Words

या फ़िर से तेरी याद है…

posted by adee on 03/09/2012 in daily life, poetry, writing

दोनों कानों में अलग अलग ear-rings पहनने वाली वो लड़की
खुद भी अलग अलग सी है अब
कभी ironic, कभी zombie, कभी मेरा कुछ सामान सुनाने वाली उस लड़की से
बातें नहीं होतीं महीनों महीनों
life definitely has a funny way
of taking you away
with those
whom you should stay…
“…isn’t it ironic?
a little too ironic?”

शायद हम जो एक दूसरे को दे सकते थे, दे चुके थे
‘ज़िन्दगी के सबसे अच्छे उपहार’
शायद हमारे अपने अपने खालीपन भरने के बाद
कुछ बचा ही नहीं पाने और देने के लिए
“and then one day you find
ten years have gone behind”
and you long for the days
so far away back in time

न रात पश्मीने की है आज
न ही खिड़की से नंगे पाँव चाँद आया है
बस जुबां पे अटकी अटकी सी एक बात है
या फ़िर से लिखूं, के फ़िर से तेरी याद है

-आदी (sometime around midnight, 02 Sept. 2012)

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सूरज का सातवाँ घोड़ा: प्रयोगात्मक उपन्यास, नीति-कथाएँ या जीवन को आइना दिखाता कहानी संग्रह

posted by adee on 02/09/2012 in literature, writing

“…जानते हो ये सपने सूरज के सातवें घोड़े के भेजे हुए हैं!”

कल दोपहर दिल्ली विश्वविद्यालय कैम्पस के अपने सबसे पसंदीदा कोने में बैठे हुए, मैंने धर्मवीर भारती का उपन्यास ‘सूरज का सातवाँ घोड़ा’ शुरू किया और ख़त्म भी. भारतीय ज्ञानपीठ की लोकोदय ग्रंथमाला में छपी इस कृति के पन्ने ज़्यादा नहीं हैं, अगर आप ‘अज्ञेय’ द्वारा लिखी भूमिका और भारती द्वारा लिखा ‘निवेदन’ मिलाकर पढ़ें तो 80 पन्ने ही हैं. और मैं चाहूँगा आप ये दोनों ज़रूर पढ़ें, उपन्यास शुरू करने के पहले और एक बार समाप्त करने के बाद भी. ये वो ‘बुक-एंड्स’ हैं जिनको बीच में रखकर आप इस कृति को, इस उपन्यास को शायद और अच्छे से समझ पाएंगे.

जैसा अज्ञेय भूमिका में कहते हैं, यह उपन्यास किस्सागोई की उस शैली में गठित है जो किसी समय उत्तर भारत में काफ़ी प्रचलित थी. रोज़ शाम महफ़िलें लगती थीं और अलिफलैला आदि किस्से शुरू होते थे तो ख़त्म होने का नाम ही नहीं लेते थे! हिंदी साहित्य में ‘सूरज का सातवाँ घोड़ा’ इसलिए अनूठा माना जाता है क्यूंकि ये भी इसी शैली में लिखा गया है. एक कहानी है जिसमें से दूसरी निकलती है और फिर तीसरी, चौथी, और सातवीं तक पहुँचते-पहुँचते आप समझ जाते हैं की माणिक मुल्ला कोई आम किस्सागो नहीं, उन्होंने कहानियों के फेर में पूरा उपन्यास सुना डाला और आपको पता भी नहीं चला! अज्ञेय की भूमिका की भाषा पर मत जाइयेगा (वे ठहरे अज्ञेय, अपनी ही भाषा में लिखेंगे!), माणिक मुल्ला की भाषा आम-बोलचाल की भाषा है. वे ही इस उपन्यास के सूत्रधार भी हैं और वे ही मुख्य पात्र भी. कहानियाँ कई किरदारों कि हैं, पर आपस में जुड़ी हुयी और ऐसी कि क़िताब ख़त्म करने के बाद भी आप उनके बारे में ही सोचते रहेंगे.

