Tuesday, 21 May 2013

Two Packets of Chips and a handful Happiness!!


They were sitting with their mom and were munching Lays American Cream and Onion flavor (which is my favorite too) chips when I boarded into metro. To avoid fighting about who is eating more chips, I think, their mother had given them two separate packets. Girl was about 6-7 years and her brother was 4-5 years. Both were very sweet and so adorable that I forgot how tired I was as I worked for extra hours at the office.

Young boy finished eating his packet of chip and raised his packet in air, scattered remaining few pieces of chips on his lap, on his mom's clothes and few on floor of metro too. (May be this is the reason drinking, eating and smoking is prohibited in Delhi Metro, But who cares to follow) Now as he finished eating, he started to tease his sister. Playing with her hairs, stretching her clothes. But actually, he wanted some chips from her packet. It seemed that she was aware of his habits and she didn’t let him take even single chip and ate even those small pieces from her packet which her brother scattered from his packet everywhere in metro. I was watching them fighting and was smiling. Mom was scolding them to sit properly but kids were not in mood to listen to her. Then young girl took out toy mobile from her pocket (yes you guessed it right, the one which plays Chal Chhaiyaan Chhaiyan Chhaiyaan when you press a button) and then boy jumped to snatch it from her hand. She raised her hand as high as she could so that he could not reach. Their mom was trying her best to stop this push-pull fight. But all in vein. Then suddenly she tapped young boy to break his concentration from snatching toy phone and whisper into his ear “here you are” and handed him something invisible into his right palm and closed it quickly and told him to keep it in his shirt’s pocket and tickled him. He laughed and forgot about toy phone and started to play with his sister peacefully, who was seeing all this very curiously.

I smiled back to that lady and congratulated her for the idea of that handful happiness she gave to her son. Only mothers have this magic in their hands. J


Pic of kids with packet of Lays J








Sunday, 21 April 2013

Books and Mee


I posted a poem "Kharchi" of Gulzar Sa'ab from his book "Raat Pashmine Ki" (which was gifted by a friend as a surprise when we met) few days back on my facebook profile with my confession line "Officially in love with Gulzar" ;) and I got various reactions, specially for the last line. Best was when after few days a friend asked ,"How is your boyfriend?" I didn't get him but replied, "He is absolutely fine. Usko kya hoga". I didn't get him because when you don't have anyone in your life, you can't guess about whom your friends is asking. It could be your favorite actor or favorite cricketer or anyone. But when he asked, "Nhi, is umr mei poochhna padta hai". Then I realised that he is actually asking for Gulzar sahab. :D And I replied him, "Gulzar sahab se rishta unki kalam se hai." which left me thinking what made me write this line. What special I felt while reading those two books of Gulzar.

I have a strong connection with books since childhood. Now, you would think if I had same attachment with my text books. And my reply is "Yes". I remember whenever my parents looked at our(Me and my 2 siblings) books, they always found my books in worst condition. :D And every time I had same reply to them "toh kya mai sabse zyada padhti hu na isliye". Though my marks never helped me to prove this point. But I always enjoyed lost into books. 

I loved reading comics(Like Diamond Comics, Nandan, Champak etc.) as a kid and I always enjoyed my Hindi Literature lectures in school, also I love to read short stories publishes in Hindi newspaper once in a week. And the day I started reading drama, fiction etc. I find more pleasure in reading. Views of different authors on different issues and their solutions. I started reading books from short stories. I remember my brother brought two books when i was very young. One was a collection of Nukkad Nataks and another one was on Nostradamus' predictions(I don't remember name of books as we don't have any of these books at home). And from there on my new journey with books started. And I actually started to believe that books are our best friend. 
Whenever I start a new book I feel as if I have found a new friend and I feel so lonely after completing the book. But it remains in my memory forever. And i remember them when any similar incident happens with me. While reading book I feel as if I am the protagonist and feel each and every incident taking place. I know this is the quality of a writer to make you feel exactly what is happening in the story. But as reader you also have to open the doors of your imagination to feel the same.

I always carry a book with me while travelling. I read in metro while going to my office and coming back room. And many a times I lost into my book in such a manner that i missed my station, reached few stations ahead then took next train of opposite direction and came to destination. ;) It's hilarious but then this is the power of a book that binds you with them.

