Cant thank you all enough

Today on 14th November, first of all Happy Childrens Day to all.

Well 14th Nov after last year has a lot more significance for me. And today here i stand, perfectly normal, back to riding, only because of your support, because of your care, because of your freindship.

And hence i take this opportunity, and its not only me its my family - Dad, Mom, Naaz, Fatima, Kareem Mama and Nani and many more (its a big family) to Thank you all.

Thank you Yajant, Anil, Varun, Pranav, Venu, Utsav, Shantanu, Pooja, Prerna, Isha, Divya, Samhita, Suhasini and all my MICAN friends.

Thank you for being there for me and my family.

And especially my mom, she misses you all a lot and i have already got like 5 smses from her reminding me to put this post on my blog.

ज़िन्दगी कि इस कशमकश में हम कई ज़रूरी काम अधूरे छोड़ जाते हैं
कई बातें अनकही रह जाती हैं।
अफ़सोस इस बात का नही कि हम इन्हे वक़्त पर न कर सके, मगर
अफ़सोस इस बात का है कि येः एहसास होने के बावजूद भी , हम इन्हे अधूरा ही छोड़ दिए।

Lend an ear

Lend an ear
Lend an attentive ear

To your heart broken friend
To your angry customer
To the elderly and the old
To your grumpy boss

Lend an ear

To your colleague who has had enough
To your partner who just loves to talk
To your younger siblings who are curious
To your older siblings who are gossipers

Lend an ear
Lend an attentive ear

To someone who is in pain
To someone overjoyed
To someone who doesn’t want to talk
To someone who is never heard

Lend an ear

To your chattery watchmen
To your friendly waiter
To a complete stranger sitting beside you in a journey
To the people closest to you in the journey of life

Lend an ear
Lend an attentive ear

To gain wisdom and knowledge
To be always interested in whatever you do
To appear curious and attentive to others
To be a good listener

But do also lend an ear

To ease somebody’s heart
To share somebody’s joy
To dissipate someone’s anger
To make someone feel special

Lend an ear
Lend an attentive ear

At times it means much more than lending a helping hand
At times it is all that the other person needs
At times that’s what makes you special

At times it is the best thing you can do and have to do

Paint my little rain drops!!!!

Paint my little rain drops red, yellow and green.
Paint my little rain drops oh! You traffic mean.

Even though the weather and traffic has acted so mean.
The clouds above have given me little rain drops on my helmet screen.

I am amused by the way they change their colour.
Sometimes taillight red or sometimes yellow headlight dipper.

I twist my head from side to side
Trying to colour all my rain drops in one colour, sigh!

But when the left ones are red, the right ones suddenly go yellow,
The traffic on the opposite lane, cops has allowed them to go

And then the lower drops suddenly go green.
Along with the traffic light, making them seem jealous and mean.

I don’t disturb these rain drops, no not one of them.
Others are all wiping their helmets and erasing them.

As I stand here in a jam drenched to the bone.
I fight away my boredom by making this stupid song.

Paint my little rain drops red, yellow and green.

Paint my little rain drops oh! You traffic mean.

8 months 9 days 20 hours and 30 minutes.......

24th July, 2009; 3:30pm; Sec’bad Railway Station: This was the 3rd time this week I have come to this station। No I have not been coming here to see off anybody neither to receive anybody. But the reason for my visits here may sound trivial to most, is something very important.

After 8 months 9 days 20 hours and 30 minutes I feel a sense of happiness which, I had completely forgotten। I make my way through the crowded platform no। 1 towards the inward parcel office. Yes, that is the place I have been visiting for the past 2 days. But always went back disappointed and most importantly, empty handed.

“Kahan ho aap, kitni daer se aapka no। Try kar rahe hain.” The voice at the other end of the line said, irritated, when I had called up at 2:13pm. But aaj my heart said – Sab maaf!!! Coz I was happy, so happy that I could not express. Since then I just counted every second till I could get out of office and go to the station.

