A RECIPE CALLED LIFE

Everyone knows how to
Make it, bake it
Dress it, serve it
Relish it, taste it.
All have same ingredients; and yet
Some make a khichadi
A total mess of taste and aroma.
Others like it spicy and hot.
… And some manage that extra flavour
A unique mix.
Some like it on slow simmer
Others like it quick and fast.
Isn’t it amazing
That with the same ingredients
It comes out sweet for some
And salty, bitter, sour for others?
Is it in its parts?
Or is it in preparation?
Or is it in the serving?

My Life was sweet
Lovely, fabulous
Looked good
Tasted even better.
But, little did I know,
Even after being prepared
You could,
By a magic wand
Take Love away
And leave my Life
Dull, insipid, flat……
…………. And cold.
The same dish I admired
Tasted, enjoyed
I hate it now.
Please don’t ruin my favourite dish
By taking Love away.

SEASON’S GREETINGS – 2012

Dear Friends,

[lineate][/lineate]Christmas is always a welcome day,[lineate][/lineate]The coming amidst us of our Lord,[lineate][/lineate]At Midnight Mass we gather to pray:[lineate][/lineate]“Thank you, for being with us, O’ God”[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]“Thank you for giving us great friends,[lineate][/lineate]Our loving family, near and dear ones,[lineate][/lineate]Thank you for giving us enough to meet ends,[lineate][/lineate]And yet have some for cakes and buns.”[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]It is also time to pen a few words,[lineate][/lineate]About our life, family and home,[lineate][/lineate]We hope you’d find them better than forwards,[lineate][/lineate]And you’d be tempted to share your own.[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]We are still at Kharghar, Navi Mumbai,[lineate][/lineate]Our abode after my retirement,[lineate][/lineate]It is not Paris, London or Shanghai,[lineate][/lineate]But it brings us great contentment.[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]After all, it is a little nest of our own,[lineate][/lineate]So what if it is really very small?[lineate][/lineate]It never makes us feel alone,[lineate][/lineate]We are, as they say, ‘having a ball.’[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]My mother lives with us here,[lineate][/lineate]She is now in better health,[lineate][/lineate]Her second childhood makes her doubly dear,[lineate][/lineate]Her blessings are our greatest wealth.[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Lyn keeps us all comfy and well fed,[lineate][/lineate]Whilst she battles through her ailment,[lineate][/lineate]She looks as lovely as the day we wed,[lineate][/lineate]Smilingly keeping many an engagement.[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Arjun is with OML, doing his stuff on NH7,[lineate][/lineate]He has merged indiecision with his new portal;[lineate][/lineate]With his girl Samira he is in seventh heaven,[lineate][/lineate]Though he is, like us, a mere mortal.[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Arun is happily with Rhythem and Hues,[lineate][/lineate]Doing his bit on producing animation,[lineate][/lineate]His band Riot Peddlers was recently in the news,[lineate][/lineate]Their performance in I-Rock won them admiration.[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]Arun too has Kirti as his chosen one,[lineate][/lineate]They are happy to be together,[lineate][/lineate]They too joined us for Christmas fun,[lineate][/lineate]No what, why, where and whether.[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]That leaves me, I am still with Reliance,[lineate][/lineate]Working six days in a week,[lineate][/lineate]Old age has somewhat subdued my defiance,[lineate][/lineate]And made my rebellion a little weak.[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]However, I run a blog called sunbyanyname,[lineate][/lineate]My little window to my own world,[lineate][/lineate]I am not after money, applause or fame,[lineate][/lineate]I simply don’t belong to the herd.[lineate][/lineate]

[lineate][/lineate]So that is about all of us,[lineate][/lineate]We hope to hear from you, dear,[lineate][/lineate]We wish you a very Merry Christmas[lineate][/lineate]And a Happy New Year.[lineate][/lineate]

BEYOND THE MIRAGE – A FAIRY TALE

Hungry and thirsty
Wandering in “the dreary desert sand of dead habit”
He finally came across a pool
Different from most Indian pools
It had lucid water
He could clearly see the base
It was unlike other bottomless pits.

The man was fascinated
He longed to drink of it
Have a dip in it
And come out clean and quenched
All sins forgiven and forgotten
Darkness of past merging with future’s shine
Despite living in the filth and mire of present.

Courtesy: surprisinglyamazing.com — Courtesy: surprisinglyamzing.com

He removed his clothes
Including the last shred of false decency
And stood naked but proud
That finally he could swim in purity and openness
A great weight was about to be lifted
As soon as he’d take the plunge
Into the pond of purgation.

