Of loving and burning...

For some reason, this piece of timeless emotion had remained a stranger to me so far. Now that I've met it, I pass it on to you --

रात आधी खींच कर मेरी हथेली 

एक ऊँगली से लिखा था प्यार, तुमने। 

फासला था कुछ हमारे बिस्तरों में 

और चारों ओर दुनिया सो रही थी।

तारिकाएँ ही गगन की जानती हैं 

जो दशा दिल की तुम्हारे हो रही थी।

मैं तुम्हारे पास हो कर दूर तुमसे 

अधजगा ओर अधसोया हुआ सा।

रात आधी खींच कर मेरी हथेली

एक ऊँगली से लिखा था प्यार, तुमने। 

एक बिजली छू गयी, सहसा जागा मैं 

कृष्णपक्षी चाँद निकला था गगन में।

इस तरह करवट पड़ी थी तुम की आंसू 

बह रहे थे इस नयन से उस नयन में।

मैं लगा दूँ आग उस संसार में 

है प्यार जिसमे इस तरह असमर्थ-कातर।

जानती हो उस समय क्या कर गुज़रने  के लिए 

था कर दिया तैयार तुमने!

रात आधी खींच कर मेरी हथेली

एक ऊँगली से लिखा था प्यार, तुमने। 

प्रात ही की ओर को है रात चलती

ओर उजाले में अँधेरा डूब जाता।

मंच ही पूरा बदलता कौन ऐसे 

खूबियों के साथ परदे को उठता।

एक चेहरा सा लगा तुमने लिया था 

ओर मैंने था उतारा एक चेहरा।

वो निशा का स्वप्न मेरा था की अपने 

पर गज़ब का था किया  अधिकार तुमने।

रात आधी खींच कर मेरी हथेली

एक ऊँगली से लिखा था प्यार, तुमने। 

और उतने फासले पर आज तक 

सौ यत्न करके भी न आये फिर कभी हम।

फिर न आया वक़्त वैसा, फिर न मौका उस तरह का 

फिर न लौटा चाँद निर्मम।

और अपनी वेदना मैं क्या बताऊँ!

क्या नहीं ये पंक्तियाँ खुद बोलती हैं?

बुझ नहीं पाया अभी तक उस समय जो 

रख दिया था हाथ पर अंगार तुमने।

रात आधी खींच कर मेरी हथेली 

एक ऊँगली से लिखा था प्यार, तुमने। 

- हरिवंश राय बच्चन 

Why it couldn't be you..

I tried, I promise -
To see in you my own growth
To see in myself a desire to take you through

You know how they say...
Lovers don't finally meet somewhere
They are in each other all along
Like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle
That a careless child had thrown about
Together despite being away
Completing, not overlapping, each other.

But-
We overlapped.

It's not that we're wrong together
It's just that we're not right
We laugh at the same things
We cry on the same ones too
Where is the friction, the challenge?

Preserving falsity

This morning's news flash screamed out a horrid incident that took place in the Narsinghpur district of Madhya Pradesh. Two dalit girls were stripped during an inspection for cheating in the class X board exams. More than 40 boys witnessed the humiliation imposed on the two girls by two female invigilators. Further, nothing was on the girls to prove the charge of cheating.

I stumbled upon this news through Facebook where a couple of my friends had posted it on their walls. The first bout of anger immediately tempted me to hit the 'share' button. I almost did it when I remembered that my contact list comprises of plenty of friends who are not Indians. What would they think of our country? Okay, I am upset over this but what would advertising of this horror achieve? Some more infamy for India? I let the mouse cursor wander elsewhere.

I am so ashamed of myself for having done this. While at a certain level I can understand the path my thought process followed, I do not agree with it. Unnecessary rationalizations. Cowardness! False pride! Shame and anger cannot and must not be selective.

This morning the auto rickshaw I was in had a rather bad accident. It clearly could have been worse since I am sitting here and writing a blog about it. Guess I was plain lucky. Even before the shock of it was through, the thought that struck my mind was - I am going to be late for work! The shock of this thought is longer lasting and worse than that of the accident itself.

Things need to be brought back into perspective.

The earth delighted in feeling my bare feet..

Footprints in the sand: I finally found mine!
Along the shore of the Bay of Bengal, Gopalpur in Ganjam district, Odisha. Feb 2012.

When the sky and the sea stared at me together, what did I do? I couldn't look them straight in the eye for as long as I wanted. They were too selfless. Too flawless. Too much at peace with themselves for me to look at them and not wonder at the churning within my self.

With the sand beneath my feet slipping back into the sea, the earth gently nudged me to say that I cannot stand in one place for too long, that it shall all pass. So I simply walked along the shore they'd all made together...

Walking on a beach is therapeutic for me. And for most, I believe. The moist sand makes a certain halo around the foot as I place it on the earth's heart. It even lets me stamp it with my feet. Soft and easy...it's like the earth is celebrating my every step. Well, the sea quickly comes and makes sure that everyone's given a clean slate to discover themselves...each time..as some wandering soul like mine rushes to seek refuge. So those footprints are quickly swept away into nothingness by one gentle wave. 

One day...I'll be able to match nature's stare unflinchingly...feel the sky wrap its arms around me...and stand there long enough to let the sea kiss my feet...and I'll curl my toes to kiss it back, like lovers who've spent aeons apart. 

A month's stock of pictures lie unclaimed, unnamed in my camera and where else. Plenty of things happened in the meantime that prevented their appearance here. They'll be right up here asap!

Fleeting connections

Jan 15: What a truly fascinating spectacle! As I raised my camera to shoot this charming bunch of people, they simultaneously raised their hands in greeting. Their spontaneity filled my heart. Later, I noted how the smiles are turned on full beam on the little boys' faces and laden with some scepticism on others. The clichéd idea of age taking its toll on innocence comes to mind...blah! I loved the moment regardless.