I wont say I have read a lot of books but I read all the time. Not only stories but i like to read poetries also. While reading poetries i tend to think about the situation when the poet wrote it. Being a huge fan of Late Jagjit Singh Sa'ab and also of Gulami Ali and Mehendi Hasan ji, i heard many poets in the form of their ghazals like Mirza Ghalib, Qateel Shifai, Faiz, Faraz, Nida Fazli, Gulzar, Javed Akhtar and lot more. Most of the people relate themselves while listening to ghazals. But i try to make stories out of poetry. A poet expresses his/her emotions in very limited words and gives just a hint about the situation or what he felt while writing any poem and a poet never forgets the story behind his poems. No matter how old they are. And may be this is what connected me with Gulzar sahab while reading his poetry book. That I made n numbers of stories with every poem i read.  If you ask a poet about what made him write some particular poem and he/she don't come up with satisfactory answer means they don't want to tell you the real story. Now please don't try this on me. ;) I remember I read a poem on a facebook page and end up discussing each couplet with poet who is now a good friend. I said sorry to him for this but i couldn't control myself when i got a chance to interact with poet directly. 

I have lot more to talk about books and my love for books but I feel the post is getting very long so I wind up with few lines I read in 'The Monk who sold his Ferrari" by "Robin S. Sharma" 

"Remember, some books are meant to be tasted, some books are meant to be chewed and, finally, some books are meant to be swallowed whole.
Thirty minutes a day will make a delightful difference in your life because you will quickly start to see the vast reserves of knowledge available for your use. Every answer to every problem you have ever faced is in print. If you want to be a better lawyer, father, friend or lover, there are books out there that will rocket you to those goals. All the mistakes you will ever make in your life have already been made by those that have walked before you.
All the problems anyone has ever, and will ever face over the course of their lifetime have already been made.More importantly, the answers and solutions are all recorded on the pages of books. Read the right books. Learn how those who have preceded you have handled the challenges you are currently facing. Apply their strategies for success and you will be astonished by the improvements you will note in your life."

So keep reading and keep learning.

मेरा देश महान ॥

इक ओर ६५ वर्ष हुए हैं
देश को आज़ाद हुए,
इक ओर धर्म ही आज भी 
अहम् चुनावी मुद्दा है || 

इक ओर देश का किसान 
कम बारिश पे रोता है,
इस ओर देश का नेता 
घोटाले कर खुश होता है ||

इक ओर बच्चों को
अखंडता का पाठ पढाया जाता है ,
इक ओर हिन्दू-मुस्लिम के नाम पे 
इक शहर जलाया जाता है ||

इक ओर देश में अग्नि मिसाइल का 
सफल परीक्षण होता है,
इक ओर कश्मीर के बाद अब 
असम में भी दंगा होता है ||

इक ओर एक बुज़ुर्ग 'अन्ना'
भ्रष्टाचार के खिलाफ सडकों पे उतरता है,
इक ओर देश का प्रमुख नेता
कोयले के स्वाद को चखता है ||

इक ओर 'साइना' ओलंपिक्स में 
पदक जीत के लाती है,
इक ओर आज भी इक बच्ची 
माँ की कोख में मारी जाती है ||

एक ओर देश का हर बच्चा 
'सचिन' बनना चाहता है,
इक ओर एक खिलाडी बिन रोटी 
भूखे पेट ही सो जाता है ||

इक ओर शिक्षा हर बच्चे का 
जन्म सिद्ध अधिकार है,
इक ओर गरीबी में इक बच्चा 
बाल मजदूरी को होता तैयार है ||

इतनी नहीं है ये कहानी 
देश में और भी बहुत कुछ होता है,
घोटाले, भ्रष्टाचार, अत्याचार 
फिर भी 'मेरा भारत महान' होता है ||

Tuesday, 2 April 2013

Rang Birange Rishtey


Kuch ajnabi kuch kareebi hote hain rishtey,
Kabhi ek chammach namak, kabhi ek chammach shehed hote hain rishtey..

Kuch jaandaar kuch bejaan hote hain rishtey,
Kabhi oss ki boond, kabhi jalta angaar hote hain rishtey..

Ik hi pal mei hansi aur aansu dono hote hain rishtey,
Kabhi apno ki ruswaayi, kabhi gairon ka pyaar hote hain rishtey..

Kabhi dor se kabhi sirf ehsaason se jude hote hain rishtey,
Kuch barson lambe magar feeke, kuch ta-umr ankahe magar sachhe hote hain rishtey.. 

Kabhi chhu lete hain dil ko, kabhi dil ka dard hote hain rishtey,
Kabhi ek misra, kabhi ek ashaar, kabhi poori nazm hote hain rishtey..

Samajho to zindagi na samjho to azaab hote hain rishtey,
Kabhi aankhon mei band sapne, kabhi muthhi mei band ret hote hain rishtey..

Wednesday, 27 February 2013

Nature and Mee


Nature fascinates all of us in one or other ways. And I being a nature lover get surprised by its various colors. Few days back I started to write something about winters in north India, specifically in Delhi, this year but could not write anything substantive. Then after few days of discarding that draft I started writing this. J J

Being a mountain native, I love mountains. The whole aura of mountain is just so peaceful and relaxing and if you handover yourself to this boon of Mother Nature you will feel as if you are in heaven. May be this is the reason, people who live in mountains are so cheerful and always smiling in spite of the fact that they have tougher life compared to us.

