delhidreams

its been so long / बहुत दिन हुए अब

2009-11-04T14:37:00.006+05:30

बहुत दिन हुए अब
धड़कने नहीं सुनी धरती की, मद्धम
न धूप को छेड़ा, न हवा संग खेला

बहुत दिन हुए अब
बादलों की खेती नहीं की मैंने
न बीज बोए बारिशों के, न फसल काटी सपनों की

बहुत दिन हुए अब
चाँद से बातें नहीं की अपने
न शब्दों को तराशा, न एहसास पिरोये लड़ियों में

पर अब नहीं, अब नहीं
बहुत दिन हो गए अब

translation coming up soon :)
and here it is

its been so long
since i heard the earth's heartbeat faint
neither teased sunshine
nor with the breeze i played

its been so long
since i tilled the clouds
neither sowed the seeds of rains
nor the crop of dreams i reaped

its been so long
since i talked with my love - the moon
either sculpted these words of mine
nor any feelings i strung

but... not anymore, not anymore
been too long it already is

an October morning in Delhi

2009-10-23T15:27:00.003+05:30

uploaded these and some more photos on my flickr page recently. please do visit and if they interest you, please do leave comments. criticism is welcome too :)

the link is:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/delhidreams/

thanks

just another morning at office

2009-10-14T11:35:00.003+05:30

Three cubicles ahead of me, the printer is spewing out non-stop prints. A little to its right side, and comparatively closer to me, some people from another department are involved in mildly disturbing discussions. Somewhere somebody’s land line phone is ringing. There is this general office murmur of people talking, papers being turned, footsteps falling and taking people near or far, some clicks of the ceramic cups when they strike the desks and above, below, around all this, a faint fragrance of Gulzar’s songs being played in a nearby cabin… aapki aankhon mein kuch, mehke huye se khwab hain...

सुबह, बारिश और मैं / at nine on a rainy morning

2009-09-10T13:15:00.006+05:30

9:00

बारिश होती तो बाहर है पर पता नही नींद को कैसे पता चल जाता है के वो और मीठी हो जाती है। सुबह जब से उठा हूँ, बारिश धूप की तरह छाई हुई है। एक गहरी, ग्रे धूप जो रोजमर्रा की चीजों को खुशनुमा बना देती है, काले चश्मे की तरह।

कुछ तो जादू है बारिश में। दिल में जो चल रहा होता है उसको और गहराई तक खंगाल कर बाहर ले आती है। दिल गमगीन है तो बारिश रुआंसा कर के छोड़ेगी ही। और दिल खुशगवार है तो समझ लीजिये के पूरा दिन गुनगुनाते हुए जाएगा। हर शख्स की dominant traits बारिश में साफ़ उभर के सामने आ जाती हैं। गोया बारिश कोई आईना हो जो सच दिखलाता हो हर किसी के भीतर का!

अभी एक घंटे पहले उठा हूँ और बिल्कुल भी मन् नही है ऑफिस जाने का। माँ ने खिड़की पर परदे डाले, तो मना कर दिया ये कह कर के, खिड़कियों से दिखती ये बरसती बारिश अच्छी लगती है। एक प्याली चाय की, बेसन के दो पकौड़े और श्री राही मासूम रज़ा की शायरी का संकलन हाथों में। अभी तक की सुबह का तो यही फ़साना है।

बाहर बारिश और हाथ में शायरी की किताब, कैसे ये दिल रूमानी न होता? खैर, ये आवारागर्दी ज्यादा देर चलेगी नहीं। अभी बुलावा आ जाएगा ऑफिस से के टाइम पर पहुंचें हुज़ूर, काफी काम है आज। पेरिस वालों को जरूरत है दिल्ली वालों की!

थोडी देर में ये कलम नौकरी कर रही होगी। पर हाँ, याद जरूर रहेगी ये सुबह, जब बारिश ने कान में फुसफुसा कर कहा था, क्यों न थोड़ी देर और लिख लो मुझे तुम...

9:15

lucky life?

