Serendipity

तुला मला ही जाणीव नसता

अशी अचानक गाठ पडावी

अन दडलेली रात्र मनातिल

चांदण्यात निखळता बुडावी

जपला तरीही उडून जावा

पाऱ्याचा क्षण क्षणभर खळबळ

आणी लवावी शांत पापणी

हलके स्पर्शित काळे वर्तुळ

तुला मला ही जाणीव नसता

उडून मनातिल रानकबूतर 

प्रश्नांच्या डोहात शिरावे

शोधाया दडलेले उत्तर

तुला मला ही जाणीव नसता

अशी अचानक गाठ पडावी …

- कवी 'बी'

I heard the first two lines of this beautiful poem from Kunal when he was reminiscing about one of their performances almost 12 years ago at Kalyani, the intercollegiate musical competition in Pune. I was so taken by the lines, that I wanted to know the entire poem and luckily for me, Kunal remembered it. He and I don't know if he remembers it accurately - I wrote it down as he recited it, and must have read it multiple times since then. It reminds me of this quote:

"In your life, you meet people. Some you never think about again. Some, you wonder what happened to them. There are some that you wonder if they ever think about you. And then there are some you wish you never had to think about again. But you do." 

~ C. S. Lewis

Ever After

My very close friend Venky got married to his sweetheart a few days back in the most filmy style possible - the bhaag-kar-shaadi style! Not that they did not try the "correct" way, but when things didn't move even after trying for almost 5 years, I think it was fair enough to resort to some drama. When he was telling me all about it, he said something which rang a bell immediately..

".. It's true.. When your heart truly desires something, the whole world conspires so that you get it.. Sach hain yaar.. Sach hain.. "

When a perfectly practical and head-rules-heart person like Venky says this, you know that there are some things which logic should not bother to explain. More importantly, there are some things which have their flavor simply because they are not explained.

Venky always cheered me for believing in the existence of such magical moments. But I think he would agree that he had his doubts about the amount of "truth" in my collective beliefs. In times which were particularly challenging for me, he kept boosting my morale saying that ".. Arre don't give up, I keep your example in front of me and the fact that you believe in love even after experiencing what you have, my situation is much better and I can make it for sure.. ". As he said that, I always felt that, at some level, he must be thinking I am an emotional fool for still believing that I will find what most people call as "true love".

And now that he has experienced a bout of that magic in his own life, his strengthened belief makes me feel vindicated.. :) Today my belief feels more stronger than when I actually experienced it, because today it has inspired someone else to believe.

This is for you Venky and Nishi.. May the magic always dwell in your lives.. Amen! :)

Mohe rang de..

कुछ ऐसी किरणे लेकर
तुम हो आये
काले बादल भी
तुम्हारी रौशनी में
ढल कर
सुनहरे हो जाते हैं

कुछ ऐसा स्पर्श लेकर
तुम हो आये
उड़ती हुई धूल भी
तुम्हारें हाथों से
गुज़र कर
गुलाल हो जाती हैं

कुछ ऐसी ध्वनि लेकर
तुम हो आये
मेरी हलकी सी खामोशी भी
तुम्हारें सुरों में
मिल कर
गीत हो जाती हैं

सच..

कुछ ऐसे रंग लेकर
तुम आये हो
मेरा सारे रंग
तुम्हारे दिल में
सज कर
तस्वीर बन जाते हैं


Holi.. A celebration of spring. A celebration of love.

Spring Blossom

Flowers... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world.
~ Rakh Waldo Emerson

Rain Kissed

जिनको जिनको भी मिलना हैं लिखा
इश्क मिलवाएगादूर दूर से ढूंढ ढूंढ केपास ले आयेगाकहीं भी जा के छुपोइश्क वहीं आयेगाकितना भी ना ना करोंउठा के ले जायेगामानो या ना मानोये सारी ही दुनियाइश्क के दम पे चलें.....
जी ले, जी ले, जी ले इश्क मेमरना हैं तो आ मर भी ले इश्क में
जाते जाते हम इन पलों को भीसाथ ले जायेंगेबातों बातों में जो बनी हैं वोबात ले जायेंगेज़रा भुलक्कड़ हैं दिल, ये भूल जाएँ अगरयाद दिलाना हमें ये पानियों का शहरये पल कम ना हो, कभी खत्म ना होवक्त कहीं भी चलें......
जब साहिल पे हम पहुचेंगेतो किधर जायेंगेअपने अपने घर जायेंगेना अपने अपने घर जायेंगेइसी सफर में से ही नया सफर लेंगे हमजहाँ भी बोलोगे तुम वहीं उतर लेंगे हमगाली भी दोगे तो गली ना छोडेंगेऐसे पड़ेंगे गले.....
जी ले, जी ले, जी ले इश्क मेंमरना हो तो आ मर भी ले इश्क में

I heard this song on the radio today morning, and it has been haunting me ever since. There is something that it speaks of which goes deeper than its lyrics.. It was as if I was getting drenched in rain, and this song wrapped like a silken robe around me... Words won't do justice- you have to listen to the song to experience its singularity.

