मेरी " परी "...

मेरी परी ...

वो छोटा सा खुशियों का पिटारा जो मेरी गोद में पहली बार आया

वो आँखें जिन्हें देख कर लगा की घर में ढेर सारी खुशियाँ आने वाली हैं

वो मेरी नन्ही परी....

वो नन्हे हाथ जिन्होंने पहली बार मेरी ऊँगली पकड़ी थी

वो नन्हे कदम जो पहली बार मेरी तरफ चल दिए थे, वो पहली बार उसका मुझको पापा बुलाना

वो घर की दीवारों का अपने आप ही drawing sheet बन जाना

वो आड़ी तिरछी लकीरों का इन्द्रधनुष बन जाना उन्ही दीवारों पे 

वो रंग भरते समय उनका खुद ही रंग जाना

वो सुबह हाथ पकड़ कर स्कूल जाना और छुट्टी पर गेट पर टकटकी लगाए राह देखना

वो त्योहारों पे उसका पूरे घर में उधम मचाना

मेरी नन्ही परी...

बड़ी होती मेरी परी, सहेलियों के साथ वक़्त बिताती , दुनिया में सब कुछ जानने वाली

अपनी माँ की लाडली , मुझे अब हर बात नहीं बताती , माँ को ही अपनी सहेली समझती है 

दिल रोने पे वो उसका कुछ न कहना, बस चुपचाप से उसका मेरे हाथ को तकिया बना , सीने से लग कर लेटे रहना

जज्बातों को शब्द नहीं मिल पाते हैं उसके, मगर उसकी ख़ामोशी उसका दिल बयान करती है

यह नटखट लड़की आज भी अपनी माँ की शिकायत करती है मुझसे 

मेरी नटखट, चुलबुली परी

अपने मन की बात अपनी माँ से कहलवाना 

वो उसका धीरे धीरे अपनी जिम्मेदारियां खुद निभाना

मेरी परी बड़ी हो गयी 

वो उसका अकेलापन महसूस होने पर बहाने से मुझे फ़ोन करके बात करना, आज भी कह नहीं पाती वो मगर महसूस करता हूँ की आज भी उसके दिल के कितना करीब हूँ

वो छुट्टियों में उसका घर मिलने आना और इशारों इशारों की चमक में उस लड़के का नाम बताने की कोशिश करना

वो मेरा उसको देखना और उसकी आँखों के डर का सब कुछ अपने आप बयान कर जाना 

मेरा हाँ कहना और उसकी ख़ुशी का “ You are the world`s best dad” बन के बाहर निकलना और झट से गले लग जाना 

आज अपनी परी को दुल्हन बनते देखना 

दो आग जल रही हैं एक मंडप के नीचे आज , एक के इर्द गिर्द रस्में निभायी जा रही हैं, एक जल रही है मेरे सीने में इसकी जुदाई की

विदा होते वक़्त उसके आंसूओं का सब कुछ कह जाना मुझसे , मेरी नन्ही परी आज किसी और की हो गयी

कुछ भी हो , वो हमेशा रहेगी – मेरी नन्ही " परी "

The story behind this- Written after passing through a wedding on a cold December night, it made me think that what must the father be thinking during the marriage procession and how this occasion would be both happy and sad for him. These lines trace the journey of a daughter through the eyes of her father who has given her all she wanted, raising her to the best of his ability which every father does. History also stands witness to the fact that although fathers may not be able to express their love the way they wanted but they love their daughters the most and they always remain their little “ angel”. Pari is an attempt to showcase that very love to the very special angel every dad has.

Memories - the journey till now

My journey as a blogger is just like a software which has multiple versions, patches. So I present to you today the unrated version of my blogging journey.

The idea to blog came at a time when I didn’t knew what the hell was blogging. I created one just for the heck of it. I couldn’t write on any fix topic so I thought to be a personal blogger. When I had started writing I started slowly writing the articles which I had cut through newspapers and all. I started using my blog as a scrap book. My very first article was the movie review of my sweetheart Katrina, Namastey London. After that it was all about my favourite,  Dil chahta hai. Putting up quite a number of write-ups for that, it came to be known as the Dil chahta hai blog. 

