TUTORIALS

Inspiration to write this poem came from the big seven & a half marks tutorial tests that were taken twice in a semester during our post graduation...they were much of a headache...those who were with me in those days..would easily identify with this.. :)

It always makes me go mute,
Whenever I hear the word ‘tute’
It makes me feel the earth from under my feet slip away,
When I look at my blank tute copy & think of the D day..
Even though three semesters are gone,
& six internal assignments have been done..
I find the preparation for the tutorial tests has remained the same,
With everybody wanting solutions it’s more like the cat & mouse game..
Solutions being mouse & students being cats,
Anyone having solutions becomes everyone’s pet..
Just two days before the tutorial tests,
Staying near the Photostat shop is best in one’s own interest..
Here one comes across faces that were never seen in the class,
With solutions & introductions coming together it’s a great time pass…
But as one gets busy collecting all solutions with a new name’s tag,
He forgets he has two copies of the same in his bag..
After collections are over, preparation begins,
With nothing going into head even passing becomes a dream..
But just like good times even bad times don’t last forever,
With all the prayers to god the tests get over…
This makes one promise oneself,” I’ll not commit the mistake again”.
But that’s only till the time he realizes,” To err is human”…
And as one gets back to his original routine
He thanks god for sending the Photostat machine…

Dear Friend...

Very often in life we stop ourselves from saying or doing what our heart tells us...reason could be anything...fear of being ridiculed...fear of being taken for granted...fear of being misunderstood..but, whatever little life I have lived and experienced I feel...It either happens now or never...Nothing is going to live forever...so live life to the fullest..live it the way you want...as if none is watching you...'coz life comes once and the saddest words to ever speak in life would be... "I wish I had... "

We've known each other for quite a while,

How will I forget your face with that charming smile...

The moments spent with you are still very clear in my mind,

The reasons to forget those I just cannot find...

Times when you were near but I ignored,

Moments when I wished to let you know how much you were adored...

Times when you felt I had big attitude,

Moments when I tried to talk but you were rude..

Times when each expected the other to speak a word,

But neither could get the courage from anywhere in the world...

It's these times and moments that shall always remain with me,

No matter where you go and where I may be...

If at any time you felt I hurted you,

Please be assured I hurted myself twice as much too...

If I ever made you feel unimportant or unwanted,

That was 'coz I feared being taken for granted...

I couldn't understand you; though I tried my best,

Neither could I make you understand myself shall always be a regret..

But, time I know waits for none,

Neither you and me nor anyone...

So, if in our lives we ever meet again please don't forget,

I wish to see you with a smile as sweet as the one you had when we first met...

'Coz to my god I always pray,

To keep you happy every moment and in all ways...

Peace Is Better Than War

Times Of India, 27 Jul'07 : Courage, it is said, is being afraid but soldiering on regardless. Eight years ago, gallant young officers and jawans of the Indian army displayed this in ample measure,evicting well-entrenched Pakistani intruders from the Kargil heights against all odds. Operation 'Vijay' launched to evict Pakistani Army soldiers, in the garb of jehadi militants, was successfully declared to be over on July, 26, 1999.

The story of courage & pride might have moved to page 12 from page 1 over the last eight years, but the strength demonstrated by our defence forces at that time shall always remain on top amongst anything of similar sort in recent times. No words of gratitude or appreciation can be a reward to those who lay down their lives so we could breath in free air today. I salute those sons of India and their families 'coz of whom we live fearlessly despite all attempts of our neighbours to destroy the unity in our diversity.. JAI HIND!! JAI HIND KI SENA!!

