Never Become Your Own Joke

Note- This is an email forward I received today but couldn’t resist posting it here.

Last Diwali vacation, my couple of friends had gone to Delhi. They rented a taxi for local sight-seeing. The driver was an old sardar, and boys being boys, they began cracking sardarji jokes, just to insinuate the old man.
But to their surprise, the cabbie remained unperturbed. At the end of the sight-seeing, they paid up the hire-charges. The old man returned the change. Moreover, he gave each one of them one rupee extra and said, ''Son, since morning you have been telling sardarji jokes. I listened to them all and let me tell you, some of them were in a very bad taste. Still, I don't mind because I know that you are young blood and are yet to see the world. But I have just one request. Here I am giving you one rupee each. Give it to the first sardar beggar that you come across in this city.”
After several days, my friends still had that one rupee coin with them. They couldn't find a single Sikh begging on the streets of Delhi.

Friends, we all love sardar jokes. But the fact of matter is that Sikhs are one of the most prosperous and diversified communities in the world.

The secret behind their universal success, according to me, is their willingness to do any job with utmost dedication. A Sikh will drive a truck or set up a roadside garage or a dhaba, but will never beg on the streets.

So true !! They are the most hard working people I have ever seen. From a small farmer to country’s Prime Minister, we have seen them everywhere.

That reminds me of a person whom we kids used to call sardarji uncle. He was my father’s friend. Before anybody else could start, he always used to crack sardarji jokes.

Once he was asked by someone “Don’t you feel hurt when people throw jokes of dumb sardarji at you ?”

“We see dumb people everywhere; only difference is that you guys don’t have guts to admit it.” was his quick reply.

Mann, we all should have at least one sardarji around us. He was a thorough gentleman, very witty and intelligent as well. I miss you sardarji uncle.
As per my experience .. the ratio of probability of occurrence of an intelligent Sikh to the probability of occurrence of a intelligent non-Sikh guy is quite interesting. Got it ? Never mind. :)

And right now, I am listening to the beautiful album Nine by Pankaj Awasthi. I like all the nine songs of this album, a nice fusion of electric guitar and tabla.

Current Song:- Khuda Ka Wasta Tu Dekar, Mere Ram Ka Tu Naam Lekar – Pankaj Awasthi
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Diwali

ना फुलझड़ी, ना पटाखे
ना रंगोली, ना दिया
ना मिठाई, ना लाल धागा पूजा का
ना ही पास उसके पिया |

रात अकेली काली, पर
यादों से सजी उसकी थाली
दिल में तस्वीर,
चेहरे पे प्यार की लाली |

जब ऐसे जले
उसके प्यार का दिया...
हर रात हो उसकी दीवाली
एक रात की बात ही क्या ?

Attempted Translation

Neither fireworks nor candles
neither sweets, nor sacred thread of puja
and neither her beloved near her.

It’s a lonely dark night but
memories of beloved & his love
brighten the glow on her face.

What to speak of a night ?
When flame of their love
lights up like this,
every night is a celebration.

Note-Reply to comments on my posts later.. I know apologies are coming way too often these days. But it is better than vanishing. Isn’t it ? And I am listening to a very beautiful song.

Current song- Phir Wahi Raat Hai, Raat Hai Khwaab ki – Kishore
Technorati Tags: Poetry Hindi Festivals

Haiku - 1

Don’t talk, let me blossom
in this dreamy moment of life, for,
tomorrow I cease to exist.

This is my first attempt at Haiku and I think I have done pretty well.

Haiku is a poetic form and a type of traditional poetry from the Japanese culture... an unrhymed poem composed of three lines of five, seven, and five syllables respectively. It typically presents an intense emotion or vivid image of nature in simple words. Haikus are usually not complicated. They often describe everyday themes and usually attempt to give people a new view of common situations.

There are a few simple rules for writing in this form of poetry.

1. Three lines of verse consisting of five, seven, and five syllables.
2. Each haiku must contain a seasonal word, may not strictly be a typical one. For example Cherry blossoms commonly denote spring, mosquitoes are used for summer, and snow means winter.

I hope to write some more verses in this form of expression.

Current song- Tum Hamein YuN Bhula Na Paaoge – Md. Rafi
Technorati Tags: Haiku Language

I would ask for more !!

How would you cope if you had no way to use the Internet for a week? This was the question posed by David.

A week away from internet or my computer. A full week ?? It got me thinking.

Well, if I know in advance, I would plan a holiday to one of my favourite places. As simple as that. ;)
On the other hand, I would thank my stars were it to happen so.
In today’s busy world where even to speak to our colleague sitting in next cubicle/cabin, we take help of an e-mail or a phone; it would be a blessing in disguise.
Living in India, has its pros and cons. Electricity and water supply hitting us in an erratic way is a part of our routine life and so is ‘no internet’ for a few hours.

But for a week ?? It made me dream of what all I can do or wish to do.

I think I’d pamper myself to the core. I would do things, which I have not been able to do since ages.

First, I would FEEL the warmth of my dear & near ones. Living in India is always bliss when one talks about the family and the strong support system it has. One doesn’t have to take appointments to meet one’s parents/grandparents/siblings/friends etc.
So, I would try to give them a surprise and would hog onto oodles of a factor called ‘love’ from everyone. :)

I would write letters. Yes, you got me right.. real letters (also called snail mails)... the one thing I have missed a lot since the advent of internet age. Seriously, there is nothing like writing on pieces of paper by a real pen !! There is always a personal touch to that. The touch, feel and smell of the paper, the scribbles, the ink.. emails just can’t go to that level, no matter how sentimental they are. I have some cherished ones written by my grandparents, uncle/aunts and a few from my friends. Best part is, internet or no internet, you always have access to these treasures.