It continued over the years with 5- 6 posts coming a year. Things changed in 2013. I thought I need to publicise my blog and so began the hunt for blogging directories and I settled on one due to its simple and easy to understand interface. In the subsequent events, interacting with new friends which I made I learned a lot about blogging. I developed my own writing style – very detailed and very exhaustive. A turning point came up in September that year. On my visit to Kashmir, the moment I touched down I knew that I had to write about this heaven. There was so much that we didn’t knew about this place. After I got back, it took me non-stop 48 hours to compile the post from start to finish. Wrote in my observations and made sure that everybody in my network read that. My only aim - make aware people of the reality. I succeeded. 2 weeks after being published, a few of my friends went to visit that same place. Thus began the journey of my “travel” series. 

The next month I dived into poetry as I joined a new poetry group in Delhi. Wrote about them in Hindi, something which many bloggers think to be a tedious effort. This group made me start writing about poetry again. These guys encouraged me to write my heart out in verses, emotions, expressions. Their love, affection gave birth to poetry on my blog as well.

Three months later , I was watching a youtube video of a game where a group of soldiers are ambushed by terrorists. Outnumbered, death seems to be certain when help arrives. That gave me an idea to write about my first defence post “reinforcement”. I combined the prose style of poetry and simple emotions to come up with a few lines. The reaction was unexpected. The next day, while watching another video, the idea to write about "prisoner of war" came. As I couldn’t write it indirectly, I decided to pen it down in the first person perspective. I tried these experiments a few more times before I thought that it needs a name, a series.

I gave it the name “Heroes” after a Bollywood movie of the same name. While reading a book, a thought to write about the unknown soldiers of war led to the birth of the most famous “Param Veer Chakra”. It involved me getting in touch with the real life Indian Army veterans and army to make sure that this post carried the same level of honour and respect to the gallantry of the soldiers as the original medal stands for. I decided to do the impossible – get the Indian Army to authenticate that post. It took me a month to pull out all stops and achieve that. The thundering response made sure that this series has covered a lot of posts over the years. This was probably the one time when I was not writing about myself but for Indian soldiers to make sure that they did not fade into oblivion.

I’ve been really crazy. The current name came up when I realised that what I’m writing would soon one day become a memory. Even the template change took me three days to finalize. A lot of people have held my hand because when the heart pains, its impossible to write anything. Penning down the pain in the form of poetry is even tougher. What have you achieved you might ask?

Well the travel series helps a lot of people in knowing about places I have visited because no website would go into as much detail as I go .
Poetry has taught me to quietly write down all the pain which I cant share with anyone. 
Heroes has pushed me to write about the soldiers, bridging the gap between the soldiers and the public who remembers them only in times of its needs. Even if 2 people change their attitude towards them, my work is done. My circle knows the passion I have for each and every post of this series. Been a bit lucky to find a crazy girl who has become my collaborator in these posts of late. As i move to more tough topics, she handles the advanced emotions and we sort of work magic. 

Over the years from nothing to over 200 posts, I have covered a lot of subjects to write which I wouldn’t have thought initially. This journey is still going by what the heart is saying.. Even if I decide to stop the pen for myself, maybe i`ll continue Heroes because thats what all tell me.. " Keep writing for them".

What`s your story?...

Written for: What inspired you to start blogging ? How is your experience in this blogging world. What have you achieved through it.. #inspiredtoblog

ईंटें

कुछ चंद ईटें बची हैं गुज़रे ज़माने की

पुराने वक़्त का उखड़ा हुआ पलस्तर एक बीता वक़्त याद दिलाता है

समय की थपेड़ों को सह चुकी है यह ईटें, बस न जाने कब कंक्रीट की नयी इमारत की चाह के आगे गिर जाएँ

इस पुरानी कोठी में चुनी गयी थी तब, अब खुद ही इतिहास का बचा हुआ हिस्सा बन कर रह गयी हैं

किसी कोने में छिपा कर कुरेदा गया वो नाम आज भी पलकों के कोने से कहीं दिख जाता है 

Distemper और पेंट की तहों में एक कोशिश आज भी बदलते ज़माने के साथ मॉडर्न दिखने की है

