Few words...

It is time and I write again, again before the clocks chyme, I take a look at the year passing by, With a small personal rhyme.. January fused me with a new hope, with a new friend by my side, life seemed to be changing, happiness could be seen riding a high tide.. February was the month of realisation, when I encountered an unexpected trend, when I was parted albeit only for hours, then I realised someone was more than just a friend.. In March I did see Patiala, saw the greenery of farms, through only from my hostel room, I felt the winds of change within my arms... April was just quiet, the 'fight' in me simply died, I submitted to the laws of competition, tired of it, my mind sometimes cried May was the time to rejoice, I was back home as the overjoyed resident, It did make me forget April, as a number popped up on my cell, by 'accident' ;) In June, the temperature rose, and  my conversations, with the special 'someone' grew ...

इस बार कुछ यूँ हुआ.... उम्मीद जाग गयी, चंद मिसालों से, ख्वाब उभर उठे  पिघलते सवालों से... एक फ़रिश्ता बिना आहट के, दबे पाँव कहीं दूर चला गया, यादों से वो मुझे हंसा गया, उन्ही यादों से वो रुला गया.. दिल पे दस्तक हुई, तो दरवाज़े खोल दिए, कुछ मीठे बोल इन कानों में, एक फ़रिश्ते ने धीरे से घोल दिए.. जीवन का ये संतुलन, देखकर कुछ देर ठहर गया, इसे विधि का विधान मान कर, फिर मैं आगे बढ़ गया.. इस बार कुछ यूँ हुआ... खुद ही को छोड़ चुका था एक मोड़ पर, इस मोड़ पर, खुद ही से मैं मिल गया.. 

दुःख की धाराओं में खुशियों की बूँदें ढूंढ ले थाम ले ख़ुशी का आँचल और इन दुखों से आज जूझ ले किसने कहा की ज़िन्दगी सिर्फ हसने का नाम है  दुखों में हँसना-हँसाना भी तेरा एक काम है जब मार सहेगा दुखों की हंसके तो ख़ुशी भी तरस खाएगी बिन मांगे , बिन प्रयास के  झूम कर तेरी ओर आएगी  हे पथिक ! तू न रुक, तू न थम ! बस इस नदी में बहते बहते इतना मात्र सीख ले  दुःख की धाराओं में खुशियों की बूँदें ढूंढ ले थाम ले ख़ुशी का आँचल और इन दुखों से आज जूझ ले

Following is the letter I mailed to Rahul Gandhi, General Secretary, All India Congress Committee on 23 October 2011. It addresses a fundamental correction in the view point of the majority of the people associated with the gove rnance of our nation. I posted it on office@rahulgandhi.in . Will also post the reply here, if any.   Dear Mr Gandhi, I am a common man of this wonderful country. The very common man whose well-being and prosperity is your responsibility, by your choice. I respect the vision you have for our motherland, and as a fellow countryman, I sincerely hope it comes true. However, I write this letter to you to correct a fundamental error in your conceptualization and visualisation of India in the future. I did not correct you when you were speaking about the same in my college- BITS Pilani KK Birla Goa Campus, a few months back as I was perhaps too much in awe of you. But as they say, it is better late than never. Sir, you were in my college fo...

Yep... that's right, don't fret over the choice you made a while back just because you failed to get the desired result out of it. Don't think "Oh, I wish I had done what xyz had said... xyz seems so right now.. " - of course that would seem the case now, now that your choice has been proved brutally wrong by the forces of life. The alternative would seem to be more likely of a favorable result, but the key word here is 'likely'. There is no 'sure' in there. There are a thousand variables lurking in the shadows behind that alternative too, that could have made that alternative a wrong choice too, perhaps even more wrong than the current one. You don't know and would perhaps never know, so what is the use of getting frustrated about it? Just learn to live with the choice you made and more importantly the result it got you, because that is the important part of the learning process called life. 

These are excerpts from a conversation (some might call it a debate, but I think that would be a tad to rash) I had with a fellow Indian as to the reasons why the United States has not had anything to do with terrorist attacks since 9/11 while our country still suffers from these despicable acts from madmen who think they are fulfilling the God's wishes. She, as I am sure may of you out there, believes that it is solely due to the faulty system in India unlike the US, who's intelligence and spirit have been commendable in avoiding a recurrence of the sad tragedy that took place 10 years ago. I agree to a certain extent, but would like to present a few points,which, practical as they are, are still overlooked by many. I would wish my readers to give them a bit of time and thought .  Although I certainly praise the American spirit and laud its intelligence... at the same time I don't want to make any excuses for the fallacies in their Indian counterparts, I do thin...