सन 1952 में पहली बार छपा ये ‘प्रयोगात्मक उपन्यास’ आज भी उतना ही प्रभावी है जितना तब था. इसके पात्र आज भी उतने ही सजीव, उनकी कहानियाँ आज भी उतनी ही मार्मिक…हाँ 2012 में पढ़ने वालों को कुछ चीज़ें थोड़ी dated या पुरानी लग सकती हैं पर उनमें भी भावनाएं नहीं बदली हैं. आज भी किसी तन्ना पर पढ़ाई बीच में छोड़ कर नौकरी का दबाव पड़ता है, सत्ती का शोषण आज भी होता है, जमुना आज भी अपने वीरान ब्याहता जीवन में आस्था के बरगद बोती है.

गठन की शैली, परिस्थितियों की मार्मिकता और चरित्रों की सजीवता के अलावा एक और बात भी है जो इस उपन्यास को अनूठा बनाती है. वो है भारती की हास्य शैली. जीवन के कड़वे से कड़वे सच को भी वो इस प्रकार हंस कर सुनाते हैं की वो और भी गहरायी तक चुभता है. Chaucer के prologue की तरह, ये सिर्फ व्यंग्य नहीं है, न ही किसी cynic का ज़िन्दगी के प्रति नजरिया है, ये उस व्यक्ति की दुनिया बखान करने की शैली है जिसने जीवन में काफ़ी कुछ देखा है और अब वो उस अवस्था में है जहाँ सुख और दुःख एक ही सिक्के के दो पहलु लगते हैं, वो सिर्फ चीज़ें ध्यान से देखता और बताता है, उनके अच्छा या बुरा होने का फ़ैसला वो आप पर छोड़ देता है.

पर क्या ये ‘प्रयोगात्मक उपन्यास’ सिर्फ साझी जुड़ी कहानियों का संग्रह है या एक नीति कथा भी है? माणिक मुल्ला की सुनें तो उनके हिसाब से हर कथा-कहानी को निश्कर्श्वादी होना चाहिए. और यह निष्कर्ष समाज के लिए कल्याणकारी भी होना चाहिए. उपन्यास के अंत की तरफ़ उनका बयान भी कुछ ऐसा ही कहता महसूस पड़ता है… “अंत में मैंने फिर पुछा की सूरज की सात घोड़ों से उनका क्या तात्पर्य था और सपने सूरज के सातवें घोड़े से कैसे सम्बद्ध हैं तो वे बड़ी गंभीरता से बोले कि, देखो ये कहानियाँ वास्तव में प्रेम नहीं वरन उस ज़िन्दगी का चित्रण करती हैं जिसे आज का निम्न-मध्यवर्ग जी रहा है. उसमें प्रेम से कहीं ज़्यादा महत्वपूर्ण हो गया है आज का आर्थिक संघर्ष, नैतिक पतन, इसीलिए इतना अनाचार, निराशा, कटुता और अँधेरा मध्यवर्ग पर छा गया है. पर कोई-न-कोई चीज़ ऐसी है जिसने हमेशा अँधेरा चीरकर आगे बढ़ने, समाज-व्यवस्था को बदलने और मानवता के सहज मूल्यों को पुनः स्थापित करने कि ताकत और प्रेरणा दी है. चाहे उसे आत्मा कह लो चाहे कुछ और. और विश्वास, साहस, सत्य के प्रति निष्ठा उस प्रकाश्वाही आत्मा को उसी तरह आगे ले चलते हैं जैसे सात घोड़े सूर्य को आगे बढ़ा ले चलते हैं.”

ख़ैर ये हुयी निष्कर्ष कि बात, अगर आप न भी निकालना चाहें निकल ही आते हैं. जब आप इस उपन्यास को पढ़ें तो अपने मन कि बात मुझसे ज़रूर कीजियेगा.

तब तक के लिए, विदा.

-आदी

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The Taj Conspiracy: The Indian Da Vinci Code OR a political statement in disguise of a thriller?

posted by adee on 18/06/2012 in writing

At the center of this story by Manreet Sodhi Someshwar is the concept of a ‘behrupiya’, a shape-shifter and almost everyone sports a dual identity. Like the famed Da Vinci Code, this story also starts with a murder and takes many twists and turns through conspiracy theories, urban legends and religio-politico themes. Through this last bit, the author also adds her take on the right, left and center of the not so relevant Indian politics of today. And it is here that I think it loses its mojo as a thriller.