Wordless

नज्म उलझी हुई हैं सीने में
मिसरे अटके हुए हैं होठों पर
उड़ते फिरते हैं तितलियों की तरह
लफ्ज़ कागज़ पर बैठते ही नहीं हैं
कब से बैठा हूँ मैं जानम
सादे कागज़ पर लिखके नाम तेरा

बस तेरा नाम ही मुकम्मल हैं
इससे बेहतर भी नज्म क्या होगी

~ गुलज़ार

Time Less

The last time I quoted Casablanca, I had not watched the movie. I am not particularly fond of war stories- I have not been able to finish many epic, bestselling novels which have the backdrop of war. So I was sceptical about Casablanca too. And now I can safely say that all my doubts were totally misplaced.

I started writing this post with a lot of things in mind, which I wanted to put here.. But now as my fingers are running over the keyboard trying to type them- I find that they all fail to match up to what I truly feel about the movie.

I guess that everything that I intended to say, is already captured in that song..

This day and age we're living in
Gives cause for apprehension
With speed and new invention
And things like fourth dimension
Yet we get a trifle weary
With Mr. Einstein's theory,
So we must get down to earth at times
Relax relieve the tension
And no matter what the progress
Or what may yet be proved
The simple facts of life are such
They cannot be removed
You must remember this
A kiss is just a kiss
A sigh is just a sigh
The fundamental things apply
As time goes by
And when two lovers woo
They still say, I love you
On that you can rely
No matter what the future brings
As time goes by
Moonlight and love songs
Never out of date
Hearts full of passion
Jealousy and hate
Woman needs man
And man must have his mate
That no one can deny
It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by.

Yes.. Some things will always remain the same.. As I hear stories of jealousy, adultery, hatred and deceit- I think to myself- are we not looking at just the supposed end of all those stories here? Is it not apparent that all of them must've begun with love? And if only that love had taken the right path, we would have hailed the same stories as stories of faith, courage, perseverance and patience.

As I watched Casablanca, I realized that whether it is Radha and Krishna or Rick and Illsa- they will always continue to inspire people to do the right thing. But what's the right thing? I am afraid that it is not something that can be formulated and published for everyone to follow- it is something that each one has to decide for oneself.

And contrary to popular belief, doing the right thing is not about sacrificing what is precious to you- it is about knowing that what's precious to you would always stay with you, no matter how far it seems. It is to treasure the moments which made it beautiful and to know that ...

... We'll always have Paris..

Event Horizon

The countdown has begun... :)

At this moment I am thinking of...

Well...
They say - A picture is worth a thousand words... :)

Ride the wave...

Ghoomte Phirte Milte Hai.. Milte Hai...
Milke Saath Wo Chalte Hai.. Chalte Hai...
Dostana Naya Naya Naya
Rahein Wahi Puraani
Anjaanaa anjaani.. Beganaa begaanaa begaani..
Hai khudaa hafiz..

- Mehboob/A. R. Rehman (Yuva)

:)... It is so amazingly refreshing to re-discover a song which you have not listened to in a long time...

Dancing in the rain

What is it that makes a relationship stay, or blow away, or worse, wither away. It is a simple thing- but like all other simple things, it is a little difficult to understand, more so to accept and apply. But I have seen it work flawlessly in all those relationships around me which have and will survive through and through everything.

It is called Come What May- and it is not a magic potion or a divine chant- it is an attitude. It says that come what may- I will be with you- that I know that we are to be together- that I do not see being with you as a choice to anything but as my very existence. Sounds like stuff out of an old romantic classic? If you let your attention stray from the romanticism in the words and think about the solemnity in them, maybe it will make more sense.

Obviously, this attitude does not come suddenly- especially not when two people first get into a relationship. It develops over time as both of them start realizing that they are meant to be and that they can be together always. It develops when both of them start understanding that never can both of them be angry or upset at the same time- if one is angry- the other one has to make sure things are normal again. It develops when both of them start acknowledging that never can both of them be in doubt at the same time- if one starts feeling disillusioned- the other has to revive the faith and the spark. The phrase "You complete me" sounds very cliched- but only when it is said and perceived in terms of completing each others' permanent deficiencies. We all go on to lack what we might have had sometime back- enthusiasm, courage, hope and many other things. Completing each other means replenishing these things in each other when need be.

No relationship is free from its low moments- these keep it alive. In such times, the key is to remember all the highs you've had, smile to yourself and say- "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass- it's about dancing in the rain"