As a lovely Sunday fades into the night, I realize how beautiful life can be, I see the beauty that lies around me, and feel the beauty that is out of sight. The beauty of a simple smile, The beauty of a good morning wish, The beauty in a conversation  which can disarm me completely for a while. The beauty when a tree waves at me, The beauty of the clouds as they gather, The beauty of the leaves that rustle, And the beauty of the breeze that sets them free. The beauty of a lovely present, The beauty weaved into past memories, The beauty of a future which awaits me, with open arms without any resent. The beauty in visualizing dreams, The beauty in waiting for them to get fulfilled, The beauty lies in life itself, maybe not in full, but in parts it seems. 

इन महानगरों की भीड़ में रोज़ हज़ारों चेहरे दीखते हैं कुछ खुश, तो कुछ चिंता में सब अपनी कहानी लिखते हैं इन चेहरों का, इस भीड़ का अब मैं भी एक हिस्सा हूँ इन पुरानी कहानियों में मैं  एक नया किस्सा हूँ पर इस भीड़ में कुछ चेहरे ढूँढता रह जाता हूँ मगर उनका एहसास ही मुझे सुकून देता है और वो सुकून ही मैं चाहता हूँ आखिर वो चेहरे दिल के करीब हैं वो चेहरे मेरे अपनों के हैं उनके साथ बिताये पल अनमोल हैं कुछ मीठे  सच तो कुछ  सपनो-से हैं उन चेहरों में जो आखें हैं उनसे मेरे लिए सच्चा प्यार छलकता है उन चेहरों पे हंसी देखकर दिल ख़ुशी से महकता है याद आती है उन चेहरों की तो आखें नम-सी हो जाती हैं उस पल उन्हें पास न पाकर ज़िन्दगी कुछ थम सी जाती है मगर जब उन चेहरों का ख़याल आता है तो फिर अन्दर  से मज़बूत हो जाता हूँ उस हंसी के लिए आखें पौंछ कर फिर चेहरों की उस भीड़ का एक हिस्सा बन जाता हूँ

Seldom are the days when a sip from the cup of life feels as refreshing as this The mind can't help but wonder, why aren't they all filled with the same passionate bliss What do they lack? The comfort of friends and family? or the warmth of somene close? Or is it all of them combined, that makes the difference, In a period that destiny chose.. Whatever it is... Like a cleansing sea, it washes away the problems for sure... Creates the space I need, in the attic of my head, it leaves a beam of light ashore... All I hope now, is that this nectar, fills up my cup to the brim... I'm done feeling sad and sorry, want to lead my life like it's mine, minus dreading the future and feeling grim.

ओ मेरे नेता, क्यों तू पैसों को है पूजता? रिश्वतों के काले बाज़ार में क्यों न तेरा हाथ दूझता? इस देश की सेवा में, एक बापू ने जाँ निसार की मगर, अब अगर वो हँस रहे तो सिर्फ सौ-हज़ार के नोटों पर | जब विश्व के शीर्ष पर हो रही भारत की बुलंद पुकार है तो क्यों देश के अखबारों में भरे तेरी काली कर्तूतों के सार हैं? क्यों देश के उज्जवल भविष्य को काली स्याही से है लिख रहा ? बलिदानों की धरोहर का हो कर भी क्यों कौड़ियों में बिक रहा ? अपनी कुर्सी को ताजो तख़्त ना समझ, सेवक है तू राजा नहीं, देश की आवाज़ बन भ्रष्टाचार का टूटा बाजा नहीं  | क्या देश को ठगने के सिवा तुझे और कुछ ना सूझता ? ओ मेरे नेता क्यों तू  पैसे को है पूजता?

This is to my mind wandering in wilderness, lost for too long out there in the dark, now the silent fire inside me grows, waiting for that lost spark... I have lost many battles, have been injured in many spars, now it is time to rise the occasion, it is time to raise my own bars... I can't see the dangers that lie ahead, nor can I predict my own future, all that I have is my dreams, they are those which I must nurture...  It is time to see clearly now, time to stare back at every target I mark, It is time to stroke that fire gently, It is time to give it that missing spark... 