“Stop”, he heard a commanding voice
Though he couldn’t see anyone
He looked all around him for the speaker
But, he couldn’t find anyone
Defeated he was about to give up
But then he noticed in a tree near the pond
A parakeet.

“Who are you?” he asked
“You are an Indian, you won’t know me”
Replied the parakeet sadly, “I am named ‘Charitra‘”
“Strange name” said the man, “Never heard of you”
“Yes, nowadays I am rare” said the parakeet,
“But, I nested all over India before I became extinct”
“I am the last of my species.”

The man was happy he saw something rare.
“Why did you stop me from jumping in the pool?
“This is a pool of honesty” said the bird
“People come out changed and pure;
But become misfits to survive”
“I don’t want you to die;
You may jump if you want to, though”

‘Washing away sins is one thing’ thought the man
‘But, dying in the process is undesirable’
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him
And he spoke it out loud:
“What can I do to survive a dip in the Honest Pool?”
“Simple” replied Charitra, “Don’t let me become extinct,
Return me to live with people.”

“What do I have to do for that?”
Asked the man confused
“Simple” said Charitra, “Go to people and ask them to own me,
To have me back.”
“It will take ages” bemoaned the man,
“I will be dead before they accept you back.”
“Try” said the parakeet, “I will give you wings to fly.”

The man flew with Charitra
And went to all classes and conditions of people
Netas, babus, doctors, engineers
Religious leaders, sports people, industrialists
Even media people and
Sadly no one wanted Charitra back
Having bartered it for money and fame.

“What can Charitra do for us” many asked,
“Why should we want it back?”
To this the man gave his recently learnt reply:
“It can make you have a dip in Honest Pool,
“And make you survive the plunge.”
“Not good enough” they all crowed,
“We have the best dips that money can buy.”

He kept flying with Charitra on his side
Only to become disillusioned, defeated, frustrated
‘Not one person in my country’ he thought
‘Has any use for this dying parakeet’
He wanted to have a dive in the pool
But, alone, he didn’t want to die
What could he do, he was alone and weak?

Suddenly, his powers to fly were gone
And he was grounded again
And the parakeet flew towards a sunset
And total darkness engulfed the nation
With people groping helplessly
Looking eastwards wistfully
For a golden sunrise
Bringing back Charitra, the elusive parakeet.

GODS MUST BE CRAZY

[lineate]

She was black
And fast and feline
“Stop” I screamed,
“Don’t cross and spoil my day”.
She heard me
Looked at me innocently
And stopped as if rooted.
“Now what?” her shining eyes seemed to ask.
“Don’t you remember”, I asked her,
“The first time you cast your spell,
It augured ill for me
I nearly failed in my exam.”

[/lineate]

[lineate]

She cooed sweetly,
They always do.
‘Practised innocence’ I thought.
“And the second time”
I continued, and in response she only sweetly purred,
“I nearly got me killed.”

Her eyes shone

She looked lovely.

[/lineate]

[lineate]

Just then a huge dog came

And looked at her menacingly.

She gave me a look

And made a dash

Without sharing any more of her

Looks and thoughts with me.

The dog went after her

In determined chase.

[/lineate]

[lineate]

But, what she shared

Was enough for me.

Each one of us have

Survival instinct against all threats

If you ain’t clever, cunning, deceiving

Against the larger dog in your life

You are finished.

[/lineate]

[lineate]

A snake is born out of an egg

And left to fend for itself

Without the parents nurturing it even once.

Poison is all that it has to survive.

It is limbless

No hands to ward off danger

No legs to kick and run.

Human beings are born differently,

But, are we really so different?

It is a cat and mouse game:

The survival of the fittest.

[/lineate]

P.S. Three days back, a man in Nepal bit a snake to death; angry at having been bitten by the snake.

HAPPY FRIENDSHIP DAY

दोस्ती सिर्फ तब ही नहीं जब फूल हैं

दोस्ती सिर्फ तब ही नहीं जब गले में हार है

दोस्ती सीखने का कोई advanced स्कूल नहीं है

दोस्ती तो सिर्फ मोहब्बत है और प्यार है

दोस्ती में हम चाहे कुच्छ भी ना बोलें

दोस्ती में गुफ्तगू के ज़रिये हज़ार हैं

दोस्ती के गरम रहते हैं हरदम शोले

दोस्तों को तो बस अपनी दोस्ती का खुमार है

आज Friendship Day का भी क्या हसीन दिन है यारो

बारिश का दिन है और आज रविवार है

यानी जैसे दोनों चंद्रमुखी और पारो

देवदास पे मर मिटने को तैयार हैं

सब मेरे दोस्तों के लिए लिखता हूँ अभिवादन

ये sunbyanyname का अहम् इकरार है

सूरज के निकलने का ना भी बने साधन

रवि तो तुम पे जाने निसार है

हमारी दोस्ती रहे सलामत आज भी और हमेशा

दोस्तों के बिना जीना दुश्वार है

आज के दिन मेरे सब दोस्तों के नाम ये संदेशा:

