ दिन और लगेंगे

 

वो शरारतों की पोटलियाँ , मुस्कुराहटों की टोकरियाँ ,

कोशिश करता हूँ  अब उन्हें कही दफ़नाने की

पर मेरे गुज़रते हुए लम्हों से उन्हें खोने में

अभी कुछ दिन और लगेंगे

 

खिलखिलती हँसी की खनक, तुम्हारे इश्क़ का नमक

धुंधली सी हो गयी है यादों से’अब

पर वो  सिर्फ यादों  में कैद  हो जाये, इसमें

अभी कुछ दिन और लगेंगे.

 

तुम्हारे  चंचल  मन की बातें  , बेचैन दिल की आवाजें

नहीं  टकराती अब इन दीवारों से’ अक्सर

पर उनकी सरसरती गूँज को मिटाने  मे

अभी कुछ दिन और लगेंगे.

 

सपनो सी, मेरी  दुनिया मे तो नही हो अब तुम,

पर तुम्हे ,  मेरे  ख्वाबों  से निकालने मे

अभी कुछ दिन और लगेंगे .

 

हाथ छुड़ा के कब का जा चुकी हो तुम दूर कही.

पर मेरी रूह से छूटने में  तुम्हे

अभी कुछ दिन और लगेंगे

 

भूला तो चुके है हम तुम्हे ,

पर तुम्हे भूलने में

अभी कुछ दिन और लगेंगे।

 

 

Embracing yourself….

Watch Indian Actress Priyanka chopra on screen and you will feel proud that she belongs to India, listen to her speaking in interviews and conferences and you will definitely swell from pride that she belongs to one among you. She is not an icon for the millions of people,  only because she has made a name for herself, but because she has excelled being what she is . Even after coming from nowhere, and initially  facing brickbats for her acting and looks.  But today she is, successful , because she is true to herself and her identity.  On screen, as an actress I didn’t like her much, thought she is overrated, but her interviews regarding,  what makes her going, left a remarkable impact on me and  on my character today . It is she who has guided me to think that everyone has to walk their journey themselves and nobody else can walk it for you. People can guide, but you have to lead the path yourself. It was she who has accelerated the hidden fire in me to strive harder for what I have always dreamt off.

There are times when we have everything, which we had once wished for, a family, a secure job , money and luxuries. But still we feel a void taking over, our day to day lives, a slight regret and sadness nestled somewhere in the back of the heart , not realizing what actually it is.

It is actually the feeling of not being oneself. The feeling of  not creating something of your own , to be true to yourself and living for what you desire to live for and not for what others want and think you should do. Listening to what others say, while ignoring your heart, is the biggest mistake people do in their life and remain unhappy forever. Living for what others want, what others wish, while killing one’s own wishes and desires. Slowly and gradually, we realise that in order to make everyone happy we forget to make our own self-happy and satisfied. How far is it justified is what we fail to think.

We may attempt once or twice to break the queue, to come out of the rat race and herd mentality, but the surroundings, the brickbats and the discouragement decapitates all our rising flame of change we wish to bring in. The cubicle around the monitors, the phone calls and deadlines washes off the urge of doing something different, something we have always wanted to do. The urge to buy that expensive car burdens the childhood dream of composing a song of our own.

Often our mind is paralyzed by our own thoughts. Our own limits and our own clutches. We want to do something but influencing and convincing oneself is really very difficult and there comes a phase  when we need to take the first step even if we do not see the whole staircase. Let go of the dream of buying that I phone on the cost of our own inner happiness. Because that will give you happiness till the time you are not bored of it, but the life you create for yourself however unprofitable, the peace it would give you would stay for the rest of your lives.

‘Passion has the power to keep you going even in difficult times with smile on thy face’.

People say life is short, and so we should do what we feel happy in.  We may never know when our life will be over with lots of wishes, regrets and desires. So being happy and satisfied is much more important and necessary than being wealthy, is what we should all know and accept. competition is fierce, status quo more significant, but the world remembers those who are happy and contented , because a rich person may not keep everyone happy, but a happy guy would surely, make everyone happy around him.

Before you blindly rush behind the aspirations, the society has made you fall for, rather try following your dreams, and  I am sure the world will be ,much better and merrier.

The World is changing by….

As I embark upon the the journey through life , I witness a wave of change. A change of culture, traditions, habits and thought.A change in lifestyle, landscape, living and tolerance.A change in times.

