प्यार कही खो जाता है

पाने खोने के मुक़ाबले में

प्यार कही खो जाता है

रिश्तों के बंधन में

साँस घुटने लगती है

दुनियादारी के बोझ में

प्यार कही खो जाता है

कस्में वादों में घसीटते हुए

शर्तों के बींच से गुज़रते हुए

ख़ून के आँसू रो कर

प्यार कही खो जाता है

प्यार तो एक खुशबू है

इसे तो उड़ना होता है

इसे खेलने दो हवा के साथ

वरना प्यार कही खो जाता है

ये तो खुली धूप में निखरता है

ज़िंदगी में सावन के रंग बिखेरता है

इसे तो दूर रहने दो रस्मो रिवाज से

नही तो, प्यार कही खो जाता है

ये दूरी भी ज़रूरी है

ये जो दूरी है ,
ये भी ज़रूरी है !

ज़िंदगी को जंग ,
ज़िंदगी को दौड़ जो कहते थे ,
हर पल भागनेवालों ,🏃🏼‍♀️
ये आराम भी ज़रूरी है ।🙇🏼‍♀️

सब कुछ जुटाने में लगे थे ,
सब ख़रीदते गए ,
बंद कमरे में सोचो ,
सचमुच ज़िंदगी में क्या ज़रूरी है । 🌱🎋🌾🌿

हर वक्त किसी का हाथ थामे ,👬
वो छूट जाने का डर सहते थे ,
आज जब उनके ही साथ अकेले हो ,
तब समझ में आया की ,
थोड़ी दूरी भी ज़रूरी है । 🤷🏼‍♀️

ख़ुद से प्यार ,खुद का ख़याल ,😘
लोग क्या कहेंगे से दूर ,
एक ज़िंदगी खूबसूरत🌹
खुद के साथ भी ज़रूरी है ।

इसके उस पार जो ज़िंदगी है ,🌟
उसकी क़दर थोड़ी करना ,🙏🏻
कीमत चाहे कुछ भी हो ,
ज़िंदगी ख़ुद के साथ भी बिताना ।🙏🏻

⛈⛈वर्षा ⛈⛈

The Black World

The Black World

A concept that intrigued me the moment I discovered this place. I was eager to experience this at once. We jumped at the first opportunity to visit this marvelous place. Writing about this place, I have to be really careful as I want to reveal just enough to intrigue you, but not to be a spoilsport for your experience. I truly want everyone to enjoy what we did.

The Black World India, Xion Mall, Hinjewadi, Pune is a theme restaurant, where you sit in a dark and you will be served food by blind waiters. You have to deposit most of the stuff including mobile in the lockers. Please do not sneak away anything that can emit light, the loss is yours. Also, just one tip I may want to share is, don’t stress your eyes by trying to see things in the dark. You won’t see anything, so even keeping your eyes closed could be a good idea.

Before we proceed, let me tell you something about myself. I am that person who used to be petrified if I have to walk in a movie theatre. This was a pretty big adventure for me. But don’t you worry as the place is designed for blind people and you will be guided by them. I was apprehensive about eating in the dark as I am not capable of eating food without spilling. Believe me, I was spotless when I came out. If I can do it, anybody can.

What you experience there is surely going to be unique to each one of us. Your mind will wander in the directions you won’t know, you will imagine the world with your eyes closed.

My experience could be divided into two parts. One, when you are busy eating and other when you are not. When I was not eating, my mind was full of curiosity, I wanted to measure the whole place with my hands. But while I was eating, blindness suddenly seemed normal. I could carry on with such an ease. I could see my food with hands and aroma of food. Guessing what we were eating was a fun game. Trust me, you have never been this aware of what you ate in past.

There was so much peace in the darkness, it was blissful. Something you cannot enjoy with your eyes open. My imaginations were running wild.

What if there was a village for all blind people, designed especially for them to live their life independently. They seemed so self-sufficient, maybe they might end up teaching us how to live smartly and happily too.

While we were being served by blind people, we were the ones who needed help. And they did everything to make us comfortable in their world. How about we realize that our world is not designed for them and offer some help and no favors.

How good might this place be for the dating? You may be able to see the person beyond physical appearance and get to know them. How imaginative is our mind when we just stop seeing a thing.

So many thoughts, the mind was full of pleasure and gratitude. I recommend this place strongly, just as this might be an experience you will treasure.

Note: This is not a sponsored post.

Taken for Granted

A few years back, I stumbled upon a Marathi TV series Uncha Maza Zoka (loosely translated, my swing goes high). It was the life story of great Ramabai Ranade, who fought for women education. I am a bit embarrassed to acknowledge that I didn’t know about her before watching this series.  

Of course, I am aware of the struggle for women education. But what left me disturbed was one particular incident, fight for citizenship. This was around the start of 20^th century, Ramabai Ranade was fighting for women to be given the status of a citizen. Yeah, take a moment let that sink in. This was almost 75 years before I was born.

