If you ever fall in love…

Well, I assume, this title would buy me more readers. 😆

Its been really long, i have held a pen in my hands so here I am, strong enough to re-post. Since 6 months we have been in a one sided relationship with the ‘lockdown‘ (Corona loves us, I guess, one hell of a road side romeo). I can imagine how scary K-K-K-Kiran (Shahrukh from the movie – Darr) was, but Co-Co-Co-corona seems no less.

Well this article is neither about Corona nor love, its about how we get caged emotionally by an object or a person and get trapped in our own thoughts leaving the keys with that object or that person. We realize the fact that we are trapped and we actually want to find the keys, but our untrained mind redirects us to the person who has the keys rather than focusing on the keys itself. Why do we forget the fact that even if the keys are with that person we can have duplicates??

But how to train the untrained minds?? No matter how many degrees you hold, or how well reputed company you work with, there is no surety that your brain is trained to define the emotional level to which you should be involved with a person. Say for example you work with a firm, spend ten to twelve hours with your colleague and develop a healthy relation with him/her. No matter how well aware you are that he/she is a colleague and not a regular friend you tend to have expectations. Or you are a student and you have a very healthy relationship with your roommate, you happen to treat her as your family and develop that level of expectation from her. And at some point of time in unfavourable circumstances you get disappointed and hurt and your expectations go for a toss. How to deal with such disappointments??

I personally have seen it all, and have been lucky enough to get less disappointments and have been able to consume the nectar of amazing relationships. But luck will not always be by your side and hence you will have to taste disappointment if you don’t have an eye for why have you come in contact with a person. Demarcating the boundaries in your relationships is of utmost important and an important aspect of your character. You can not treat everyone the same. Its better to train your mind to be able to forecast that what is the motto of your meeting a person, what place can you give him/her in your professional and personal life, where can you go wrong and how can you prevent in maintaining that gap.

Training your mind to handle emotions is as important as is exercising. With emotional fatigue you might get successful but will not be able to drive happiness out of it.

Training your mind emotionally still does not guarantee that you wont get hurt. And getting hurt is an experience which one should not be scared of as it makes you a better performer. While you are hurt you tend to spend more time with yourself, you are unable to concentrate on your regular work and hence buy more time to heal your emotional wounds. You get time to introspect. You are fearless at that very moment as you feel what worst can come up then. And if you tend to channelize your energy well you can actually create a masterpiece in your life. No better motivator than a broken heart. So if you ever FALL in love or any other emotional trauma, deeper the fall is, the thrust to reach heights is higher than the one in normal scenario.

Here I am with an opinion that travel your emotional road with an open eye. But if you fall do not worry, the journey is long enough to heal your wounds. Just dont be afraid to travel.

Be a traveller, but be well prepared!!

क्यों जाना है बड़े शहर?

क्यों जाना है बड़े शहर???

 

पांच साल की थी मैं,
जब पहली बार बड़े शहर गयी थी,
अपने गाँव की गलियां फांद कर,
ऊँची इमारतें चढ़ी थी,
मेरे गाँव में दस बजे तक सब सो जाया करते थे,
रात के अँधेरे में बस जुगनू दिखाई पड़ते थे,
पर बड़े शहर में तो हर रात दिवाली होती थी,
रातें भी जागा करती थी,
और में दिन में भी न सोती थी,
छुट्टियान वहाँ बड़ी सुहानी लगती थी,
मेरे गाओं में सब एक तरह के कपडे पहना करते थे,
सात रंग तो वहां भी थे,
पर वो भी बोर हो जाया करते थे,
बड़े शहर में लोग एक दूसरे से मिलते न थे,
पर कपड़ो के रंगो में एकता दिखती थी,
होठों पे तो सच्ची मुस्कुराहटें न थी,
रंगों में भी मिलावट होती थी,
पर वो दौर ही मिलावट का ऐसा छाया था,
के सफ़ेद दूध भी तब मुझको न भाया था,
सफेदी तो बस अब झूठ में दिखती थी,
और ये झूठी ज़िंदगी मुझे सुहानी लगती थी,
छुट्टियां ख़तम हुई और मै वापस लौट आयी,
पर बड़े शहर की मिलावट को अपने अंदर समेत लायी,
अब मेरे सपने मेरी मासूमियत को टटोलने लगे थे,
किताबें मुझे पसंद न थी,
पढाई खूब अखरती थी,
पर बड़े शहर जाने की अब वो ही उम्मीद लगती थी,
किया परिश्रम और मै भी बड़े शहर पॉहोच गयी,
तब मिटटी के रंग का चॉकलेट शेक मुझे शहर की ओर खींचता था,
आज मिटटी की खुशबू मुझे मेरे गाँव बुलाती है,
आज मेरे कपडे भी टाइट हो गए है और मेरा शेड्यूल भी,
दिखावे के बाज़ार में मेरे सपने कब के बिक गए थे,
आज शायद उसी की कमाई खा रही हूँ,
शायद मेरे सपनो की नीव ही कमज़ोर रह गयी थी,
काश उस समय किसी बड़े से पूछ लिया होता,
के क्यों जाना है बड़े शहर?
शायद कोई ठोस वजह मिल जाती,
सपने देखना जितना ज़रूरी है,
उससे जरूरी उसे देखने की वजह है,
बदलाव जितना ज़रूरी है,
उससे भी ज़रूरी उसकी दिशा है,
चले मिलके हर उस बंजारे में तब्दील होने वाले सपने से पूछे,
के क्यों जाना है बड़े शहर???