The thatched roofs and dung layered floors turning into silver glassed window panes and mirror tiles on the floor. The narrow lanes smeared with cow dung and mud into six lane wide concrete roads where every other vehicle is against a race with the other. As I step out of my home, which has also turned from the ventilated 2 storey  house lined by gardens and trees to air tight packet some BHK flats, where the sunlight struggles to step in and driveway is a matter of the past, I even see the change in the air that we breath.

As I continue walking past the racing crowd of rat race , i realize that the relations today  are like, lost in the world of competition.every other child is heading to score the maximum, to get a seat in the IIT;  every other adult for a  9-5  job. The mutuality that kept families intact over decades  have died a painful death. The healthy family whose number ran into two digits  has been replaced by nuclear families, where isolation and solitude are the convenient companions of the kids in the house. The discussions and opinions of the members have gone, the evening gathering have turned into evening check ins on social media sites, and of course the cousins are now a distant relatives..

As i move forward pondering on these facts  I can see the change in the class and behavior of the demography of people. Change in lifestyle, in patience and tolerance power, change in reactions and responses and also in the awareness level. And undoubtedly it has brought in a lot of problems and troubles with it too. People are more aware, more arrogant and more self centered.

A change in technology, with on one hand has simplified life and on the other hand has also complicated it severely. A change in scenario where, humans are turning into machines, with a glint of emotions and feelings dying a silent death. A change in habits, likes, dislikes and influences, which does not step back from breaking the barriers and insulting the traditions. Though a Positive change for the downtrodden, caged in age old superstitious beliefs, but very fatal for ever- knowing – youngster, who are  lacking behind in taking their legacy forward thanks to the technological advancements .

The country where the rituals and traditions have given it a distinct identity  is also victimized by the wave of this change. Of course it will be and should be evident. The value and meaning of festivals are taking a scary change.

There is a shift in the world, shift in the mindset and thoughts. Change breaking into every pores of the society . The change to see a different future.

It is entirely different and debatable as to it will lead the world to doom or progress….

Does the word intolerance exists today?

A lot of ruckus was created in 2015 over the term ‘intolerance’. Anybody saying a word, in favor of the term and against of the scenario around it, was thrashed like anything. Be it a politician or film star, everyone suffered the same fate; leave alone the commoners: they do not have the right to express something the mob does not feel right. The news channels had only one topic, on which expert opinion were asked and the twitter feed were filled with trolls corning  the situation, supporting or condemning the views of the influential.

oday  I even don’t remember why  was the hue and cry started, in the first time, but the aftermath of the word ‘intolerance’ and the debates and opinions and tensions that followed it,  is surely inscribed in my head. I was thrown a 15 marks question in the semester exams on the word ‘intolerance ‘which I was flabbergasted to see( as I thought it was not so important,  a thing to discuss) and eventually had to satisfied with the passing marks.  I just remembered some actors were accused of being anti national and the awards were returned like apparel in exchange sale.  Nevertheless, the catch was the half of the country was still ignorant of the tumult created by the new emerged word in the socio political scenario. (Though while today I Google it, to write this piece,  it points to the mob lynching that occurred in that year on the beef matter. )

What I want to say today, or rather want to ask is where this ‘intolerance’ is disappeared today. Where has the feeling of being intolerant against inhumane activities vanished, when it is most required? However, it brought out no result 2 years before also, except giving the media a new burning topic to act for. At least the topic was spoken about.

Today Teenagers are being brutally killed and lynched as per their personal mood, immense inhumane cruelty   is being showered in the name of ‘ gau raksha’in the wake of cow protectionism . innocent minorities are beaten to death, houses being burnt and traders hanged alive. The mob is violent like hell, lynching and beating teenagers in the name of petty issues.

 

Why are the awards not being returned? Why is the administration doing nothing to curb the wide spread injustice ? Why are the self proclaimed ‘ Gau rakshaks’ being given such liberty to take lives of innocents on their insecure doubts and apprehensions? Is only trolling, commenting and hashtaging  ‘xyz’ solve the injustice? It’s time the social media savvy who are sitting and imposing their views on different scenarios  , do something that really has any affect( by this i mean people who are powerful enough to control or influence the mob) and the politician who are using their campaign stage to show their displeasure regarding mob’s activities perform their duties to stop them,  in the real world.

