Silky threads are here,
With me,
But not those,
Mehandi hands,
To tie them.
Sweets are here,
Full of shops,
But I shall,
Be hungry for one.
I have money,
Thousands today.
But 20 Rs. I gave them,
Asked from Baba,
They kept in purse, safe.
God bless,
My sisters,
With all happiness.
As their destiny –
Today is like poem only.
A real story on my Bimla didi appears at my Hindi blog.
Independent India – out of the grips of colonial rule, is 60 years old, but I do see this period insignificant part of thousands of years of great grand Aryabhatta !
Today my Aryabhatta is a blend of Hindi & Urdu & English – Rock & Karnatic – Space shuttle & Bullock Cart – Jeans & Saari – Valentine Day & Karwa Chauth – Chess & Cricket – Google & Jyotish. Nothing wrong – I am part of it proudly.
Imagining what if, if there had been no invaders / colonial rules here, had we remained the same? Perhaps, yes !
Celebrations.. Well I too did celebrate as there is a tricolor instinct inside, since childhood. But the fact is somewhere I do have a ‘pain behind this independence’.
Few questions keep revolving my mind! Why my country was dependent on / ruled by some other country for such a long time. These 60 years are still less then the around 200 years of colonial era. Why we needed to fight for the our own salt? Gandhi ji was great – but where does the courage missed in young generation of India, that time, such that we had to bring out Dandi march to make a memorable event. Though there had been Mughals and other empires too to rule our territory. There are socio-politico-economic and other reasons behind such things in case of a nation’s evolving process.
I have few regrets on our unconsciousness but still one burning question , I do search for an answer. That is, are we making a firm solid independent base for the gen next to stand upon? Are again we slowly allowing invaders to rule upon some or the otherway. Difficult question to answer ! But there is something Indian deep inside which loudly says – “No. “
To be practical, did this post of mine added anything for the national pride? If nothing much, its the freedom of speech – the only democratic backbone that ‘we re-attained’. It will revive its glory beyond ‘the freedom’.
Today,
The very morning,
While you was lonely,
Near the spring,
You do know,
I was there,
And I did hear,
That you sing.
Today,
Me, miles away,
I couldn’t buy gifts,
Nor the flowers,
Or a call in the air.
Even then,
Touching your fingers,
In air, I am there.
Today,
Many celebrate,
Hug and smile.
And like them,
We can’t meet,
Even for a while.
Today,
Like always before,
Let us pray –
God bless us ,
We will celebrate,
Every new morning,
Happy friendship day.
Image courtesy : http://www.bartonprimary.co.uk
For last more than 8 months, this never met brother of mine, (another IGNOU student) was my second ‘scolded’ fresher in the job market. First one ‘Pra…’ is happy with her Accenture job.I like to associate myself with these guys, whenever I find time. What I see in these guys / girls- is their attitude to come up all odds and the tendency to win and win. Best organisations need ‘only’ them.
Here is the letter of the same guy I received now. Same feeling arose after receiving ‘Pra…’ SMS “Bhaiya, I got a job in Accenture ! “. And I almost jumped my seat. She got the job, few days before she was about to return back to UP.
For the time being, I am reproducing unedited letter received today for other freshers to read, though ‘Abhi..’ never knew this letter will go public ever ….
Hello Dada,
I have a very good news. I have gotten a job over here at Noida in CSC
(Computer Sciences Corporation) at the position of SAP Basis Administrator.
The Company shall provide all the necessary training and for that i had to sign
off a bond of two years with the firm.
Dada I owe you a lot, it’s because of you that I have been able to aquire
this job. It’s your motivation and guidance because of which I have been able to
prepare, revise and learn many different technologies simultaneously and it’s only
because of this reason that it didn’t take me long to revise Oracle based on which
this interviw took place. In the last whole month I appeared in atleast 3 rounds
of technial interviewin this firm and finally I got selected. My office is also
now very close from my residence. In a way it is very good that I didn’t have to
relocate to Bangalore coz my parents require my attention here a lot more than ever
now. My father especially coz he has been put on Insulin Shots since last two months.
I have only one regret now I wanted to meet you in person which didn’t happen. But
I am sure it will happen soon some time. Dada if you ever happen to cook some plan
of coming over to Delhi even for once please let me know. I am very eagerly waiting.
Also if I ever happen to visit bangalore or surrounding area’s ever I will most
certainly intimate you, and we will meet. ok dada. Please keep in touch. By the
way, I forgot to ask you dada. How is everything going on? How is everyone in your
family doing? please reply soon. waiting eagerly to hear from you.
Regards
Abhi….