चटकती लकड़ी की चौखट को संभाले हुई ईटें , खुद की ज़रा सी सेंध में कील फँसा कर एक टंगी nameplate यहाँ रहने वाले का परिचय करा रही है

कुछ गिर चुकी ईटें बस अब उठा कर यूँ ही रख दी गयीं हैं जैसे उनसे कह दिया गया हो की अब तुमसे नया आशियाना नहीं बनेगा 

इन्ही ईटों के बीच बना रोशनदान और उससे आती धूप आज भी सर्दी के दिनों में दादी के पैरों को सुकून देती है , माँ की अचार की बरनी भी धूप में इसी चौखट पर रखी जाती है   

इन ईटों की दीवार भी खूब है ... कभी बड़े होते बच्चों के लिए विकेट बन जाती है तो कभी घर की नन्ही परी के लिए drawing का कागज़, कभी जल्दी में किसी ने उसे नोटपैड बना कर नम्बर लिख डाला , तो कभी कैलंडर टंग कर दुनिया भर का हिसाब किताब हो गया

वक़्त की सदियों पुरानी मार है , एक पुराने घर को संभाले यही नीव है अब

कुछ चंद ईटें बची हैं गुज़रे ज़माने की.....

A few lines to remember the buildings of the old times through this, which fight time and development just to stay intact.

Andaman & Nicobar: Nature`s own country

“Andaman” was my answer when asked by my family to the substitute hill station they had marked for an outing. My previous two travels had not been that good at all and I really wanted to get go someplace from the maddening life. As the departure date was getting closer, I was getting restless as my stopover was from Chennai- which was reeling from the flood situation but it looked like nothing could get in between me and Andaman. An early morning flight from Delhi and then after a two-hour stopover, from Chennai. From the air I could see still flooded parts of chennai I and as I moved towards Andaman , the sea from the plane seemed so crystal clear and calm ( big misunderstanding later on). A few things hitting you once you land at Port Blair airport is the weather. Sun and rain both simultaneously.

The moment I got down from the plane, ground staff started telling everyone, “ No photos”. The airport premises houses the buildings of Indian Navy and Coast Guard so thats why this restriction. I wanted to capture the scenic beauty but I also understand national security so decided against it. With limited number of days in hand, did not wanted to waste much time so it was all sight seeing and travel after 1-2 hours rest at the hotel. 

Corbyn`s beach

The first stop was Corbyn`s beach. It is closest in Port Blair. Very popular with locals and for watching the sunset. It is the equivalent of North Indian colony parks. Tourists and locals all come to enjoy the evening. The sunrise and sunset occur very early in Port Blair. 4 - 4.30 p.m. is the time people put for sunset watching. 5 PM goes almost pitch dark. A very refreshing change also because of the fact that except Port Blair there is no cellular coverage of private operators. BSNL is the only network omnipresent in Andaman & Nicobar. It’s God’s way of saying, " Chill kar ".

Cellular jail

Taken in low light mode...its more darker in reality there

The next stop was the famous Cellular jail. For the first time I had seen people so eager to enter a jail. There are only limited number of seats for the light and sound show (only 500) so it was a mad rush. Only I know that what kind of battle I had to go through to get my hands on the tickets. The moment I sat down on the seats, I drifted off to sleep with only the voices of the people around me. That travel exhaustion must have got to me. There was nothing to see in the darkness in the meantime. I awoke only when the show started, which was a bit boring to my liking with very little new inputs, having heard everything about it since childhood. Just 30 minutes into this and it was game over with the skies opening up and people running for shelter from the rain. So I got to see only half the programme, my luck. Day one ended with just these two places. Andaman & Nicobar is such a place that a full day is completed in just 1 or max 2 places. No cramming of places. 

The next day was more exciting. It was a visit to Ross Islands. It was the capital during the British days. The only way to visit it is by ferry. So we headed to the sports complex (the starting point). Andaman & Nicobar is also known for sea diving and such activities. These type of things are done at North Bay Islands. You can either visit Ross and come back or take the Ross and North Bay combo trip. At the ticket counter they provided us the tickets with the name of our boat and departure timings. Winds from morning meant that all departures were delayed. Rains are not an issue here, it’s the winds. If the winds are strong all water related activities would be cancelled i.e. boats, scuba, sea walk, snorkeling etc.

