Just a Little Bit of Love

Just a little bit of love
to call it our own
A tiny corner of your heart
that could be mine alone

Just a little bit of care
with sincerity, if you may
to ask if I were fine
and had a good day

Just a little bit of time
post the office stress
to share a genuine laughter
and make the worries less

Just a little bit of madness
privy to the two of us
and the gentle companionship
after a party's fuss

Just a little bit of support
in adversities
Acceptance of imperfections
Sans insecurities

Just a little bit of desire
to live life together
Comforting feeling of warmth
in the coldest weather


Just a little bit of love
not indifference, please
To make the tiny moments

Full of beauty and peace

Keep Calm and Respect Everyone

Obesity and malnourishment are both diseases. Stay fit.
Extremism and indifference are both too! Stay logical.

 

Feminism is not extremism.
I am a feminist. I think in many ways women need empowerment.
I am a feminist. I think in many ways men need empowerment too.
I am a feminist. I refuse to take anyone's offer of seat, unless in dire need.
I am a feminist. I always offer my seat to an old person/ kid or someone in need.
I am a feminist. I love opening doors for men, women, children, everyone.
I am a feminist. I respect non-working men, working men, non-working women, working women, girls, boys, everyone and their choices.
I am a feminist. I think it's perfectly okay for a woman to ask someone out.
I am a feminist. I think it's plain stupid when, at a dinner, men pay for women.
I am a feminist. I don't think women are better than men.
I am a feminist. I don't think men are better than women.
I am a feminist. Separate queues for women baffle me.
I am a feminist. And I believe in the following:

Respect men. Don't worship them, don't demean them. Let them be.
Respect women. Don't worship them, don't demean them. Let them be.
Respect children. Don't worship them, don't demean them. Let them be.
Respect people. Don't worship them, don't demean them. Let them be.

In Search of Peace.

I lie down flat on my double bed, too much comfort, a glass of cool water, the whole room to myself with more than I could ask for. A room full of possibilities. The only thing I have to do is get up and work or learn or just show a little enthusiasm. But here I lie, procrastinating. Every day. Lazing around in luxury.

And there are kids, out there, right now, who are scourging for items in the garbage dumps; deprived of schooling, food and basic things that I have taken for granted all my life. What have I done to deserve what I am reaping? Zilch. What have those kids done to be deprived of their basic necessities? Each child deserves to get access to opportunities, like you and I got.

I vow. I am not going to die without having done at least the tiniest bit to bridge this unfair gap. I am just too directionless to start alone. Is there anyone out there who wishes to take this forward? Anyone with any thoughts on this? Anyone?

Somya, do it.

Swimming against a high tide
No matter what strength you muster
you'll be swept away
Try all you want
there's always more water,
more tides you have to overcome
Mastering the ocean, are we?
Single-handedly?

Underestimating the mighty ocean
and overestimating your tiny self
Not knowing, not realizing
the ocean relents to those
who bear relentlessly, its lashes
again, again, time and again

It can get cruel, the ocean
unforgiving, and unfair
overbearing, the mighty ocean
Your cries, your fights
will hit deaf ears,
for the ocean has no use for
petty cribbings

Many come with puffed-up egos
Get burnt by the harsh waters
Die, defeated, debris
and that's how the shores are made

To reach to the center and
dance in tornadoes
you need to be tough
and keep swimming
one more lap
and another

You had a dream you said?
Then what the hell are you tired of?
Buck the f*k up!

बंदर क्या जाने अदरक का स्वाद (गुप्ताजी)

"नहीं, हम नहीं चखेंगे इसको,
या तो बिलकुल मीठा दीजिये
या एकदम खट्टा"
 गुप्ताजी
अकड़ कर बोले,
"इस पार या उस पार,
ये बीच बाच की चीज़ें
हमें  रास नहीं आतीं "

नए  नए चमकते हुए
ताम्बे के गिलास में परोसी गयी थी
खट्टी मीठी
शिकंजी
अरे गुप्ताजी,
दिल रखने के लिए ही चख लेते …

पर नहीं, अपनी ही अकड़ में
छोटे से नज़रिये से
किताबों में पढ़कर
स्वाद को परखने चले थे ...
नासमझी तो देखिये इनकी
अरे गुप्ताजी,
दिल रखने के लिए ही चख लेते …