2009-09-08T11:39:00.004+05:30

sipping ginger tea; planning to listen to a movie soundtrack that i've never heard before; looking at, being inspired by beautiful images from a talented photographer; making a living of the two things i love most - reading and writing; and surrounded by the fragrance of a pampered life, i'm feeling especially lucky as of now... let me hold on to this feeling by putting it here...who knows what my mood will be like in the next few minutes :)

dear life, thanks for everything that you gave or took away, for everything, that you'll send my way

“The most important thing in life is fishing.”

2009-08-19T13:59:00.012+05:30

Not long ago, there was a world without boundaries. Where anyone could pack up their bags and loose themselves in a world full of surprises. Surprises, some good, some not so good, but each one full of life, making it that bit more interesting for the grand children to listen to with wide eager eyes.

But sadly, there are borders now. Borders between states, countries, religions and races. Borders that separate men and women and their hearts. And in these divided times, one has to have a little imagination to craft some stories for themselves.

“This is the park”, she said. They were sitting on a bench in a desolate place. “Here is where the children play. And here, are the swings. And here (gesturing behind them) is where the sea is.”

“Its not look like a park, but it’s a park. You’ve to imagine.”

Once not long ago, in the middle of nowhere, a woman was waiting for something interesting to happen in her life. No man, no children, no culture, her life was as uneventful as the desert her town lied in. To this barren life of hers, suddenly came a band of men as bewildered as she was herself. And like a sudden sapling in a stark desert, there was excitement, adventure, humor, and there was love.

“In the early hours of the sea, you can hear the whole world, like a symphony”, said one of them, the band leader.

This is their story. Of Dina, of Tawfiq, of Khaled, of the Alexandria Police Orchestra lost in a lost Israeli town, Beit Hatikva.
“Once not long ago, a small Egyptian police band arrived in Israel. Not many people remember this, it was not important.” But it is, it is, you’ll say to yourself, when you watch this slow, humorous, heart ache of a movie unfold across the screen. And you’ll want to tell the world, how important it was, how beautiful it is.

And maybe you’ll also say like Khaled, “I can tell you, but only in Arabic.”

Or, in the language of imagination maybe?

Watched it this Monday night on World Movies, my favorite movie channel. And then, on Tuesday morning too. Check its own page here, and more about it here, here and here.

This is not a movie review (an excellent one is here), in as much that I call these unreviews. Attempted something similar many days ago here. Do tell me dear friend, if you liked these well.

the 50 question tag

2009-08-17T17:07:00.005+05:30

holy mother of god. this one is humongous. pallavi tagged me and am glad to oblige :) so here i go,

01. What time did you get up this morning?
ummm. i got up at 6. then dozed off at 7. then again got up at 7-30.

02. How do u like your steak?
only if it is vegetarian and is made of paneer (cheese).

03. What was the last film you saw at a cinema?
ummm. lemme remember. New York.

04. What is your favorite TV show?
these days, it is 'The Big Bang Theory.' it is a must watch guys. apart from that, there have been so many that its no use talking about them, here and now.

05. If you could live anywhere in the world, where it would be?
no prizes for guessing. saadi Dilli yaar :) waise, i do love Vienna, Prague and Paris too. never been there though :D

06. What did you have for breakfast?
a glass of milk and a banana. only.

07. What is your favorite cuisine?
Indian. especially made by mom :)

08. What foods do you dislike?
ummm, vegetables basically :D that is why i call myself a non-veg. vegetarian.

09. Favorite place to eat?
home. other than that, any place with her.

10. There was no question number 10 Pallavi!!!

11. What kind of vehicle do you drive?
it's a jet fueled, four engine powered, multi speed optional, multi dimensional space time warper rocket-airplane-submarine-car-truck-train-bicycle. ummm, never mind. i don't drive normal vehicles like you guys :P

12. What are your favorite clothes?
Jeans and a tee. simble. right nadhiya?

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
whoa! everywhere man. mumbai, chennai, goa, kerala to paris, new york, kazakhistan, south africa, greenland, alaska you name it. i just need my daily, comforts. rest the world is my oyster.

