Sunday, November 30, 2014

Fishing!!!

Have always been fascinated the way, the fishermen throws the net in the water to catch a bounty. The view of them throwing either standing a little away from the shoreline or from the boats / catamarans in the early hours of the day is mesmerizing for me. Always used to think of how easy it is make that throw and grab the fishes, till the moment I myself grabbed one recently.


 I happened to be at one of the inner connecting road between OMR (Old Mahabalipuram Road) and ECR (East coast Road) where there are lots of migratory birds. I had taken my camera to shoot these lovely colourful birds. That is when my wife and I met Prasanna. A driver by profession but a fisherman to fill his spare time and make some extra money.

He said that he has been catching fishes for the last 3 years and found it exciting. When we met him, he had already done one round of throwing his net and getting the first catch of six good sized fishes. We got excited and asked him, if we could try our hand at it. He was spirited and said why not... Little did we know then, that he was having fun at our expense...


Well, though it seemed fun but he was a good teacher... he taught us how to wrap the net around our fingers and then the arm. Once that was done, he spread the lower open end of the net around the left arm and a good part of the lower end in right hand. My wife tried and then she very eagerly asked me to try.. I was glad to repeat the process. As I was doing that, I asked my Guru Prasanna,

Me - What is the weight of this simple looking net?? I am feeling a small pain in my left arm..
Guru - Sir, not much, just 4 Kgs.
Me - What!!!, I feel like I am holding 10 Kgs or more...
Guru - No worries sir, you will get used to it...
Me - Yeah, so true... given the burden we carry every day back from office!!!

Anyway, my freaking ego that I could do this simple thing was burning too hard to douse. More so, my wife was enjoying the whole show standing behind (Cursed male ego!!)

Once having tied the net around my arm, I slowly stepped into the cold cold water. I could well feel the muddy slippery base of the water bed... Thanks to National Geography (magazine & TV), I was thinking about the world of worms and germs that would be seeping in through my feet into my biological system and what all would happen. Damn!! those momentary few second, I also imagined myself in the hospital bed... I snapped out as my Guru told me to release the net. After steadying my feet,I threw the net as hard and as far I could.. Splash!!! wow, i could throw if 2ft away a 4 kg net. My Guru then said, Sir!! You should have released the wire too.. oh!! goodness, I forgot the complete release..

Anyway, two tries later, I said to him politely, "Boss, you are the guru, please carry on". My hands were aching by then and I got behind the camera to get back to the business that I was used to.. But, I loved the new experience that I got!!! It was kwel...

Realized, what may look easy only comes after lots of practice... Those fishermen on Catamarans must have got their skills too well grooved, one to balance and second to make that throw on their shaky platforms!!!

Well at the end, I did what I always do the best, ate the fish that my Guru had caught. Yummmm...

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Love thy Child

As the plane halted for disembarkation, heard the sweet voice of the hostesses saying it being safe to switch on your cell phone and get back to the chaotic lives of the city.. blah.. blah... A few mins later my attention was grabbed by an over excited mother (I think speaking to her kid, after having spoken to her family member of her arrival and plane being landed) on the cell phone a few seats away from mine. I was captivated by the communication that went on:

Mother (M) -  Tell me my sweetheart, what do you want.... Don't be shy, tell your mama..
Child (C) - Ice cream

M - "NO", it is raining and cold out there (I peeped out of the window, to find a clear sky and wondered the city being cold!!!).. you will catch fever, no no..

M - Tell me what do want, don't be shy my sweet heart, tell your mama.. she will get it.. tell me...
C - Chocolate
M - You know, you should not eat chocolates, it is bad for health and teeth. You should reduce it.. No No.. not good for you.

After a few seconds of silence..

M - Tell me sweety, what do you want.. your mama will get it (Mothers can be persistent.. I must say!!!)

I think the child was confused by now as I heard only silence... more so, thank God the crowd started to move...

M (now on a hasty note) - Don't be shy, tell me... Ok, will buy some toys and come.. ok... now bye, see you at home.

The mother got up from the seat and started to move, that is when I saw the lovable mother had a toy box in her hand for her sweet heard kid...

This got me wondering..

At Office - The management asks us through various surveys what the employee wants but ends up giving what is decided. Is the Mother also replicating her stand at home.

As Parents - are we raising the expectation and then spoiling the dreams that our kids could have had because of our raising expectations. When they get used to breaking of their dreams and getting what we have for them, at a ripe age we then ask them... "Why don't you dream and achieve it??".. Are we being fair to it..

It was a momentous truth that seemed to have hit me.. also, on second thoughts, are we playing our parents, or we being ourselves...


Saturday, July 26, 2014

Let me be!!!

What seems small for you...
It could mean the world to me.

What you call insignificant..
It could mean very valuable.