कभी कभी  सोचते ज़रूर थे मगर
कि जाने क्या देखते हैं लोग इसमें
आढ़े टेढ़े, ऊपर नीचे
हर तरफ से सोचने के बाद भी
ये स्वाद का चक्कर उनकी समझ से बाहर था
अरे गुप्ताजी
दिल रखने के लिए ही चख लेते …

"ठीक है फिर, मत लीजिये
यहीं रख रहे हैं मेज़ पर
पर अब किसी और को दे देंगे
आप मत लीजिये अब"
तब जाके एहसास हुआ
गुप्ताजी को
कि शायद बेहतर होता जो
दिल रखने के लिए ही चख लेते …

पर अब अकड़ और बढ़ गयी है ना
तो वहीँ बैठे हैं
गुप्ताजी
ताक रहे हैं मेज़ पर
हाथ में अखबार है
पर नज़र उसी ताम्बे के गिलास पर
शिकंजी

चाहते तो हैं
पर हालत कुछ ऐसी है
ना मांगते बनता है
ना मना करते

;)

अरे, सो जाइए गुप्ताजी

गुप्ताजी
फिर आज बरामदे में खड़े हैं
धीमी हवा और मंद मंद जलती लालटेन
याद दिलाती है बीते हुए कल की

कल से आज तक में
कितना कुछ बदल गया है
कितना कुछ सीखकर आये हैं
गुप्ताजी
थोड़ा लड़खड़ाते,
थोड़ा बाग़ में झूलों की मौज की तरह
थोड़ा टूटी चप्पल में
थोड़ा नए बूट की चमक की तरह


आज फिर बरामदे में खड़े हैं गुप्ताजी
आँखों पर मोटा चश्मा चढ़ाकर भी
जाने क्यों सब धुंधला धुंधला सा ही है

आज से आने वाले कल में
कितना कुछ बदल जायेगा
क्या सीखने की उत्सुकता भी उतनी ही होगी
गुप्ताजी
अब लड़खड़ाने से थोड़ा ज़्यादा डरते हैं
झूलों की मौजें तो पुरानी बातें हैं
टूटी चप्पलें भी छोड़ आए पीछे
लेकिन बूट की चमक में अब वो रास नहीं आता


अरे गुप्ताजी,
परायी सी हंसी लिए
कब तक इस कल आज और कल की
बेकार सोच में डूबे रहोगे
रात बहुत हो चुकी है
जाओ सो जाओ
कल सुबह फिर दफ़्तर जाना है

Who? Meh.

This is for me
and only me
so don't you go on reading
Don't need your voice
The sound, that noise
That blather, I'm not heeding

I'll run, I'll fly
I'll laze, I'll die
I'll drink like hell
or kiss and tell
I'll make a chef-d'oeuvre
and lock it away
or write clumsily
in complete disarray

I'm a psycho, I'm weird
perhaps, I'll grow a beard
I'll be a good girl, or may be not
Subsisting on junk
I'll clot, I'll rot
My ways, displays
will get me off your list
Or there isn't a list at all
if you're of those who got the gist.

Dark Flavours

A crappy poem, just to try writing on a crude topic.



Of hotness and
steam
Of exotic flavours and
nicotine

Enchanting aroma,
odor, captivating
The stains of taste
on quivering lips
pleasing to the senses
eyes, tongue, whole

At break of dawn
at dusk and night
All the time
everywhere
In bed,
that small shanty
or the urbane parlor

The craving lingers
for that
sugary mouthful
Texture, smooth, milky
Tinge of ginger

The craving lingers
for the native fragrance,
the earthly feeling
That energizing need

Alas,
in wanton grease
and sinful thirst
I wonder which I ruined more
the usual savor of Tea
or desirous yearning for Him.

