Moments so Far ...

एक था वक़्त जब मैं लिखा करती थी आसमां मैं उड़ते अरमान पकड़ा करती थी अनजाने मैं मुझे एक बंधन मैं पिरोया गया मुझे उम्मीदों की लहरों मैं छोड़ा गया जब उसने ऐसे जकड़ा मुझे पकड़ा, तोडा, मरोड़ा मुझे आसमां से पिंजरे मैं छोड़ा मुझे पंख कटे, अरमान मिटे दुनिया मेरी सिकुड गई अंगडाई भी  लेने से भी मैं कांप गयी बोलने से पहले मैं संकुंच गयी अब सिर्फ डरती हूँ मैं सब करती हूँ पर यहाँ रहतीं नहीं हूँ मैं माँ के आँचल को खोजती हूँ मैं गुमशुदा ही सही पर घूमती  हूँ मैं तलाश मैं हूँ मैं एक किनारे की आस मैं हूँ मैं उन हवा के झोकों की फ़िराक मैं हूँ मैं थपकियाँ जिनकी झपकियाँ देती मुझे थक गयी हूँ मैं थम गयी हूँ मैं 

We will have candle lights all get their own They will arrange for music system green carpets chairs and in-house DJ We will have light snacks all come empty stomach They have cancelled carnival, yesterday to honor the brutal killing Post light dinner We can shake a leg twist and turn to latest Bollywood numbers and do little dance A nation soon forgetting in disguise of concern creating a mockery of celebration making the shame an act of past to welcome the new year we sit on a time bomb waiting it to implode in our neighborhood until then we ignore the sick body and mind are the common man part of your support system a driver, a guard, a gym instructor a relative, anybody but we continue to make believe the tragedy was theirs we are safe the needle did not prick us so we ignore waiting until the blood spills here and now only then we scream foul blame the society and system cry innocence we are victim we are victim...

We have been brought up with this question. तुम क्या कर सकते हो? छोड़ो यार, फालतू मैं परेशान होते हो ? अपने काम से मतलब रखो न यार देश की तो ऐसी तेसी वैसे भी हो रही है तुम अकेले क्या कर सकते हो मीडिया कब तक इस को पकड़ के रखेगी , कल शाम के साड़ी चैनल्स पर क्रिकेट का विश्लेषण चालू हो गया था सारकार क्या करेगी, जो अब तक सोते रहे उन्हें हकीकत से क्या वाकिफ करोगे क्यूं हताश होते हो तुम्हारे आस पास भी सबको अपनी नौकरी और बीवी और बच्चों  की पड़ी है, जब तक उनके सर पर शैतान नहीं हमला नहीं  बोलेगा  तब तक वो तस से मस नहीं होंगे इस देश मैं ज़माने से होते आया है और होता रहेगा रावन भी सीता को ले गए थे So you see there are many reason to sit on the couch and wonder at the failure of system and society. What can the politicians do? call parliament session introspect and discuss with open mind  pass laws that restore confidence in citizens laws that are clear and easy to implement debar any MP/MLA with criminal record against women What can the ...

From the rustic village a hope was born with little wings she left her home to find life in the city a capitol for hundreds of years saw many dynasties rise and fall a young bud adjusting in the city's darkness hoping to blossom grow and expand earn some and give some back to the village little did she realize about vultures in darkness sick minds , weak bodies were gathering around her engulfed and suffocated her killed her body removed her spirit the will to live kept fighting for a while the end came , offshore the spirit was free the body was back rest of the nation wept promising action politicians and police slept avoiding action for in their fold there are many who commit similar crimes even they are headed by women but lack the spine for spirit of power is all consuming relieving them of the morality a change we hope and a change must come for fighting through winter there are some who walked the street and lit the candles ...

They are old couple moving around in indian railways post retirement having served the Indian Railways all their lives they travel second class got confirmed berths in two compartments from dadar to jhansi settled their bags and lying to sleep into the reserved compartment at eleven in night a crowd of bhaiyyas going to Gorakhpur alight they fight, scream, shout for their berth rights with utter disregard for the rest of confirmations inside the husband concerned exchanged seats with the wife took a bag along that was settled inside someone would have noticed the bag moving alongside the wife in the middle of night took the bag to toilet took out the shaving kit took the new saree and blouse it was a gift worn only once the thief packed all in little kholi left the bag in the morning a little boy wondered Aunty, is the bag in toilet yours They could only wonder the Railways they served had become a safe haven for taking away the li...

Christmas 2012 was on the horizon. The children's earnestness was glaring from their eyes, where will we go and what will we do? We were late but then  +Mayank Sharma  shared few ideas. The second one looked feasible and we decided to tag along to a homestay somewhere in Shimoga, Karnataka. A day before the departure the packing was in full swing. 2 of us were sick so the family discussion began with a concern from head of family. The head of family thought that the cold and cough will deteriorate as one was hardly able to talk and other's nose was running. The discussion was thought as an attempt to hijack and call off the travel plan. There were tears and accusations. In the end the family discussion fell apart and nobody knew if we were really going. We just hoped to get up in morning and go. Fortunately, we got up the next day and slowly it dawned on us that we were indeed going. We hit the NICE road from Kanakapura and for toll of INR 84 came out near Neela...

a speeding car darkness catching up light is losing space a glance at the horizon through rear view mirror a setting sun and reddish orange sky beautiful in-sight attention to the front a swift overtake in a straight line a relief a turning face to have full view back again as traffic snarls negotiate trucks overtake little ones humbled by big wights meandering in dusk like a snake finding ways to move along scared of being trampled some oversight mine or theirs lives at stake on the evening highway some give in some push hard some dont even leave a inch some cruise some rush some bruise some crush while the sun sets on the evening highway

A poet born in wilderness in remote rustic village in the only house that lies on foothills with open arms embracing the mountains and a little hillock beside, a poets seat He would sit there on top of hillock wonder and meditate compose and deliberate on human values and dying society from his study the sun would sink into the mountains leaving a red orange trail across the skies in the silence on the hillock many a melodies will find the words as he let them flow volumes of poems some plays and few novels some brief and some epics typical of malnad a literary giant on feeble feet graced the planet and left a trail of words

What is the right time for children to get exposed to TV? What type of TV content is appropriate and at what age? TV is a passive medium which dulls all minds. Any multimedia screen stops the mind from functioning and stops its growth. All senses are engaged as you sit and watch. The engagement is not productive. After few hours of TV you feel dull and irritated. With nuclear families its easier to dump the child on the bean bag in front of TV as you go back to your chores and computer. Some parents have attached the eating habits of the child with TV. Its common to hear deals like this "If you want to watch Tom and Jerry then you will have to finish the food." "If you don't eat food then I will switch off the TV" Some children have got into the habit and use it as a bait for their parents "TV song and milk" "Chotaa bheem and roti" In the night when children characters apparently go to sleep kid as young as 2.5 years have...