आप हैं तो रौशन मेरा संसार है

खुदा तुम्हें देदे अपनी सारी खुदाई

आपकी दोस्ती पर मुझे ऐतबार है

काश दोस्ती में ना लिखी हो कभी भी जुदाई

जब तक जान पे अपना इख्तियार है

Happy Friendship Day सब दोस्तों और यारो

आज के दिन तो दोस्ती की बहार है

इक नज़र हम पे दोस्ती की मारो

जहाँ तुम हो वहां ही करार है

LOVE AND A THREE LETTERED WORD

It sprang through woods and grass

Lively and playful

Now here, now there;

Through rains and clouds

Through sun and moon.

It braved rivulets and torrents

Birds and feral animals.

Everyone said:

How lovely it is

Like a new sprout

Like a young deer;

It looks so beautiful,

It looks so tender;

Lets call it Love.

She saw it too

In my eyes.

She heard it,

In my breathing.

Her eyes whispered to me:

“Love is all I wanted,

Thank you for giving it to me.”

We floated on clouds,

We swam in the sky

We walked on petals

And etched our names on the breeze.

We made melodies

We vowed, we cooed,

We laughed, we danced.Then one day
Just as unexpectedly as Love

A three lettered word came between us

And ruined our lives and us.

She was the first to utter it

She got obsessed with it

And I still rue its origin.

Courtesy: sat.collegeboard.org

I should have seen

The look in her eyes

When, through pouted lips

She uttered it for the first time

It hung between us

And I knew she’d want it more and more
She just relished its sound.I still remember the time

When she whispered it;
It was demanding, it was urgent

She couldn’t have waited.

How I long for our love before it,

Before she murmured it with a sigh

The three lettered word called, “Why?”

बीवी का नया नाम

हम बीवी को बुलाते थे जान, चाँद, सनम और रानी,
पर एक दिन सर के ऊपर से निकल गया पानी
नाम हमारे दिमाग में आये चार सौ अस्सी
और बीवी का नाम बड़े सोच के रखा “रस्सी”

“कया अजब नाम है?” सोचा होगा आपने
आज तक ऐसा नाम नहीं रखा किसी के बाप ने
“इसके क्या माईने हैं कुछ तो ससमझाईये
हमें बुझारतों में इस तरह ना उलझायिये”

[हमने कहा, “इसमें बुझारत की क्या बात है?
“रस्सी” का मतलब बिलकुल साक्षात है:
यह जल जाती है पेर बल नहीं जाता
हमारी मेहबूबा का भी कल नहीं जाता”

“वो कल जब माईके में उन्का राज था
भाई काम करते थे और इनको ना कोई काज था
अब पति करता है दिन रात इनकी सेवा
और ये खाती हैं मखमल पर बैठ के मेवा”

“मेरी गरदन में बड़े प्यार से पड़ जाती है
अच्छे भले मुलाजिम की जान निकल जाती है
हुमने सोचा था यह बनेगीं प्यार की डोरी
पर इन्हों ने रस्सी बनके की जोरा जोरी”

Courtesy: heysko.com

यारो अगर बीवी भी बन जाये गले में फंदा
और तुम रहना चाह्ते हो इस जहान में ज़िन्दा

डोरी को कभी ना बनने दो रस्सी या संगल
तभी रहेंगे तुम्हारे दिन व रात मंगल

LOVE BEYOND THE PAIN

Don’t love me, O’ sweet, when we meet,
For there is less
Glee in achieving than in yearning.
From here it’s alluring,
The scent of your tress;
I get my joys in burning,
In pining, in longing
And in sorrow,
And waiting for each tomorrow.

I don’t want to strangle my dreams to death,
You, alone, sit in my dream castle
On an island in a grieving river;
And far below
In a dark dungeon I am thrown.
I reach out my hands without catching ye,
Ye outside smile at me.
And, lo! I wish not my hands were free.

Courtesy: sweet-tea-theology.com

I shall wait…wait till the pains are so much,

That they burn themselves in their own scars,

The waters of grieving river’d calm down,

The cell would break its own bars.

Then you and I’ll live away from town,

In a small hut by a joyous brook.