Indian Navy

Coast guard

While I waited for my boat I had three companions – a Naval ship, Coast Guard fast patrol boats and a chopper - all patrolling. My destination was only the Ross Islands. Leaving 45 minutes late, a short 7 – 10 minute ride to Ross Island completed my trip. These islands are under the control of the Navy and quite a bit of parts of the island are still off-limits. Our boat person gave us approximately 2 hours to finish the tour. The same boat brings you to Ross and takes you back, you miss it, you are in a bit of bother as if the weather deteriorates in the meantime you would be stuck on Ross and sea is the only way. The island was magical. 

Bunker

A Japanese bunker greets you at the entrance. Purchase tickets and go inside. 

There are about 100 rabbits, 150 Peacock, 350 deer on the whole island and you can find one walking with you. Rabbits are the most cutest and most photogenic. These animals provide ample photo opportunities… खीचो खीचो कितनी फोटो ले सकते हो? More than these animals I was more keen to explore the ruins of the place. 

Cemetary, church, temple, officers club and such buildings were now in the garb of nature with trunks growing from various places. Reminded me of Dr Viper’s plants from Swat Kats. With an eye on the watch I could not explore the beach side at the back side of the island. Although stairs provide a shortcut but explorers like me would like to explore every inch on foot. The white sands at these beaches looks so inviting. Camera trigger happy I noticed the restricted defence area which had the emblem of the INS guarding that island, wanted to click a pick but with the clock ticking didn’t wanted to take any chances. So off I went bidding my adieu to Ross.

When I was nearing Aberdeen jetty(starting point), it started raining so hard that any further trips to Ross were cancelled for the day. The next stop – Chidiyatapu. 

No sunset here

That’s another beach some 25+ kms away from Port Blair and is known for birds and the forest. Hence, the name Chidiyatapu. On the way passed through some forest areas and when I reached Chidiyatapu that I came to witness the destruction of the deadly and dangerous tsunami of 2004. Although Ross also bore the brunt but it has been restored to some extent by the Navy but here it was full destruction. Tall trees still lying uprooted, roots left on the ground, seawall completely destroyed. It was a picturesque place but not a lot of people were there due to the distance. A cloudy sky diminished my chances of catching a sunset. It was another thing that I got to see mangrove forest and also learnt early bit about them. A police officer posted there informed the people while chatting that why was Andaman strategically so important to India and how China is capturing these islands. You also know that Punjabis are so talkative. After Chidiyatapu it was time to explore the local market at Port Blair.

Way to chidiyatapu and the mangroves

The fallen tree in the tsunami of 2004

2 days over, the 3rd belonged to a place everyone comes here for - Havelock Island. Havelock and Neil are Port Blair counterparts of North Bay Island. With beautiful beaches its a place for newlyweds and nature explorers. So the next morning very early caught the cruise to Havelock. Makruzz is what they say is the best and fastest cruise taking just 90 minutes from Port Blair while the government one takes another 1 hour more. With tickets already pre-booked in advance, it was a bit of convenience for us. At the entrance of the port a CISF guy checked all the IDs of the passengers travelling in the shuttle bus. Quite a bit of families were also trudging the luggage along for a stay in either Havelock / Neil or both. An airport like check in and we boarded the ship. After the safety demos we set sail in the choppy waters which felt exactly like a rollercoaster ride . The newlywed sitting behind me was the first casualty. Well, you can manage air turbulence in the flight but not in the choppy sea when your stomach is doing a rock and roll on every wave. Dreading myself to be the next, I just went off to sleep. We just had a full day to ourselves that we had to return on the same day by the same cruise.

I meet this kameena after years

Surprise, surprise.. hardly had I walked a few steps after disembarking, somebody came from behind and caught me. A bit shocked initially, I saw that the unknown stranger was none other than my kameena hostelmate Ritwik. Had been years since I met him, it was pure luck I bumped into him. A few photographs and 10 minute chitchat later he went to the cruise while I moved to discover Havelock. With no pre-booking here we were just thinking what to do and what to explore when an autowallah came and we stuck a deal with him to take us to the 2 most known beaches of Havelock- Radhanagar and Kala paththar. Elephant ride and snorkelling were both cancelled that day. There was no chance we could have tried our hand at scuba in just the 5 hours we had in the day. So the 1st stop was Radhanagar beach. 

