...मैत्री ...

Its never been this long since I took a break from blogging - and when I don't create "stuff" - I tend to create "trouble" (more so for the people around me, than myself ;) ) :P  - so hope I get back to posting more frequently :)

I have spent the better part of the weekend catching up with and pestering my friends :D
And I know Friendship Day is still a few months away, but I am sure they will hear me out :)

Rattling off...

कधीतरी - अचनाकच -
एखादी दुखरी - खुपरी जखम दाखवून,
"फुंकर मारशील का जरा?", असे हक्काने विचारावे
आणि हातातील काम टाकून -
त्याने ही अलगद गोंजारवे ...
...अशी फुंकर म्हणजे मैत्री...

कधीतरी - अचनाकच -
गमती - जमतीत, हसता - हसता डोळ्यांत पाणी तरळावे,
आणि विनाकारण रडू कोसळावे -
कारण कळून त्याने लगेच - "होते मलाही असे कधीतरी" म्हणत अश्रू पुसवेत
...अशीच गंमत म्हणजे मैत्री...

कधीतरी - अचनाकच -
चालता चालता ठेचकाळावे - आणि धडपडायच्या अगोदर -
त्याने लगेच सावरावे
...अशी जागा म्हणजे मैत्री...

कधीतरी - अचनाकच -
कॅंटीन मधल्या लोणच्याची फोड चाखावी,
आणि जिभेवर रेंगाळावी त्याच्या डब्यातल्या लोणच्याची चव
...अशी फोड म्हणजे मैत्री...

कधीतरी - अचनाकच -
बदलांना सामोरे जाताना - उडावा थरकाप,
पुढचे सगळे धूसर - अंधूक - कसा करावा प्रवास?
पाठीवर देत थाप, त्याने म्हणावे - "चल की - बघतोयस कशाची वाट?"
...अशीच थाप म्हणजे मैत्री...

अशीच फुंकर - अशीच गंमत,
अशीच जागा - अशीच फोड,
अशीच थाप - कायम देणार्‍या माझ्या सगळ्यांना -
"I miss you, यार"

~Written on 19th June 2017 #Original

The Banyan and the Shoot

Once upon a time, there grew a Shoot, under a Banyan tree
It sprouted - and 'coz it was loved, protected and nurtured for -
The Shoot grew tall and carefree...

Growing up, in the Banyan's company -
the Shoot learnt happiness - to smile, laugh and be merry
To face the storms, the fires; and even when its leaves got plucked without a reason;
It learnt there's magic in all of life's seasons...

Then there came a time, there grew another Plant, under the Banyan tree
It was also loved, protected and nurtured for
And started growing tall and carefree...

The Shoot resented, grew agitated and threw tantrums,
For it had to share - the love, the protection and the care -
Of the Banyan it so adored, admired and considered its very own claim
The Shoot grew angry with jealousy, feared it would be ignored and may have to lie bare...

The Banyan said nothing, stood tall - peaceful, calm and serene
It continued to spread its branches far and wide - making a green canopy...
The Shoot looked around and about - across the green terrain
It saw a multitude of Shoots, Plants, Blades and Flowers -
Resting, growing, caring - all nurtured by the Banyan's hospitality...

Eventually there came a time, when the shoot said to itself -
The Banyan is not mine to lay sole claim to
It has had and will always have, a life - beyond me too...
I guess I should be grateful and happy -
someone I love is capable of being a canopy
A Banyan - everyone looks up to...

~Written on 22nd September 2016 #Original

Of Anchors and Horizons...

Who do you like the most, the Sea asked the Ship :
the Anchor or the Horizon?
The Ship thought awhile, and smiling said,
But ofcourse the Anchor.
For it gives me the Freedom to be free;
The Freedom to be me.

The Horizon will always tempt...
With dreams of distant lands and unchartered realms.
And whilst in pursuit of the Horizon,
There will be times when I need to seek shelter -
shelter from storms and shelter from the unknown.
And then I will always need an Anchor;
For it gives me the strength of familiarity -
and Acceptance and Guarantanee.
The Freedom to be free;
The Freedom to be me.


