"Main Hawa Hoon,Kahan Watan Mera"

When I had first heard this ghazal, I was a kid. My sibling was not born then and it used to be played in the living room while mom used to be busy in household chores and when dad had left for work.

Regardless of who they were sung by (Jagjit Singh, Ghulam Ali,Ataullah Khan or Hussain Brothers), all ghazals sounded the same to me- depressing , dark , incomprehensible and snail paced .Thanks to me and my tantrums ;mommy dear seldom got a chance to listen to such ghazals as I didn’t let more than two to be played in a go .Now 15-17 years later, whenever I am at home, cruelty is inflicted on me and mom by my sister who doesn’t understand why such ever depressing(depressing only for her at this stage) things have to be played in house.

Today I feel ecstatic when I hear such compositions. Discovery of a new or a long forgotten ghazal/song makes my day. Knowingly or unknowingly this taste was cultivated in me years ago .It's just that I cherish it now.

While searching for some videos on youtube today, I came across this one by Hussain brothers after a long time .My mind went back into past and painted a vivid picture of me sitting on a tiny study table, busy doing holidays' homework and cursing while this ghazal is playing in the living room. But today both the ghazal and those memories brought a smile on my face.

Lately ,reading quotes has become one of my favorite hobbies.I will keep adding my favorite quotes to this list whenever I come across a new one that touches my heart.

"Don't part with your illusions.When they are gone you may still exist,but you have ceased to live"

-Mark Twain

"I can accept failure.
Everyone fails at something.
But I can't accept not trying.

-Michael Jordan


"Regret of things we did can be tempered by time;it is regret for things we didnot do that is inconsolable"

-Sydney Smith


“Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn’t it? It makes you so vulnerable.It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up.You build up all these defenses,you build up a whole suit of armor,so that nothing can hurt you,then one stupid person,no different from any other stupid person wanders into your stupid life…You give them a piece of you.They didn’t ask for it.They did something dumb one day,like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn’t your anymore.Love takes hostages.It gets inside you.It eats you and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like ‘may be we should be just friends’ truns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart.It hurts.Not just in the imagination.Not just in the mind.It’s a soul-hurt,a real gets –inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain.I hate love”.

-Neil Gaiman

Time Off

I could not feel the beauty around me,
May be I was walking very fast or perhaps it did not appeal to me.

I halted to unravel the mystery and rested in nature’s fold,
This place was serene and it touched me to the core.

I stood perplexed thinking “Is it me or the surroundings that have changed”!

Glancing hesitantly at my watch I checked if I could spend some more time at this place,
I was astonished to find that here with me, even time had slowed down its pace.

“I have been running continuously for ages”, seeing my bewilderment, it confessed,
I feel a little tired now and need some “Time” to rest!