Radhanagar beach

It was big, bustling with people. The 1st place where I saw the sea in 3 different colours. People were enjoying with games, cricket, swimming and all that. The lifeguard teams were keeping an eye on people venturing too deep in the sea. Clicking pics and admiring the beauty of the place, where did 3 hours just passed away, did not knew by any chance. Andaman is a place where the snaps speak for themselves a lot more than any word could explain. Even those fruit chaat people selling outside the beach had a proper “food and safety standards” certificate alongwith themselves to show. Well, that’s a 1st for me. One thing which I had noticed in the whole of Andamans was to find the women in more roles than I would find anywhere else.. Traffic constable, waiters, sellers stalls. These were things I would not find at many places.

Glimpses of Kala paththar beach

From Radhanagar beach, headed to the 2nd of the beach- Kala Paththar beach. Well, if you compare it to Radhanagar it would seem as water after wine but it’s a hit with foreigners because it has resorts in walking distance to the beach, offers privacy and is a lot more quieter with only the sea waves making noise. There are a lot more beaches in Havelock numbered 1, 2, 3 and so on and foreigners either ride 2 wheelers or cycles to the various beaches- exploring nature at its own pace. It was fun to explore 2 different beaches with 2 very different extreme settings. After a few hours it was time to leave Havelock as well. Maybe fortune had something really different for the next day. 

The next day was Baratang- the limestone caves. This is one experience will not forget as this one was different. Its a total distance of 96 kms from Port Blair and it is covered in a very different way. 47 kms from Port Blair there is a jungle of some 50 km which is home to the “Jharua” tribe and the people need to travel in a convoy escorted by police. The convoy moves at 4 different times so we needed to be early at that point. Departing early from Port Blair at 6.30 in the morning we aimed to hit the check post at around 9. The pleasant weather along the way we reached at 8 only to see some 15 vehicles already in front of us. Along the way I witnessed the tsunami destruction of 2004. There was sea water on both sides of the road which used to be coconut fields, the trees having been destroyed and nothing left of agriculture except the seawater even after 11 years. It was a heartening sight.

Thats the tsunami water from 2004..

So when we reached the checkpoint our driver bought a form which needed to be filled by us. Just 10 minutes before sendoff, the police announced the don’ts in the forest area- no photography of any kind, you can’t snap the pics of the Jharua tribe if you see them, can’t offer them food, clothing, no lifts to the people, no slowing down, no stopping, any issues to be reported to the police escort. Believe me, it was a big convoy. 3 STC buses making the start, all vehicles following behind followed by police escort at intervals. It was a dense jungle at quite a few places. Alas a sight to behold, saw 2 jharua boys standing by the roadside as guards. Majority of tribals remain hidden in the jungles but a few wear clothes provided by the government and then venture out. This is all done in association with the forest department. Some 10 km later on, I saw something which people term as lucky in terms of sighting. A group of some 15-20 women, children were sitting by the roadside with the police department local in civis. Our driver told us that these tribals would be taking a lift in a forest department vehicle travelling at the end of the convoy. They can speak and understand Hindi very well. Although people still regard them as jhingalala people, it was it was heartening to see them slowly coming into mainstream.

So we finally reached the end of our journey. At the final security checkpoint we made a rush to the govt. ferry taking people across to the place known as `Middle Strait`. In just 10 minutes we were across. Once we got down, our driver purchased the tickets to the caves while I went to seek a green permit (mandatory for all non islanders). On the basis of the form filled up before, the police officer on duty checked my ID and gave me the slip. We were a group of 12 people in a speedboat. 

The speedboat ride

Made to wear life jackets first, we set off for the limestone caves. Flanked by mangrove forests on both sides, it was a 15 – 20 minute ride. It was awesome. 

Way to drop off point

We reached the drop-off point after navigating our way through the forest. The way to the caves is a 1.5 km nature trek. A boat person serves as a guide. There are just 60 minutes to complete the way and be back. The way through nature makes you forget all about fatigue. 