Three years…. Yes three years have passed since I first entered that room, a room, which over these three years; I had learnt to call mine. I still remember the first day at college. I had come with my parents to Goa and the next day we had gone to see my college – BITS-Pilani, Goa. I was awestruck when I had the first complete glance of the college campus from the main gate. I had never imagined that engineering colleges could look so beautiful. Carrying on, from the main gate we went to the B-Dome or the main institute building, where room allotments to first year students (yeah, that would be us) were going on. I stood in line like the others and waited for my turn. And then it finally came. The professor sitting behind the comp asked me for my call letter and identification. I gladly handed them over to him. He entered my name in the database and out came a printout on a blue paper that said “Devanshu Kaushik ; Hostel No. AH-2; Room no. 146” I took it to my mom and dad who we...

When I went for a walk today, i went alone... around me, was a void-like absence But as I gazed up, at the evening sky, the clouds gazed back as they swayed by, assuring me that someone was watching.... As I started to whistle, the winds rustled the trees around, and it soon turned into a melodious sound, that someone started singing... Remembering something, I felt tensed, my pace increased and into my view came the  river, its each ripple seemingly new, that presence was surely very calming... When I came back from a walk today, I was not alone, for around me, I had sensed that presence...

Disclaimer: This piece of literature is based purely on personal opinion of the author. It does not reflect or aim to reflect or to hurt the religious sentiments of any particular community. Yes, that kind of thing is necessary to write before every article remotely related to religion in any sort of way. Because here in India, much like the rest of the world, there are people who are willing to cash in on publicity on the behest of an intelligent creation, just because they misinterpret a line or a single word and it ‘hurts their sentiments’. However, this is not my topic of interest today, so more on that later….. You must be familiar with the Bhagvad Gita – one of the best works in Sanskrit literature and a book of tremendous religious and moral values, not only for the Hindu religion, but for mankind in general. Today I write to discuss what I feel is the most misquoted and misinterpreted, yet quite simple to understand, quote in the Bhagvad Gita – “ Karmani ave adhikars te --...

जब छूट जायेंगे पीछे ये पल सुकून के. तब मन में यही सवाल आएगा- क्या भूलें ,क्या याद करें ? भूल जाएँ अपने घर को छोड़ना एक नयी मंजिल के लिए, या याद करें नए दोस्तों बनाने का वो फ़साना सुहाना... भूल जाएँ exams में कम marks लाके मायूस होना, या याद करें उस ग़म को दोस्तों के साथ हंसी में डुबाना...  भूल जाएँ कि दोस्त एक मर्तबा birthday का cake  भूल गए थे, या याद करें उनका अपने हाथों से ice cream का cake बनाना... भूल जाएँ वो classes जो सुबह देर से जागने पर छूट गयीं, या याद करें वो पिछली रात हुई फ़िज़ूल की बातें जिनसे चेहरे पर हंसी फूट गयी थी... भूल जायेंगे कभी जब खुद को, याद आयेंगी जब इस पल अनजाने में की गयी कुछ बातें, भूल जायेंगे वो ग़म में की हुई फरियादें, जब याद करेंगे college की ये भूली बिसरी यादें... *** This Post is dedicated to all my college friends and to the masti we did in these 3 years together, which we will surely miss later. Cheers to all ! ****

आज एक पुरानी किताब के पन्ने पलटे, तो उनमे से किसी की खुशबू मिली, मिले चंद सूखे  गुलाब के फूल, जमी थी उन पर गुज़री यादों की धूल... आखरी पन्ने को, जब पलटा बिना ऐतियात के, तो गिरी कुछ पुरानी तसवीरें, बिखर गया यूँ मेरी मेज़ पर वो गुजरा ज़माना.... लिखे थे उन पन्नो में कुछ गानों के बोल, कुछ जो थे फ़साने प्यार के, कुछ ज़िन्दगी की गहराईयों में झांकते हुए, बयाँ कर रहे थे हर पहलू का मोल... कितना सादा था वो ज़माना, फिर भी सादगी से भरा हुआ... कितना खाली खाली सा था वो आशियाना, फिर भी ज़िन्दगी से भरा हुआ....