गुप्ताजी की बुशर्ट

नयी नयी सी
रंगबिरंगी, कॉलर वाली
कड़क और चमकती हुई
एक बुशर्ट लाये थे हम बाज़ार से
माँ के साथ, नन्हे पावों पर चलकर

घमंड से पहने
बड़ी सी मुस्कान चहरे पर लिए
घूमते थे गली में शान से
और सोचा करते थे
दुनिया बदल देंगे

वो बुशर्ट
कुछ कुछ हमारे
सपनों जैसी थी
तो उसका नाम  हमने
उम्मीद रख दिया

आहा! धुलाई के बाद
अलग ही दिखाई देती थी वह
पुराने कपड़ों के बीच
वो रंगबिरंगी, कड़क

बड़े चाव से पहनते थे उसे
रोज़ एक नए जोश के साथ
दिन ब दिन, साल दर साल
पहनते चले गए

अब नजाने कितने साल हो चुके हैं
बेचारी अब नर्म और पुरानी हो गयी है
छेद हो चले हैं उसमें
पर मुलायम मुलायम सी वो
हमें आज भी उतनी ही प्यारी है

सब कहते हैं, "कबाड़ है, फ़ेंक भी दीजिये"
अरे अब आप ही बताईये,
"भला उम्मीद भी कोई फेंकने की चीज़ होती है?"

The River / The Woman

Tranquil waters,
cutting through stones
The lifeline, the elixir

A continuous, flowing stream

Playful, moody, carefree

Let it run

its own course

and it'll merrily feed

Give you plenty 

to prosper and thrive

The irregular, aroused flusher

intense, vivid, overwhelming

Control it

and it'll lash out

in ways uncharted

Wiping out civilizations

with floods and droughts

It knows its purpose 

and very well at that

Oh, the curvy cleverness

with sparkle in its moves

Flowing in fun, 

connecting, linking, uniting

Surrendering at last

only to the mighty sea.

Passing Thoughts...

~~
Out of her cocoon, slowly she braced the light. 
Anxious for freedom. Shades of leaves and the bright sun. 
Deceived, she now rebuilds those walls. Crushed bricks and mud, red.

यह शहर नहीं यह सर्कस है

देख तमाशा देख तमाशा
देख तमाशा देख

टूटती अभिलाषा देख
फैलती निराशा देख
बढ़ता जुर्म बेतहाशा देख
अनुचित, अशिष्ट नयी भाषा देख

ज़िन्दगी, तू बंद कमरे में
क्यों बेड़ियों में कैद
सपने देखती है

बाहर निकल इस खुली हवा में
इस श(ज़)हर की नयी परिभाषा देख
देख तमाशा देख तमाशा
देख तमाशा देख


 

Flavour

I like summers
But it's not the scorching sun
It's the ice
melting in luke warm water
Those cold dew drops, slipping
The drizzle from the Cooler
Oh, that smell of Roohavzah
Freshly watered plants
and mud in my veranda
It's the winter I make
in these summers that I like

I like winters
But it's not the freezing chills
I yearn for the steaming tea
in lazy cold mornings
The light sun rays touching my hand
The cuddle in the blanket
And warm sweaters
Bonfires and popcorns
It's the summer I make
in these winters that I like

I like my life
But it's not the achievements
or winnings
It's the 7am-walk in the park
My jogger-shoes and suit
The whirring sound my bike makes
when I wake it up everyday
The chit chat with friends,
sharing, caring, laughter, bicker
These daily chores,
each one being a target achieved
It's the liveliness we add in life
that makes it worth living!

Fading Mustard

Of Gulmohars and Laburnams
Of bygone Springs
and coming Autumns
Farewells; falling petals,
on empty roads that stretch far
With arms stretched out,
embracing, waiting
In the melancholic glow
of dust, red and yellow
In the warm air that floats
In the susurration and rustle
That's where I live, eternally...

Essence

Fly.

Cut through the biting winds.

Swim.

Into the unending oceans.

Race.

So fast, your brain goes numb.

Unleash.

That energy. The one that builds

with each day, each hour.

Fight off.

Those shackles. Unnecessary. 

Those painful chains. Their clatter.

You are free.

As free as the wind, the water,

the soul within you.

Scream.

In resonance with yourself.

One; only you.

Love. Truth. Peace.

You are a dreamer.

In the dream, the one you hold dear,

You love yourself.

And that becomes your reality.

Going Senile! Peekaboo! #2

Fare thee well, O' Twenty-Four
So long, and thanks for not being a bore
For instead, you've been much worse
Not square, non-prime; as expected, a curse!

In five days, Twenty Five I'll be
A perfect square: mix of madness & maturity
Age is just a number, you cynicists may say
But alas, Twenty-Five has its way

I'm sensing the year'll be beauty-fuller
And it's going to start with the day of colour
So cheers to hopes, vibrance, a determined vow!
Because I'm going to be "Ag-ed and How"!