Though I could not visit my own village in past few years but mountains never fail to call me into their lap in last 6 years. Either it’s my own Valley of Nainital, or Heaven on Earth Kashmir, beautiful Hill Station on Aravali Range Mount Abu or Queen of mountains Mussoori, a pilgrimage to Mata Vaisho devi in Jammu or breath taking views at Nilgiri Hills of Ooty and Coonoor.

My love for nature increased exponentially when I get a chance to visit Mumbai in 2007. I saw only very popular places of Mumbai in my first visit but when I saw the huge Arabian Sea in front of me, like my name I was feeling like Meen (fish) J  who was dying to touch the salt water. I had never seen such a big water body earlier in my life. Only water and water till the place you could see. I was still amazed and a child inside me was jumping with happiness, and then I saw the first sun set of my life standing on a sea shore. Orange colored sun painted whole sky in orange and red color, the sea which was of grey color earlier slowly turned into the color of melted gold. The noise of waves were vanished and it feels like sea went busy for welcoming the setting sun. A awe stricken Mee who had seen only heavenly beautiful sunrises of mountains was standing on stones at shore making exact picture in my mind of that beautiful sunset.

But it doesn’t mean that only mountain and sea shores are beautiful. If you look at clouds and sunrise or sunset in your own city wherever you are you would find it beautiful. Even the washed roads and trees and smell of earth are same everywhere after rains. Yeah being a north Indian and spend whole my life in Lucknow I know it is not possible in the month of April, May and June (effect of Tropic of cancer crossing from India) when temperature rises to 40+ everyday but still we can enjoy the changing weather, rains, clouds, sunsets, sunrises wherever we are.

As a popular saying goes beauty lies in the eye of the beheld.  J

So open you arms everyday to embrace the beauty of Mother Nature and get refresh and recharged for the day.

Here are some of my clicks.. J  








Thursday, 21 February 2013

Humne sitaron ko nyota diya tha kl



Humne sitaron ko nyota diya tha kl
humare ghr aake theher jaayein ek raat
pehle to mana kr rahe the,
muh bana rahe the ajeeb ajeeb sa..
fir jaane kya soojhi unko, aur
achaanak hi aa k baith gaye mere aangan mein..
shayad mera udaas chehra dekh liya tha,
mere chehre pe unki na ka gum bhi padh liya tha,
ya fir shayad mehsus kr liya tha sannata mere ghr ka.

kuch apni bhi kehne lage
kuch mujhe kehne ko bhi kaha unhone.


ajnabi nhi the wo tare zara se bhi mere liye
roz hi to dekhti hu inhe timtimaate door aasmaan mein
kitna sookon dete hai ye din bhar ki thaki aankhon ko
koi sapne bun leta hai.. koi shikayat kr leta hai..
kitne apno ko dhundte nihaarte hain inki taraf,
aur kitne apno ko pane ki duayein bhi krte hain inhe dekh kr.

raat bhar yunhi gushup karte huye
kab raat guzar gayi aur kb subah ho gayi pata hi nhi chala
maine fir kaha unse ab thoda aaram tum bhi kr lo
mera bistar khaali hi pada hai aaj yahin so lo


shayad wo bhi mujhe apna samajhne lage the
kuch pal k liye hi sahi, thodi der aur rukna chah rahe the
isliye ruk gaye mere kehne par.

itne maasoom lag rahe the soye huye
ek halki si muskaan bhi thi unke chehre par
fir mujhe khayal  aaya k ek khushi to mere dil mei bhi thi
waisi hi muskaan to mere chehre pr bhi thi.

ab roz aane ka wada le lungi mai bhi inse jaane se pehle
haan kam se kam khair khabar to milti rehni chahiye naye doston ki..

Humne sitaron ko nyota diya tha kl
humare ghr aake theher jaayein ek raat
pehle to mana kr rahe the,
muh bana rahe the ajeeb ajeeb se
fir jaane kya soojhi unko aur
achaanak hi aa k baith gaye mere aangan mein..


Tuesday, 12 February 2013

Ibaadat ho jaye


Likh de agar afsaana-e-dil khuda jaane kya qayamat ho jaye,
Tera hi tas'savur ho aur har ehsaas tere naam ho jaye..



Rubaru ho aaine k aur tere kareeb hone ki aahat ho jaye,
Tujhe chhune ki koshish mei fir khud se mohabbat ho jaye..



Jo mehsus krte hain tere liye keh dein agar teri ijazat ho jaye,
Shamil ho gar marzi bhi teri, meri adni si mohabbat ibaadat ho jaye...