If the country is really going in the wake of intolerance again , something need to be done.

The beauty of love… ♥♥♥♥♥

 

Sometimes what we see helps us understand things clearer more than what we feel around us or what we listen to. Media is a very good tool to feel things, feelings and places, which we do not come across in reality. Whether it is the stubbornness to have the same designer clothes as the actor is wearing, or the fire to work hard to build the similar palace for oneself as in the television, it shows various things, humans in reality cannot and would not imagine and wish to have. However, the media sows in us the desire to have things, which we may not feel the need of.

Similarly often media helps us understand the simple joys of life and its significance which we fail to notice, racing behind worldly chores. One of them is the gift of love and the momentary existence of wealth in our lives.  Where watching being loved on screen makes me feel warm and glad, money and wealth brings a lump in my throat and wrinkles on my forehead.  I‘ll explain why…

I was watching the finale of a web series last night where the family in the show being troubled in their respective lives come together at the end, finding happiness among each other. There were wealthy, successful, yet unhappy living reclusive .Those particular 10 mins filled me with the gratitude for the family and friends I have and of course with the love they shower upon. I belong to a middle class family, I do not flaunt Caprese bag or sleep on a round bed, but I am fortunate enough that I have friends to laugh off my worries with  and loving parents to share my troubles with. Fortunate and lucky that I am greeted with a warm smile when I come home driving all way from my office and I am woken up with a kiss planted on my temple by my father.

I feel inspired to work hard and struggle to steer ahead in life when I see people living a luxurious life, but many a times the coldness of that wish, to acquire wealth eats up the mental piece. There are moments when it feels that chuck! the money, the wealth, all I need is a loving family and nothing else. The strain of running behind those pieces of paper called money, which drive the world seems so small and insignificant in front of the massive power of love. When I see love all around, happiness and sweet fights, the smiles and glowing faces,  the warmth of belongingness engulfs the air spreading across smiles and joy.

I eventually come to a standstill and realize that it is only love and happiness that the human lives for. Of course, money is important but is eventually secondary, a means to acquire happiness and love.

Love is free, unconditional and pure, and then it does not matters where it oozes and from where. Just looking forward to someone who loves you, brings a tingling smile.  A thought of meeting our old friends or cousins, attending reunions and gatherings gives much more happiness than buying oneself an expensive gift, undoubtedly. The reason, the presence of ‘love’.

Once in a while, brush aside all other apprehensions, necessities  and greed and think of the magic of love, spreading across you amidst all the chaos of life, the race for wealth and arms of  living a ‘ prosperous’ life.

The benefits of the so-called ‘useless’ Facebook

Those adults who are inactive and not so addicted to this social networking site called Facebook, must have felt that Mark Zuckerberg has done the worst thing by creating this nuisance which is eating away a lot of valuable time of their children. After the smartphones have revolutionised the planet, accessing Facebook is a matter of few clicks. And it won’t be wrong to say that we are all knowingly or unknowing smitten by it. Though it’s a different matter altogether, if we post on our walls or not.

Haan so coming to the point, I was saying that some tiny percentage of people may think it as a waste, but many times I feel that Facebook is not  less than a miracle in this fast paced world,  but of course  for people who use it wisely. Using Facebook for a balanced duration, not only keep us updated of the matters around the world, but also suffice the inability of keeping in touch with everybody personally. There are lots of our friends on Facebook,  on  average  almost everyone whom we have met once in our lives, who have been a part of our lives somewhere. But as the time passes the contact goes. As it is said, ‘out of sight out of mind’, and this is what happens with people. As soon as our meetings decreases, our communication too fades away somewhere. Slowly we lose contact and finally that person remains a memory in our minds, not knowing where on earth they are and not knowing what exactly is going on in each other’s lives. It happens rare, that after some years when we accidentally bump into each other, we come to know what’s going on in each other’s life.(long after the event is not new anymore). The communication by letters and messages have lost gone, and WhatsApp and, Facebook has taken its place.