The Horizon will always beckon...
- and I - true to my calling, will always seek it out.
and steadily, slowly keep moving in the direction of my dream.
But without the Anchor;
I would not have the courage to conquer.
For because of it, I can stop awhile - I can renew, I can rest.
For it always gives me what I need the most;
The Freedom to be free;
The Freedom to be me.


And although it seems counter intuitive,
For an Anchor to be a symbol of freedom,
Strength indeed is oft times derived,
From the most familiar and oft 'taken-for-granted'.
In their own special way, Anchors do make lives enchanted.

And hence I was not suprised;
For when the Sea asked the Ship :
Who do you like the most,
the Anchor or the Horizon?
And the Ship smiling said,
But ofcourse the Anchor.
For it gives me the Freedom to be free;
The Freedom to be me.

~Written on 29th Dec 2015. #Original

Thou shalt not judge...

Thou shalt not judge
is what you often repeat
But sometimes, just sometimes
Its tough to practice what you preach

And so you judge the traveller sitting right next to you
for no real fault of his,
Just because his belongings seem slightly askew...

Thou shalt not judge
is what you often repeat
But sometimes, just sometimes
Its tough to practice what you preach

And so you judge that friend who's now far far away
Yeah, the one who wasn't embarrassed to join you in singing songs out of pitch
Just because you weren't the first to know she's in love and getting hitched...

Thou shalt not judge
is what you often repeat
But sometimes, just sometimes
Its tough to practice what you preach

And so you judge a super woman colleague who's a real good Samaritan
For a cause greater than the two of you.
Just because she pinged in the middle of a Christie marathon...

Thou shalt not judge
is what you often repeat
But sometimes, just sometimes
Its tough to practice what you preach

And so you judge your little bro who you simply cannot do without
For something you've probably done many times too!
Just because he chose to celebrate his bday with a night out...

Thou shalt not judge
is what you often repeat
But sometimes, just sometimes
Its tough to practice what you preach

And so you judge your well meaning senior who's job it is to drive your project
For something that's just a part of who he is;
Just because his solution was something your logic asked to reject...

At times like these, know it isn't wise to set up a fight
When there's not much that crib chats and ice creams cannot set right :-)
And, thou shalt not judge is what you should often repeat...
Especially when it's tough to practice what you preach...

~Written on 28th Oct 2015 #Original

Flights of fancy

Sometimes my mind takes me on flights of fancy -
Higher and higher above everyday chaos...
Until all known things look distant
& troubles so tiny -
they disappear in an instant...

Sometimes my mind takes me on flights of fancy -
Faster and faster as the winds blow...
Until I see the land of my dreams -
A land of new beginnings and un-charted realms...

Sometimes my mind takes me on flights of fancy -
Deeper and deeper into the hazy clouds...
Until the lands merge into skies
& all that I had ever dreamt of - stands realized...

Flights of fancy :
They make you daydream like there's no tomorrow;
Compel you to create a world -
of your favourite-most people and things...
In excruciating detail - every single person, every emotion
every thing - amplified, almost real.
A world, almost like a bubble.
Your very own 'unburstable' version of reality -
that lives solely in your head...

Well, like all flights, this one must end too;
& when my mind comes back from its flight of fancy -
I find myself just a tad bit disappointed by reality...
Dull, humdrum and everyday.

But I always agree to travel, every single time;
When my mind takes me on flights of fancy -
For they give the vision of distant lands seen...
& the belief that I can perhaps still create
that, which 'could have been'...

~written on 7th June 2015 #Original

All I ask... : A prayer

The other day I had a "re-org" attack and was looking at old pics to organize.
As usual, I got lost in looking at the pics and recollecting the "good ol' days" (Well, not that the present days are any bad, but saying "good ol' days" has its own charm :P)
Anyways, I digress.

