Life's like this...

Life sometimes brings us such people, who definitely deserve a mention. Here I go...

Last Sunday, a friend and I were walking back from the make-do market in our locality , when a couple stopped their car next to us, and asked if they could give us a ride, and drop us somewhere. It was late in the evening, we were drenched, and carrying heavy grocery bags. And of course, there were no autos around.

It turned out that we were headed in a different direction from them. We thanked them all the same, for the kind gesture. We were really over whelmed that there still are such people around! They had actually gone a little ahead, and reversed over to stop by our side, to offer us the lift! To top it, they didn't care that we'd drip and ruin their expensive upholstery!

We blessed them, as they went by, and continued on our way, still talking of their goodness...

बुलबुल मेरे चमन की

बुलबुल एक और मेरे चमन की, उड़ चली घरोंदा नया बनाने.
"जुट जाए नया ठिकाना उसका", सोच कर लगा था उसे उड़ाने.
खड़ा हूँ ख़ाली हाथ मलता अब मैं यहाँ
के चली है वो घरोंदा नया बनाने...
ठिकाना नया जुटाने
मेरे इस चमन को वीरान थोडा और करके!


bulbul ek aur mere chaman ki, ud.a chali gharon.daa nayaa banaane
"juT jaaye nayaa Thikaanaa uskaa", soch kar lagaa thaa use ud.aane
khad.aa huu.n khaali haath maltaa ab mai.n yahaa.n
ki chali hai vo gharon.daa nayaa banaane...
Thikaanaa nayaa juTaane
mere isa chaman ko viraa.n thod.aa aur karke!

न हो मग़रूर इश्क़ में इतना, के जो माँगा, मिला है.
जिससे बिचड़ा है कोई, ग़म क्या है, उसे पता है!

फिर उठेंगे क्या जाने दुआ में ये, के नहीं,
भरे हैं हाथ तेरे उससे जो मिल गया है.

न हो मग़रूर ख़ुशी में इतना, के जो माँगा, मिला है.
न हो मग़रूर इतना, के तुझे ग़म से मेरे गिला है.

जिससे बिछड़ा है कोई, ग़म क्या है, उसे पता है!
जिससे छूटा है कोई, ग़म क्या है, उसे पता है!


na ho mag.roor ishq mei.n itnaa, ke jo maangaa, milaa hai.
jisase bichad.aa hai koi, g.am kya hai, use pataa hai!

phir uthe.nge kya jaane duaa mein ye, ke nahi.n,
bhare hai.n haath tere usase jo milgaya hai.

na ho mag.roor kh.ushi mei.n itnaa, ke jo maangaa, milaa hai.
na ho mag.roor itnaa, ke tujhe g.am se mere gila hai.

jisase bichad.aa hai koi, g.am kya hai, use pataa hai!
jisase chhuuTaa hai koi, g.am kya hai, use pataa hai!

Perceptions!

He sets us tasks we each must do,
and the paths on which to travel.
He sets us tasks per what we ask
of life, or of him straight.

I asked to travel, and now I can't...
'was puzzled why this be so!
I asked to travel...He sets me off
on life's many ways!

The mystery I could unravel--
This is what He construed is 'travel,'
and let me have it!

Bathed in gold, a perfect orb;
Onto the deep deep blue,
The moon emerged in all his glory!
Compliments they were, each to each,
And together looked lovely!

Higher up by now,
A cloudy garland around;
The sky's less deep blue and
He now shines silvery!

गुज़र जाए न  किसी बीते लम्हे सा,
लिख जा नाम अपना, या ख़ुद ही तारीख़ हो जा.

मुड़के देखता है कौन किसको यहाँ
मसरूफ़ है ज़माना इस कदर
गुज़र जा ख़ामोश किसी राह से बेशक!
मग़र अपने होने की कोई निशानी दे जा

लाम पे जाता नहीं हर एक कोई,
किसी मायूस को बस एक मुस्कुराहट दे जा.
लिखने बैठे तो बस सोचता ही न रहे,
लिखने वाले को अपनी कहानी दे जा.

guzar jaaye na kisii biite lamhe saa,

likh jaa naam apnaa, yaa khud hii taariikh ho jaa.

mud.a ke dekhtaa hai kaun kisko yahaa.n
masruuf hai zamaanaa is kadar
guzar jaa khaamosh kisi raah se beshaq!
magar apne hone kii koii nishaanii de jaa.

laam pe jaataa nahii.n har ek koii
kisii maayuus ko bas ek muskuraahaT de jaa
likhne baiThe to bas sochtaa hii na rahe,
likhne vaale ko apnii kahaanii de jaa.

Small talk...

I said, "Hello, how do you do?"
He said, "Oh, pretty good, and you?"

He said, "Well, how about this rain?"
I said, "The weather's been a pain."

I said, "And when it rains, it pours."
He said, "We'll have to get the oars."

There wasn't any more to say—
We said the same thing yesterday.

By J. Patrick Lewis

Moving on...

It was time for him to go. Ah! At last! He'd waited for this journey so long, dreamed of it often. Yet, it was so hard to embark upon it now. He'd gathered so much this half of life, and it was difficult to part with it all now...so suddenly, so soon. "What's with life and her ways! She brings you things you want the most when you can afford them the least!"

Sleepless night after another manifested his dilemma--he wanted his dream without forsaking his reality. He'd labored hard to obtain it all. He couldn't leave it all behind! He wasn't returning soon he knew, maybe never. So, he couldn't leave it all behind! He couldn't let go of what life had brought him! Not now, when he was so close to having it! He'd waited for it so long...longed for it!

He was ready to leave now, having employed all possible effort in preparation. Just before his first step towards his life's dream, his destination, a final peek into his baggage this once more, helped ensure he'd taken everything (tangible and otherwise...relations et al!) So, he began his journey, with a big smile that dwarfed his satisfaction.

Days passed by as he walked and rested, and rested and walked. Time flew ahead a little, and lo! He was at the base of the hill to climb. With renewed exhilaration in body, mind and spirit, he started uphill. The things he'd brought along suddenly ceased to be 'the burdens' that they'd begun to feel like, and the smile that had dwarfed his satisfaction, returned. 'These weren't burdens of his life. These were rewards he'd received (relations et al) for life's labour unlimited. He couldn't possibly go without them. No, he wouldn't!'

Time flew by a little, once more. The exhilaration all waned by now, he rested and walked and rested and walked as his baggage began to slow him down. 'He wouldn't leave it behind...the labour of his life!' "A few extra days wouldn't hurt for sure!" The climb became steeper and he was bogged down more and more. He'd rest and rest and walk, rest and rest and walk untill he couldn't go on...not with his baggage. 'If only he could leave some of it behind, kept safe somewhere, he could pick it up on his way back. It took days to pick what not to carry. Ensuring that he'd left it safe, he began onward. "Ah! maybe I should have kept some more of it safe there, with the other things! Maybe I'll leave them safe here, and pick them on my way back, lest they ruin, onward uphill with me."

He was faster now, lighter, with more of his collected baggage (relations et al), 'kept back safe until his return.' He walked and walked and rested and waned less as he moved on with more and more of the baggage 'kept safe.' "Ah! there's the summit! It shouldn't take long now...if it weren't for this bit of baggage! Well, let me come back for it, like I will, for the rest of the things."

He moved on and was soon at the summit. "Ah! Such beauty as can nowhere be! A reward more than all I left behind!" And, he moved on.