Yadgiri, the person I had befriended at the parcel centre the very first day I had come here। As soon as he saw me he said, “jab nahi aaya toh barabar jaldi aate the, aur aaj jab aa chuka ha to itni daer laga di.” I said, “buss kaam hi aisa hai, kahan hai woh.” He asked me to sign the register while he went to fetch it from the platform. I eagerly signed the register and got the gate pass. I fiddled in pocket quickly and fished out the keys -brand new keys. They had arrived the very next day Dad had couriered them and since then I started carrying them daily in my pocket. Just then Yadgiri shouted from behind, “side hato.” I turned back and saw him bringing it into the office and moving towards the exit. Even before he asked me whether it is ‘it’, I had recognised it. He said, “kyun no. Yaad hai kya parcel slip ka?” I said “Nahi!! Tyre ka thread ka design yaad hai.” After all I had chosen it 3 years back when I had decided to go in for a broader tyre. Yadgiri saw it again, the entire bike was covered with gunny bags but the tyres could be seen and he just smiled. Must have thought one crazy grown up kid I am.

He took it outside and put it on the side stand। I rushed to cut open the gunny bags, just like how an excited kid would open his gifts on his birthday. Yadgiri said, “Rukiye, hum araam se khol denge. Kaafi achi packing ki hai.” Then I stood back as Yadgiri very meticulously and carefully cut open the gunny bags covering the body. Beneath the gunny bags was a layer of waste newspaper. After around 6 minutes and 45 seconds (exactly according to my casio stopwatch) of working on it, finally, there it stood gleaming in the afternoon sun of Hyderabad, my Quicksilver. After 8 months 9 days 20 hours and 30 minutes it was there in front of me and I had the keys in my hand.

For some it may be just 8 months 9 days 20 hours and 30 minutes but for me it was nothing less than a lifetime। Perhaps a tear trickled down my eye. I was reminded of the day I had got the bike the first time. I was recuperating from a minor ENT operation in my house in Nagpur when Dad drove it in, not only into our courtyard, but into my life. 27th August, 2003. It was around 6:30 pm and was drizzling. I came out excitedly, holding my mom’s hand as I still was feeling a little dizzy due to medication and stood there on the steps just admiring this silver coloured machine in my courtyard.

“Saab thoda chai paani।” It was Yadgiri and his voice just brought me back to the present. The same silver coloured machine stood in front of me. But this time it had a name “Quicksilver”. I just dug into my pocket and found a 50 Rs note. I gave it to him without saying anything after all I was very happy. He walked away but I still stood there staring at QS for a little while. Went closer to it and could clearly make out the parts that had been replaced and repaired.

“Get the paint job done once the monsoons get over।” My dad had told me. Hence the scars on the tank were still visible. I just caressed it, from head light to tail light. I bent down and glanced over the engine and the rear tyre and suspension. I sat on it and raised it upright from the side stand and I felt empowered all of a sudden. Just last week I had met my doc and he said that my injury had not healed fully and that I would have to maintain precaution and that 25% of the area wasn’t getting blood supply and blah blah blah...... The voice just faded in my head and there was another voice in my head which shouted, “Bullshit!!! You have recovered 100% now.”

I looked into the mirrors and adjusted them। They were also new. And in the mirror I could see not only what was behind me but also what I had left behind - the accident, the pain, the hospital, the bed, the wheelchair, the walker, the crutch and also most of all the sadness. And perhaps I also saw a glimpse of all my friends faces, smiling and giving me encouraging words, standing behind me and most importantly I saw my parents who despite the whole world around them being against it, gave me back the most important thing in my life or if I can say, gave me back my life.

I looked sky wards and thanked the Almighty. For if it wasn’t for Allah, leave alone 8 months 9 days 20 hours and 30 minutes, I wouldn’t have ever ridden a bike again. Thank you Allah for keeping me safe and also for keeping Rahul safe.

I looked in front; the rush hour traffic was picking up density in front of Sec’bad station and for the first time after 8 months 9 days and 30 minutes, looking at bumper to bumper traffic, I smiled :-)

On the back of an autorickshaw in Hyderabad

मांगो उसी से जो दे खुशी से ।
कहो उसी से जो न कहे किसी से ।

Guftugu with Aparna Upadhayay.