टेडी हैं चाल मेरे अक्षरों की…

 

मछली सी तैरती कागज़ की नाव ही थी वो,
जिसे बनाया भी मेने था और चलाया भी मेने था,
सवार थी जिस पर मेरे होठों की हसीं,
जिसे तैराया भी मेने था और डुबाया भी मेने था,
कितना आसान था तब समझना,
के जो तैर रहा है वो एक दिन डूब जायेगा,
आखिर कब तक लड़ेगा वो उन तेज़ लहरों से,
एक दिन उनमे वो खुद ही समां जायेगा,
और जो याद रह जाएगा वो होगा उसका परिश्रम,
जिसकी धुन हर पत्थर गनगुनायेगा….

शोर करते काँच के कंचे ही थे वो,
जिन्हे लड़ाया भी मेने था और इकठ्ठा भी मेने किया था,
कितना आसान था तब समझना,
के जो इस पल लड़ रहा है वो अगले ही पल साथ बैठे मटरगश्ती कर रहा होगा,
आखिर कब तक मुँह फुलाह के दूर कोने में बैठा रहेगा,
ज़िन्दगी का खेल चाहे कितनी भी देर चले,
मैदान में ही सबको समर्पित होना है,
वहीँ से उभरे थे और वोही सबका बिछोना है,
और कुछ याद रह जायेगा तो वो होगी एक सीख एक तजुर्बा,
जिसे इतिहास का हर पन्ना सुनाएगा….

इस कागज़ के पन्नो में चाहे कितने ही सीखें और तजुर्बे बयां कर दे,
पर कल उन्ही कहानियों में हम फिर उलझ जायेंगे,
फिर वही गलतियां दोहराएंगे और एक नयी जंग का ऐलान फरमाएंगे,
शायद ये अक्षर ही मोटे है,
जो नींद में चलते है और होश में सोते है,
मोटे ही सही ये चमक हैं मेरे सवालो की,
और टेडी हैं चाल इनके जवाबों की….

उन दिनों कुछ रिश्ते ऐसे भी थे…

 

 

बिना बात के हम मुस्कुराते भी थे,
और दर्द में गुनगुनाते भी थे,
अटपटे सपने देख दूसरों को जगाते भी थे,
और ज़ादा बक बक करने वाले को ज़बरदस्ती सुलाते भी थे,
उन दिनों कुछ रिश्ते ऐसे भी थे…

किसी को जीजा तो किसी को भाभी बना के चिढ़ाते भी थे,
हर गली हर नुक्कड़ पर जाम जमाते भी थे,
चार गाली सुनाके उन्हें गले लगते भी थे,
और बिना बात के रूठकर गाली खाते भी थे,
उन दिनों कुछ रिश्ते ऐसे भी थे…

पैसे न थे पर तौफे अनेक आते थे,
और एक दूसरे के दहेज़ में जाने के प्लान बनाते थे,
शेक चिल्ली बन एक दूसरे को आज़माते भी थे,
और चंद रुपैये में खुशियां उड़ाते भी थे,
उन दिनों कुछ रिश्ते ऐसे भी थे…

आज वो रिश्ते तूने नहीं,
आज वो साथ छूटे नहीं,
सीमाओं ने जकड तो लिया है,
पर जीने की आरज़ू अभी चुटी नहीं,
उन दिनों भी हम रोते तो थे,
पर उन दिनों रिश्ते होते तो थे…

