यादें

दिल में अजब सी एक बेकरारी जगी,

बीते दिनों की यादें हमें सताने लगी...

न जाने क्यों और कैसे, लेकिन 

अचानक यादों की झोली खुल गयी;

रंग-बिरंगी यादों की मोती जब

झूम झूम के बाहर निकल आई;

तो कुछ खुशियों की लहरें लायी,

और कुछ लाये ग़मों की परछाई।

बचपन के दिन जब याद आये

तो मन ही मन में हम मुस्कुराए! 

गरजते बादल के आहट से काँपे 

तो कभी बरसते पानी में भीगे...

प्यार और मिलन के यादों ने

हमें बेहद हँसाए, तो वियोग 

और नफरत के यादों  ने पल 

भर में ही दिल को तोड़ दिए!!!

यादें मीठी भी हैं और कड़वी भी,

हंसाते हैं यह हमें, कभी रुलाते भी;

यादों के बिना जी पाना लेकिन 

क्या सीखा हैं किसी ने कभी???

My Garden

The garden of my soul arid,
Cool showers of rain it longed;
The flowers all withered and dry
Forever thirsty and hungry...

Once, I watered it with love,
Found the flowers aglow...
The desert turned fertile;
Its struggles all futile...

The leaves whispered to me -
Thousand tales of amuse;
The flowers smiled at me
As alive they became...

Life needs nothing, but love,
To burgeon in its grove...
Loving droplets of water
Is all it needs to prosper!!!

Who are you???

Every day I see you,
Delicate and demure
Jet black curly hair,
Intense, gleaming eyes
Dusky, skinny beautiful...

In my mind's eye,
I behold you - a child;
Despite the decades
That parted us - when
I lost you in life's strife...

Wondering what life
Would've made us,
Had we been together -
Would our kinship have
Grown; or withered away???

I carried you in my heart,
Over the decennials of my life...
As I grew older and fatter,
You remained same - thinner
And younger, yet; always with me...

Why is it hard to let you go,
I know not; everywhere I go
I take you with me...
Often I wonder who you are,
My friend or my own little self???

Lost Friendship...

You came to me in my dreams
Took me to the wonderlands-
When we walked hand in hand
Where not a worry we had...

I laughed a little more;
Cry, I did  no more!
The pearls of joy shone,
Fears of mine all gone!!!

I happily sat and smiled,
Unreasonably was I delighted;
Uncluttered the mind was,
Unbridled the soul was...

Blissfully I opened my eyes;
Abashing the darkness was...
I mourned the friendship lost,
Amidst life's crossroads vast!!! 

The sense of loss abysmal,
The yearn of the heart eternal;
Anticipating your affable self,
Hopefully I thrust forward myself...

A Round up of Events

As I was busy writing pages after pages after pages to meet the deadline of my assignment, many things happened (in some cases, didn't happen) around the world. I had noticed it all, but didn't give much thought to... 

As an Indian, it was once again agonizing to see India surrendering meekly to the Australians. Match after match, Indians have displayed how to lose a match in no time and now it seems that the patience has run out... So, topping the list of things that didn't happen are: India's win in Australia and (sigh!!!) Tendulkar's 100th 100! (Now I think that the odds are high that I'll be hitting 100 posts on my blog before the 100th ton happens)

 

As India played Bayern Munich, fans hoped for a better show, but that didn't happen.  As Baichung Bhutia wore the Indian Colors for the last time, fans turned up in huge numbers to cheer him.

Of the things that happened, I take great happiness that my fellow blogger and well-wisher, the "Village Girl", now have 100 followers for her blog - http://voiceofavillagegirl.blogspot.com/. It is a tremendous achievement and truly deserving one too...Well done Village Girl!

Another nice thing that happened was that Hindi Film lyrics are back to their poetic best. Though they are only a few, I take heart from the fact that after too much of Hinglish songs and nonsensical lyrics, at least a few good songs are doing rounds now. 

 

Another major change that happened was that Malayalis are working on a day of Hartal. Though it is disheartening to know that we are not supporting a social cause, it is indeed a right step for future. It is high time that we rejected the calls for useless Hartals and other unproductive methods of protest. 

 

The Kerala State School Youth festival is going on in Thrissur with great pomp and fanfare. It remains to be seen as to how many disputes arise out of this cultural extravaganza that has become a matter of pride and grades rather than about art. 

Closer at home, some close relatives sprang a surprise visit on us, making the weekend truly memorable. A family friend who had undergone a complex hip replacement surgery was back at home. 

One more Sabarimala season got over without any untoward incidents despite the growing tension between Kerala and Tamil Nadu over Mullaperiyar. 

And while the North of India was shivering under cold weather, I was enjoying the warmth of  the Southern sun and busy completing my assignment. (Yes, it lies somewhere down in the list of things that happened.)