The plot is fairly simple and much of it is revealed at the back of the book in the blurb itself. “Mughal scholar Mehrunisa Khosa stumbles on a conspiracy to destroy the Taj Mahal when she discovers the murder of the Taj supervisor, and the Quranic calligraphy on the tomb of Queen Mumtaz altered to suggest a Hindu origin of the Taj Mahal… That urban legend had always existed. Now, though, someone was conspiring to make it come true.”

What keeps you engrossed throughout is the impending revelation of who the real killer or ‘behrupiya’ is and that moment actually is the pinnacle of the story. Sadly, the story thereafter doesn’t do justice to the build-up and ends up in an almost Bollywoodish burlesque. It feels as if the author used all her energy in the build-up and now was keen to tie all the loose ends a bit too quickly.

The three main characters of the story are well developed, Mehrunisa Khosa, the protagonist the most. She not only has a scholarly interest in the Taj but also finds the monument as an anchor in her widely travelled and lived across the world life. The fact that like the Taj, she also has an Indo-Persian lineage boosts her intimacy with the fabled monument. So when she discovers that something is wrong with it, she makes it a personal mission to uncover the conspiracy. In this, she is ably supported and guided by the notorious but honest police officer RP Singh. Ms. Someshwar has ably portrayed the life of a top-cop from the Naxal infested jungles to the political corridors and the by lanes of Taj Ganj. The third character is of the killer whose revelation as I said is the high point of the book. But sadly, rest of the characters come out primarily as cardboard characters laden with clichés. Especially for her political characters, the author has taken the liberty to copy individuals from mainstream Indian politics almost as it is. As the narrator of the story, these characters reflect her views on what is right and what is wrong in Indian politics and I sensed a strong tilt against anything or anyone related to right wing politics. To somehow balance these views, she also builds in the specter of Islamic fundamentalists aiming to harm the Taj but they retreat without playing any role in the story. I hope in her forthcoming novels, she creates a strong supporting cast with shades of grey instead of individuals with plain black and white character traits.

All said and done, there was one thing that I missed the most. It is a book based on the Taj Mahal and as the focal point of the story, there should have been some bit devoted to the beauty of the monument. Amidst all this conspiracy, Ms. Someshwar had the chance to build upon the tragic beauty of the Taj and made us stand strongly by Mehrunisa’s side. In this conspiracy against the Taj, the real beauty of the Taj was lost and perhaps that is the real tragedy of this story.

That apart, I feel it is a good one-time read for those who are looking for light reading. I won’t say it’s ‘the Indian thriller’ that we were all waiting for, but there are glimpses that the coming novels in the series will find an eager audience.

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help India’s underprivileged children get an education #BEASPORT

posted by adee on 08/05/2012 in childhood, India

 

The Magic Bus Foundation is one of India’s largest NGO’s, and harnesses the power of sports to keep over 200,000 of India’s most underprivileged children in school. Their motto is take youth on a journey from childhood to livelihood.

#BEASPORT is a social media movement by Magic Bus that is bringing together top stars to help educate India’s youth through style + sport. The goal is to raise awareness and funds for Magic Bus via a social media platform, which consists of a microsite www.beasportcampaign.com, which pulls feeds from a dedicated #BEASPORT YouTube page, G+ page, Facebook page, and Twitter feeds.

I need your support for the #BEASPORT program and help get the program off to a strong start. Here’s how you can help:

1) Visit the website and view the video on the Homepage. Share the video on Facebook!

2) Like the page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Be-A-Sport/283075558440456

3) Change your Facebook Cover Page (Timeline cover for those using Facebook timeline) and profile pic- you can copy pics from this page’s cover and profile pics

4) Leave a status update that’s a variation of the suggested status update below:

Suggested FB Status Update:

I am involved in a really cool social media program called #BEASPORT, to help India’s most impoverished children.  Here’s how you can help too:

(1) tweet the link BeASportCampaign.com and hashtag #BEASPORT,

(2) tag yourself in my cover page picture, and make it your cover page

(3) share the link to the video on Facebook

 

Each time someone watches a video from www.BeASportCampaign.com, a donor has committed to match each view with real money to fund Magic Bus, one of India’s largest NGOs.  Their goal is to get 1 million views in the next few weeks, and each view counts, so spread the word- you can help us make a huge difference for India’s future using social media.

 

Let’s BeASport! 

and please do share this with your friends as well 🙂 thanks a lot!

