पाखी

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दूर कहीं सघन वन तरु पे
पाखी एक झांके है नीचे
कल कल जल बहता है उस पे
सूर्य किरण से आँखें मीचे
देखे दूर अनंत वो नभ में
कैसे पक्षी उड़ते जाते 
पर अपने इन छोटे पर से
अभी नहीं उड़ान भर पाते
पर मन में विचार उमड़ते
चंचल से बहते पानी से
गर उड़ पाये वो भी नभ में
भले ही आनाकानी से
फैले विस्तृत महाकाश में
वो भी कभी उड़ान भरे
शीतल जल पर शीतल वायु
वो भी कभी महसूस करे

ज्यों ज्यों पाखी हुई सयानी
त्यों त्यों उसके पंख बढ़े
रेशम के रेशे से कोमल
इंद्रधनुषी रंग भरे
जब उसने भरी उड़ान वो पहली
गयी वो नीचे सीधी जाकर
छोटे से पेड़ के सर पे
अटक गयी टहनी टकराकर
कोशिश की लाख जतन कर
गिर गिर उठ न पायी वह
देखा पंख जो हुए रुपहरे
कटे फटे से पायी वह
दिल की धड़कन बढ़ी कुछ ऐसे
जैसे कलेजा फाड़ दिया
स्तब्ध भाव से बैठी वो फिर
किस्मत का क्या खेल नया
उठी गिरी फिर उठी गिरी वह
न जाने किस डर से डर
लाख कोशिशों के बाद भी
न उड़ पायी आहें भर भर

थक के चूर जब हुई हार कर
गयी उस जल धारा के पास
शीतल जल से प्यास बुझा कर
जगी उसमे एक नयी सी आस
धीरे धीरे वो जल में उतरी
थोड़ा थोड़ा सकुचा कर के
शीतल जल का स्पर्श हुआ जब
पाखी तनु स्पंदन भर के
नन्हें पैरों से जब उसने
पानी को छलकाया था
कुछ आगे की तरफ बढ़ी वो
दिल उसका भरमाया था
नवल चेतना से आनंदित
चले जोश में पांव चला चल
पानी पे वो तैरे ऐसे
झरने से गिरता जल चंचल

समय जो बीता हुई पारखी
जल विचरण अब करे वो ऐसे
ऊपर उस अनंत से नभ में
पक्षी विचरण करें हैं जैसे
इच्छाशक्ति और हौसला
था पाखी मन में असीमित
खोकर अपनी मुख्य कुशलता
अंश मात्र भी हुई न विचलित

हम सबका भी कोई सपना
कटा फटा सा रहता होगा
लेकिन मन में सोच का दरिया
अभी भी कहीं बहता होगा
बहने दो उसे कलरव करके
रुकने कभी न पाये वो
ज्यों ही सोच का दरिया रोको
काई सी जम जाये जो
सोच का दरिया बढ़ते बढ़ते
जैसे ही छलकायेगा
नए सपनों की गगरी लेकर
गगरी भर भर जायेगा

Life in a mess...

Life is way too much more than what we think it is. Its length and breadth just seem to efface as we try to subsume it as far as we can, yet in vain. Now one would be wondering why suddenly I am being mentally shrewd about the aspects of what seems to be as simple as one’s life. But yes, that would be the most fatuous thought one would come across to say life is simple, but in fact it is not.

Here is the reason. Few days back, one of my friends gave me a movie (won’t tell its name, else you won’t watch it with required keenness once told) that was about high school reunion. The characters, that seem to be smug about their own lives, when had this opportunity of contemplating the way they live, then they realized what void they had, which they condoned till now. As the story unfolded, each character lamented over their intricacies of life.