I found a pic of a poster I had put up on my hostel wall.
The pic is a tad bit blurry (yeah, yeah I didn't have the fancy smancy 10MP cam then :P) Good old Nokia. *sigh*
So here's the marathi version (as I had read it somewhere) :
The original Bengali version is here [Courtesy : SG]

विपत्ति मधे तू माझे रक्षण कर
ही माझी प्रार्थना नाही.
विपत्ति मधे मी भयभीत होऊ नये
एवढीच माझी इच्छा...

दु:खतापाने व्यथित झालेल्या माझ्या मना चे
तू सान्त्वन करावेस
अशी माझी अपेक्षा नाही.
दु:खावर जय मिळवता यावा,
एवढीच माझी इच्छा...

माझ्या मदतीला कोणी आले नाही,
तर माझे बाळ मोडून पडू नये,
एवढीच माझी इच्छा...

माझे रक्षण तू करावेस, मला तारावेस,
ही माझी प्रार्थना नाही.
तरुन जाण्याचे सामर्थ्य माझ्यात असावे,
एवढीच माझी इच्छा...

माझे ओझे हलके करून तू माझे सान्त्वन केले नाहीस
तरी माझी तक्रार नाही
ते ओझे वाहायची शक्ति माझ्यात असावी
एवढीच माझी इच्छा...

सुखाच्या  दिवसांत नतमस्तक होऊन
मी तुझा चेहेरा ओळखून काढीन.
दु:खाच्या रात्री, सारे जग जेव्हा माझी फसवणूक करेल,
तेव्हा तुझ्या विषयी माझ्या मनात शंका निर्माण होऊ नये
एवढीच च माझी इच्छा...

~रवींद्रनाथ टागोर

And since I am bitten by the translation bug these days, I had to attempt a translation Simply could _not_ leave it alone. ;)
Here goes my attempt at translation :

I would never pray for you
to protect me from perils;
That I never be frightened by perils
is all I ask...

I would never expect you to console
my soul that's fraught with pain;
That I can conquer the sorrowful sea,
is all I ask...

Even though none comes forth to help;
Let my strength not fail me
is all I ask...

When the world fools me
and I face betrayal;
Let my mind be strong, and let it not waver
is all I ask...

I would never pray for you
to shield me from dangers;
That I may have the capacity to stay afloat
is all I ask...

I would never complain even if you
do not reduce my burden;
That I be strong enough to carry that burden
is all I ask...

In happier times, I will bow down to you 
and recognize your face;
In dark times, when the world betrays me
Let my mind never doubt you,
is all I ask...

~Rabindranath Tagore

[Translated on 11th Nov 2014]

High on Life!

Sometimes life gives you a high
And you can't figure out the reason why!
You jump, you float;
You cry, you gloat;
And you can't help but say I'm high;
High on Life!

Sometimes life gives you a high
And you can't figure out the reason why!
May be you resolved a tricky bug
Or was it that your best friend gave you a hug;
Could've been the ginger tea your Mom brews...
Or the sky decked in sunset hues.
And you can't help but say I'm high;
High on Life!

Sometimes life gives you a high
And you can't figure out a reason why!
May be you got to work with a father figure you admire
Or you just saw stacks of fresh flowers piled higher and higher;
Could've been the effect of your recent haircut...
Or the race to book a tatkal ticket.
And you can't help but say I'm high;
High on Life!

Sometimes life gives you a high
And you can't figure out a reason why!
May be you found an antique earthen lamp decor
Or the seed you planted just sprouted a pretty blue flower;
Could've been the project deadline you successfully met...
Or the Chips and Orange Minutemaid you always get.
And you can't help but say I'm high;
High on Life!

Sometimes life gives you a high
And you can't figure out a reason why!
May be you just finalized a trip with friends
Or finished a Poirot novel with awesome twists and turns;
Could've been the pasta you cooked...
Or the Marathi play ticket your Mom booked.
And you can't help but say I'm high;
High on Life!

Sometimes life gives you a high
And you can't figure out a reason why!
May be you suddenly saw lots of fireworks in the night sky
Or just laughed over a PJ till you felt you'll cry;
Could've been that the late night radio played all your fav songs in a loop...
Or someone made you hot Manchow Soup.
And you can't help but say I'm high;
High on Life!