We’d work, we’d eat, we’d play the deep

Game of love,

And thus at last we’d sleep.

हर तरफ तेरा जलवा

फिर मुझे पुकारा है…..
तेरी चाहत ने, तेरी आहट ने
तेरी आवाज़ ने, दिल के साज़ ने
तेरी धड़कन ने, तेरी उलझन ने
तेरी साँसों ने, तेरे अश्कों ने
तेरी आँखों ने, तेरे होंठों ने
तेरे हाथों के गरम छूने ने
तेरी याद ने, तेरी हसरत ने
तेरे प्यार ने, तेरी उल्फत ने
तेरे दर्द ने, तेरे ज़ख़्म ने
तेरे हसीन ख्यालों के वहम ने
तेरी हंसी ने, तेरे रोने ने
मेरे ज़हन में तेरे होने ने
तेरी आँखों की मधुर मुस्कान ने
तेरे दिल में उमढ़ते तूफ़ान ने
तेरी आहों ने, तेरी राहों ने,
मेरे आगोश में उलझी बाहों ने
तेरे लबों से थिरकते गीत ने,
जो मिल के बनाया उस अतीत ने
उन वादीयों ने जो हमारे संग बहकती थी
उस कोयल ने जो हमें देख चहकती थी
उन फूलों ने जिस में तेरे प्यार का रंग था
उन हवाओं ने जिनका हमें संग था
उन बातों ने जो कभी ना होती थी खत्म
उस अदा ने जिसने ढाया था मुझपे सितम
तेरी मस्ती ने, तेरी हस्ती ने,
तेरी गलियों ने, तेरी बसती ने
तेरी खुशबु ने, तेरे खवाब ने
ऐ मेरे चाँद, तेरी माहताब ने
हर तरफ शोर है, फुसफुसाहट है
हर तरफ तेरे क़दमों की ही आहट है
मेरा बस एक ही सवाल तुझसे है रूबरू:
“किस की मैं सुनूँ और किस की ना सुनूँ?”

KILL ME, CARMEN

I stand still on a rock, my rock
And watch the roaring sea
Reaching out to me
To reclaim and drench my soul.
The sea is just the opposite of me:
Calm in its depths and clamorous outside.
I stare at the clouds
Both within and in the sky
As they change shapes and moods:
Now a king, then a horse
And finally a hatted witch
Alluring small kids
With her trickster candy floss.
I look at the light-house
Standing witness to and guiding
Ships and boats till miles
Through its white beams
Fading into barely discernible plumes.
I see the fishing boats
Returning from a crimson sunset
White gulls meandering around
Like bees on honey-pots.
I see the crabs camouflaged
And tentacled to the slippery rocks.
And then…
Through the salty atomized vapour
I see her; yes, her.
The hem of her long yellow dress
Playing wantonly with the wetness of the sea.
I see me, boyish and breathless
Walking beside her
To the small boat half buried in the sand.
We upright the boat
Drag it into the water
And whilst it still tosses, like my heart
I lift her up and put her on the seat
And yank me up to the seat opposite her
And row the boat
Into the fading evening twilight.
Resting my oars
I look into her eyes
Ah, those kohl eyes
Of the fiery gypsy

Pic courtesy: en.wikipedia.org

Who stole my heart and left me
To be with her affable Escamillo.
Like an oar less dingy
I pitch and am adrift at sea
Of my precocious desires;Wanting to live
And longing to die.
Kill me………Carmen.

CURTAIN CALL

End of a drama,

A comedy, a farce;

The nice cosy chats we used to have.
And bartering of Love with
Your own version of Love.

No sounds, no whispers, no murmurs.

Except you who can hear

Little children playing in the street,

The ring tone of your phone.
The cackle of your innumerable friends,
The honking of cars,
The chirping of birds
The call of the milk vendor
And the squish of the newspaper
As it lands in front of your door.
Bringing you news

From far places.

I can’t hear anything; nor do I try to
I have lost a few senses
I don’t know how many
Since I’ve lost the sense to know.

But, I have to hand it to you,
You really played your part well.
I wish….
I knew
Your lines too

So I won’t have mixed
Real life with acting.
I stand unmoving
Speechless and frozen
Waiting for…….
………..applause?

