Abrupt

Sometimes when there is a need to express, the mind suddenly goes blank !

How does one break away??? If there is a need to connect to a certain idea, a thought, a dream, a reason...but the need is not justified. Then how does one break free from its shackles.

Our Creators designs are best known to Him. We are mere puppets, dancing to His tunes. But sometimes one cannot help but wonder why? When we've accepted and resigned to our fate, He knows how to rekindle the dying flames and then the havoc they cause ; God only knows!!!

Todays Forecast - Lovin' It

Your emotions are just pouring out of you -- yes, even more than usual. You're not feeling sniffly or sentimental, though. You're adamant about everything you feel. You may be surprising a few people as a result -- especially those who know you well, and really haven't seen you act like this before. Too bad. It's good to keep 'em on their toes, and time to let the world know what you're really made of. Vent at will.

ऐ खुदा तेरे इस जहाँ में
क्या क्या न तू मुझे दिखाता रहा

मगर मेरा दिल भी बड़ा सख्त निकला
जो हर जख्म खाकर भी हँसता रहा

क्यूँ हँसी के पीछे ग़म छुपाये फिरते रहो
यह सवाल मुझसे हरदम पूछा जाता रहा

जिसे मैंने चाहा तुझसे भी बढ़कर
वही शख्स दिल मेरा दुखाता रहा

आज सोने चली थी एक मुद्दत के बाद
मगर वोह सुकून भी अब जाता रहा

ख्वाइश येही है क़यामत के पहले
मुझे वोह मिले जो हरदम मुझसे कतराता रहा

दो पल खुशी के नसीब में लिख दे
न शिकवा फिर करूंगी यह वादा रहा

Parents Day

This morning when I opened my son's bag, I saw a card. A flower and a leaf was pasted on a white paper and shaped like a card, which meant there was more to it. I opened it and found this-
Happy Parents Day
I love you
Mummy + Daddy

It touched me like nothing else has. I asked him what it was about. He was clueless. Obviously he cannot write much yet, so the note had been written by his teacher. Nevertheless, it felt so so wonderful, to have a written piece of love from my cute lil baby :)

I never knew parents day existed, so it even served to increase my knowledge !

खरा है दर्द का रिश्ता तो फिर जुदाई क्या,
जुदा तो होते हैं वोह, खोट जिनकी चाह में है....

Beautifully written...I dont think anyone can express it any better. Sometimes, when you think you have seen it all...you are in for another surprise...bigger and worse than all calamaties that ever befell you...But the beauty of life is, that it teaches you to live with everything...Pain, suffering and what not...

Hope

"Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it." - Lou Holtz.

This could not be more true. How we deal with life is what determines fate. No matter how bad things are, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

Quotes of Franklin P Jones

I just loved these. These are quotes by Franklin P. Jones.

Originality is the art of concealing your source.

Nothing makes it easier to resist temptation than a proper bringing-up, a sound set of values - and witnesses.

Nothing makes you more tolerant of a neighbor's noisy party than being there.

One trouble with developing speed reading skills is that by the time you realize a book is boring you've already finished it.

The most efficient labor-saving device is still money.

You never realize what a good memory you have until you try to forget something.

One advantage of talking to yourself is that you know at least somebody's listening.

Honest criticism is hard to take, particularly from a relative, a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.

And the best one-
Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.

क्यूँ ?

मन की गहराईयों में कोई दर्द सा क्यूँ है
मेरे सीने में यह एक चुभन सी क्यूँ है ?

मुझे अपना कहने वाले तो बहुत है लेकिन
दिल में एक खालीपन फिर भी क्यूँ है ?

एक पल को लगा की मंजिल मिल गई मुझे
तलाश अब भी जारी है ऐसा लगता क्यूँ है ?

मेरी आंखों से आंसू पोंछ दिए थे तुमने
मेरा दामन अभी भी गीला क्यूँ है ?

Quote on Life

This one is so true...

"Life is hard. After all, it kills you."