It has been 13 years since Facebook was launched, and I must say it has still not lost its charm (Many, including me still spend a lot of time  on it). It was just yesterday that I saw a post on Facebook wherein one of my friend( with whom I had lost contact after my High school) , had announced her marriage. On Facebook. I wished her, which I would have never done, had it not been this site. And the other day another one had just landed his dream job. I know now, that the backbencher who I didn’t think was worthy of my notes(pardon me for this ) is a white collar official today.(Envious but motivating).  Some are among those group of people who were very close to me at one point of time, being a integral part. But as the time passed, not only did we forgot each other, but the memories too fade away. But thanks to Facebook, its like reliving those times. often while scrolling through our timelines  we get a chance to interact, and this becomes the icebreakers.  Not forgetting the birthday wishes from people long lost.

The best part is , it may happen that a person who was your school buddy, has all grown up  with a matured appearance,( so much that you may not even remember the old one)  just open their profile and voila!, his latest  profile update is  here. Now you can be saved by a embarrassing moment of not being able to recognize each other, if you ever meet. see good na!

Okay now some serious stuffs. Just ‘like’ some good informative pages, and you are done with knowing everything from beauty secrets, to cooking tips,knowledgeable stuffs, examination tips  from international news to Bollywood gossip and of course live updates, even before it is formally announced.

you are looking for a job? want to share your talent? just join various Facebook groups, and you are done with it.. It is as simple.

There are many things one can do on Facebook and be benefited by it , that too in a  very short time. the need is only to be aware of the features it offers, and not get tempted by wasting your time on it.(that’s the only disadvantage, I feel it has. It can drain a lot of your time, without you can even know.)

Anyway, i ‘ll leave it to your wisdom, as to how do you use it. But as of now, wishing Facebook a very happy 13th birthday.)

May you have a lot of interesting things to surf on FB.

Fatal arms of depression.

I was flipping through the newspaper one fine morning when my phone rang, my friend on the other side had called to inform me that one of my schoolmate had committed suicide.. I went numb. He was the most cheerful guy of the class., always cracking jokes and starting a laughter riot. With a feeling of despair, I returned to my newspaper only to be saddened more by the news of a Mumbai lad who  committed suicide by jumping from a  hotel window. He was studying in one of the most reputed college of the city and was believed to be a good student. A quote by a psychologist below the news story read “depression is eating up the young generation today”.

In the past recent months, depression is a topic which is being touched quite seriously and frequently. According to a study , every 20 out of 100 youth is suffering from depression, a hidden fatal disease. After Deepika Padukon, an Indian actress spoke about it last year, it has bounced back to being discussed with much attention. Depression is a slow mental illness, which is received with  raised eyebrows and murmurs in the place of sympathy or care as in other diseases. She is mad? is what people say. A smiling face, a calm demeanour may be hiding a  depressed soul and thousand hands pressing him deep down to his  own problems.

Depression is not easily identifiable. a patient stops talking ,socializing or even sleeping or eating on time. Mostly it is termed as being arrogant, careless and rude. Young people with a great career and a promising  future  awaiting  before them just kill themselves. In a matter of a second, a future leader , or doctor or an engineer becomes a past.

 

It is very sad and disheartening to see youth , who are the future of the nation, the torch bearers of the development  ending their lives. with the increasing competition, money greed and the superficial lives of the social media, the man today is  living more in a artificial life rather than enjoying it. Admist all these, the young generation who are more vulnerable to all these aspects, , are  retreating themselves under their own shells, marred by insecurity, failures and lack of personal touch. A person may look rich and happy, but his heart may be lonely and poor. the outward appearance never shows the wounds beneath. the materialistic development has reduced the tolerance and patience  power of the people , they give up easily and as a result commit suicide.

The need of the hour is talking about it as much as we can. earning the trust of the depressed that he can confide in us their problems which can be talked upon and solved. To treat it as a temporary illness and disease which can be cured with love and care. Its just about bringing them back from the darkness by showing them a little light. Standing against depression and suicide, thereby standing with life and hope.

रंग भर जाओ …..

एक रहता है इंतज़ार शाम ढलने का, की तुम आओ
अपनी प्यारी सी मुस्कान के साथ मुझे बुलाओ
दिन तो कट जाते है, राह तकते तुम्हारे
की रात की वीरानियों में तुम रौशनी बिखराओ।

कुछ बातें होती है दिल में, कहने की
हम ठहरते है दिल थामे की तुम ध्यान लगाओ
कुछ मेरी, कुछ तुम्हारी दास्ताँ के बीच
कुछ हमारी भी बातें तुम बनाओ