AU: कश्ती भी नही बदली ,
दरिया भी नही बदला ,
और दूब्नेवालों का जज्बा भी नही बदला,
है इश्क-ऐ-समुन्दर ऐसा,
एक उमर से भी यारों ,
मंजिल भी नही पायी, रास्ता भी नही बदला।

FA: इश्क है ही ऐसा की इसमे हर ज़ख्म मज़ा देता है,
नजाने कितने बार इस समुन्दर में डूबे हैं पर,
हर बार उनको पाने का जज्बा,
दीवानगी की एक और हद पार कर गया है।

On the back of an autorickshaw in Nagpur

जिसके साए में हम चलते हैं, उसका साया हमें कभी दिखता नही ।
रोज़ी तोः सबको मिलती है पर देने वाला दिखता नही ।

What is your OPINION on this subject??

First they ask you your opinion.

When you dont have, they ask you to form it.

Then they ask you to justify it.

Then they ask you to defend it.

Then, finally, they ask you to fight for it.

कम्बक्त दिल उन्हें इतना न याद कर कि कहीं खुदा नाराज़ न हो जाए ।
इतना याद खुदा को करले, कम से कम मौत के बाद जन्नत तो नसीब हो जाए ।

Guftugu with Samhita Mishra. Part -1

FA: unki yaadon mein har pal bheeg raha hoon main.
Par unki ek jhalak ke liye pyaasi meri nazrein hain.

SM: missing who?

FA: Unka naam zubaan par hai magar awaaz se lene se darte hain
Yeh nahi ki unse mohabbat kum hai par unki badnaami na ho, darte hain.

SM: Usey khushnaseeb kahoon ya badnaseeb,
jisne tujh jaisa chahnewala paa kar bhi nahi paya.

FA: Na koso unhe tum ki taqleef hume hoti hai.
Woh na ho sake humare to kya, aaj bhi jab yeh haath uthte hain khuda ke saamne,
to dil se dua unhi ke liye nikalti hai.

SM: Kosungi kaise unhein jab mohabbat tumhari unke pass hai.
Naseeb mai unke tum na likhe ho toh buss isi se hum udaas hain.

यह ज़रूरी नही कि उनके साथ कितने लम्हे गुज़ारे हैं ।

पर एहमियत इस बात कि है उनमे से कितने लम्हों कि याद तुम्हे सताती है ।

इज़हार ना किया तोः क्या हुवा,
दिल की बात केह नही पाये तोः क्या हुवा।

उनकी आंखों ने सब कुछ केह दिया,
उनकी जुबां से ना सुना तोः क्या हुवा।

दिल के कुछ पन्ने ऐसे होते हैं,
जिनको याद करने से तकलीफ होती है.

मगर जब जुबां से बयान होते हैं,
तोः दुनिया उसे शायरी कहती है.

हमारी उड़ान को कोई रोक सके, इतना दम इस ज़माने में नही।
ये तोः सिर्फ़ आघाज़ है, मंजिल हमारी सिर्फ़ तारों तक नही।

Abhi kuch daer aur yahan reh lene do

Kal toh jaakar kisi ke neeche kaam karna hai
Par aaj toh hume apne marzi ka maalik bane rehne do
Abhi kuch daer aur yahan reh lene do

Kal toh in kandhon par zimmedariyaan aa jayengi
Par aaj toh in par yaaron ke haath rehne do
Abhi kuch daer aur yahan reh lene do

Kal toh office mein baith kar deewaar par lagi ghadi ko hi dekhte rahenge
Par aaj iss khule aasmaan ke tale khade hokar uss chand ko taakhte rehne do
Abhi kuch daer aur yahan reh lene do

Kal toh hum waqt ke saath daud lagaya karenge
Par aaj toh hume waqt ki bezzati kar lene do
Abhi kuch daer aur yahan reh lene do

Kal toh aadhi aadhi raat tak kaam ke saath khelte rahenge
Par aaj raat toh doston ke saath khel lene do
Abhi kuch daer aur yahan reh lene do

Kal toh shayad gaane sunne ka hi waqt mile
Par aaj doston ke saath theatre me ek aur film dekh lene do
Abhi kuch daer aur yahan reh lene do

Kal toh sirf ghar se office aur office se ghar ka raasta naapte rahenge
Par aaj naye aur anjaane shehron ka safar tay kar lene do
Abhi kuch daer aur yahan reh lene do

Kal toh hum baithe baithe kabhi tanhaai mein yaad kar liya karenge
Par uske liye aaj kuch aur haseen palon ko yaadgaar bana lene do
Abhi kuch daer aur yahan reh lene do

faiz.quicksilver

When I was sick u became the cure
When I was angry or frustrated u would help me let it out