One man, who was about to propose her girl and had no contact with her ex-girlfriend for over eight years, met with her in a completely awkward situation, found her to be married, yet complicatedly. Another one, who found his long lost crush of school time, tried every way to flirt and impress her one last time, gets away with the news that she is divorced (not really) and is living with her babies. Yet another man, who happens to be a successful musician, found the girl he had secretly admired and noticed the face in the crowd his whole school days, sings his most popular song at the event. The girl came to realize the song was about her, and ironically, she never heard of it before. (By now you must have guessed the movie, if you have watched or heard about it…but the realization is not in the name, it’s in the message).

This whole convoluted story ends with all the characters knowing what they lacked in their life and fulfill it in their own ways. All happy endings. However it gave a strong message that sometimes life would be a total mess, sometimes you have to toil hard to get things straight, to make things fall in place, but if you take life frivolously, life would be a bigger mess than ever. And you don’t have to do big things for that. Small things in life matter more than doing things you think to be big and life-changing. So go out, help others, make someone smile, work hard, party harder, build up and most importantly maintain relationships, care about friends and family as life is not all about doing things in the flow, but it is about how you direct the flow with doing things your way. :)

आज फिर मुस्कुराने को दिल करता है

ज़िन्दगी की भागा दौड़ी से भाग जाने को दिल करता है
आज फिर मुस्कुराने को दिल करता है 

दिल के अरमां हैं झिलमिल से
कभी पूरे तो कभी अधूरे रह जाते हैं
पर हर अरमां को हकीक़त में बदलने को दिल करता है
आज फिर मुस्कुराने को दिल करता है 

कल किसने देखा, जीना है तो जियो आज
ज़िन्दगी के दो पलों में, छेड़ो मस्ती का कोई साज़
इस साज़ को गुनगुनाने को दिल करता है
आज फिर मुस्कुराने को दिल करता है 

यारी दोस्ती से बढ़कर है यारों का साथ
बेपरवाह, बेफिक्र, युहीं कट जाएं दिन और रात
इन्हीं यारों की यारी निभाने को दिल करता है
आज फिर मुस्कुराने को दिल करता है 

ज़िन्दगी से कुछ पल चुराकर, इन पलों में ज़िन्दगी जीना
मस्ताना मौसम, हसीं वादियां, और तान के अपना सीना
युहीं कारवां रोशन करने को दिल करता है
आज फिर मुस्कुराने को दिल करता है 

Indian Wedding

Indians, however they toil throughout their life, their best self is revealed at a family party as grand as an Indian Wedding! Yes, the most famous ‘big fat Indian wedding’ is the most awaited moment in one’s life and what comes with it are the enthralling moments of fun and joy which makes every family wedding a memorable one, especially when one is an arranged marriage. Here I present to you the unique and interesting journey of a wedding celebration that can be found nowhere but India.

P.S. These are just the observations of the author. He is yet to experience these things. :P

As soon as one enters in his/her mid 20’s, parents start to search for all the financial stability to host one of the lavish grand celebrations of their child’s wedding. Relatives start teasing the one for getting ready to become a ‘bali ka bakra’.

Yeah, I already have become one by getting relatives like you  -_- 

Mom, in all her social gatherings, proudly displays the not so cool eligible bachelor as one of the most handsome versatile picks.

All of the distant relatives suddenly become interested in the boy/girl about whom they probably have not even remembered the name ever since birth. Beta, tere chacha ke fufiya sasur ke bete ka phone hai, le baat kar. (Son, your uncle’s uncle-in-law’s son is on the call, hear him what he says…). This reaction:

What??

After sending the amiable matrimonial photographs to unknown number of people and meeting them numerous times, parents narrow down to one suitable match which finally gets associated with the family. And then the family drama begins...

Now comes the preparation. Celebration includes long list of functions from haldi, mehendi, sangeet, ghudchadhi, baaraat, mandap, phere, vidai and any other thing you can possibly think of. Lodge bookings, wedding invitations, caterers, decorators, pandit, things for arrangements, and above all these tensions, personal attention to the guests. Beta, tauji ki dhoti phat gyi hai, ja bazaar se nayi le a, aur sun buaji ko jalebiyan bahut pasand hai, natthu halwai se 1 kilo jalebi bhi le ana. (Your uncle’s dhoti is torn, replace it with new one from market and also get 1kg jalebis for your aunt)

What everyone remembers is everyone, and everyone forgets the boy/girl getting married.