And you realize these are just ordinary little moments
No rocket science or phenomena strange
Even small reasons suffice;
Trivial things bring happiness...
'Coz you're high on Life!

~Written on 31st October, 2014 #Original

Mask-eD

Well, waking up early on mornings has its benefits :)
The awesome foggy Lonavala morning today made me type this out as I day dreamt my way to Pune ;-)


Foggy nights
Misty mornings
Puffy grey clouds;
And amongst them shines
A golden-ish glow
Is it the Moon masquerading as the the Sun
Or the Sun masquerading as the Moon...
You stare and wonder...

A faint blob of light
It's the morn and that's the east, they say
So it must be the Sun.
But the light's little weak
Struggling to break through in streaks.
so you wonder..
It might very well be yesterday's lingering Moon
Masquerading as the Sun...
Or is it the Sun himself - subdued, solemn...
Masquerading as the Moon ?

Photo taken from : https://www.travelblog.org/Photos/4322396

Suddenly its overhead
And no one's ever seen a moon at noon.
Over the afternoon sky it hovers
A milky white globe
It lacks the power of the noontime Sun
Can it be the Moon...
Masquerading as the Sun ?
Yet it looks very much like the Sun,
Who's just decided, with a low intensity to burn
Masquerading as the Moon...

Travelling to the west
As if on some brave conquest
Golden skies, golden rays
This has to be the Sun, they say.
The blob smiles and thinks, they've never seen
A golden glowing Moon,
Masquerading as the Sun...
It sits too high over the horizon for a rising Moon,
Accompanied by twinkling starlets,
Is it truly the Sun, wearing his gold spun...
Masquerading as the Moon ?

Night falls sure and slow
Further diminishing the whitish glow
Lit bright amidst the midnight blue
This has to be the full Moon.
Or is it just the lazy Sun,
Tired of travel; refusing to run
Masquerading as the Moon ?
No, that cannot be.
The fair Moon, this has to be
And perhaps never wanting to wane,
Is just masquerading as the Sun...

~Written on 23rd September 2014 #Original

Racing raindrops...

It's been raining away the entire week...and "racing raindrops" is what my mind calls out every time I look outside a window :)

Something that rang in my head for quite sometime, finally putting it in black & white...

Racing raindrops - Clicked at Srinagar, June 2013

Racing raindrops over the window sill
Flowing one after the other; never keep still
You choose a 'drop'; a very special one
and hope it wins the run.

Racing raindrops over the window sill
Zig, Zag, and making turns,
Down and down goes your 'drop' in a frenzied pace
Suddenly it halts, as if holding its breath.

Racing raindrops over the window sill
Your 'drop' stands still and so does time...
You wonder what its thinking; all frozen as it shines
Does it think this race is futile,
A meaningless means to an obvious end?
Or does it know it has to flow,
Down and down till it dares to go...

Racing raindrops over the window sill
Your 'drop' sits there glistening, brooding,
Till another drop joins it...
Misty, shiny, raring to go.
And without a moment's loss, together they flow.
Faster and stronger,
Racing down again.

Racing raindrops over the window sill
Your 'drops' flow down
And out of sight
You know they have joined the blue pool down
And you sigh.
Never got time to bid goodbye...
So you just look up at the window sill
and choose yet another 'drop'
You make it your 'drop', a very special one
and hope it wins the run.


~Written on 3rd September 2014 #Original

चुकली दिशा तरीही... : Day#30/30

Last day! :)
Want to post this poem, by  Vinda Karandikar, just to keep reminding myself...

Loosely translated the poem means :

(I had to google and think quite a bit for the equivalent words...translation is a difficult task! Promise, I won't laugh at Google translate the next time around ;-) )

"All is not lost; even though the way is lost;
For a wanderer, every star is his friend.

I walk ahead, because I want to go on;
In the stupor of this pace, the roads seem all alike.