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गर्मियाँ गरीबों की / garmiyaan gareebon ki

posted by adee on 24/04/2012 in poetry, writing

गर्मियाँ ग़रीबों की
सर्दियाँ अमीरों की

garmiyaan gareebon ki
sardiyaan ameeron ki

तख़्त बादशाहों का
दुनिया फ़कीरों की

takht badshahon ka
duniya fakeeron ki

दुखों के समंदर में
ख़ुशी ज़जीरों की

dukhon ke samandar mein
khushi zazeeron ki

मौत उड़े पंख लगाये
ज़िन्दगी जंज़ीरों की

maut ude pankh lagaye
zindagi zanzeeron ki

दास्तान-ए-इश्क है
शबनमी तहरीरों की

daastan-e-ishq hai
shabnami tehreeron ki

झलक (उस) काफ़िर की
दुआ (हम) असीरों की

jhalak (us) kaafir ki
dua (hum) aseeron ki

ग़ज़ल मज़लूम नहीं
(है) बगावत लकीरों की

gazal mazloom nahi
(hai) bagavat lakeeron ki

जीत मेहनत की
हार तकदीरों की

jeet mehnat ki
haar taqdeeron ki

 

zazeeron: islands; zanzeeron: chains; tehreer: script; aseer: prisoners

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मोम नहीं हूँ जो पिघल जाऊं मैं/ mom nahi hoon jo pighal jaoon main

posted by adee on 05/04/2012 in poetry

मोम नहीं हूँ जो पिघल जाऊं मैं
ग़म-ए-ज़िन्दगी से और निखर जाऊं मैं

mom nahi hoon jo pighal jaoon main
gam-e-zindagi se aur nikhar jaoon main

तमाम रात कुछ इस तरह बिताऊँ अब
तुझ में खिलूँ तुझी में बिखर जाऊं मैं

tamaam raat kuch is tarah bitaoon ab
tujh mein khiloon tujhi mein bikhar jaoon main

मेरी मंज़िलें तेरे क़दमों के साथ चलती हैं
जहाँ रुके तू, वहीँ घर बनाऊं मैं

meri manzilein tere kadmon ke sath chalti hain
jahaan ruke tu, wahin ghar banaoon main

न मस्जिद, न शिवाला, न प्याला मय का
उन आँखों में डूबूं और उबर जाऊं मैं

na masjid, na shivala, na pyala mai ka
un aankhon mein doboon aur ubar jaoon main

कई सदियाँ गुज़ारी हैं तेरे इंतज़ार में
तू जो आ जाये तो संवर जाऊं मैं

kayi sadiyaan guzaari hain tere intezaar mein
tu jo aa jaye to sanwar jaoon main

मेरी खुदी ने मुझे जानने न दिया
तू मेरा अक्स है, तुझी में नज़र आऊँ मैं

meri khudi ne mujhe jaan-ne na diya
tu mera aks hai, tujhi mein nazar aaoon main

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when you think your work sucks

posted by adee on 19/03/2012 in advertising, daily life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtwZSpOZf8U

video: construction workers demolishing one part of the building in my office complex. it was around 35 degrees Celsius outside when i clicked this video. and this was before noon.

i belong to the advertising industry and we guys usually keep complaining about this or that. i know every job has its ups and downs, pluses and minuses, but sometimes we just do not realize how privileged we are to get our air-conditioned offices and corporate perks. i’m no saint like Gandhi, but i do acknowledge his wisdom in looking at those less privileged than us. no epiphany but simply a realization of how lucky i’m to be where i’m in life.

gratitude is an infinitely more useful tool for peace of mind than competing with those ahead of you in this rat race of life. what do you say?

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i’m sorry Dravid.

posted by adee on 09/03/2012 in India

on behalf of the ever crazy, maddening media guys; on behalf of the millions of equally crazy but infinitely more passionate cricket fans and on behalf of a pusillanimous board which couldn’t even give you a farewell test… i’m really really sorry Dravid. you were the epitome of all that’s gentlemanly in this increasingly ungentlemanly game.

ever the gentleman, these are Dravid’s parting words to the Indian cricket fan. “The game is lucky to have you and I have been lucky to play before you… My approach to cricket has been reasonably simple: it was about giving everything to the team, it was about playing with dignity and it was about upholding the spirit of the game. I hope I have done some of that. I have failed at times, but I have never stopped trying. It is why I leave with sadness but also with pride.” (via Cricinfo)

i can’t say much. not as of now. too emotional at the moment. if this is my response at Dravid’s farewell, i don’t even want to imagine what will be my reaction on Sachin’s adieu. but, yes, just one line. and it summarizes everything i want to say about Dravid. Sachin is my most cherished idol, but… but in a hypothetical situation, if i’d to choose someone to bat when my life was on the line… i wouldn’t think twice before choosing Dravid.