#So-old-and-lazy-yet-crazy

ps: Going Senile! Peekaboo! #1

Of dreams And love

This is from my Facebook wall, where status-posts tend to get lost over time, and this one I didn't mean to lose. My idea of love, not just for a partner, but for everybody special to me - my parents, siblings, friends, relatives... 

Every now and then we see people falling in love.
But then we hear them crying over the pain it causes.

True love inspires.
It makes you want to become a better person.
It takes all your insecurities away,
leaves you with the courage to fight anything in your way.
Because no matter what, when they are in love with you
and you with them,
they'll always be there. Beside you. Behind you. Leading you....
Even the thought that they care makes you want to strive.
Even the pain becomes a part of the struggle to rise.

Being in love is exalting, inspiring.
Because you always "Fly in Love", not fall in it.

यादों की धूप

दिल्ली की सर्दी में
घर की छत पर चटाई फैलाकर
धूप  सेकना याद आता है
बस अब बाट देख रहे हैं
गुप्ताजी
उन्ही आलस भरी छुट्टियों की
क्योंकि बहन से लड़ाई
और माँ के हाथ के गाजर हलवे बिना
रहा ही कहाँ जाता है

Whenever She uses the "F" word...

Opened this article thinking I was referring to THE "F" word? :D
Congrats, you've just been cheated, because this one's really about the next most used and abused "F" word: Feminism.

(Haan haan ye article wahi ghise pite topic par hai... par ab aa hi gaye hain yahaan, to kripaya padh hi lijiye...)

Because contrary to popular perception, there’s a difference between being a feminist and a sexist…

~

A neighbor on the street, to her parents:

“Your daughter hit the boy on the head”

“Yes, I have lectured her against it, but she says that the boy teased and hit her first. I hope you called his parents too. I’d like to have a word with them.”

“Oh, I didn’t think that was necessary. After all, he’s just a boy and boys are uncontrollably naughty. Ladke to hote hi aise hain, kya kar saktein hain.”

~

Her Class 12 Biology teacher, to her:

“Get out of the class, you didn’t do your assignment.”
“But why only me? Why are you letting them sit in the class?

“Oh, these boys are already so notorious. But you, being a girl, disappoint me more.”

~

A female professor to the class in her under-grad college:

“Why are you girls cribbing so much over marks? It’s not like they’re going to take you anywhere. And why all the fuss about lack of resources in the lab, haan? You are anyway going to get married and be housewives or teachers as soon as you pass out from here. Just let things be, okay?”

~

The prospective-groom’s parents to her:

“Can you cook?”

“Yes, I can. Can your son?”

“Will you relocate?”

“Yes, I may. Will your son?”

“Are you career-oriented or a family person?”

“I am both, what about your son?”

Feedback on phone later: “We think your daughter is too career-oriented and headstrong. We want a more family girl.”

Every time she tells people she is a feminist, they look at her as if she is out on some “mahila-mukti-morcha”, until she clarifies:

“I'm as much a feminist as I'm a masculinist”

Yes! The "M" word exists. :P

…and if someone stood as a silent witness to even one event similar to the ones mentioned above, then they are the actual sexists.

Through Shut Eyes I Saw

Some beliefs
Some broken dreams
dreams? or just wishful thinking
in desperation?
of escapism
of running away from reality
of shutting eyes to effort
of wishing for things to happen
on their own

a life, its luxuries, taken for granted
served on a platter
with cherry toppings and creamy icings
cribbing still
for nothing in particular
yet over everything

but till when?
never budging
cribbing still
pampered, moods
throwing tantrums
overtly rude
under the guise of sarcasm
hiding beneath all this
masking imperfections
incomplete endings

but till when?
but till when?
when one day
I shut my eyes
in frightened rebellion
as life slapped me hard
the sound reverberated
deep within
the pain of thrust
pierced within

I shut my eyes
and that's when I saw
or rather, was made to face
myself
all that had to be cleaned up
the pile of misery
of a self centered miser
miser in effort
miser in wholeheartedness
miser in character
miser in intention

and still the world has been
generous
way too generous
with this realization
I vow to give back
what I have taken
that hasn't been rightfully mine
Now I yearn to give back
all that I never earned but took

It's not snakes and ladders
life
not shields and daggers
it is a realization
life
a realization
that takes its own time to come
a realization
that's better late than never.