The 1.5km way

I could not click as many pics as I would have liked as the ground was slippery at quite a few places. The humid weather was not helping a bit. It was a relief that there were lemonade stalls just before the caves. The caves were quite dark and one had to be extremely careful so as not to slip and get hurt. Our guide was carrying the portable chinese LED lights to show us inside the caves. 

The limestone caves...taken with a lot of flash

Imagination runs wild in these caves as the formations may resemble various things to various people in the form of shapes- ganesh, lotus, chandelier. It was a good 15 minutes inside the cave. Only god knows how I managed to get such clicks. After viewing we came back the same way- speedboat, ferry, checkpoint. With the next convoy at 3 we had some 1.5 hours to pass. Just passed in a blur for me as I observed the people around me.

The same process repeated. As a matter of luck I again saw some 10 jharuas sitting at the lift point and then after that some 15 more standing at the back of a truck. Some consider it very lucky to have seen 50 tribals in a day when people come in the hope of catching a glimpse and find nothing. When I reached the security checkpoint (the one from which we get started in the morning) it was raining and it was getting quite dark. With no electricity along the way I realised that the so-called “Digital India” crap is all till the mainland India. Here in remote places like these, its the basic necessities which people want. Electricity and basic amenities would be more welcome here than E - governance. By the time I got back to Port Blair, it had already been over 12 hours. This was my last outing here as the next morning was my flight.

At Chennai airport during my return, I did see a Jet Airways plane land in the downpour, little did I realise that I was lucky to have come back just in the nick of time as after 24 hours Chennai got flooded and 100s stranded.

A flooded chennai from the air

Kerala maybe God’s own country but Andaman & Nicobar are nature’s own country. With so many islands here there is a lot to explore. The only thing stopping would be the time in hand and your budget. A few points which can help you in your travel are-

1. Carry a bit of hard cash with you. Due to network issues there, majority of hotels refuse to accept debit and credit cards. There are a number of ATMs so cash withdrawal is not a problem.

2. Except BSNL you won’t find any other network there (except a few places and Port Blair). Your Internet access is dependent on the Wi-Fi provided by your hotel. So forget about updating your social media status every now and then. No network, no net.

3. The people there can speak Hindi quite well so don’t be under the impression that southern people don’t understand Hindi. Language is no barrier there.

4. The season there is from October to May. After that its rainy season.

5. Havelock / Neil are expensive places for all water related fun activities in comparison to other places. You can also stay at the various places at Havelock. 

6. It is advisable to book the cruise tickets well in advance. Carry your Ids along.

7. Another island near Baratang known as the parrot island is home to parrots. The viewing for that starts at four in the evening and you have to stay overnight at Baratang.

8. There are a limited number of seats at the light and sound show at cellular jail so make sure you get the tickets early. Majority of crowd is there at the first show which is held in Hindi, the second one is in English. There are just some 500 tickets for each show. The show starts from 6p.m. and the sale of tickets starts from 5 p.m.

Andaman & Nicobar is a place to explore like no other. With urbanisation growing at a rapid pace, it is only a matter of time before the natural beauty and forests are destroyed gradually in the name of development.

My default pose most of the times

A big Ross fits only this much in the camera

The lines i still love today.. काजल #poem

Everyone has a few lines which he / she loves..I wrote these lines years back but I still love them for it described for me the whole person by a simple means – Kaajal. The moment when I realized that when you love a person, you love each and every small thing about her… and this kaajal was just one of those things because it adorned the most beautiful things I fell in love with –her eyes.

काजल तेरी आँखों का 

आँखों की मासूमियत झलकाता यह काजल 

बिना कुछ कहे ही बहुत कुछ कह जाता तेरा काजल 

तेरी लहराती ज़ुल्फ़ों के साथ ऐसा जैसे रात की ख़ामोशी और चंदा की रौशनी 

पूरी दुनिया अपने में समेट लेता तेरा काजल 

आँखों का आईना यह काजल 

उदास होने पर बिखरता हुआ 

ख़ुशी में चमकता हुआ 

डर में सहमी सी आँखों को अपने में समेटे हुए 

सिर्फ काली लकीर नहीं, रात का अक्स दिखता है इसमें 

वो रात जिसमे दिल चाहे बस तेरा साथ 

एक दूसरे का हाथ पकड़े हुए ख़ामोशी से चाँद को देखना और कहना " काश यह लम्हा यूँ ही थम जाए तेरे साथ "

हर रोज़ तुम लगाती तो इसे यूँ ही हो 

मगर पता है तुम्हें की इसका असर कितना गहरा है मुझ पर ?