ये बदलाव है क्यूंकि तब हम कमाते ना थे,
उलझनों में उलझने से घबराते ना थे,
वक़्त की पाबंदियां तो तब भी थी,
पर तब हम वक़्त से वक़्त चुराना जानते भी थे,
तब रिश्ते भी मासूम होते थे और उन्हें हम उलझाते न थे,
हाँ उन दिनों कुछ रिश्ते ऐसे होते भी थे…

 

The Naked Woman…

The Naked Woman…

 

‘The naked woman’ he dreamt of,

And discovered the wrath,

He couldn’t explore the realms of,

But wanted to conquer and sheath,

He slid through her curves,

But couldn’t slip off the reign,

He thought he could control her nerves,

And treated her as lame….

 

‘The naked woman’ he dreamt of,

And extracted her emotions,

She became intense and stronger of,

Her innocence and devotion,

Her curves were more precise now,

And he ignored the precision,

Her adroitness will amaze thou,

But she suffered an erosion…..

 

‘The naked woman’ he dreamt of,

Is now no naked anymore,

She adores herself in dexterity,

And applauses are her score,

The vehement ‘sindoor’ of individuality she wears,

And fast for her wisdom,

She dares to play the threat,

And threatens the hypocrite kingdom….

 

‘The naked woman’ he dreamt of,

Now is a nightmare dressed in a day-dream,

‘The naked woman’ he dreamt of,

Is a spark and a discordant scream,

‘The naked woman’ he dreamt of,

Is the rider of a dragon,

She is the art, she is the fire,

She is the essence of mere heaven….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

एक नयी किरण

 

आज की तारिख एक नयी उमंग लेके आयी है,
जुडी हूँ में एक ख्वाब से और ये तरंग उसकी परछाई है,
उस ख्वाब ने मेरे हाथ में एक कलम थमाई है,
कोई प्रसंग नहीं मेरी इस कविता की पर एक रौशनी इसमें समायी है,
उगते सूरज से दोस्ती कर मेने भी कदम बढ़ाये हैं,
भूल के पुराने इतिहास को नए रंग मेने अपनाये हैं,
धीमे धीमे ये किरणें अपना आक्रोश घर ले आयी हैं,
और खोल कर खिड़कियाँ मेरे मन की मेरे घर की दीवारें जगमगायीं हैं,
दिन बढ़ने लगा है, और ये गुदगुदियाँ मुझे अब चुबने लगीं हैं,
पर दोस्त हैं ये मेरी ये सोच कर ये चुभन भी घुलने लगी है,
खट्टी मीठी ये दोस्ती मुझे एक नया नजरिया दिखलाती है,
और रौशन कर मेरे आँगन को हर रात किसी दूसरे आँगन में घर कर जाती हैं,
और मै सोच में पड़ जाती हूँ, क्या ये किरणें बेवफा हैं,
पर दोस्त है वो मेरी और उनकी दोस्ती ही वफ़ा है,
कल फिर वो मेरे उठने से पहले जाग जाएगी,
और मेरे ख़्वाबों की किलकारियों को सुनके मुझे गले लगाएगी,
यह ख्वाब आज से मेरी ज़िन्दगी का एक हिस्सा है,
और हर रोज़ ये कलम सुनाएगी मुझे एक किस्सा है…..

Bhram

Doobta hua suraj bhi ek dhun gunguna gaya,

Ek arzi laga gaya ek khwaab thama gaya,

Us khwaab ko apna liya par samjha nahi us khwaab ko,

Us khwaab ko parda kiya samjhe nahi alfaaz jo,

Aur chalte gaye sapne liye vo khwaab pura ho jaega,

Jo khwaab hai samjhe nahi vo khwaab kya pad paega….

 

Nikle to the ghar se keh kar ye khwaab hum sajaenge,

Samjhe nahi jo saat rang, vo ek aur rang kya laenge,

Vo saat rang ka rahasya hi ye raag hai ye aag hai,

Khwaab hai ye saat rang par hamari kuch aur hi ardaas hai,

Na khwaab apna tha kabhi na apni vo raag thi,

Kuch kar dikhane ke junoon me phir bhi kuch to baat thi,

Ke aaj bhi dekh kar har sham us khwaab ko muskurate hai hum,

Na khushi kuch hai na hai kuch gam hum jo jee rahe hai bas ek khoobsoorat bhram….

In the sky when they fly,

Fledged with life, you can’t deny,

To love them and hence you cry,

And get enthralled when you try,

To cadge them and then you live a lie,

That you have the gregarious Chirping Birds….