‘Live in peace’ is what we teach,
But do we follow what we preach..
Why do we need to fight?
Is it to prove others wrong and ourselves right?
Within the country we fight over religion,
& outside it ‘Line of Control' is the reason.
These days kargil is the main issue,
To be Martyr our jawans are standing in queues…
They are true citizens in my view,
& therefore mutual co-operation is what we need to pursue..
But the question that bothers me,
Is what could the possible cause for this be?
Is it Pakistan’s selfishness,
Or was it due to our carelessness?
Well whatever is the cause for this,
What we surely need is nothing but peace…
Not only in our country but also worldwide,
So that we may call ourselves Indians with pride..
I think peace is better than war
Since, in peace sons bury their father...
But in war it is the other way round
& for any father it’s the greatest wound...
‘Coz many a times his son’s body is not even found...
We know hatred can never put an end to hatred,
For this love is the sole trade..
As hope is the physician of every misery,
I eagerly wait for the day when man starts behaving more wisely...
Let’s understand that perfect non-violence is highest bravery,
& it alone can help us live happily & fearlessly..

(16-Jul-99)

महिमा श्री 'के' की

‘किस्मत’ से एक दिन राह में मिले मुझे ‘श्री के’,
तेवर तो बदले-बदले दिखते थे जनाब के…
पूछा जब मैंने, “ क्या कोई लॉटरी हाथ लग गयी”
बोले"-नही एकता नाम कि लड़की मुझसे पट गयी…
जबसे मिली है वो मेरा हाल ही कुछ ऐसा है,
नाम होता मेरा और कमाती वो पैसा है..
अब तो ‘कहानी घर घर की’ है यही,
‘क्यूंकि सास भी कभी बहु थी’ को मानते हैं सब सही…
‘कौन बनेगा करोडपती’ प्रश्न यही गूंजता है,
‘कमजोर कडी कौन?’ एक दुसरे से पूछता है…
‘कुंडली’ बनाती है ‘कभी सौतन कभी सहेली’
‘क्या मस्ती क्या धूम’ कहती है सोनाली हठेली …
कभी ‘किसमें कितना है दम’ पूछता है सोनू निगम,
और कभी ‘कलश’ से भरे हाथों में खनकते हैं ‘कंगन’…
जबसे नाम हुआ है मेरा लड़कियों ने नाम बदल डाले,
सविता हो गयी ‘कविता’ और ‘कुसुम’ ने सुमन कि किस्मत के खोल दिए ताले…”
यह सब सुनकर मेरे मन में अजब जिज्ञासा जगी,
और अचनाक अपने नाम में ‘के’ कि कमी खलने लगी…
मन ही मन विचार आया क्यों ना ‘बिंदिया’ को ‘किन्दिया’ कर दिया जाये,
इससे शायद मेरी भी सोयी हुई किस्मत जग जाये…
और तभी मुझे ‘कहो ना प्यार है’ और ‘कभी ख़ुशी कभी गम’ में ‘के’ के तात्पर्य समझ आने लगे,
‘के’ से शुरू होने वाले सभी नाम मन को बहुत भाने लगे..
सोचा काश ‘दिल्ली’ होती ‘किल्ली’ और ‘पाकिस्तान’ होता ‘काकिस्तान’…
ना होती कोई लडाई ओर हम शान से कहते, “मेरा कारत महान”
इतने में श्री ‘के’ बोले ,"मैडम कहॉ है आपका ध्यान?”…
मैं बोली,"के तेरी महिमा महान,
दिया मुझे अमूल्य ज्ञान…
आज तक इस रहस्य से रही मैं अनजान,
अब समझ में आया क्यों रहा मेरा जीवन वीरान…
अब तो बस रात दिन ‘के-के’ ही कहा करूंगी,
‘के’ पढ़ूगी,’के’ लिखुनगी, ‘के-के’ ही रटा करूंगी..
करती हूँ ‘कोशिश-एक आशा’ है कामयाब होगी,
‘कहीँ किसी रोज़’ अपनी भी इज़्ज़त कहीँ तो जनाब होगी…

No marks for guessing that this poem is inspired by Ekta Kapoor's tele series whose names invariably started with K :)

सपने

जब आकाश में आता है चन्दा और जग में छाये अँधियारा,
चमकता है दूर गगन में टिम-टिम करता छोटा-सा तारा..
थक कर सो जाता है जब गहरी नींद में जग सारा,
और पा लेता है पल में इस झूठी दुनिया से छुटकारा..
ले आता है चेहरे पर मुस्कान तब, एक भोला-सा सपना,
सपनों कि जिस दुनिया में लगता है सब अपना-अपना…
दिन के उजियारे में इन्सान को जो ना मिल पाता है,
रात के अंधियारे में, सपनो में वो सब पा जाता है..