When I was happy u would always be there to celebrate
When I wanted time alone u helped me leave the crowd behind

When I wanted to go the distance u took on mile after mile without complaining
When I pushed u to the limit u took on the challenge with a roar

When people trusted me I believed in u
When I was incomplete u completed me

When I was slow u made me quick
When I was weak u made me powerful

When I wanted to play u transformed the road into an x box game
When I wanted to paint u transformed the roads into a canvas

From the scorching highways of Kutch to the Ghats of Abu
From the wet bad roads of MP to the cramped narrow gullies of Mominpura and Mirzapur
From cities to villages
From the drags to long trips

You were always by my side...
..always.

Insaan masroof hai

Insaan masroof hai ilm haasil karne mein
Naa ki uspar amal karne mein

Insaan masroof hai apne takleefon ki fehlis banane mein
Naa ki unhe suljhaane mein

Insaan masroof hai auron ke aeb aur nuks saari duniya ko batane mein
Naa ki apne aap ko sudhaar ne mein

Insaan masroof hai saari duniya khareedne mein
Naa ki apne paas ki cheezon ki kadar karne mein

Insaan masroof hai manzilein talaashne mein
Naa ki safar ka luft uthane mein

Insaan masroof hai pyar dhoondne mein
Naa ki pyar karne mein

Insaan masroof hai phool aur phal ikhatta karne mein
Naa ki beej bone mein

Insaan masroof hai jeetne aur jitaane mein
Naa ki khelne mein

Insaan masroof hai networking karne mein
Naa ki rishtey nibhaane mein

Insaan masroof hai apne aap ko sawaarne mein
Naa ki kisi ki madad karne mein

Insaan masroof hai khuda ke naam par jung karne mein
Naa ki uski ibadat mein

Insaan masroof hai sochne mein
Naa ki karne mein

Insaan masroof hai zindagi kaat ne mein
Naa ki zindagi jeene mein

Indian Woman - kal, aaj au kal...

Kal tak meri pehchaan kisi aur ke naam ki mohtaaj thi
Aaj maine apna naam aasmaan par likh diya hai

Kal tak mere sapne, siwaaye mere, sabke the
Aaj meri in nazron mein mere aane wale kal ki tasveer hai

Kal tak, khwaish, is lafz se anjaan thi
Aaj mujhe in khwaishon ko haqeeqat mein badalna aata hai

Kal tak main sirf ek sundar taareef karne ki cheez thi
Aaj main auron ki nazar mein kabil-e-tareef hoon

Kal tak meri zubaan auron ke ishaaron par naachti thi
Aaj apni aawaz mujhe buland karna aata hai

Kal tak maine dard ko sehna seekh liya tha
Aaj apne haq ke liye ladna mujhe aata hai

Kal tak khoobsurati mere liye upari sajawat thi
Aaj maine is khoobsurati ko andar se mehsoos kiya hai

Kal tak mera har lamha kisi aur ka tha
Aaj, aur aanewala kal, sirf mera hai, sirf mera...

Go out there girl

Go out there, to learn
Go out there, to unlearn
And never allow anyone to tell you, you are incapable
Cause inability is not the same as incapability

Go out there, to achieve
Go out there, to win
And never be disappointed or depressed, when you fail
Cause every failure teaches u something

Go out there, to be happy
Go out there, to have fun
And never allow small speed breakers to slow you down
Cause the speed breakers are finite but the roads never ending

Go out there, to meet new people
Go out there, to make new friends
And never allow anyone to change you
Cause you are the most beautiful the way you are

Go out there, to explore
Go out there, to discover
And never do you think you are alone and lost
Cause we all are there with you, always

Go out there girl
But do come back soon
And never ever do you think that it’s a relief for us to not have you around
Cause we all will miss you very very much

ESCAPE

ESCAPE> the barriers of mind
ESCAPE> to a world of dreams and imaginations

ESCAPE> the race of rats
ESCAPE> to the never ending highways

ESCAPE> the daily monotonous routine
ESCAPE> to new challenges

ESCAPE> the air conditioned suffocating closed spaces
ESCAPE> to the feeling of wind in your hair

ESCAPE> the cacophony of humans
ESCAPE> to the serenity of mountains

ESCAPE> the dreary silence of inactivity
ESCAPE> to the ruffling of autumn leaves under the wheel

ESCAPE> the crowded artificially glittering cities
ESCAPE> to the full moon star studded skies

ESCAPE> the dynamics of relationships
ESCAPE> to the ergonomics of man and machine

ESCAPE> this society bound by rules
ESCAPE> to the wilderness which has no rules

ESCAPE> the virtual socialization on the web
ESCAPE> by hitting the roads with friends

ESCAPE> the pollution of air, mind and heart
ESCAPE> to the untouched innocence of the wild

ESCAPE>, just ESCAPE>

Is it speed or is it the distance?