लम्हे.... इस ज़िन्दगी से उभरते हुए ... इस ज़िन्दगी को उभारते हुए.. लम्हे... कुछ ऐसे जिन्हें मैं फिर से जीना चाहता हूँ... कुछ ऐसे जिनके साथ हमेशा जीना चाहता हूँ ... लम्हे... कुछ पहली मुलाकातों के... कुछ खट्टी मीठी बातों के... लम्हे... जिन में दोस्तों की दोस्ती को स्वीकार किया .., जिन में सिर्फ चंद तस्वीरों के ज़रिये किसी से प्यार किया... लम्हे... कभी सुबह की ओस में खिलखिलाते फूलों जैसे... तो कभी सर्दियों की सेज पर बिछे सूखे पत्तों की चादर जैसे... लम्हे... जो मन में याद बन कर रह गए... जो दिल में धड़कन बन कर समा गए... लम्हे... जिनमे दिल की ये दुआ होठों से निकले और हम कहें... ऐ खुदा ये लम्हे सदा यूँ ही, हमसे राह में मिलते रहे...

कुछ साल बीत जाने के बाद, कुछ साल याद आते हैं, कुछ लोग मिल जाने के बाद, कुछ दोस्त याद आते हैं... मेज़ पर काम करते करते, घर पर cricket का वो शोर याद आता है, हाथ में कलम पकड़े हुए, वो ball  फिर थामने को जी चाहता है... कमरे के सन्नाटे में. दोस्तों की हंसी गूंजती है, 'क्या चाहिए बता?', माँ सपने में ये पूछती है... याद आता है वो गलियों में cycle पर घूमना-फिरना. जब थी न कोई चिंता, जब नहीं पड़ता था कल से डरना... इन पलों से फिर चेहरे पर, हंसी सी खिल जाती है, कुछ और न मिले भले ही आज, कम से कम ये कल की यादें फिर मिल जाती हैं...

 Ok.... so this is the first poem on my blog which is based on a romantic theme..... I hope my readers enjoy it.... :) किसी को प्यार में खोये देख कर, क्यों खुद को भूलने का मन करता है... दो अजनबियों को हाथ पकडे देख कर क्यों खाली सा अपना हाथ लगता है.... तसवीरें देख के जानने वालों की उनके चाहने वालों के साथ, क्यों रंग अपनी ज़िन्दगी का उड़ा उड़ा सा लगता है... प्यार की दास्तानों को देख कर, सुन कर, पढ़ कर क्यों मिसाल अपने प्यार की कायम करने का मन करता है.... कुछ मद्धम गीत गुनगुनाते हुए, क्यों तुम्हारी कमी महसूस होती है ... तुम जो मुझसे मिली नहीं हो अब तक, क्यों तुम्हे बाहों में समाने का मन करता है... तुम्हारी आहट सपना टूटते ही कहीं खो सी जाती है , क्यों तुम्हारी हंसी कानों से ज्यादा मेरी आखों में बस जाती है... नहीं जानता तुम क्या सोचती हो , फिर भला क्यों, तुमसे और सिर्फ तुमसे प्यार करने का ख़याल मुझे आता है....

Its official now, travelling in Goa just puts some wonderful things into my head. So here I am, sharing one more of mt experiences with you all. I dropped an year after school to prepare for Engineering entrance exams. Now, during that period, there was an intense pressure on me, not created by anybody else, but my own mind. The only thing on my mind was getting into a good engineering college. Those days, my friends who had already got into college after school, used to visit me during their holidays.  One of them was Sambhav Karnawat who had gotten into IIT-Kanpur, one of the premiere institutes of engineering not only in India, but the world as well. As aspirants, me and those preparing with me used to dream about getting there or any one of the seven IITs which existed at that time. I remember getting t stressed by all the work it took, and I also remember asking Smabhav once , “Hey yaar…. Is it all worth IT?” And he answered, “It sure is.” That and things similar to it used t...

I know I am too young to write or talk about life, I mean, some of you reading this might be twice my age or perhaps even more. But, as the author of this blog, the small world I share with about a handful of my friends, my family, and some of the occasional drifters who find themselves ‘misdirected’ from other sites to here, I feel obliged to share my views with you. Let me ask you a question, or rather, let me make a request to you today. Close your eyes for a moment before you read further than this sentence, and I want you to remember two specific moments in your day, or maybe in your week (I know that those moments could not have been farther apart than that): numero Uno, the moment when you loathed your current situation in life and wished that you could move ahead of it as soon as possible; number two, the moment you remembered something from the past, something which brought a smile to your lips. Done that? Now you must be thinking, ’how are the two connected?’ My answer to ...