Hope none goes unguided. Few more guys are under construction…
दीपा की शादी में मुहल्ले के सारे लोग जमा थे उस दिन सब खुशियाँ मना रहे थे । जैसा मामाजी ने बता रखा था – सोना उस रात बारातियों के लिए सारी व्यवस्था कर रहा था ।
सोना ने उस रात खाना भी नहीं खाया, उसकी प्यारी ममेरी बहन की शादी में उसे भुख भी नहीं लग रही थी । वैसे भी उसके यहाँ बहनों की शादी के दिन भाईयों को खाना नसीब नहीं होता है – जब तक सही सलामत विदाई न हो जाए ।
रात के ग्यारह बज चुके थे । पर जेनरेटरों की आवाज और दौड़ते – भागते और ठंड में भी आईसक्रीम माँगते बच्चे, और शहनाई की धुन में लगता था अभी भी शाम ही है । बंगाली बाराती के लड़के- लड़कियाँ और सजेधजे घरवाले । एक रात का नाच – गाना और झुठे – सच्चे वादे, छोटे मोटे तानाकशी और प्यार भरी शरारतें ।
शादी शुरू हो चुकी थी । पंडितजी नव-दंपती को अपनी नहीं समझ में आनेवाली मंत्र सुना रहे थे । सोना की माँ, मीनू सबके साथ मंडप के पास कुर्सी पर बैठी हूई थी । वैसे बेटियों की पसंद की हूई, क्रीम सिल्क की हल्की जड़ीदार साड़ी में आज वह खिल रही थी पर अब उसके चेहरे पर झुर्रियाँ साफ दिखती थी ।
अभी सोना बारातियों को जनवासा में रखकर मंडप के पास पहूँचा ही था कि मीनू उसे बुलाकर कह दी – अगर समय मिले तो हम सबके लिए काफी बनाकर ले आओ । पता चला कि भाड़े का काफी वाला जा चुका था और सभी को काफी पीने का मन हो रहा था ।
वैसे माँ की बात काटना उसके बस की बात नहीं । पर बगल में बैठी हूई थी सोना की मौसेरी और उसकी अपनी बहन भी – जो यह सोचकर मुस्कुरा रही थी – कि चलो सोना भैया हैं – अब काफी मिलेगा । कम से कम पचीस कप काफी बनाने में सहायता के लिए फैशन स्टुडियो की कोई मा़डल बहन आगे नहीं आयी – अगर साथ आयी तो फिर वही – छुटकी साँवली पियाली – सीधी साधी ।
मीनू अब भी देख रही थी – शादी की रस्में । बीच-बीच में कुछ मजाक भी कर लेती थी आस-पास की मेहमानों से । अचानक पीछे से आ खड़ी हूई – मधुजा की माँ – विद्या । और पता नहीं क्या सोचकर रख डाली अपने दोनों हाथ मीनू के कंधे पर । विद्या और मीनू में गहरी जानपहचान थी । वैसे विद्या थोड़ी अभिमानी भी थी – उसका एक कारण यह भी था – गोरी तीखे नयन नख्शों वाली उसकी बेटी मधुजा । मधुजा दीपा की सहेली भी थी पर उन दिनों एम एस सी की परीक्षा के कारण शादी में नहीं आ सकी ।
मीनू को विद्या को वैसा करना थोड़ा अजीब सा लगा ।
“क्या हो रहा है ।” – मुस्कुरा कर मीनू सिर उठाकर देखने लगी ।
विद्या ने फिर हँसकर थोड़ा वजन और बढ़ा दिया ।
“अब इस उम्र में इतना वजन कहाँ सह पाती हूँ ।” – मीनू दोनों हाथों को उलटकर उसके हाथों को प्यार से पकड़कर कहने लगी ।
अब थोड़ा बजन और बढाते हूए सिर झुकाकर धीरे से कहने लगी – ” मैं तो आपका वजन हल्का कर दूँगी – आप भी, अगर हो सके, तो मेरा वजन हल्का कर दो ना ! “
विद्या अब हँसकर भार हल्का कर दी । मीनू को सारी बातें समझते देर न लगी । बाकी कोई न समझ पाया कि क्या हो रहा है ।
मीनू के सपने वह खुद ही जानती थी । चाहती तो वह भी की सोना की जल्दी अंगुठी बन जाए । पर वही जानती थी कि सोना के लिए उसे क्या चाहिए – बस एक बिलकुल साधारण पत्थर खोजती थी – बाकी पारस पत्थर की कला उसे जो आती थी ।
मीनू कभी मधुजा की धुँधली छवि याद करती, तो कभी बारातियों और मेहमानों पर आँखें दौड़ाती पर उसका सिर अभी भी भारी सा लग रहा था ।
वह इंतजार कर ही रही थी – कि ट्रे में कप सजाए “साईड प्लीज – गरम काफी” ट्रेन भेंडर वाली स्टाईल में बोलता हूआ सोना आ गया था । मीनू कप उठाकर कहने लगी – “सोना, पहले आँटी लोगों को दो ।”
पियाली दुसरी छोटी ट्रे लेकर लड़कियों की तरफ चली गयी ।
My colleague received a SMS today evening to watch an interview in ‘Headline Today’ Channel . It came from his intimately known Dada(elder brother). Read about his dada, Debashish Bhattacharya .