जब कदम खींच लाए मुझे तुम्हारे पास
करीब आ कर धीरे से कान में कुछ गुनगुनाओ
दो शब्द ही बोल दो प्यार से
और न मन हो तो बस दूर से ही मुस्कुराओ।

थक कर जब में सोफे पर सूस्ताऊ
पास बिठा कर अपने मेरे बालों को सहलाओ
मैं छुप जाऊ तुम्हारे आगोश में
और तुम धीरे से मुझे सुलाओ।

जब चढ़ना चाहूं ऊँचाई पे अपने सपनो के पीछे
बस साथ खड़े रह कर, पीछे से हाथ बढ़ाओ
अगर रुक जाऊ कभी लड़खड़ा कर राह में
हाथों में हाथ रख मुझे राह दिखाओ।

सब कुछ तो है मेरे पास अभी
बस एक ख्वाइश है कि, तुम आओ और मेरे हो जाओ।

Melody Recalled or destroyed…

 It is said, the older the wine, the better, because some old things remain the best with time. And what if it is packaged in a new form? Does it become new? Maybe, but surely the essence does not remain the same. Why am I talking about these things is, the same goes with music and to be precise songs. We had some great music composers and singers in our Indian cinema, and so had some lovely melodies. The way it was presented and composed just left us wanting for more. But yes, this is what the older generation thinks. Because our younger generation is happy rather mused by the addition of extra ‘tadka’, ‘rap’, and ‘beats’ in it, which is being served along with the aged old songs. I am talking about the remixes and the recent trends of songs remade for current music albums.

A 15 year old is humming to the tunes of evergreen song  ‘pal pal dil ke pas’, and I hurt my neck , when I turn my face in a sudden jerk to see who is this wonder boy who is singing a song decades old, being so young. I restrain myself from happily asking me, as to from where did he learnt this old song and developed a liking for it (it has been one of my favorite among oldies) when simultaneously I stumble across the TV screen where Gurmeet Choudhary, the new hunk in tinsel town is lip sing to the same song along with a blonde, and I realize it is again a remake. Now I won’t be the same anymore, to listen to  it as its video flashes will be diluted by Gurmeet alongside Rakhi and her flying letters.

Remakes and remixes were a growing trend in 90’s when  Norwegian’s  Negar Khan ruled the tv screens destroying every song with her ill clad  videos and inclusion of lots of beats and raps in songs. ‘Chod do aanchal’, kabhi aar kabhi paar’ ;ek pardesi’ were some songs which had been remixed and was a huge hit at that time. All the top models of that time had one remix in their booty. Those were the times when the singles were equally or rather more popular than film songs, sharing equal proportion of viewership. Remixing old songs gradually decreased over the period and film music completely took over, the only singles which would be heard were of reality show winner or a new entrant who was trying to squeeze into the industry.

The new wave today is  different from 90’s as the songs are not remixed but modified, altering the lyrics along with the music, serenity and the loss of essence was the blame it is  being accused of . And to an extent it is true.

I thought upon the idea of writing on it when, the recent remade occurred on one of my most favorite and nostalgic song, ‘humma humma’ from ‘Bombay’. I recall dancing on it with my elder sister for hours together when it used to be played on the radio. Though I liked the newer version also, but when I went on to ask reviews about it I realized that song was special for many, and most of them hated the newer version. They said the older was much better and the composers are destroying the legacy of the old music composers over the time. Scrolling the playlist on my phone, I stumbled upon every other song being a remade and modified version of some old melody.’ ae zindagi gale laga le’ , ‘ kisi se pyar ho jae’, ‘Pal pal dil ke pas’, ‘maahi ve’ are some to name a few, where the lyrics are also changed.

If it’s good or bad, should be done or not, is something which is relative and varies to person to person. If we think like an old school, and most elders would agree with me that it is destroying the beauty of the old melody, it used to have. The younger generation will never be able to enjoy the smoothness and calmness those songs had as the new remade will always overtake them.

But if I try to decipher the reason for it being remade will be, may be its way of introducing evergreen songs to the present listeners updated according to the present time…

Reason may be whatever, but making a cocktail of an already present cocktail is not being accepted very well by the listeners. After all preserving the history and legacy is important for any industry.

एक अनोखी शाम …..