I was haunted by this, I wondered What do you mean, we were not citizens? I was so affected by this, but then I happened to discuss this with a friend, a man. He maintained the safe distance when he explained, Look, you were like cattle. Don’t worry, he was injured but survived.

Though that was a joke, maybe that was the reality before these movements. It really took me a long time to come to terms with this. I must say in short time, India has made a great progress.

When we get it easy, we tend to forget the struggle behind it. It is so important to know and remember that some great people believed in a cause, fought for it all through their life so that we could live a life we are living today. We take it all for granted.

On this Women’s day, let us educate ourselves about all such men and women who have fought for the cause of gender equality. Read about how they did it, what kept them going. Not only for the pleasure of reading and gratitude but to understand and learn. There will be new battles, but the struggle will be same. History will help us in dealing with them better.

In future, whenever I feel like giving up, whenever I feel my efforts will go vain, I will remind myself that Savitribai Phule and Ramabai Ranade didn’t give up. I am reaping the fruits of their lifelong struggle. I will not take it for granted. I will celebrate my freedom and use my education to help others rise.

Above all, I will not shy away from calling myself a feminist which means nothing but a believer in gender equality. As I wouldn’t have existed and wouldn’t be able to read and write without it.

On this women’s day, let’s build each other. 

मासूम सा चेहरा

दिल ने फिर याद कीया वो मासूम सा चेहरा

ऊन शोख निगाहो पर घुंघराली लटो का पहरा

दबे पाव आकर जो तुम देती थी दिल पर दस्तक

एक मीठा सा दर्द उठता है सीने मे अब तक

तुम क्या जानो तुम्हारी चंचल अदाओ ने

हमे घाव दिया है कितना गहरा

दिल ने फिर याद कीया वो मासूम सा चेहरा

ऊन शोख निगाहो पर घुंघराली लटो का पहरा

जब भी होते है खफा दुनिया के फरेब से

आँख बंद करके याद करते है तुम्हे

वो अल्हड़ सी हसी, वो दीवानगी

धूप मे नहाई सूरत का वो रंग सुनहरा

दिल ने फिर याद कीया वो मासूम सा चेहरा

ऊन शोख निगाहो पर घुंघराली लटो का पहरा

Mind the Gap

Image courtesy

Today I am repetitively reminded of this simple announcement I have heard in tubes in England, Mind the Gap. Honestly, I didn’t notice it, why would I, I was 23, young and careless. But my mother took notice of it promptly and she was quite impressed.  She was touched by the gesture, look how much they care. In past, she had almost slipped in such gaps.  She understood the consequences. At 33, I was able to appreciate it too.

But today again we lost 22 lives in a stampede at the local train station. My respect for that simple gesture has increased manifold. The fact that in some parts of the world people care so much about human life. My mom was impressed because she had may be seen how ignorant we are, or may I say cruel when it comes to human life. We just don’t care, it doesn’t matter.  

Let me confess something today, I call myself an avid reader, but I avoid reading the newspaper. The same girl who once took hours to replace old newspapers in her wardrobe. I mean I had to read the old one and then the new one before I started arranging my clothes on top of it. For last few years I just avoid the newspaper, for one simple reason. I am scared to read the front page news. My heart bleeds to see so many people dying or being killed due to sheer negligence.

In recent times we have seen floods, train accidents, stampedes and so on. I am not even counting the road accidents, and rape victims. Well, generations have changed and governments have changed. But why nothing has changed when it comes to our mindset.  

Yes, we are to be blamed too. Yes, let’s just blame us for putting up with this. In developed countries, people do not allow the administration to take them for granted. Whereas in India if there is a gap in the service, we are asked to adjust. Some of us don’t adjust and complain, are called snooty, stubborn, brat and in some cases anti-national.

But enough is enough, we should not have any cracks in the administration. I am no person with the courage of Bhagat Singh, but as a mother have a strength to at least raise my voice for the safer country for our children. Let us all unite and mind the gap.

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Gazal

तुमसे मीलके

                                              Image credit: Mr. Right

(My first attempt at poetry/ gazal. This is for the youngsters who are told, not to wait for Mr or Ms. Right, this is my story for you.)

इक तेरा ही बस ख्वाब था

इक तेरा ही खयाल था

जब तुम ही हम से आ मिले

तो हाल-ए-दिल क्‍या बयाँ करें

इक तेरी ही आरज़ू थी

बस तेरा इंतजार था

जब तुम ही हम से आ मिले

तो हाल-ए-दिल क्‍या बयाँ करें

दुनिया ने हसकर हमे कहा

दीवानगी का यही सीला

पर तेरे इकरार से

बस करार हमे मीला

अब बैठ के पहलू में आपके

हम क्या शिकवा गीला करें

जब तुम ही हम से आ मिले

तो हाल-ए-दिल क्‍या बयाँ करें

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