What you may not care for..
I could die if, I did not preserve it.

What makes you happy..
could make me wonder why!!

What you chase..
It could never be mine.

We may have shared a path
but, my destiny is mine!!

You have loved your path and life..
Trust me, so do I for the path I chose in this life of mine!!!

Saturday, July 12, 2014

खुली किताब

केहता रहा सबसे ।
खुली किताब सा हूँ मैं ॥

पर वज़न इतना।
की उठा नहीं सकता कोई॥

कोरे से कागज़ पे।
सफेद स्याही से लिखा हूँ अपना कच्चा चिट्टा॥

अल्फ़ाज़ इतने उल्झे ।
कोई इक कड़ी भी समझ न पाए कोई ॥

चाहता हूँ बार, समझे कोई ।
पर हर कोशिश पे, अपने ही सन्नाटे में सेहम सा जाता हू।

असर इतना खुदी पे।
की हर कोशिश पे, खुद ही सील देता हूँ खुद को ॥

 ऊमीदे की लहर है,  बदलेगी मेरी सोच।
खुदी को खुद ही समझ लूँ में कभी॥

Sunday, March 16, 2014

पेहचान ले

हर कोइ अपनी ही लड़ाई में आगे है ।
पर हर पल सोचता है, किसी और से आगे बढ़ना है॥

दो पल कि जिंदगी मैं ।
अपने साये को पीछे छोड़ने कि कोशिश है ॥

है चाहत खुदसे तो, पूछ लो अपने ज़मीर से।
हर पल उसके वक़्त ने क्या चाहा है॥

हर बार पलट के येही आयेगि।
तू है खूबसूरत, उससे भी ज़यादा खूबसूरत तेरी ज़िन्दगी॥

खुदी को ले ढूंढ, आपने आप को पहचान ।
उसी में खुसी है, न कोई बैर ना लड़ाई।

आपने ही लम्हों में, खुदी को जी लेंगे।
अपने इसी खुसी में, जिले आपनी ज़िन्दगी को ॥

Saturday, March 01, 2014

मेरी रंगीनियां

मैं  ढूँढता रहा ज़िन्दगी में रंगीनियां और नयापन।
पर भुला सा बैठा  खुद के चले पथ को देखना ॥
मेरे इस पथ में इतने मोड़ हैं ।
जितनी हसीँ के ठहाके छूटे, और ग़मों कि आंसूं निकले ॥

कितने सारे रिस्ते जोड़े ।
कुछ छूट गये वक़्त के साथ, तो कई गड़ गये मेरे संग ॥
जो छूट गऐ उन्हें भुला न सका,जो जुड़ गऐ उन्हें याद न किया ॥

ईरादे कई किये, कई सपनों के संग।
वक़्त ने हर बार किया मुझे दांग॥
कुछ में इरादे थे पक्के, पर कोशिश था कम॥
कुछ गऐ छूट, तो कुछ रहे अधूरे॥

 हर बार सोचा कुछ करूँ नया या अलग।
लाऊं कुछ नयापन अपने में।
भूल बैठा कि हर सोंच में, मैंने एक नया इंसान को देखा।
एक नया नाटक बनते और बिगड़ते देखा।
हर लम्हे में एक रंगीनियां और नयापन देखा॥

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Feel me Rise!!!


My mind runs amok,
like the wild horse without any reins.

It keeps seeking for the new horizons,
without any fear or guilt of loss.

Trying always to set me free and make me soar high,
like an eagle in the clear blue sky.

For my soul seeks no boundaries
breaking all the shackles of my fear.

Wanting to burn a lamp in the windy meadows,
yearning every bit to brighten my day.

With all my energy that i could share,
Oh! my friend feel me rise, with every breath that I take.

Wednesday, February 05, 2014

एक वादा खुदसे

ठहरा रहा उम्मीद से
की सुनेगा कोई ॥
पर इन लब्ज़ों की तन्हाई मैं
आया ना कोई ॥

मैं अपनी परछाई को
दोस्ती का वास्ता दे बैठा ॥
उन्हें छोड़ चला राहों में
जो हाथ पसारे खड़े थे,
उन चौराहे और गलियरों  में ॥

सायद न था कभी
अपने पे भरोसा ॥
जो यारों पे ना कर सका
उनके वादों कि सचाई का आस्था ॥

रह न जाऊं उन्ही पल्लों में
उस परछाई कि आड़ में॥
आशा कि उम्मीद है
थामूंगा आपने यारों कि हातों को ॥

यह वादा रहा खुद से
ढूंढूंगा अपने वजूद को ॥
पहचानूँगा अपने आपको
पर फिरसे कभी न खोउंगा अपपने आप को
किसी सन्नाटे वाली मोड़ पे ॥