Can't think of a title

When night casts its sickly shadows,
And day ends a li'l too slow,
There is one other restless like me
As the lights show in yon balcony.

A night, however dark begun
Is a message that a day was done,
Embrace the night, let go the day
No point, no fun to ask to stay.

Droopy lashes and tearful eyes
Tell the story of the sad demise,
Of another day, like another day
And another day, yet another day.

Come barefoot walk on the dew,
And start a day afresh, a new,
Let them know, here's the man
Who said he could, and yes he can.

kaash kabhi aisa hota

काश  कभी  ऐसा  भी  होता,
के ख्वाबों  के बाग़ीचे  होते।
हर  सूखे  ख्वाब  का  गुलदस्ता फ़ेंक
नए  ख्वाब  सज़ा  लेते  हम।

दो  पत्थर  मार  तोड़  लेते  ख्वाब
कुछ  पके  हुए , कुछ  अधकच्चे  से।
कुछ  लार  टपका , कुछ  नमक  लगा
अमिया  ख्वाबों  की  खा  लेते  हम।

दो  रस्सी  बाँध  एक  शाख  पे  हम
ख्वाबों  के  झूले  सज़ा  लेते।
कुछ ख्वाबों  के  गाने गुनगुनाते  और
कुछ गज़लें  ख्वाबों की  गा  लेते  हम।

ऐसा  बाग़ीचा  एक  ही  है  पर
वो दिल  का हमारा  कोना है।
दो  दिल होते  सीने  मे  तो
हर  ख्वाब  की  कॉपी  बना  लेते  हम।

Vote India!

Revolutions in our hearts mean nothing, if not followed by Candles in our hands and Journeys in our feet!

So if all of us believe that there are things to change in this country, if we believe that there are many things going wrong for us and strong, decisive leadership is the way out of this mess, then we need to Vote.  

If we believe that this country is not doing enough to keep its women safe and it’s not doing enough to provide decent education and wholesome meals to its kids, then we need to Vote.

If we believe that criminals take up space where honest men belong, and we believe that poverty is not because we don’t have enough resources, just that we don’t have enough will then we need to Vote.

If we believe that teaching a man to fish is far more important than doling out fish to him, then we need to Vote.

Despite its many shortcomings, India has a vibrant, participative, engaging democracy. If you are going to spend your Voting Holiday - mind you, it’s a day to fulfill your constitutional responsibility. IT.IS.NOT.A.HOLIDAY - watching a movie at the mall, remember that the mall and the movie of choice exist because we are a democracy. Please don’t endanger it by not Voting and thereby ensuring default election of someone who is not suitable.

If you are going to find the long weekend very enticing to take a well-deserved vacation, road trip, etc. Please remember that vacations are a pipe dream and road trips can cost you your life in many parts of the world (and some parts of India).

Don’t give up this opportunity to preserve our democracy.

Over the last two decades, the election commission has worked hard to make voting as comfortable an exercise as possible. We are a large country, it’s not always easy to reach out to all of us all the time, but these guys are doing their bit. It’s time we did out bit.

Go to the poll booth early, exercise your franchise and then and only then by all means watch that movie, take that vacation, go to that mall or have that Beer.

 

Issued in Public Interest by a Khaas Admi (Lets not carry our "aam"ness on our sleeves, we are all very very special!)

Here's a little love on Women's day

सबरी  के  बेर जूठे थे , मीठे थे
 खा के वही तो राम रावण हराए थे। 
जो सीता न होतीं तो राम राज्य न होता
वो धरती समाई, ये सरयु समाए थे।

गैया ने मैया बन दूध बहाया था
 तो ही तो कान्हा किसना बने थे।
जो राधा न होतीं तो श्याम न होता
वो जो मीरा की तृष्णा बने थे।

बैठो ज़रा ये कहानी सुनो
की कैसे बना ये ताज़महल।
मुमताज़ न होती तो ये पत्थर ही होता
फ़िर कहाँ तस्वीर खिंचवाते तुम कल।

रानी झाँसी लड़ी थी, ग़दर हुआ था
फ़िर तो तिरंगा लहराना ही था।
जब कण कण में दुर्गा , मन  मन  में काली हो
फ़िर  तो  विमेंस डे मनानाही था।

Railway Station

I stand there, watching trains come, stand, urinate, defecate and leave. If you want to understand the agonies and ecstasies of a railway station, that is me, try going about your daily business while covered freshly pooped, green and slimy human waste. Urgh!

Krishna said in Bhadwad Gita (here I am guessing he never had someone poo on him!) "Do your Karma, forget the fruits." Unfortunately for me, when it comes to railway stations, people tend to do the karma AFTER having the fruits! and roasted groundnuts, and vadapav, and jhaalmuri.

Try being the railway station when the daughter pretends to be docile and meek and obedient as both the parents excrete instructions after instructions after instructions.

"Poori-sabzi is there in that box. There's pickle too. Kha Lena!"

"Ok Ma!"

If the AC works, the Poori-sabzi will last the journey, if the AC does not work, this will be the last journey!

"Don't talk to strangers."

"Have you chained your bags?"

And so it goes on....

Mental Floss!

There they are, smelly, fibrous, difficult to extract, meaty thoughts lying in some back of beyond corners of our brains. Thoughts yellowing with age like a smokers teeth, thoughts bellowing with rage like a bull in heat. These thoughts await action, much like our teeth await a round of dental floss.

Call it mental floss!

Some of these thoughts have just hung around there. Much like those adolescent boys who loafed around Pandey's house, waiting to take a glimpse (pun intended) of his nubile, and must I add, half his age wife's antics with her pallu.

Some other thoughts hide in street corner "chai ki tapri" of our brains, their laughter carried to heavens in shared cigarette smokes, stirred to perfection in "by2" tea glasses, wrapped in parcels of yesterday's newspapers.

There are those occasional thoughts that get flushed down the banal toilets of our minds, having churned to a mess.

Above all, however, remain those thoughts, that got flesh in those sultry summer nights when even a touch of one's beloved would have burnt a hole in the skin. Thoughts that came and went under starlit skies, with a table fan, a 100watts light bulb, unfinished homework, a whiskey bottlefull of water and some dreams for company. These are the thoughts that defined the transition from boy to man, from colt to stallion and from dreamer to doer.

When thoughts become mildewed, and actions become damp, that is the time for a moment in the sun!