बातें

कुछ लोग करते हैं, कुछ नही,
कुछ लंबी होती हैं, कुछ छोटी,

कुछ चकित करती हैं, कुछ हर्षित करती हैं,
कुछ ख्वाब में होती हैं, कुछ एहसास में,

कुछ आंखों से होती हैं, कुछ ज़ुबान से,
कुछ दिल से होती हैं, कुछ दिमाग से,

कुछ अनकही होती हैं, कुछ कहकहे लाती हैं,
कुछ हम सुनते हैं, कुछ अनसुनी करते हैं,

कुछ मासूम होती हैं, कुछ कर्कश,
कुछ स्पष्ट होती हैं, कुछ दोहरी,

कुछ से समय बीतता है, कुछ समय के साथ बीत जाती हैं,
कुछ दिल को छु लेती हैं, कुछ रूह को तोड़ देती हैं,

कुछ हो जाती हैं, कुछ यूँ ही खो जाती हैं,
कुछ सवाल छोड़ जाती हैं, कुछ जवाब बन जाती हैं...

Read more

बड़ी हठीली ये रात

बड़ी हठीली ये रात,
मधुर गजलों का है साथ,

गिराते हुए पलकों के पर्दे,
बुला रही है निंदिया रानी,
मंद मुस्कान लिए ये होँठ,
कह रहे थम जा तू ऐ रात,
बड़ी हठीली ये रात,

अंधियरे में फैला सन्नाटा,
टिक टिक करता घड़ी का काँटा,

दबे पाँव ही सही सवेरा तो आना है,
तेरी विदाई का क्षण तो आना है,
कुछ पल ठहर जा ऐ रात,
बड़ी हठीली ये रात,

एक नई रौशनी का होगा साथ,
जब बीत जायेगी तू ऐ रात,
खूबसूरत होगी वो सहर,
अनेक आशाओं को समेटे गोद में,
आ जायेगी वो सहर,
बड़ी हठीली ये रात,
मधुर गजलों का है साथ

Read more

From Sunset to Moon-rise

Yesterday I went out to watch the Kangana Ranaut starer movie- Queen.

No, this post isn't a movie review at all!

For those who missed watching it till date; the zero melodrama plot is about a serene and innocent girl who, after being stood up by her fiancee finds some me-time in Paris and Amsterdam, and amidst which, gets to discover her confident self. While walking out of the hall, one feels refreshed even after shedding a silent tear clubbed with smile through all those 146 minutes!

What came along me out of the theater was-

• Take some time to live for yourself and not those around you. People come and go.


• Stay true, never transform yourself. You ought not to turn back and scream every time, they shall realize your worth by themselves.


• No one has as much right on you, as you yourself do. Break those handcuffs.


• You may not survive till hell freezes over, do what you have been longing for. Aspire, and relish your aspirations.


• Smile a while, and while you smile, the whole world smiles with you! :)
  

Read more

तसवीरें

तसवीरें, यादों का आइना होती है,
वक्त को ख़ुद में किये ये क़ैद,
कभी गुद्गुदाती हैं,
और कभी आँसू दे जाती हैं,
कभी छोड़ जाती हैं एक मीठी मुस्कान,
और कभी दे जाती हैं बीते लम्हों को फिर जीने कि चाह,
ये गुजरते पलों को थाम लेती हैं,
ये ही तो हैं जो हमेशा साथ निभाती हैं

Read more

My article in Impetus' quarterly magazine- Zing

Read more

...And then I landed to the planet

...And then I landed to the planet,

Neither as an angel nor a princess,

But yet another ordinary girl,

With every passing year,

I had countless cheers,

and a few tears,

a lot to learn,

and a lot of experience,

a lot of success and celebrations,

and so much to thank the almighty,

for giving to me all that I have! 

Years later,

A new day has started,

I have aged one more year,

God had gifted my life with yet another year,

or has reduced an year out of my life!

Yet, this one year of my life has given me so much!

Gratitude, compassion, success, belief, love for fellow human beings,

If I count my blessings, they are countless, infinite. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

Read more

Fair is Lovely, Thin is Beautiful

Planning to buy the latest beauty cream...? Or may be, having a sip of green tea after a tiresome gym routine!

Which complexion do you own - Fair, medium fair / wheatish, dusky, dark?

They say, "Beauty lies not in eyes of beholder". If so, is it the societal pressure to be fair?

In a country where majority of people are dark skin, there is this preconceived notion that has been conditioned in the society to look fair and slim. In the current pretext, this is not only applicable for women but for men too. When it comes to songs, they sing-"Gori Gori", the pretty girl.

Why is it that it that whitening products in India have a 2000 crore industry? to add more, men are now joining women in the fairness bandwagon for the pro-fairness obsession that has now existed for decades.

Is the fairness industry itself fair or ugly?

Why is it that it that fair and lovely is the largest selling product in India than any other country and its sale is growing manifold every year? The TV ads selling fairness products link success and confidence to being fair. Forget about working hard, it's all about skin color.

While some Americans have made bitterly racist remarks about Miss America Nina Davuluri based on the color of her skin, it seems that people in India have problems with her dark skin as well.

When it comes to being thin, I seldom stick my eyeballs to posts over the internet and newspapers to find ways to loose weight.

We may ask ourselves a question - Why Do You Want To Be Slim?

Is it because you think you should? Because others have been pressuring you to? Because your doctor said so? Because you are getting married? Because you have a holiday? Because you think it will make you happy? Because you saw a holiday photo and was horrified? Because you want to wear clothes of your choice?Do you feel inferior or lose confidence in front of your slim friends? etc etc

With people starving for days and facing hectic exercise routines, things have clearly gone frighteningly awry. Locked in a battle with their own bodies, and trying to mould themselves into a shape they were never meant to be, many women lose touch with themselves, and what is truly right for them.

So the real question shouldn't be, 'can you be fat and happy?' but 'are you?'

We are quite simply not all meant to be the same, and it's time to celebrate and embrace diversity.

Read more

Happy Republic day! - If this is about one-day celebration, I am not in!

We suddenly come up with a flood of "Desh Bhakti" feeling on this particular day of the year and not to forget, the 15th day of every August too. Social networking sites get flooded with pictures and wallpapers and quotes full of the so-called "desh bhakti". Schools, colleges, government organizations and almost every part of the country suddenly becomes gets immersed into the ocean of devotion for nation and the respect for martyrs!!
I feel like laughing at this funny shit.

Isn't it limited to being merely a national holiday? I ponder upon how people change their moods everyday.. The very next day they shall go back to their same old lives.

I believe that real "desh bhakti" seeks only fulfilling our part and doing our duties as individual citizens.

The very next day after these celebrations we get back to bribery, encouraging corruption, and to mention- every page of newspaper screaming about heinous crimes such as rapes, murder and a lot more.
Everyone of us is trying to fulfill our selfish motto by running to drain our brains to foreign countries to earn money, and eventually strengthening their economies? Wow, are these the same "desh bhakts".

Educational institutions invite (rather compel) children to join the celebration including flag hoisting, singing national anthem, desh bhakti songs and etc. Is that enough!!?
If this is so, then why do we see a lot of juveniles committing heinous crimes every alternate day... where did the actual morals go?
Their participation would be worth if they do their part well, that is, by studying well and turning up into responsible individuals. The nation is demanding its youth power to build a great future.

If this is all about one-day celebration, then I am not in!

If you have this flame of "desh bhakti" in you today, then I urge you to keep this ablaze throughout the year.

Read more