अविभाज्य

कल शाम एक फूल की परछाईं से पूछा,
क्या तुम्हें कभी किसी ने छुआ है,

उसने मुस्कुरा कर मेरी तरफ देखा,
और धीरे से कहा -

जिसने भी इस फूल को छुआ है,
वह मुझसे होके ही तो गुज़रा है

मैं और यह फूल उजाले से बंधे हैं,
जब तक उजाला है हमें कोई अलग नहीं कर सकता

मैं अपने ख्यालों कि उधेड़-बुन में आगे चली गयी …कि सहसा चौंक उठी

शाम के समय मैं किस्से बातें कर आई ,
शाम को तो परछाईंयां नहीं होती हैं

पीछे मुड के देखा तो चारों तरफ अँधेरा था ,
फूल कहीं नज़र नही आया

अन्दर से एक आवाज़ आई ,
शाम को सिर्फ परछाईंयां ही होती हैं

Plight of television

Yesterday, I was watching a TV serial. With nothing much to do, entertaining oneself can be a daunting task. TV serials, much as I curse them, come to my rescue more often than I would like them to. But how long can you possibly read at a stretch. You need a break!
Hence I was watching this programme on television and in between breaks I saw the advertisement of a new daily soap thats about to begin.
One more to add to the filthy entertainment being dished out. Too much.
The leading lady was asking the audiences- Which is more important, being at your in-laws anniversary party, or taking your ailing father to the hospital? and more similar questions.
You get the idea.
Every time there was a commercial break, this woman's sound with her questions filled the room.
After a while, I was frustrated.
What in the name of God are these serial producers trying to do???
Have they lost their conscience? Agreed India is a land of sentimental people. So, dish out anything emotional and Indians will watch and weep and TRP ratings will rise.
People watch these programs for lack of better alternatives, not everyone is a sports freak and how long can you watch the same piece of news.
I remember there was a time when shows like Neev, Fauji were shown on TV. Immensely popular shows which the whole family could watch.
But today, what is being shown on the idiot box, is far from being categorized as a family show.
Well yes, they have a family in there. But the protagonist is a Goddess in human form. She is never angry, never loses her temper and is patience personified. No matter what is said or done, her faith in goodness will not waver. And then there are vamps. No matter how many times they fail, they continue to believe that evil will prevail.
A little bit like the indian movies...conflict of good and evil...goodness triumphs ultimately.
So we hope will happen on the idiot box as well. Only there is one catch. The end is nowhere in sight.
For all the producers know, they will continue with the same characters for a long (read indefinite) time period, and if the serial becomes unpopular or they run out of a story, they can always put an (abrupt) end to it.
So no one knows what happened to Jassi in her new avtar. Mona Singh is free of her contract and is doing so many other shows. People learn to forget.

So much for the plight of television. I wish somebody would come up with something better and provide a new lease of life to the ailing TV industry. Till then we have no option but to put up with the trash...

Childhood or no?

There is a musical show going on on a popular television channel. It showcases the musical talent of small children. Then there are other channels taking cue and coming up with similar programs. While some of the participating children are teenagers, others are smaller, much smaller.

Before I begin to commend or condemn the show(s), I would like to say that I am glad someone has thought of making kids feel special and has taken an initiative to bring out their talent before the whole world.

My concern is, at what cost?

Small children, who should be learning soulful prayers, bhajans and childrens songs have been so far removed from these that such songs have become a one special episode bonanza.

And instead, they are singing and dancing to the tunes of songs from films like Murder, Don.



As a parent I feel disgusted. At one time, when I was younger, I used to enjoy such shows. I would laugh and clap with the kids singing the song.

Not anymore. Its cute, but not right.



I am no great personality to pass a moral verdict. But I am a responsible human being. I feel that the parents who send their kids to such shows, should think before they act.

In the name of music and talent, a filthy game of TRP ratings and SMS earnings is being played.



No wonder my toddler prefers Dhoom machale to Twinkle Twinkle and Main hoon Don to Johnny Johnny.

Are we not snatching their childhood way too early and later blaming them for their unchildlike behavior?

Time to do some hard thinking!