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
depends on the mood. though normally m a positive being.

15. Where would you want to retire?
why would i? why should i?

16. Favorite time of the day?
clock wise speaking, morning. otherwise, whenever i'm thinking about her, it is a good moment. (that romantic notion comes with a *conditions apply button. it applies only when we have not fought recently)

17. Where were you born?
in my parents dreams.

18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
cricket, cricket, cricket. tennis, football come second.

19. Who do you think will not tag you back?
why should i think about that. they'll miss the fun. not me.

20. Person you expect to tag back you first?
why expect?

21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?
haven't thought of who i'll tag yet. and generally, i'll b curious about almost everyone. won't tag them in d first place na :P

22. Bird watcher?
yeah, both kinds :D

23. Are you a morning person or a night person?
depends. by nature a morning person. these days a night rider.

24. Do you have any pets?
not now. but thru my life i'd many dogs and fishes as pets.

25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?
am marrying. in 2010. :P

26. What did you want to do when you were little?
wait. i wanted to be everything. astronaut, businessman, teacher, astronomer, dancer, government clerk, mother, father, commando, navy officer, pilot...

27. What is your best childhood memory?
sleeping on my father's tummy, roaming around alone doing nothing, visiting the green fields near my home, playing cricket. not many, but treasured.

28. Are you a cat person or a dog person?
DOG person.

29. Are you married?
not yet.

30. Always wear your seat belt?
yes. always. and make sure that others are wearing too.

31. Been in a car accident?
not car. but many others. now don't get me started.

32. Any pet peeves?
well, lets put it mildly. MANY.

33. Favorite pizza toppings?
cheese, capsicum, jalapenos, olives, tomatoes, red or green chilli and well lot more of cheese.

34. Favorite flower?
oh well, wait, i know this one, which was the last one, ummm, sunflowers i think. yes, sunflowers.

35. Favorite ice cream?
:) butter scotch :)

36. Favorite fast food restaurant?
Momos Point in Kamla Nagar, DU campus.

37. How many times did you fail your driver's test?
do you want people to be killed on Delhi's roads???

38. From whom did you get your last email?
twitter :)

39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
now or in day dreams? well, right now i would like to splurge at wills lifestyle. otherwise, Tommy would do fine for my day dreams.

40. Do anything spontaneously?
shopped.

41. Happy with your job?
lol. if u know me, u won't dare ask this question really :P

42. Brocoli?
yucks

43. What was your favorite vacation?
every summer vacation during school.

44. Last person you went out to dinner with?
her.

45. What are you listening to right now?
the buzz in the office. haven't played a song since morning.

46. What is you favorite color?
White. but Blue and Black are so close that i actually can't differentiate b/w favorites.

47. How many tattoos do you have?
none. but i want to be daring enough to have one.

48. How many are you tagging for this quiz?
don't know. first goal is to finish this. been typing like i've got some Cannes winning idea! still tow more to go.

49. In what time did you finish this quiz?
does it matter? ummmm, in less than 20 minutes i think.

50. Coffee drinker?
ya. quite. but tea addict. so u know where i stand.

okay. tagging time. lemme decide. will call or comment people individually later.

the book / किताब

2009-08-12T11:14:00.009+05:30

आकाश और कुछ नहीं
समुद्र है गहरा सा
और पंछी तैरते हैं उसमें
पंख फैलाये

चाँद नीला है
आकाश में डूबे किसी लंगर की तरह
और मेरा वादा है उस से, जब मिलूंगा अगली बार
तो अपनी सबसे प्यारी किताब से कुछ पढ़कर सुनाऊंगा उसे

श श श

अभी मत बताना उसे
की आकाश और समुद्र दोनों से गहरी
और नीले चाँद से ज्यादा रूपहली उसकी आँखों को पढना ही
मुझे सबसे अच्छा लगता है

sky is nothing
but an ocean deep
and birds swim in it
with wings spread out

blue is the moon
like an anchor dropped in this heavenly sea
and i've promised, when i meet her next
will read her some passages from my favorite book

shshsh

don't tell her yet
that deeper than the sky and the sea
and more beautiful than the shimmering moon
it is her eyes, that i love reading most

ma had great dreams for me.