तुम्हारी मुस्कराहट के साथ ऐसे खिलता है जैसे छोटी बच्ची के चेहरे पर कोई अनजानी चमक 

तुम्हारी आँखों का श्रृंगार है यह , पता है न ?

इसको देख कर दिल धड़क जाता है , मालूम है न ?

इसके बगैर तुम्हारी सूनी ऑंखें अच्छी नहीं लगती 

पता नहीं क्यूँ मगर मुझे अपनी परी , इन पंखों के बगैर परी नहीं लगती 

गुलाब की पंखुड़ी पर सुबह की ओस की तरह है 

इन काजल वाली आँखों के साथ तुमको बस देखते जाने का मज़ा ही कुछ और है 

लोग तो शराब पी कर बेहक जाते हैं 

और हमें तो तेरी आँखों का सुरमा ही होश में नहीं आने देता 

इन ज़ुल्फ़ों के साथ तुम्हारे काजल का अजीब रिश्ता है 

मेरा दिल छलनी करने के लिए तुम्हारे पास नज़रों के साथ इसका भी ज़खीरा है 

इस अनजाने शहर में पल पल बहुत याद आती हो तुम 

पूछती हो न की कब तक प्यार करता रहूँगा तुम्हें ?

जब तक यूँ ही मुस्कुराती रहोगी तुम तब तक यह दीवाना हर दिन बस ऐसे ही चाहता जायेगा तुम्हें ...

" Forget her ".... Its just not possible

This has been said umpteen number of times by a guy/ gal to their friend who is having a hard time forgetting that one girl who really made his world go round ( or upside down after her exit). Its tough explaining people what it is to forget that person. What I am listing here are emotions experienced by virtually all those guys who have gone so far into the world of love that its just not possible to come back and be the normal person again.

The ideas and points written here are all based on personal experiences ( me and my friends) and are not part of any study. The persons reading them can either agree or disagree.

Being human – This Salman khan tagline is for real. Forget about girls liking bad boys for a while but it’s the dream of every guy that only one girl can soften me and make me a better guy who cares.

Flaws – Contrary to what many might think , the guys like to be accepted with all their faults. Be it physical, mental or whatever you may term it. The heart goes out to the girl who still loves us with all our shortcomings and everyone has that one girl in their life.

Dreams- Come on, we all know that guys dream big. But when they dream of the life / future with that one girl, it is damn special and takes up a lot of effort to finally decide on that. Instead of she being a part of the world, the world of the guy is instead built around her. Its tough to explain what goes through a guy`s mind when he sees that the girl is no more with him, the world just comes crashing down. The shattering of dreams and life is never easy. The basic loss is ….. well, to say irreversible. 

Give it all- Remember Preity zinta`s dialogue in veer zaara where she says that she knows a guy who would love her , giving it all he has ?? Although it was a movie dialogue but coming from a yashraj movie you can be rest assured that it is 100 % true. When guys love a girl , they give it all the love , attention and affection they have. The girl matters the most then. That explains the possessiveness , fear of loosing that person that we all have. 

Possessiveness- It stems from the fact that we love a girl so much. Once we don’t let a girl get inside the heart and once she`s there we don’t let her go. After having given a girl so much in terms of emotions , affection and love possessiveness makes sure that its impossible to forget her. Aamir khan`s dil chahta hai line , " आज पूजा कल कोई दूजा "  just doesn’t happen in real life.

Memories- The main culprit. Each and every moment spent together just lingers into the back of the mind and refuses to leave. Things become different when the same memories don’t let you sleep at night…its painful, very painful. 