पर सपने तो सपने हैं , उनका क्या आते जाते रहते हैं,

हक़ीकत तो वो दुनिया है जिसमें हम-तुम रहते हैं...

Love..

Here's another piece of poetry in continuation with my one liner...Life is to Live, Love & Laugh !!

Love, is one of the most beautiful emotions felt by human heart..a deep felt feeling for someone can make us forget..forgive..overlook any weakness..any shortcoming that our loved one may have...It's a universal language..spoken & understood by all living beings equally...doesn't need mouth to speak..or eyes to see...just a heart to feel :)

They say, speak least to the one you love the most, 'coz if s/he doesn't understand your silence, s/he can never understand your words...you can always LISTEN to your loved one even when s/he is SILENT :) However, love is not blind..it sees but doesn't mind... :D

It's so big a thing that even today I'm incompetent to define it in words..my vocabulary doesn't seem to have the words that could most precisely express what it is...but, here's how I defined it three years ago... Cheers! Fall in love...it's a risk...RISK IT ;)

Ever thought of love & it’s meaning,
It could be a debate with no ending..
As many people as many definitions,
And just as many logics & explanations..
For some it could be the sole reason to live,
Where they have nothing to take but never hesitate to give..
For others it’s lake of sorrow, ocean of tears,
Valley of death & end of life with no cheers..
For some it brings all that they ever wanted,
And for some it makes their future haunted..
For some its thought brings a smile on their face,
And for others it makes life a sad note with no joy’s trace…
Some say,” Don’t cry in love..’coz someone who loves you shall make you cry”.
Other’s argue ,”it’s always for the other someone this heart wants to try…
& it’s for that someone these tears flow and eyes go dry…”
Although the same god created love for everyone,
But it turns out to be a nightmare for most and blessing for some..
For me I think love is a wonderful feeling,
Which unless mutual holds no meaning…
True love doesn’t demand or expect,
It just wishes good for whom it is felt…
It is given without any condition,
And expressed without hesitation…
If your love is true & pure, you surely get it back,
But, if you don’t, there’s nothing that you lack…
Just like all other life’s tests,
Love also helps bring out your best…
Don’t worry, if not today then tomorrow,
Love will fill your life with joys killing all sorrows…
Have patience, there will be a day,
When you’ll meet love coming your way… :)

The call girls

Making & calling someone untouchable is an easy action,
More so when we do not belong to that unprivileged section...
Though our society has never given women their due share,
But the most affected ones are those few, about whom we just do not care...
Society calls them, the call girls,
& treats them like animals...
Taking their name in public is discourtesy,
But, visiting them for pleasure is a man’s liberty..
Ironically , our society is based on hypocrisy…
Is it easy for a woman to give away her virginity?
No! she doe it only to fulfill her duty...
The duty of a mother, a sister, a daughter & a wife,
She does it not for herself but her dear one’s life...
But, we always call only the women involved as the culprit,
While the men involved are given a clear chit…
It’s easy to call these women characterless,
But, it’s equally tough to fight an empty stomach...
Even the idol of Goddess Durga becomes complete,
Only when soil of these women’s area is added to it...
Still, I know I & my society don’t have so kind a heart,
To accept these women as our integral part..
Our society never has & never would approve of such things,
Yet, they’ll continue till man stops living...
The least we can do is to accept their children,
So that they do not suffer humiliation in their life’s run...
Let’s give them the power of knowledge,
To help them write their own fate...
Let’s stop making them feel guilty for their mother’s helplessness,
Let’s help them enjoy human life in all its richness…

Three things...