2009-08-02T22:00:00.003+05:30

to fulfill them i did many things like running printing machinery, operating design computers, teaching children and adults, caring for adults that behaved like children (i.e. customer care and client servicing) and works. writing copy for around three years now and she still has no idea what do i actually do.

all i want is to get my name published someday, somewhere. as an ad maker or a script writer or a lyricist or the world's most talented lunatic.

hope you'll be somewhere around to cheer me :)

amen

please read and comment - post awareness survey

2009-07-20T14:21:00.003+05:30

thanks to all the guys who found some time out for my previous two posts. this is the last in the series. pls go through it and answer in the comments section. don't worry, it won't take much time!

01. In India, is it possible to get Braille on your visiting cards? Yes/No

02. Do you know of an organisation called Esha – People for the blind? Yes/No

03. Would you like to/have u visited the Esha website?

help us spread the light.

thanks in advnace.

adee

the candle and the night

2009-07-15T21:04:00.003+05:30

As the day was setting, a tiny candle was lit. The night, proud of its powers made fun of her, “Little one, soon you’ll tire out and I’ll take over.”

The candle replied, “Soon the day will be gone and yes, you’ll get stronger by the hour. But don’t you know, the darker you are, the brighter I get?”

Today I’ll tell you about a similar candle and how it is bringing light to so many lives. And maybe, we all could help this candle burn bright in our own little ways…

Founded in January 2005, Esha is a non-profit initiative that is enabling visually impaired people live a better life. In words of its founder, “We are a team of volunteers spread across the country, who believe in equal opportunities for the blind and work towards the same.”

Esha stands for making visually impaired:
• Self-reliant and independent
By generating employment for the visually impaired
• Sensitizing the non-blind
By interactive theatre workshops
• Partnering with corporates for their CSR initiatives
By conducting workplace accessibility audits

You can help bring this light into more people’s lives.

• Help me spread the word, visit the Esha site www.braillecards.org Bookmark it, twitter it, share it on your Face Book or Orkut profile or write a blog post about Esha.

• Ask your boss or HR department to get your visiting cards ‘Braille enabled’. You can also request them to have an accessibility audit at the workplace.

• Take part in other activities of Esha, like its theatre workshop.

Esha does not ask you for any monetary assistance. All it asks for is an open heart and a desire to bring light where it is needed most.

Remember what the candle said to the night, “the darker you are, the brighter I get.”

Please read and comment

2009-07-06T18:24:00.003+05:30

The following questions,

01. In India, is it possible to get braille on your visiting cards?
Yes/No.

02. Do you know of an organisation called Esha - People for the blind?
Yes/No.

and answer in the comments section before July 12th.

thanks a ton,

Adee

कल दोपहर मैंने

2009-06-24T21:17:00.004+05:30

कल दोपहर मैंने
बसे-बसाये घरों को, उजड़ते देखा
कुछ बेजुबाँ ख्वाबों को बिखरते देखा
कल दोपहर मैंने
एक जवाँ उम्र का गुज़रना देखा
एक साया जो था सरों पर, उठते देखा
कल दोपहर मैंने,
गली के मोड़ पर वो जो एक पेड़ था पीपल का,
कटते देखा

i tried but could not translate it. maybe it cannot be. so here is a brief detail of what the poem tries to convey.
it tells you how last afternoon i saw some homes getting uprooted; some silent dreams being scattered; saw a life snuffed out in its prime and a benevolent presence over our heads leaving us for ever...how the afternoon yesterday, on the corner of my street, i saw a beloved peepal tree getting sawed.

