तलाश

सुकून की चंद घड़ियाँ हैं, साथ मेरी तन्हाई है,

एक ठंडी हवा का झोंका है, जो मेरे रूह से मिलने आई है ।

अतीत के बेनाम कुछ लम्हें हैं, भविष्य के अंजान कुछ इरादे हैं,

ज़िन्दगी को तोलने की एक तराज़ू है, अपनों से किये अधूरे वादे हैं ।

तनहाई के इस आलम में, अपनी हदें टटोलता हूँ मैं,

प्यार, कभी दोस्ती तो कभी रिश्तों की सरहदें टटोलता हूँ मैं ।

तलाश है उसकी मुझे शायद, जो मेरे अन्दर छुपा बैठा है, 

दुनिया की चकाचौंध से दूर वो, गुमनामी के घुप अँधेरे में खोया वो,

डरा सा, सहमा सा! मेरे खुदगर्ज़, मेरे बनावटी व्यक्तित्व से भयभीत वो,

कभी कभी आवेश में आवाजें निकालता है, चीखता है, चिल्लाता है, यदा-कदा रोता भी है।        

काश दो कान मेरे अन्दर भी होते, उसकी आवाज भी मैं सुन पाता,

उसकी हताश चीखों को सुन, उस तक पहुँचने की कोशिश करता ।

खैर! तलाश है, ज़ारी रहेगी! शायद राह चलते किसी की मदद मिल जाए ।   

ALMA-MATER

When studying,

                             My mind sometimes wavers to past

                       & slowly then the spell of retrospect is cast 

                Come to my mind memories of things not many but one

                  And I wonder is that all for me to think, under the sun

                                                           May be I guess I am not that good at moving on

                                                             Which is why, all other things fail the criterion

                                                            The only thing that occupies my mind’s platter

                                                                 I must tell you know is my ALMA-MATER

                   Now! I won’t set out to tell you stories of yore  

                Coz you know! They are kind of ubiquitous & bore

              And as it is, story tellers are many but listeners scarce    

                 So words falling on deaf ears may just be a farce    
   

                                                           Hence, my purpose here is like a ‘tweet’

                                                             SHORT,       SIMPLE       &        SWEET

                                                          & that is to express the heartfelt gratitude

                                                           On behalf of Georgians of great multitude

                Thanks for the care you catered to us

               Thanks for bearing with our fuss & cuss

                  Thanks for being ever more tolerant

               Thanks for nursing us like our own parent

                                                        We may well say a billion thanks

                                                              But they may not suffice 

                                                          to satiate our sense of gratitude,

                                                        for such is your role in our making

                                             that we shudder to imagine our lives otherwise

काश पुराने दोस्त आज यहाँ होते

थोड़ा मज़ाक होता,

थोड़ी मसखरी होती, 

थोड़ा मौज कर लेते, 

काश पुराने दोस्त आज यहाँ होते। 

कुछ पुरानी यादें ताजा हो जातीं,

कुछ भूले सपने जवां हो जाते,

कुछ लम्हों को दुबारा जी लेते,

काश पुराने दोस्त आज यहाँ होते। 

नयी जिंदगी के नए किस्से बयां करते,

मुसीबतों का बोझ कुछ हल्का हो जाता,

गले लग एक दूसरे के जरा रो लेते,

काश पुराने दोस्त आज यहाँ होते। 

फिर क्या है...,

जिंदगी किसने देखी है,

न जाने कब मुलाकात हो,

बस एक बार एक दूसरे को तसल्ली से देख लेते,

काश पुराने दोस्त आज यहाँ होते। 

भीड़ और हम

भीड़ में खुद को पहचानो,
वरना भीड़ तुम्हें निगल जायेगी !
जरूरी नहीं कि तुम्हारी पहचान भीड़ से बिलकुल जुदा हो,
पर फिर भी खुद को पहचानो !
भीड़ का क्या ?
इसकी पहचान बदलते देर नहीं लगती !
क्या पता तुम्हें जाना हो दिल्ली और भीड़ बॉम्बे की ओर मुड़ जाए,
ऐसे में तुम्हारी पहचान तुम्हारा साथ देगी !