Three things in life that,once gone, never come back

Time

Words

Opportunity
Three things in life that may never be lost

Peace

Hope

Honesty
Three things in life that are most valuable

Love

Self-confidence

Character
Three things in life that are never certain

Dreams

Success

Fortune
Three things that make a man/woman

Hard work

Sincerity

Commitment
Three things in life that can destroy a man/woman

Wine

Pride

Anger
Three things that that never fail
True love
Determination
Belief

A forwarded mail that I received from one of my friends and felt these three things were worth reminding self again & again.. :)

Please, don't be a teacher!

Curiosity as you know is deep rooted in human behaviour,
& can come out of you at any odd hour..
Being a human I’m curious too, you see,
About what my friends would do after M.Sc.?
So, I asked a few of them,” What are your future plans?”
They said in chorus,”Oh! We love to be called Ma’am”..
I asked them," So, you think you have the qualities essential to be a teacher?”
They got furious & replied,"You better worry about your future”..
I said," Don’t get angry, I just wanted to know, If I had a chance of the same career option,
& if I could also work in the similar direction?”..
Tell me what would you do, if a student puts up a question whose answer you never knew,
Slowly as their temperature went down,
& from excited state they reached the ground..
They said,” We know how to face such a problem”
& following is what they said was a permanent solution...
Tell the student,” You have done this in your previous year,
& the chances of my repeating it are very rare...
OR go & look for the book by Mr. So & So,
& if you still don’t understand come to me tomorrow...
A serious student would get the answer I’m sure,
& a non-serious one would not raise questions any more...
OR tell them,”This you can do yourself,
& if you don’t get the answer forget the question itself..
Above all tell them.” I expect you to know things so small”,
& add,”I’m afraid, your knowledge is abysmal”..
I’m thankful to my friends who brought my curiosity to an end,
& made me feel pity for their future students…
I wanted to tell them."Please don’t spoil the name of this noble profession,
For your stupid obsession...
For teachers lay the foundation of a future citizen,
For teachers are the makers of good human...
For teachers are the god if schools are temple,
For without them our dreams would crumble..
For they are the water of our knowledge pools,
So, if you think you can be a good teachers you are absolute fools”..
I wanted to stop them but kept quite,
As choosing their career option was their right...
Also because teachers had taught me the Newton’s third law of motion,
I knew for my every action there could be an equal and opposite reaction...
So, I well understood what stopping them meant,
& wished them all the best for the future as good friend..

My Inspiration for this poem were my M.Sc. teachers ; who often used above excuses in tricky situations :) No intentions of offending anyone..so if I happen to..I'm sorry :)

What isn't there in name?

Who says what's there in a name?... I don't :) on the funny side....

Shakespeare said, “What’s there in a name?”,
Perhaps for him it was just an alphabets game..
But, for me my name is my identity,
It distinguishes me from everybody in my vicinity…
I know a rose by any other name would smell the same,
But, taking it’s literal sense could cause a lot of pain..
Think about calling India as Pakistan and vice versa..
& addressing Indira Gandhi as Mother Teresa…
Or for that matter calling George W. Bush as Gen. Pervez Musharraf…
In the existing scenario, it will make life even more tough…
What you call tea may be coffee for someone,
& while you ordered a burger you may get a bun…
Imagine you booked a ticket for Dubai..
But when the plane landed you find yourself in Mumbai..
You went out thinking you wore trousers and shirt,
& get a compliment, “What an elegant skirt”
You go to meet Meenakshi with a beautiful girl on your mind,
But a man with short hair & long beard is the one you find..
Thus, a name I guess makes a lot of difference,
So, sticking to the customary nomenclature should be given preference
Still, if you are bent upon east & west fusion,
Then may god help you & others to resolve the resultant confusion.. :)

IT.....my inspiration!

These days you can find almost anyone & everyone complaining lack of time to do this..to do that..for family..for hobbies..etc...etc..but there was a time in my life I really felt there was so much of time and nothing to do..I actually felt useless till IT came my way...what was it..wanna know..read the lines below :)

All exams were over and I was sitting all alone,

I found nothing to keep me busy in my sweet home..