Is it a 10 minute objective test or is it a 3 hour
exam.
Is it synopsis at the end or is it the whole chapter.
Is it the race track or is it the endless road through a
beautiful countryside.
Is it twenty20 or is it test match.
Is it a race or is it endurance.
Is it fast food/ takeaway or is it dining leisurely.
Is it sms or is it mails.
Is it short cut or is it the conventional.
Is it gambling/lottery or is it earning honestly.
Is it quick fix solution or is it a long term
strategy.
Is it acquiring new customers or is it keeping the
old ones satisfied.
Is it living life to the fullest today with no
regards for tomorrow or is it planning for the future.
Is it quick promotion through manipulation or is it
toiling hard and waiting for promotion.
Is it healing or is it torturing.
Is it crush or is it true love.
Is it the double digit number of firms on your resume
or is it silver jubilee in one firm.
Is it what we are tending more and more towards or is
it what we were earlier.

Is it speed or is it the distance.
Can this question have an answer?
Some will say it depends.
Some will say both.
What if we had to choose one?
Did I hear time????
But then doesn’t it depend on speed and distance.
Then again, is it speed or is it the distance.

Is it speed or is it the distance.

Many think it’s just a cheesy line on a biker’s T-shirt,
Guess, there is more to it

Kyun aajkal dil me yeh sawaal uth te hain.

Kyun din me khwaab dekhna bewakoofi hai.
Kyun khayaali pulaao pakaana bachpana hai.

Kyun pariyon ka desh sirf bachon ke liye hai.
Kyun zehen har cheez me nuks dhoondta hai.

Kyun dil darta hai har who cheez karne se jo bachpan me karte the.
Kyun kisi gaane par jab jhoom uth ta hai jiya, toh kadam nahi jhoomte.

Kyun kisi hunar me khojaane ke bajaae, hum use tolne lagte hain.
Kyun hum apne hi ird gird ki khoobsoorti se bekhabar rehte hain.

Kyun har harqat, har khwaaish ki safai deni padhti hai.
Kyun chote se chota ghum bhi zakham de jaata hai par choti choti khushiyaan
bagaer aahat ke guzar jaati hai,

Kyun aajkal zubaan se baddua nikalti hai.
Kyun dilon me pyaar ke bajaae dosron ki buraai bhari hai.

Kyun kisi ke dil me jagah na hote hue bhi, unse beintehaa mohabbat karna
paagalpan hai.
Kyun har rishtaa laen daen ke taraazu me tola jaa raha hai.

Kyun ensaan khud apni kadar nahi karta.
Kyun aajkal dil me yeh sawaal uth te hain.

HIGHWAY IN MY VEINS

The roar of the engine
The heat of the silencer
The swing of the rpm needle
The flicker of indicators

The trees flying by
The vehicles being pushed behind
The towns whizzing by
The road, km after km, being pushed behind

The corners swung into and out
The bridges jumped
The valleys dived into
The heights conquered

Let me be so always
Let me be free
Let me always be on the run
Let me always be on the highway

Why do I ride fast?

Why do I ride fast?
On empty highways when dawn
Is it to feel everything coming to life.
Or
Is it I want to get away from all worldly ties and responsibilities.

Why do I ride fast?
On filled highways at night
Is it because I feel I am among stars.
Or
Is it because I don’t feel dominated even though these trucks are so much bigger than me.

Why do I ride fast?
In cities
Is it because of the feeling of power I derive from making others appear stand still.
Or
Is it because I feel no matter how thick a mess I am in, I can always zoom out of it.

Why do I ride fast?
Why do I ride fast?
Is it I want to be noticed.
Maybe not
Maybe none of the above
But
Maybe riding fast I derive excitement and adrenaline rush without which I cannot pass even a
single day.