उस सुनहरी शाम में
ढलते सूरज के लालिमा से ढकी
चढ़ते हुए चाँद की चांदनी में सजी
एक अनोखी मदहोशी सी छा रही थी

हर शाम तारों से सजी
समूचे आकाश में तन के फैलती हुई
रात्रि
अपने आँचल की सिकुड़ती हुई रंगीनियों को देखकर
बरबस चरमरा रही थी

ढोल बाजे की धुन पर नाचते दूल्हे के दोस्त,
बरात का स्वागत करती सालियों की खिलखिलाहट,
कुछ जानी पहचानी बातें बता कर जा रही थी।

मुंडेर से झांकती औरतों की फुसफुसाहट
घूँघट में ढंकी दुल्हन की आहट
ने बांधा कुछ ऐसा समां

की आज कोयल सी काली रात में भी
घरवालों के मुख पर पसरी ख़ुशी की चमक
गजब छा रही थी

थी तो वो एक मामूली सी शादी ही
पर उसके मायने कुछ दबी सी पहेलियाँ बुझा रही थी

रंग रूप से परे उस उत्सव में प्रकृति भी झूम के गा रही थी
जिस सूरत ने तेज़ाब में अपने सपने घोल दिए थे
आज वही सूरत एक फ़रिश्ते के साथ एक नए शिखर की ओर कदम बढ़ा रही थी।

एक फौलादी हौसले की कहानी
आज समाज में गाई जा रही थी
जब उस दरिंदगी से लड़कर जीती वो
एसिड अटैक सर्वाइवर एक नयी मिसाल कायम किये जा रही थी

उस शख्स की इंसानियत की क्या मिसाल दे दोस्तों
इस मौखौटे की ज़िन्दगी से परे
उस के सच्चाई की चमक पुरे देश को चमका रही थी
उस दूल्हे की पसंद समाज के खोखले दृष्टिकोण को ठेंगा दिखा रही थी

कहने को तो वो थी एक
मन्त्रों से सजी, रस्मों से बंधी
सात वचनों की शादी
पर उनके मायनो में वो शास्त्रों को भी झूठला रही थी

वो एक अद्भुदत शाम थी
जिसमे चाँद और तारें तो वही थे
पर उस शादी की चमक
आकाश की चांदनी फीकी किये जा रही थी

याद हैं न?

वो दो लफ़्ज़ों की बातें,

वो दो किस्सों की रातें

वो दो पलों की मुलाकातें

याद हैं न?

 

वो दो तारे जगमगाते

वो दो जाम छलकाते

वो दो गाने गुनगुनाते हम

याद हैं न?

 

वो दो पलों का श्रृंगार,

वो दो पलों का दीदार

दीवार की ओट से झांकना

उन्ही दो लम्हो में कायनात पा जाना

याद हैं न?

 

वो दो आंसू टपकाना

वो दो बातों में मुस्कुराना

वो दो क्षणों का रूठना

वही दो.पलों में मान जाना

याद है न?

 

वो दो पलों की नाराज़गी

वो दो पलों की बदमाशी

वो दो जहा की  बातें

वो सब से अलग  चाहतें

याद है न?

 

वो दो रायों के तेरे उसूल

वो दो खेमो में बटें रसूख

वो दो ही झगड़ों में भूल जाना वादें

वो दो ही पलों में अलग हो जाना

याद  है न

 

उन दो  पलों में मिल जाना

वो दो ही पलों में सब ख़तम हो जाना

याद है न

याद है न…..

Marriage Expenses- A flush of Money!!

A girl close to my house was married off in a hurry to a NRI because he was ready to bear all the marriage expenses. The girl did not like the guy, she said he was suspicious but she was reprimanded, having said that marriage is not a play. They would never be able to marry her with so much pomp n show as in this case. Just because they were relieved of the heavy marriage expenses the girl was given to into wrong hands. Today the girl’s family is fighting a divorce case against the boy as he tried to use her for illegal and wrong business abroad.

The story here is not about a failed marriage or man’s cruelty, but about the fear of marriage and its expenses, and often marrying their girl child. It is said that the biggest donation in a father’s life is ‘kanya Dan’ (to marry off her daughter). It is also said that marrying a girl child is having completed a big responsibility. Though it is about finding a right home but undoubtedly it is also about passing of a big financial obligation.

A marriage in today’s date is a perfect example of showcasing wealth and status symbol. I often compare it with the procession a king, after being crowned as king took around the  kingdom to show its wealth.

This is what marriages are today. More of a show-off than love.