Thinking of what to do each minute passed like a day,

I felt useless and depressed till IT came my way..

IT told me to cheer up,

& to start working for the victor's cup..

IT said all wasn't over as yet,

& on my success it was ready to bet..

IT took me and my imaginations to such a high,

I felt I could cross all limits of success & even touch the sky..

But, then IT warned only dreams wont work,

'Coz lazy people don't deserve good luck..

I promised IT, if it stayed with me I'll put in the required perspiration,

IT agreed, I thanked it..my little INSPIRATION!!!

Humanity

There are times when we think..create...innovate on our own...while there are also occasions when some person or incident inspires us for the same...here are a few lines I wrote for a T.V. contest however, never sent them for it... :)

Humanity...It’s neither a religion…nor a language…
But something that grows up with age..
It’s something about human nature,
A nature given to only a few by the creator..
It’s something that makes a person great,
And does not allow him to believe in blind faith..
It’s something that makes him help others,
Even when they aren’t his sisters & brothers..
It’s something that makes him help the needy in their need,
So that they can fulfill their deed..
Humans we can find many..but humane are only a few…
Let’s spread humanity..let those few include me and you…

Life is a mystery

Life.. just a four letter word.. try describing it.. and you would know it's not as simple as it seems :) we all define it as per our experiences..our imaginations..our desires... we all live it; yet everyone has his/her unique definition...here's how I tried capturing life in my words 8 years ago :)

Life is a series of changes and challenges,
Where length of happiness & sorrows ranges..
While some people are always happy & gay,
Others only get difficulties on their way..
To some people life is bed of flowers,
While to others it’s like prickle showers..
Though all happy people resemble one another,
Every unhappy person has problems different from others..
Some are worried for water to drink and food to eat,
While some others don’t have children to feed..
Still others worry for their daughter’s marriage,
A problem that grows with her growing age..
Some are worried about good health,
& some are running blindly after wealth..
While some say success depends on hard work,
Others argue it’s solely the matter of luck..
Some say there’s nothing that is impossible,
If you have faith in yourself and are really capable..
Others think hard work does not always pay,
Whether you work all night or throughout the day..
While some seem to be satisfied with the life they have led,
There are others who say, “Oh! I wish I was dead!”
Well, whatever may be the cause,
Life’s a battle to be fought..
Where sometimes you get a boundary & sometimes get caught..
It’s a mystery to be solved,
or may be a quarrel to be resolved..
But, since you have to live life anyway,

Then why be sad, keep smiling all day :)

A Girl Child

No matter how progressive we may be as a nation. How much economically promising...but one of the most basic rights of equality to all citizens still evades the fairer half of our country's population. We continue to be deaf & dumb witnesses of female feticide , rape, dowry deaths, unequal treatment etc..etc.. Following are a few lines I wrote almost 11 years ago as a class 10 student. To my utter surprise things are still the same...

Once I saw a newly born child,
Soft, little beautiful & mild.
It was the day of giving it a name,
Which would add to its classification & fame.
When I asked about it's sex,
The Panditji took out his text,
Nobody could speak anything,
As if somebody had taken away their spring.
The child was soft & beautiful like a pearl,
At last someone from the crowd said, "It is a girl".
Not knowing what to do next,
I came home and took some rest.
I thought for a while,
In which my mind ran up to miles.
I recognised the importance of being a boy,
Who enjoys life & for whom life is joy.
I asked god,
"O mighty lord,
On this earth girls and boys are given birth together,
Then why by the people are boys preferred over?
When women are bought and sold like goods,
Along with paper, metal, tea, coffee & woods,
When women have no right of their own,
when there's none to whom she's known,
When this world of yours is 'Purush Pradhan',
When ladies are not given any 'Samman',
When women have to work under men,
When for a woman husband in home is like lion in den,
Why are girls given birth then?
O God! this is a request of mine,
Stop the use of women as wine,
Because women are also human beings,
They are not dead, they are living..
If you want to save this world of yours'
STOP! STOP! the rape, abduction & killing of women in the daily hours."