soul-full at the sahitya academy

2009-06-23T18:39:00.000+05:30

religion

2009-06-05T21:21:00.004+05:30

a triptych puerile
hanging over the sacrificial altar

a harangue to the old faithful
swaddled in truculent colors

a scrim pulled tightly over eyes
a mind, an extremity familiar

a dirigible in the name of God
in essence, a conflated fear

children's mart / बच्चों का बिज़नस

2009-05-27T16:35:00.005+05:30

लकड़ी का एक स्टूल लिया
सपनों से भी खूब बड़ा
अण्डों के तीन क्रैट रखे
दो खाली और एक भरा
एक तरफ़ टाफियों का डिब्बा
पीला, गुलाबी और हरा
एक तरफ़ माचिस की डिबिया
(और) सिगरेट का डिब्बा डरा-डरा
आज गली में नया खुला
बच्चों का बिज़नस, खरा-खरा

a big stool made of wood
bigger than dreams' delight
three crates put over it
two empty, one full of eggs off-white
one side has the candies cool
pink, green, yellow and bright
the other has a matchbox
and cigarettes huddling in fright
and lo behold, a treat emerges for the eyes
the children's mart and a genuine price

openness

2009-05-23T18:37:00.003+05:30

i don't why, but feeling very light since yesterday. had decided to open up my mind and heart to new ideas and emotions, and almost freakily, new never-had-before experiences started happening. in two days, i've had enough experiences to lose track of them. seems the world has sensed my state of mind and is working accordingly! guess positive thinking has its effects, after all.
welcome world
:)

its a bollywoody morning

2009-05-23T11:37:00.001+05:30

"pyaar ho dil mein to lagit hai sari duniya pyari//hum sari duniya ke, sari duniya hamari"
(if you've love in your heart, then the whole world looks beautiful// we are the loved ones of this world, the world also loves us)

arrived in office riding high on a wave of Big B's (Amitabh Bacchan's) golden era songs. pardesia ye sach hai piya, angreji mein kehte hain ke, mohabbat bade kaam ki cheej hai and so many like these.

its such a bollywoody morning :)

de de pyaar de....

double dhamaka (twin offer)

2009-05-15T10:58:00.002+05:30

have mailed to most of my contacts, but still posting it here.

"Last night while going home I became the latest unnamed victim of mobile snatching in the city of New Delhi :) Have got the SIM card disabled but as all my numbers were stored in the phone book (and not on the card), please be mindful of any crank call if it comes. Will try to get my number restarted by the afternoon. Other than that, yes, I would need your phone numbers once again." what's more damaging is that i lost my pair of specs too and would be temporarily debarred from my net duties :(

you can mail me on the id in my blogger profile. look at this way, even if we were not on each others' phone lists, its time we become phone buddies ;)

cheers,

adi

uncricket writing

2009-05-14T21:30:00.004+05:30

have just discovered her. and am hooked. yeah baby, for sure. if you are cricket reader, yes, a fan who loves reading about cricket, you must must read her articles. the problem is, not many appreciate the fine art of cricket writing these days. i too cannot claim to be a connoisseur, but Siddharth Vaidyanathan, Sambit Bal, Peter Roubuck, Sir Geoffrey Boycott, Harsha Bhogle and Tony Greig have been my favourites. these are all sensible, clear-headed individuals who write about cricket with a touch of humane inevitability. but then, there arrives this lady and as i said, am hooked for all my worth ;) have a look at some bits of her writing, and then i'll give you the link to her work!

"I for one am glad that cricket has been democratised. Playing a sport isn't about which level of society you're from or how well you can handle the adulation. It's about talent and determination and a little bit of luck. And if a billion fools are entertained by it, then so be it. And as long as there are still batsmen who are willing to walk before they're given out, and fielders who only appeal for genuine wickets, I'm not going to worry about all those lost gentlemen."

"Critics called Chekhov's endings "zero" endings, because a lot of the time they were blurry and imprecise. He favoured the anti-climax over the climax, because in his view life wasn't about meaningful revelations; it was about realising that this is just how things are. KKR's future isn't blurry at all. Everyone knows where they're heading, but for the sake of McCullum and the rest of his team, and in deference to the spirit of Chekhov (coughing his lungs out quietly somewhere in the ether-world) I hope that tide changes."