The government of Jammu and Kashmir has come out with a excellent rule to curb the extravagant spending of expenses in the marriages.  Putting a stop to the useless wastage of money in the marriages taking place in its state. And this is what, is of utmost necessity in whole Indian subcontinent. The commendable part is, that the officials have not waited for the central bill to be passed to implement such law in the state beforehand.

Talking about the huge wedding ceremonies of the big Indian fat weddings, a marriage is normally a 3-4 days affair in Hindu culture. Originally destined to be a close affair of preparing the bride for a new journey it has turned into a extravagant spending and show of status .Variety of rituals among hundreds of guests with crores of expense find their way into the marriage affair as a very normal scenario.  Not forgetting the extravagant decoration, innumerable food items and gifts for the guests. There is no limit to a marriage expense. The rich have no problems because according to them “shadi ek hi bar hoti hai” and they should spend whatever they can. But the middle class, the (majority) in a society like India where maintaining a status in the society is more important than the life itself face the gravest problem. They are the one who are under immense social pressure to show them as wealthy and eligible to be a part of the society.

The proposed bill ‘Marriages (Compulsory Registration and Prevention of Wasteful Expenditure )’ which is supposed to be passed in Lok Sabha aims at curbing lavish expenses and instead solemnizing the wedding .

Undoubtedly this bill will come out as a relief to a large no. of families if implemented properly. But this is INDIA. There is a presence of a loophole everywhere.

 The spender will have to put a limit to the number of guest as fixed by the authorities and a person spending more than 5 lakhs rupees on marriage will have to declare the amount and contribute 10% of it to welfare fund of government for marriage of unprivileged girls. The problem is it’s no big deal.

This will be very convenient to all those family who do not think twice before a lavish wedding.

There will be no use of the bill if it actually happens like this.

Though a large class of people who would not be affected by the bill but The introduction of the bill still gives a silver lining that   people in a tax evading county will be happier to save their pockets than giving anything to govt. It is expected that the bill would also reduce the status display and the tendency of ‘showing ‘off the wealth.

Now it will be interesting to see if this 6^th bill is passed or it is also scrapped off like the previous 5 bills in 20 years for curbing the marriage expenses. Fingers Crossed!!

 

 

 

 

 

Why!!!!

A thought popped up in my mind today,
I think I’ll share it with you
Why the sky above is not so blue
And the trees have reduced to few

Why the birds those came to my sill every morning
have seem to lost their way
its only the smoke climbing the air I see
When I squint my eyes at the start of the day.

Why the kids are sad, plunging deep into the house
Nodding their heads in a big nay
“We are not going out admist the puddle and sewage
We want a park to play,” they say.

Why the mornings are gloomy, the night’s dampness prevail
How those days were different to live
When the flowers in the garden kissed in falling sunrays.

why the world is not as it used to be
Butterflys and parrots are lost, they say
Why I cannot spend my evenings on the lake as I did
A skyscapper has taken its place
I heard as both can not together fay.

I had once heard, an old man remark in its abbey
Time is not always the same, nov is not like may
It changes with the wind, he had said.
you may wish it to stop, but it is not meant to stay.

These thought still bob in my mind
However hard I try to shoo it away
Then , defeated I stop wondering
Accepting, now it is meant to be this way.

कौन हो तुम?

ख्यालों के झोखें अक्सर आया जाया करते है

मेरे दिल में , ये पूछने की आखिर तुम कौन हो.

रूबरू हो कर भी तुमसे कुछ कह न पाती हूँ

क्यों मैं तुम्हारे  सामने मौन हूँ?

दिल की बातें होठों तक आकार ठिठक जाती है

ठहर कर दिल से पूछ लेती है, आखिर तुम मेरे कौन हो?

उम्मीदों से बंधे पाँव दौड़ के पहुच जाते है द्वार तक

पर कदम देहलीज़ पे पड़ने से पहले पूछ लेते जी तुम मेरे कौन हो?

 

तुम्हारे ज़िक्र पर जुगनू की तरह  चमकती मेरी आँखें

शर्माता हुआ चेहरा, अजीब सी बेचैनी

मुझे झंझोर के पूछती है, की बोलो की तुम मेरे कौन हो.

 

आज भी तुम्हारी याद, मुस्कुराहटों की बहार ला देती है,

और मैं सिर्फ दिल से इतना ही पूछ पाती हूँ की तुम मेरे कौन हो?