Yesterday,
She was,
an another girl,
A black girl.
Today,
She is a lady,
Of her home,
Looking fairer,
Than ever.
She is changed,
She is glorified,
With golden necklace,
And dozen bangles.
She smiled,
Just for a while.
She has started,
An unknown journey,
Of million miles.
Everyone sends her,
The wishes,
Of the same smile,
And lifelong colour of,
Red vermillion.
I am a puppet,
May be like you,
Decorated one,
On the roadshow.
Tied with strings,
Lifeless strings,
Invisible ones,
To give life in me.
Its our painted smile,
Nicely colored one,
Under the bright sun,
Puppets on roadside.
The masters smile,
When audience clap,
When they praise.
Strings we do play.
The masters feel proud,
As puppets look sound,
The masters feel sad,
When show goes bad.
We are the choice and,
Life of the masters,
Play of the masters,
Like you, I am a puppet.
Under our toy figures,
We feel love, but feared or shy.
Under their boxes, we do cry.
Our masters – tell us why ?
I know – our masters,
Why you all too cry,
When you feel helpless,
Under some supreme high.
I have been keep you asking,
What you would like to have?
On the coming Valentine day.
Apart from my heart,
Which I already lost to you.
You always laughed a lot,
But never replied.
I thought to give you a Rose,
A Red rose, growing in our garden,
Growing within so many flowers.
Both of us saw that,
Since January ends,
I praised the Rose bud,
I saw it growing daily,
Silently, I waited all the days.
One day, I wanted to give you.
Today is 14th February,
Valentine Day.
You are sleeping now,
Still deep asleep.
Today, for you, I got up early,
With a hurry like never,
Before sun rays could sneak in,
Between the window curtains.
I rushed to the Garden,
To get my Red Rose,
I have grown for you,
For you, only for you,
Before you get up.
Today the Rose is not there !
And I am hurt a lot,
I saw the empty branch there,
Someone plucked it.
Our Red Rose – we watered.
I thought to shout aloud,
But again thought of you,
I could not shout,
I could not cry too,
If I do, you may get up.
I came back dejected,
My heart was broken,
My Valentine’s flower!
Who stole that ?
Why anyone did so today ?
Who broke my wishes ?
For this day, I can never forgive,
I came back feeling helpless,
I was feeling guilty.
I wanted to sleep again,
I wanted to forget the rose,
I saw you again,
I felt helpless like never.
You are still asleep,
The glowing face,
Like an innocent child,
And I wished be forgiven,
My dry lips, breathing slow.
I am unable to forgive myself.
I must have remained,
Wake-up whole the night,
For my flower of the Red Rose.
I am thinking endlessly.
I am looking at you,
Fearing, what if, you get up?
Now you moved slightly,
But still asleep,
And I can see your index finger,
That came out of the blanket,
How it happened?
Why my Valentine morning is so?
Red marks on your index finger,
Alas! These are blood clots, I guessed.
May a needle pricked there,
Last night, while stitching,
But why didn’t you tell me?
I am clueless,
I want to ask you,
I am just looking at you,
I have lost my Red Rose too,
And now your finger is hurt here,
And you are sleeping still.
I felt helpless my dear.
I too wanted to sleep,
Just to forget the morning.
I pulled my pillow slightly,
Making a distance from you,
For my guilt feelings,
And from between our pillows,
Ah! A Red glow came out from there,
Radiating my world,
Radiating the whole universe,
The fresh Red rose is kept there,
May be, an hour ago plucked,
Entangled with a piece of paper,
Written on it – are the three words.
Tell me dear,
When did you get up?
Why did you prick your finger?
Please do get up,
My Valentine !
P.S. : Hey Readers, like my all other poems, its a mere imaginary piece !
I have planned to go home towards this month end to perform some necessary customs of Mama :), its a conincidence of Holi celebrations too. And to me, from today itself, its really started nostalgic feeling .
Strange is the fact that, as I grew older and came to Bangalore, this intensity also grew stonger. The most important factor is having worked in home-town for more than two years enjoying the circle of my owns. At that time, other people seemed happy (some envious) of my place of employment.
Though same feeling was there in hostel days too, when we used to wait for vacations to start, but the intensity was comparatively less as then time used to pass-off easily with friends and classes. Only on the last day, I used to count hours and minutes waiting for Papa.
Presently may its the single status, that makes me nostalgic. But sometimes I do worry, whether this attachment towards home will remain same, once I will be settled down, with more liabilities and time constraint !