For those who fear the storms, I have this to say :
Once you break the sails, all winds are favourable!

I have torn the fate mapped by proud destiny;
And embers of the past now lie extinguished.

Even if you lose the way, you still stand under the same sky,

One who realizes this, can go anywhere.

Hope and hopelessness matter to the cautious;
The unguarded need not fear these cinders..."

Image taken from somewhere on the Internet

Something's just not right : Day#7/30

A lump in the throat
A tug at the heart
A tear just waiting to roll off
And you know that something's just not right...

However far it might actually seem
the pain is really very near
Almost friendly
like a neighbour
Always peeking in
Always looking into your life
Probing, Questioning, Staring.
May be because it knows
something's just not right...

A photograph long forgotten
Or a poem long lost
A word oft spoken
A person passing by
A favourite song
Small things really; but are enough
to bleed you afresh
And then you know something's just not right...

However hard you try
However fast you run
There are times when you can't stop
Sadness from creeping over
There are times when you can't deny
Something's just not right...


PS: Well, please don't be alarmed pplz, everything's alright really :)
Just a melancholy working Saturday does this sometimes ;)
The 'something' is probably the code I'm working on...and this is what I do when it doesn't work even after eating away into my weekends. :(

--Written on 6th April 2014 #original

A place in the sun : Day#2/30

Well, I bunked the Day#2 post. :-P
So posting #2 and #3 together.

Take me to that place
A place in the sun
Where crossroads are commonplace
and 'not-knowing' is so much fun

A place in the sun
From where you see the stars shine bright
and things are simple
come day or night

A place in the sun
Where 'today' is the favourite day
and you cherish and count your blessings
and not fret seeing other's play

A place in the sun
Where you stop and smell the roses
not bothering about pimpled freckled noses
A place in the sun
Where there's always a way
Even if you go astray

Take me to that place
A place in the sun
that makes you realize
Things might not be wrong
even if they don't seem right

~Written on 2nd April 2014 #original

PS: I really really need my place in the sun! NOW! Yeah, a bit boggled and battered by life and things in general. Just a phase. A very very bad time (or is it a good one assuming I'm in a mood to vent and rant) to have started the blog marathon! I hope I don't end up cribbing all over the blog :-P

"If..."

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings---nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it...


--Rudyard Kipling

PS : Thanks to Gayathri for introducing me to this amazing poem!

Ithaca - a poem by C.Cavafy

My friend Meenu had put the poem "Ithaca" as her buzz, and it's such an amazing piece of work,that I couldn't resist from putting it on the blog...

"Ithaca" is a poem by "Constantine Cavafy" , a Greek poet.

Ithaca

When you set out on your journey to Ithaca,

pray that the road is long,

full of adventure, full of knowledge.

The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,

the angry Poseidon- do not fear them:

You will never find such as these on your path

if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine

emotion touches your spirit and your body.

The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,

the fierce Poseidon you will never encounter,

if you do not carry them within your soul,

if your heart does not set them up before you.

Pray that the road is long.

That the summer mornings are many, when,

With such pleasure, with such joy

you will encounter ports seen for the first time;

stop at Phoenician markets,

and purchase find merchandise,

mother-of-pearl and coral, amber and ebony,

and sensual perfumes of all kinds,

as many sensual perfumes as you can;

visit many Egyptian cities,

to learn and learn from scholars.

Always keep Ithaca in your mind.

To arrive there is your ultimate goal.

But do not hurry the voyage at all.

It is better to let it last for many years;

and to anchor at the island when you are old,

rich with all you have gained on the way,

not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.

Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.

Without her you would never have set out on the road.

She has nothing more to give you.

And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you.

Wise as you have become, with so much experience,

you must already have understood what Ithacas mean.

--Constantine Cavafy (1863-1933),
(translated by Rae Dalven)

I have a hectic four months ahead of me before I reach my "Ithaca"....(May be by the time I do reach it, or think I have reached it, it might choose to change it's location! ;-) )

Wishing you all a Happy Journey to your "Ithaca"!