Reading is one thing I enjoy when I am on my own and away from computers. Will do (read as read) away with some of the books that are gathering dust and screaming for my attention.

Would watch hordes of movies. Have a long list to catch up.

I would also visit some people for whom I always have a soft corner and I know they would be extremely happy to see me as well.

I’d be with kids and become that little girl again… catching butterflies, jumping in the puddles, making paper boats, clapping, yelling and lots of other such things.

Not being a net junkie will help me with “No blogs, no surfing” etc. Although I will miss my blogger friends, my real close friends won’t be missed. They know how to reach me.

I think one week would be less for all these activities so I’ll ask for some more at regular intervals !!

Current Song:- Shama Jalaye Rakhna Jab Tak Ki Main Na AauN – Bhupinder & Mitali
Technorati Tags: Digital Questions Blogosphere

Saawariya

If you get the person you love, it is all over. Then love becomes just a habit. Otherwise, it is about being in a constant state of love, of wanting. One should never fall out of love; it’s the madness of love that is fascinating.

Yayyyyy !!!

Yeah, that’s how I had shouted on reading the above lines. I had decided to watch this movie and was in awe of a great company I would have had. I was also happy that no Lara Dutta or Katrina Kaif but a newcomer was welcoming us.
But alas !! :(

It seems the movie is a flop. I was patiently waiting for this one; for the past three weeks have been listening to some of its melodious songs. My favourite was and still is “Jabse tere naina mere naino se”. Ummm.. I heard that the song is picturised with hero in just a towel. No, that’s not the reason why I like the song or wanted to watch this movie.

I have not seen any trailers, not read anything about it and have not allowed anyone to talk about it in front of me. Wanted the whole thing to be a surprise and guess what ?? It indeed surprised me by nose diving in the theatres. Oh buoy, some news just peeped in. I heard the whole movie is in blue/green shades.
:(

I was waiting to be with Saawariya. Never mind, some other time.

Note:- I was away from this blogging world. Many thanks for all your wishes & greetings. Also, have neither replied to your comments on my various posts nor have visited your blogs. Will do it soon. As always bear with my “busy-ness”. ;)

Current song- Jabse Tere Naina Mere Naino Se Laage Re – Shaan

Technorati Tags: Entertainment Sawariya

The Time That was

Yesterday I was feeling very low & suffocated. Don’t know why, but I was terribly missing something. I felt as if something had been drained out of me... I felt some hollowness, emptiness, some void within me. And to avoid that sense of asphyxiation I wanted to be alone with my wandering thoughts.

Generally when it happens I don’t want to be home, I just go out in search of that something which could make me alright in the end. Whether I succeed in getting that ‘something’ or not is a different thing.
I think at some point of time many of us feel like this. It is the need to be with oneself... listen to the inner voice... experience the inner need.

So, I came out, didn’t really know where to go, went to the station & took a train for Ville Parle. Wanted to go to Juhu beach to be with the restless and nervous waves... hitting the shores angrily, letting out all the frustrations… again & again & again. I can spend hours watching them and so much feel at home, in my own comfort zone in doing so.
After getting down at Ville Parle, another bout of loneliness hit me. The area was so familiar to me that I decided to walk down… remembering my wonderful days when I used to commute daily to this place. Walking on the Station road, crossed McDonalds, the SV road and reached the petrol pump and an instant smile came on my face. :)
I knew I had made a right decision to go there.

From there I could see NMIMS and the number of Xerox shops which, for sometime, had become part of my daily life.. And I smiled again !! . :)

As I walked by, I remembered the time I spent there.
For months I had been coming here. The buildings, the road, Mithibai college on the opposite side and the Xerox shops.
For months, more often than not, a single vada paav and a chai at the roadside vendor outside NM was my staple food. Standing on the road, I felt nostalgic about the whole thing.

Then suddenly something happened which made me even happier. A sense of contentment and belonging filled me. जैसे तेज़ भागती हुई ज़िंदगी में पल भर के लिए ठहराव आ गया हो |

I don’t know what I was missing till then, but after reaching that place and remembering my days there, made me happy. :)

There was no need now to go to the beach. Anyhow, took a cab to Juhu beach, spent sometime there but it was all meaningless. Not much to write about. In all these years, it was only my third visit to the place. Everytime I go there thinking that the beach would be cleaner this time but no, it can not be. Though the shops are reduced and they are in a much organized manner within a boundary but the attitude of general public remains the same.

While walking along the shore, away from the crowded place, at every 10 steps I saw people peeing into the see. What a shame. I felt like puking. One day I am going to hit them for sure. GRRRRRR

Had paav-bhaji and kulfi falooda. Oh I remembered Karol Bagh’s Kulfi falooda from Mehre di Hatti ke bajuwali dukaan. :) Slurrrrrrp...

Khair, I didn’t want my beautiful memories and mood to be subdued by all this. Came back home. Smiling. :)))))

Current Song:- I Wanna Hold Your Hand – Beatles

Technorati Tags: Memoirs Mumbai