To The Batch Of 2005-12

Yet another April comes and yet another batch will be leaving the hallowed portals of the Rashtriya Military School, Belgaum. Batch of 2012, you joined the institution in 2005 and memories of your admission & initiation are still vivid in my mind. I and my other batch mates being in class 8^th then, were given the responsibility of making you aware of the highly regarded rules and traditions of our ALMAMATER. And just like any other batch you were a quick learner. Even better than us, going by how intuitively you all had picked up the famed HIGH-LANDERS’ DANCE. You were obedient respectful and dignified.

As time slid by, you grew up, sparkling, showing your inherent and acquired talents and skills all the while. Some came to be class toppers, some champion boxers while some others great soccer players. Each one of you came out with flying colours, exceptional in their own way. During our 5 year long stay together, we celebrated many a wins (including a cock house trophy), enjoyed many a parties and faced many a defeats, huddled together. By the time our share of seven years was over you all had already proved yourself but even before I never had doubts.

Now, you have arrived at that stage when your life will take tectonic shifts (no exaggeration). Luxuries of a comfortable, settled Proxy-Army officer life with all the people to help you round the clock will be gone. I wouldn’t be telling you how to go about living your life hereafter, that’s for you to decide. But I certainly will tell you this- that from now on, the memories of these seven years will be the most precious part of your life. Knowing fully well that it’s impossible, you would still want to relive this part of your life. Cherish those memories as much as you can, hold them dear because they are the only part your ALMAMATER that you will carry with you wherever you go. But as you cherish them wanting to live them again, make sure they don’t become your weakness. Yes, cruel as it may sound, we all have to ultimately move on, even from things we hold dear. And memories, especially the precious ones have the tendency to hold us back, to overwhelm us with nostalgia. You will need to guard against this, sad but true.

Also, from now on, very often, you will come across people, situations and events that will seem grossly unfair to you vis-à-vis things as they were at school; whenever such situations crop up, be stoic, remind yourself that you are no longer in school but in an extremely cut-throat world & persevere until that weak moment passes by. Never ever let go of the precious values that were so carefully cultivated in you. Yes, it will be hard but you will need to learn to balance your treasured values and your progress in such a way that they never come in conflict.

Well, I feel I have rambled on for quite long now & at the risk of losing readers’ interest I will leave you with the five mottos we all have cherished during our stay at RASHTRIYA MILITARY SCHOOL, BELGAUM-

·         Pratap: House Hero – Maharana Pratap;  Motto- Treating Alike Pain and Pleasure.

·         Shivaji: House Hero – Shivaji Maharaj;  Motto- There is Nothing More Welcome to a Kshatriya Than a Righteous War.

·         Ashoka: House Hero – Ashoka, The Great;  Motto- Engage Yourself in Obligatory Work.

·         Ranjit:  House Hero – Maharaja Ranjit Singh;  Motto- Seek to Perform Your Duty.

And the best of them all, our School Motto- CHARACTER IS THE HIGHEST VIRTUE. 

Positive Energy

Often when I am a bit tense and depressed, I come out of my room and sit outside, alfresco in the night.
When the cool night breeze brushes past my body, I feel a sensation going through my body to soul, awakening it. I inhale the air and try to smell the aroma it carries with itself. I let the dew fall all over my body & let it smoother all the unwanted desires arising out of uncontrollable temptations. And slowly all the negative elements belonging to my human nature are neutralized by these forces of nature. It's then that the positive thoughts start reverberating in my mind. My heart full of hope, love and compassion, I am now ready once again to face another day in this world where everything can go to extremes.
Convinced that yes, I have enough positive energy to face the unruly temptations of the next day, I go to bed & sleep peacefully.