I could have gone on and on but its just not possible. At a sudden loss of words…I had read somewhere that if you can list why you love her, you are attracted to her but if you cant put your feelings into words that easily , you love her a lot. Only my heart knows ( and everyone who ever loved) that I would keep on loving that one girl... never able to fully put it in words why ?? 

The next time you wonder why your friend is not able to get over one girl…keep these things in mind and also the various unwritten things that he might not be able to put in words ever… its only his heart that knows.

National Book fairs: Few things more which need to be done

Book fairs…The place where there is a world of books but you need to encourage a lot more in different terms…how ?? Let me go on by telling you what I have experienced in 3 cities. My tryst with book fairs started some 12 years back in the national book fair held in lucknow. Since then I have grown into a huge bookworm, spending thousands. I have seen the national book fair in jaipur and new delhi too. Variety of foreign titles come dirt cheap in the book fair in jaipur. I had purchased some of the best military fiction novels for as low as 10 bucks in 2008. Have even attended the 3 types of book fairs delhi holds in an year ( National book fair, Delhi book fair, New Delhi World book Fair) .

There are a lot of things which I feel that book fairs should have as bare minimum standard. I went to the national book fair in lucknow just 2 days back and noticed a lot of contrast. It relies heavily on books as you don’t find many publishers selling cds of various educational material. Agreed that the books were selling there at as cheap as 10-50 , a price which discs cant match but when you sell something truly good, people are ready to pay even a bit more. I was looking for a disc on vedic maths but all I could find was a beginner level book for children. In comparison, delhi would have quite a few stalls dedicated solely to softwares and educational discs.

Big brand names stay away from book fairs. Big publishing houses stay away from book fairs which are not too big. Penguin, Oxford, Macmillan, S. Chand, Rupa, Pearson, Prentice Hall  and all such hotshots etc. can be seen gracing world book fairs in delhi and other metros but they rarely make an appearance at other book fairs. None of these names are there in the fair at lucknow presently.

Made by Visually Imapaired children...beautiful designs

People other than book publishers should be encouraged to set up stalls at all book fairs. I went to the book to look at various books and did manage to come out with a tom clancy novel at 20 bucks, what made me more happy and delighted was a wristband I purchased from a stall. The special thing about that? It was made by visually impaired students. It was not just wristbands, there were earrings, hair bands, playing cards, chess, even a hindi alphabet guide in Braille. An institution which looks towards the rehab of visually impaired students had put up the stall. I may not have any use for the band but there I felt that I needed to buy that item, to encourage the children that their hardwork and efforts were bought by someone. At 20 bucks it was the same price as a few novels which I had picked up , but it the most satisfying purchase I had done in a long long time. Made sure that the pic of the stall travelled far on social media so that people be encouraged to buy those things. 

I don’t find these type of stall at any other book fairs, certainly not in delhi. I feel that all book fairs in the country should encourage stalls such as these to be put up so that special children feel encouraged. We can surely encourage such participation in book fairs. As I exited the book fair , I saw some teenaged girls and was instantly reminded of Naina.

To know who she was read this post : 

http://www.shwetabhmathur.in/2013/09/blog-post.html

Naina was the first girl who was my tryst with Braille then. As I was heading towards the exit, I saw 5 girls , all in their mid 20s, 3 of them walking in a line just like school children do with hands on each others shoulders, guided by a lady while the rest of the 2 happily chatting with their male friend. They all had one thing in common – all had guide sticks. This sight gave me joy, hope, despair and sadness all at the same time. Joy in the fact that books welcome one and all, irrespective of a person`s stature. Despair and sadness in the fact that with no stalls selling books in Braille, these 5 girls and many more people like them wont be able to relish the true beauty of books. Only in a few big book fairs can you find books written in Braille ( same with Naina). Hope in the fact that maybe someday sooner, would these girls be able to regain their eyesight so as to read books which would open up an endless world of knowledge and variety infront of them.

So according to me the 3 things which every book fair must have are these 3 things-

1. Enough publishing stalls where the content can be found both in books and disc format.

2. Encouragement to others ( apart from publishers) to put up their stalls too. The special children counter in my case.

3. Books in braille so that every bookfair does justice to every special person out there. 

Like they say, books are the only source of light these people have.