Every morning you hear that sound,

And feel energized as the world is round,

As now you have the ones in sky for your laughter always around,

You feed them and admire yourself being the master,

But there is frustration and anger and no chirping further,

But you live the lie, that you have the gregarious Chirping Birds….

I pity your thoughts and the bird’s curse,

But the day is near when they will break the bars and follow their urge,

And that day you will realize the guilt but that wouldn’t reimburse,

And then you will experience the freedom of gregarious Chirping Birds….

 

 

 

 

 

Ghatkopar Building Collapse…A discrepancy between Live and Let Live

Ghatkopar Building Collapse…A discrepancy between Live and Let Live

It was the birds chirping in the morning that made me feel alive, yet another day. I woke up, with all my disappointments, dreams, faith and commotion I had, recollecting all my emotions to channelize them for the fruitful day. I reached my office with a big smile on my face challenging the adversities anticipating some learning, certain development, a little satisfaction if I could grasp from the situations I had in hand. But the unexpected fell on the very first step I took and I couldn’t pass by.

It was the collapse of a multi-storey building where my friend resided. A building with two wings, four floors, 12 happy families and 50-60 people or shall I say 50-60 dreams living by. With each brick that washed off eroded those moments that they cherished together, the celebration of the first cry of a newborn, the beginning of a newly married couple and the sorrow of the last breath of an oldie. And in minutes that home to those of 50-60 lives turned out to be a cemetery where the living died of suffocation, under the debris, crying in pain and sorrow. And the lucky ones who were not with their loved ones escaped death but were dying every second breathing the ashes of their loved ones helplessly. They lived a thousand lives when the rescue team pulled up the victims’ expecting that they were their loved ones and died a million deaths realizing that the one rescued was not the one they expected.

I know it is a dark scene to be recited, but this is the ugly truth. With every word I am typing, I am shivering in pain and sorrow. And I am drafting it with a purpose of not getting forgotten. I want no tears of disappointment in your eyes, but a conviction from all of us that no greed, no negligence would be tolerated at the cost of a life. Though the foundation of these lives has got a crack but as a team, we can build a foundation that is indestructible. No words of sympathy can bring a change in these lives but a change in our thought process can control the darkest scenario. The pain, the sufferings is a ladder which is to be crossed by everyone individually but the strength the ladder can uphold, to be constructed is in our hands. There is no teacher better than life and no punishment worse than a loss of a closed one. Let not the fate decide our lives but our decisions must. The culprit is in some of us, amongst us and beside us. It’s high time to confront him. And there should be no fear, no shame to punish him. Let us come together to make things rightly done for the future rather than crying over the issues that are history today. And my message to the youth of today is that ‘No sparrow falls to the ground without your FATHER (GOD) knowing it, it is us who are digging our own graves.’

Rains: A lullaby

Rains: A lullaby

 

I woke up gazing around after a sound sleep. The night was cold and cozy with the raindrops comforting me with its melodious lullaby, the droplets from the window were tickling me and we laughed and laughed and danced on the rhythm of the rain. The notorious trees were playful as their thirsty branches were fighting for each drop falling on the edges. The excitement was communicating from the birds romancing in the shed to the winds blowing. The tea colored puddles enlarging with each drop and each minute passing by with its exotic aroma spreading across. And there was fun and frolic all around.

Eventually the droplets tickling me got a little bolder and harsh. I suddenly felt cold and my thoughts tried to act as a winter coat but latterly I fell prey to the silence. I kept calm and smelled the rain, but not for long, the puddles on my window were getting hammered and hence I waited for the dark storm to pass by. But my patience crashed and I fumbled. My throat got choked, the branches no longer acted playful, they were frightened like me. They tried to keep hold of each other but one of them couldn’t bear the pressure and fell. I felt numb and tears knocked my eyes.

The sky got cleared by then. All the cacophony created around was translated into a pin drop silence. There was light, chirping of the birds and blossomy flowers. The surroundings were relaxed and in harmony. And I could realize the lullaby that rain had recited me. It was a promise that when it stops everything will be fresh and lively. And hence it gave me another perspective to life that everything can start anew. And hence I never complained of the rain, for it being harsh, deadly and gloomy. The situations can be hard but let us not stop believing in the message that rains tried to communicate every time when it destroys itself to meet us. Let the hope prevail and connect be live. There is life in the beginning and laughter at the end. Hence I wish a lively laughter to all my readers.

#MastMumbai