"The IPL, which could have been a great platform for modern India to assert herself in an utterly unique way, has already chosen to take the path of commercial success over aesthetic glory. Fine. I understand that advertisers pay the bills. I'm willing to oversee those garish uniforms. I can tolerate any number of DLF maximums and Citi moments of success. But would it really have hurt anyone if, at the end of it all, there was a trophy worth its weight in gold to lift? To silence everyone just for a moment in a way that only something truly beautiful can?"

more of her writing (i think each one put up till now) can be found here. as you read on, you'll find many more observations like these, which make you stop and think, not only about cricket, but about life, lietrature, India as well. and i'm yet to read all of them.

her writing is about cricket, but then about so much more, that it's almost uncricket! why shouldn't i be addicted to a writer like that...

the wanderer / बंजारा

2009-05-12T14:53:00.005+05:30

कभी कभी लगता है
के मेरे पैरों का
अपना ही मन है जैसे
कभी भी, कहीं भी
चल पड़ते हैं
इस शरीर को, अपने कांधे उठाये

sometimes i feel
that my feet
have a mind of their own
wherever, whenever
they move on, carrying
this body on their shoulders

thank you

2009-05-11T18:27:00.005+05:30

for eyes that woke up to a lovely light; for lungs full of fresh cool air; for a sky that turns gold from blue in a single moment and then red and then blue again; for a father waving goodbye to the daughter he loves; for children playing cricket at eight in the morning; for the temple bell that swings and rings and sings with the wind; for a rickety rickshaw ride that follows all the traffic rules; for a solitary student, studying on the steps of the metro station; for a master of imagery who paints pictures with words, "Later on, she and Father would discuss Grandfather as if he were one of those old unpainted wooden houses that collapsed around them almost daily"; for the strength to climb two steps at a time and still not lose your breath; for the splendid squalor that the city serves to the eyes; for filmy songs playing loud in a cramped bus ride; for a woman that smiles even when she has to run for that bus; for destitute children turning municipal dustbins into play swings; for a migrant family just arrived in the city, the woman's sindoor shining as red as the sun shined in the morning; for a ten rupee ticket that takes you across half the city; for friends who wait for you across the seven seas; for colleagues who smile when they meet; for a girl who slept at one and woke up at four 'cos she has to study for her exam; for a work that is not forced and loved instead; for music that talks as you hum a language you don't understand, yet; for a day that will be remembered for no reason at all; thank you God, for this all.

heaven only kows why we love it so - revised

2009-05-08T18:00:00.004+05:30

"We throw our parties; we abandon our families to live alone in Canada; we struggle to write books that do not change the world, despite our gifts and our unstinting efforts, our most extravagant hopes. We live our lives, do whatever we do, and then we sleep- it's as simple and ordinary as that. A few jump out of windows or drown themselves or take pills; more die by accident; and most of us, the vast majority, are slowly devoured by some disease or, if we're very fortunate, by time itself. There's just this for consolation: an hour here or there when our lives seem, against all odds and expectations, to burst open and give us everything we've ever imagined, though everyone but children (and perhaps even they) knows these hours will inevitably be followed by others, far darker and more difficult. Still, we cherish the city, the morning; we hope, more than anything, for more.

Heaven only knows why we love it so."

from the novel, 'The Hours' by Michael Cunningham.

i talked about it here and the movie adaptation, here. do read it if you have time.

yesterday was a holiday and i spent all of it reading, writing and dreaming. after so many months, a day happened when nothing mattered but loads of solitude and the book in my hand. all through the day i did nothing but read, wrote an unfinished piece of prose, one story that is waiting to be formed and one poem that refuses to come to an end; and god i was so contented after all of it, and heaven only knows why i love it so.

polling day

2009-05-06T22:39:00.003+05:30

delhi goes to vote tomorrow. it'll be a public holiday, so that people at least don't have the excuse of office, to not vote. i hope that the maximum number of people exercise their choice. it's too easy to crib and comment on a government you didn't vote for, becomes a little difficult when you see what your chosen ones are doing.

16th of may is the result date. i wish my dear country the best of luck.

she can do with a little bit these days

:)

naqab, the veil

2009-05-04T16:37:00.001+05:30