PRAYER OF THE MAROONED

[lineate][/lineate]How’d you feel,[lineate][/lineate][lineate][/lineate]If one morning you wake up,[lineate][/lineate]And look around;[lineate][/lineate]But, there is no one in sight[lineate][/lineate]You feel you are marooned[lineate][/lineate]And indeed you are shipwrecked[lineate][/lineate]On a remote island[lineate][/lineate]No sounds but the waves breaking[lineate][/lineate]Against the rocks[lineate][/lineate]Or of distant birds and crickets[lineate][/lineate]Dotting the eerie silence?[lineate][/lineate]

Pic courtesy: artcyclopedia.com

[lineate][/lineate]There is sweat on your brow[lineate][/lineate]And fear in your guts[lineate][/lineate]The sun is out now and it scorches your skin[lineate][/lineate]Soon your lips are parched[lineate][/lineate]Hunger and thirst invade you[lineate][/lineate]Like powerful and wicked aliens from Mars[lineate][/lineate]How long would you last?[lineate][/lineate]Will they find you alive?[lineate][/lineate]Or many years later as a skeleton of bones?[lineate][/lineate]Is there any hope of survival?[lineate][/lineate]

But……

[lineate][/lineate]You have grit,[lineate][/lineate]You have faith[lineate][/lineate]You can’t give up so easily[lineate][/lineate]God gave you precious life for a purpose[lineate][/lineate]And lifting your weary arms above you[lineate][/lineate]You reach out to God[lineate][/lineate]And pray to Him:[lineate][/lineate]”God, all that I need here[lineate][/lineate]Is Internet[lineate][/lineate]To connect to my friends again.”[lineate][/lineate]

WHY THIS VALENTINE VALENTINE DI?

Yo boys I am singing song

Love song

Hate song

Why this Valentine Valentine di

Why this Valentine Valentine di
It feels “foreign“-uh

Why this Valentine Valentine di
No overboard please-uh

Why this Valentine..di

Guardian of moral-uh moral-uh

Moral-uh color-uh white-uh

White background porn-uh porn-uh

Porn-uh color-uh blue-uh

Why this Valentine Valentine di

“Foreign” skin-uh girl-uh girl-uh

MLAs heart-uh black-uh

Phone-uh phone-uh watch-uh watch-uh

“Foreign” girl in stark-uh

Why this Valentine Valentine di
Why this Valentine Valentine di

No wishing V-Day, V-Day
“Foreign” culture spoil-uh spoil-uh
Watch-uh watch-uh porn-uh porn-uh
And-uh be good Indian boy-uh

Why this Valentine Valentine di
Why this Valentine Valentine di

PUNJABIS – THE WAY WE ARE

Punjabis hain bahut great,
Ek beer ka de do inko crate,
Phir dekho kaise hota hai,
Inka ego inflate.

Pic courtesy: jokesprank.com

Punjabis are really great,
They have free love and hate,
Jab vada vo karte hain,
To nibhaate hain at any rate.

Punjabis are really great,
BA, MA aur matriculate,
No beating around the bush please,
Come to the point straight.

Punjabis are really great,
Matters nahin karte complicate,
“Don’t teach us the difficult way,
Why can’t you simplificate?”

Punjabis sachi hote hain great,
Ye detail hai thodi intricate,
No beating around the bush please,
Come to the point straight.

Punjabis hain bilkul great,
Even when in any state,
Thodi inki praise kar do,
Aur badh jaata hai inka weight.

Pic coutesy: thedesignershub.com

Punjabi hote hain kaafi great,
Please don’t try to imitate,
They fight their way through,
Agar sitaution ho jaaye create.

Punjabis are really great,
Yeh unka hai etiquette,
Jiyo aur jeene do yaaro,
Life karo na suffocate.

A PLAY TITLED ‘NEW YEAR’

Cardboard cutouts of crepuscular birds
Silently flap their wings
In a jagged arrowhead
Over chaos, despondence, carnage
Riding into the dusk of 2011.
End of Act I; thank God it’s over.
The audience awaits the next Act
That would miraculously usher in:
A nation riding on wings of Hope
Justice, Equality, Dignity, Amity, Knowledge.

Act II; oh, how we awaited it?
Suddenly, there are no tears,
No poor and naked,
No hopeless suicides,
No communal violence
No rapes, no child molestations
No loot, no guns, no bombs.
No Hindus, Muslims, Christians and others
Telling us that their god is the only real God.

Suddenly, a tinsel sun is lowered on stage,

And glimmers over a ‘clear stream of reason’
Leading its way slowly but surely
‘Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit’
And young children waving tricolors
Appear singing, “Jai Hind”
To accompaniment of a gentle flute.

As a dazed audience starts leaving
From gallery, stalls and aisles;
The oft repeated comments,
In the applause, are:
“If a play called ‘New Year’
Can usher in all this,
Why can’t we stage it everyday?”

Category: Poems and Lyrics