Whom the Gods Love, Die Young

"Something it is which thou hast lost,
Some pleasure from thine early years.
Break, thou deep vase of chilling tears,
That grief hath shaken into frost! "

Twice in a span of two years, and the second one, much more unexpected and shocking.
I am talking about death...the stark reality of life which we all shudder to think of.

First my father...and now my friend.
I did not know I would shed so many tears on her death. Well come to think of it, I did not know what she meant to me. Not until I read, that she is no more.

Life is so unpredictable, everyone said...I used to think...so it is...so what...big deal.
But now I know...big deal it is.

In this age of technology, no matter where they are, people can communicate with each other.
No distance seems too big...nothing is too far...except........

Suddenly the realization dawns on you....the communication becomes one sided, you can speak, but the other cannot hear.

My school teacher taught me...when you sleep at night, make sure you bear no strife in your heart, for you know not whether tomorrow you will have the chance to settle it.
I tried to follow it...but so many times I failed.
I fought with people and slept...I promised to do things and didnt do them....

But her passing away, has completely shaken me.
It has made me realize, that in life....there are no retakes, no use of lamenting.
When the deed is done, its done for good.
She is gone...resting in peace...

I am distraught......but I know...I will be a better human being now.
I am sure if God took her away at 26, he needed her more than us.
She was such a baby, and I am sure must be resting now, in the arms of the Almighty.

So many worlds, so much to do,
So little done, such things to be,
How know I what had need of thee,
For thou wert strong as thou wert true...............

Another one

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/401360/freedom_of_life_fighting_cancer_in.html

This is the story of a woman I met for a few minutes.
The pain and the suffering which she doesn't show but is feeling all the time.

Peotess

My first attempt at poetry
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/370440/the_unheard_voices.html

Paradox?

Mrs. Joe was a very clean housekeeper, but had an exquisite art of making her cleanliness more uncomfortable and unacceptable than dirt itself.

–Charles Dickens - Great Expectations

Such a beautiful expression of how life can be miserable even when you have everything.Paradox?

More Travelogue - Bhuleshwar

Bhuleshwar is a Shiva Temple located on the top of a mountain- Some 50 kms away from Pune. Built in the 12th Century, it is one of the finest structures that have remained intact from the past. The inside of the temple is beautiful and cool, so much so, that the outside temperature had no effect on the inside.

The cool breeze, the mountain top, the view of the valley and GOD, it is one of the rare places that can soothe the mind and ease one in these days.

The carvings on the wall have been damaged, speaking of the days when Hindu temples were being destroyed, and if you take a close look at each of the statues, each has a story to tell. The structure of the temple itself does not give the look of a temple, possibly it was transformed to protect the temple from invaders.

There is a small door on one side of the temple, from where you can see the entire valley. As I was standing there and watching the view, I was wondering who would have designed the temple and selected that particular spot for the door showing such a breathtaking view.

The roof has two small rooms where the pujari and his family stays. And when you step out, there is a small window in the wall which has a direct view of inside the temple.

A place which made me forget everything - and which I will never forget.

Travelogue - Konkan

I am not a traveller. I knew this when I was very very young. Even after we went to a different city, I would prefer to sit in the hotel room and watch TV instead of going out.

But I think I have travelled a lot. And now after these many years of existence (and I will not say how many) I think I have started enjoying travelling. Not that I do not wish to get back into my shell quite often.

This weekend we went to Konkan. Nature at its best. For the first time in my life, I saw a mountain and a sea hugging each other, literally. It was an amazing experience and the scene will remain eteched in my memory for years to come now.

The greenery, the blue of the sea and the sky ; all had an amazing effect on me.

I am sure I will gather the enthusiasm to visit that belt again and relive this experience.

Life goes on…

At times I think, what makes us go on, despite all the hardships we face almost daily. Which force are we driven by, that inspite of all the troubles of life, we carry on. We just move on, unaware of where we are going. The Almighty has made a strange world full of strange creatures and I cannot help but marvel at the beauty of his creation called LIFE.

Life, in any form, is so beautiful, that no matter how many storms rage in the day, when we sleep at night, we pray that we may get another day!