  On the D-day, everyone wakes up in the tension of looking more beautiful than the in-laws and take good 2 to 3 hours in getting themselves more ugly (Oh, I mean beautiful :/).

In the baraat, they dance with full throttle. Every Indian wedding is incomplete with the dance on classics like nagin, ye desh hai veer jawanon ka, baby doll main sone di, and any other cheap song that you haven’t heard in your lifetime. Who cares about the song though?

Ohh Yeah!!

  Every being attending the wedding are not there for the bride or groom but are there for FOOD. Yes, everyone just grabs a plate (or maybe two) and starts munching out every snack they could reach on those bustling counters, giving occasional smiles to friends and family, as if they care.

Most Important Question

The reaction that just could not be missed is when the person that seems to not stop eating for another 2 hours suddenly sees for a video camera staring at him. The change in the way of eating is huuuge. One who seems to take whole naan in a bite takes a small piece (smaller than one you would give to a 2 year old) and very tenderly places it in his mouth and slowly chews it with the lips glued.

Whoaa Cameraaa !!!

This is followed by whole night long series of events that is just not wanted after a delicious ‘peit-full’ dinner. Many of them just take a good nap, but one who cannot have this piece of heaven is guess who? The bride and the groom. Aakhir unki shaadi hai bhai!!! (Afterall, its their marriage). 

Uuuuuunnn Ohh, Yeah, What?

  But however difficult is to host a wedding, the essence of it lies in the bond of two people that turn into soulmates in the presence of all the masti and fun. :)

Life's Journey

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Sometimes I feel lonely, sometimes its been quite,

Sometimes I feel from inside, something's not just right.

They say you are serious, you have grown mature,

But they are unaware, they don't know there is more.

Deep inside in my heart, I feel to be childish again,

With fake smile and apparent joy, its been a real pain.

Once again I want to sleep in my mother's caring lap,

Once again I want to be that mischievous school chap.

I want to ride my Papa's back and feel like king of the world,

I want to listen to Grandma's stories that just got me puzzled.

Fighting with my siblings was much more the real fun,

And sometimes those fights led to my rosy red hippy buns.

But now I am left with to take responsibilities and do work,

I feel is it what is life? I feel to be a jerk.

But I wait for some surprises, that I get now and then,

Those prove to be some crests among life's many glen.

I wait for the moments when life gives me a push,

I think I lead my life in one such ambush.

I believe one day will come that will end up all agony,

Then me quiet and lonely self will complete my life's journey.

Good Old Days...

We all were busy in our lives, when few days back one of my school friends posted a video on ‘School khatam ho raha hai, dosti nahin’ (School is going to end, but not our friendship) depicting a story of five friends having a farewell from their school and how they revisit every memory they have of school. Schooldays when tiffin ka dibba was one treasure chest that was looted in the first period itself and when a teacher with her red face punished us all and even punishments were merrier with friends beside us, all of us sharing smiles with hands up. That video left me nostalgic and once again each of our classmates were active and sharing their memories of their schooldays- how we were the lives of each other and used to make classes lively.

Everyone just walked down their memory lane and remembered how annual functions were a fun ride with teachers trying to align each and every footstep of performances with hawk eyes, how fetes organized brought us to satisfaction by giving stern looks to services of the same teachers who used to give us one, and the last day of school which left us all emotional and ended with a bang.

The one with cute looks was poked and mischievous one was blamed. The one to ruin group photographs was taken over by the group and the bookworm was mocked. The teachers’ best dialogues and acts were remembered and the reactions were just awesome. This little conversation reminded us all for those good old days we had of fun and frolic that just could not be forgotten. Although we don’t know whether we would ever be going to meet again together, but we certainly have that connection that even distances couldn't break.