"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!

Life is Beautiful !

I tried to persuade her to let me go with the PLAN
She said "I will hit it harder than you think I CAN".

I asked her to give me surety that my efforts won't be futile,
She in turn responded, by giving me a sardonic smile.

I confessed to her my fear of taking risks, and told her there are certain authorities I cannot defy,
Condescendingly, she suggested, "Y don't u go ahead and try".

I confided to her that success and moments of pride gave me the real pleasure,
She said she would bestow upon me failures in equal measure.

When I timidly admitted, "I have been unable to comprehend, I am your owner or you are mine".
She smiled and asked, "Hasn't the understanding grown better with time?"

I asked her why she gave me tests I didn't want to take,
She replied, "I don't want you to get promoted with degrees that are fake ".

Then, I was sad and asked why with each new beginning I had to leave someone behind,
She asked if I have ever experienced the joy and ecstasy of the moment when we are rejoined.

I told her, "I have found you too cruel every time you've made me CRY",
She asked me whether I later realized: "WHY?"

Dreams !

Shards of broken dreams are too painful at times,
But don't stop me from dreaming 'cos atleast they are mine.

I travel to my utopian world riding on them,
And I smile ,saying to myself that I have lived through them.

I do not know what destiny has designed,
But through them I have embraced everything that could not be mine.

They might be far from truth and farther from me,
And I know that prayers don't turn them into reality,
So the pain goes down till a point and sinks after a time,

And then I smile again 'cos I know that

Shards of broken dreams are quite painful at times,
But they won't stop me from dreaming 'cos atleast dreams are mine.

Jhoom Barabar Jhoom

I generally don't write about movies but this one tested my patience to such a great extent that I have to put down my thoughts about it.

I watched JBJ yesterday which turned out to be a great disappointment , not only for me but for many of my friends...While I was still watching it , one of my friends sent me an sms stating " Havent seen a movie worse than JBJ in the recent times ". I agree with her to an extent but I felt the same when I watched "Salaam-e-ishq".

JBJ is like a "chitrahaar" with some scene sequences thrown here n there without any meaning.But for the good music , the movie could turn out to be excruciatingly boring for it's audience.The last song provides some "paisa-vasool", to music lovers like me.
The mushy and childish dialogues exchanged between Zinta and Abhishek bachchan , in front of TAJ-MAHAL ,in that beautiful song "Bol-na halke halke " , sucked out all the romance from it .

I wonder if movies like "Dil to Pagal hai ","Pyar to Hona hi Tha " ,"DDLJ" would ever be made again or is it that in these changing times the idea of love /romance also needs to keep changing !

The Magical Healer.

It takes me to a different world , devoid of any mental strains and pressures ,
An exalting force ; it makes me feel like an achiever.

It enthuses spirit in me and pulls me out of my greatest sorrows ,
A magical healer ; it makes me feel that I am alive.

It brings back the memories of some unions and separations in life ,
A commonality between every soul ; it is something which everyone likes.

It brings to life that part of me , which is subdued by the decisions taken by mind ,
A chimerical paradise ; it makes me feel I am a romantic lover.

It is "MUSIC".