A Change...

It seems to me that it was only yesterday that I was grumbling about the New Year being rather dull. Life took a drastic turn soon after that, and I am finding myself struggling to connect to Blogosphere. No, nothing untoward has happened. On the contrary, I was offered a job!

Since I was fed up of channel / net surfing for hours, and wasting time by waiting for something really interesting to appear on my Facebook wall, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Since then, I have not had a dull moment. 

Working from home has its merits - no fixed work timings, no rushing in the morning traffic, no boss breathing down one's neck....But the flexible schedule is also a headache at times, especially when work and other house-hold chores clash.

But I am not complaining. I am confident of making suitable adjustments to my schedule that nothing that matters would suffer. The best part of this assignment is that it keeps me busy, and away from the idiot box. Of late, I had been spending more and more time as couch potato, watching re-runs of stupid movies or even the saas-bahu sagas (How horrifying!!!!) 

The new year has indeed brought a new beginning to me. Now I hope and pray that it is equally good for my friends and family too...

New Year!!!

This New Year has been rather dull... My new year resolution is that I will not take any new year resolutions - No, this is not a rip off from a Salman Khan movie... May be inspired by the many ridiculous dialogues, but not a copy... See how boring my days are; I have started competing with the dialogues of some stupid Bollywood movies!!! Let us not discuss that further as it will bore you to death.

But the question is, why this dullness? I have tons of  chores to do that is lying unattended. Every time I see the heap of the clothes that has to be folded and kept away, it seems to grow inches taller and my heart sinks deeper....Sigh! The spiders that have made the corner of the ceilings their home seems to have a better new year than me. They appear to be partying all time.. And why not? As long as I am this dull and uninspired, they dont have to fear for the loss of their home or life. 

And today, while wistfully staring at the monitor as I didn't know what to read or write, I remembered the thrill that new year used to bring... One would stay awake late at night so that at the stroke of midnight, one could call up the favorite cousins and friends and wish them as the year changes!!! Even before that, numerous greeting cards would have been exchanged for Christmas and new year. Awaiting cards from friends in itself was thrilling...and as one opened card after card, it filled one with happiness untold.

Now, as the SMSes pour in and e-cards bring in animated wishes in a matter of seconds, I fail to find the same thrill as before...Nothing can beat the joy of opening an envelope to find the card sent by a friend / cousin / relative smiling at you! Same is the case with sending SMS and cards in reply... The joy of selecting different greeting cards for all friends and relations from the lot and writing special message in each of them was indeed tremendous. Many times, all the pocket money one had collected would be spent on this single event of the year. Yet, the happiness that one felt was boundless!!! With modern technologies, the cost has come down, but so has the happiness...

Starting a new diary was also equally exciting! As the new year dawned, the diary is filled with one's  hopes, dreams and aspirations. There is always a positive vibe all around. The habit having been lost in the strife has left me a little shaky, I think.

So here I am, rather lost. May be a few more days into the new year I'll be better. Someone wrote that Self Motivation works better than any medicine. But how to be self motivated is the question that nags me right now... 

 

Let me try and find something motivating... In the mean time, may you all have a great Year ahead!  Happy New Year!!!

लौट आओ!!

ज़िन्दगी के राहों में हमें अकेला छोड़
कहाँ बिछड गए तुम प्यारे?
न कोई खबर , न ही हैं संदेसा
कोई तुम ने भेजा हमें...
ऐसे क्यों रूठ गए तुम हमसे
की आवाज़ तक न दी एक बार???

हर दिन उम्मीदों के सहारे हम जीते हैं
कि - आज तुम आवोगे; 
हर आहट पर मन यह सोचते हैं
कि- यह तुम हो जो आ गए!
दिल को छूटी तसल्ली हम देतें हैं
आज नहीं तो सही कल आवोगे!

हमारे दिल कि तड़प सुन भी नहीं पाते
इतने दूर क्यों तुम चले?
हमारा प्यार तुम्हे खीच लावोगे फिर
एक दिन हमारे पास
बस यही एक उम्मीद पे तो सालों से
हमारी दुनिया कायम हैं ...

जहां भी गए हो, लौट आवो फिर से
एक बार हमारे पास
तेरे इंतज़ार में दिन रात एक करके
बैठे हैं परिजन तुम्हारे
फिर से हम साथ साथ होंगे, तो ही
यह दुनिया चमकेंगे!!!

PS: The report on the Missing of Soni M Bhattathiripad inspired me to pen these lines... I do hope that he comes back to his near and dear ones soon. It has been three years since he went missing.  http://voiceofavillagegirl.blogspot.com/2011/05/where-is-soni-m-bhattathiripad.html