Fare well Rahul. and thanks for the cricket.

-adee

 

Rahul Dravid’s retirement speech: full text

Rahul Dravid speech- Sir Donald Bradman oration 2011: video

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On falling in and out of love with Vikram Seth’s poetry and rediscovering it these days

posted by adee on 25/02/2012 in daily life, poetry, writing

For a few years now, Vikram Seth has been my favorite English poet. And this is how my love affair with his poetry began.

On a Sunday afternoon in October 2009, i’d chanced upon his book ‘The Collected Poems’ at the Book Bazaar in Daryaganj, Delhi. Before that, Dee had gifted me his novel in verse ‘Golden Gate’ but i could never find time to read it. (Just realized that it is more than a few years and i haven’t even started it!) That big goof-up beside, i think i started reading this collection somewhere in mid-2010. For the next few months reading Vikram Seth with a cup of tulsi-ginger tea became my Sunday morning routine. Only Sundays because my advertising job didn’t give me much liberty to indulge in poetry on other mornings. His work was simple, easily accesible and despite being written in English had a peculiar Indian emotion that hooked the normally gazal and Urdu poetry lover like me. I read and re-read many of his poems and dreamt of becoming as comfortable while writing English verse as him. I was in love with his poetry.

But, all love stories have their ups and downs and soon Mr. Seth’s verse too lost favour with me. I moved on to other poets, primarily web-based poetry and non-fiction reading material. Life got too hectic and Sunday mornings lost their charm. Still, this book always remained at the top of the pile on my book shelf. But all that was a few weeks before. Am glad to note that in the past few days, i’ve again started exploring its treasures. Actually, there has been a healthy change in the office routine and i’ve actually started proper reading once again. Hope i’m able to continue this for some time more 🙂

Meanwhile, if you haven’t read his poetry before, do grab a copy of ‘The Collected Poems’ soon. It is by Penguin and you can find it on flipkart here: http://goo.gl/gZY2K 

And as a celebration of his poetry, i’m sharing with you a very dear poem, The Accountant’s House. Lines in italics are my emphasis, as they are my favorite.

 

The Accountant’s House

We go in the evening to the accountant’s house.
It is dark and the road is slush.
The fireflies fleck silver.
The ash flicked off by my companion, the barefoot doctor, is gold.

I want to clear up some questions on the income and expenditure account.
His wife and two daughters smile as I come in.
They pour tea. Their son died last Spring Festival.
We smile and discuss electricity fees.

This is my last day here. The Ministry of Education
Has decreed a two-and-a-half-week limit.
I will turn into a pumpkin soon enough.
But today there is work, are pleasantries.

The green seedlings outside have been transplanted.
The accountant looks sad and my heart goes out.
No-one knows how he died. He came home from play
And his head was hot, his nose bled, and he died.

Yet they laugh, yet they laugh, these lovely people,
And he clicks his abacus and she gives me a towel and the two girls
Smile shyly, boldly at the stranger and the father
Discussing matters of much importance together.

-Vikram Seth, from The Humble Administrator’s Garden

It is a poem which leaves me with a sense of hope in the middle of sadness, a realization that life has to move on and no matter what, there is always something worth living for. And that is what gives meaning to our lives.

What did you feel? Do share your views, comments with me.

-adee

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how 3 day weekends can change our lives

posted by adee on 20/02/2012 in daily life, writing

2 day weekends are passé. in the social media century, we should now be aligning ourselves to 3 day weekends. 2 day weekends just don’t get things done. there is Friday night and half of Saturday is wasted already. then you’ve so much of pending stuff to do that all of Sunday is almost gone before you realize that weekend was meant to relax! to top it all, you spend Monday talking, posting, sharing about the Saturday which makes the poor Monday look bad. a 3 day weekend would solve this conundrum nicely!

Here’s how a 3 day weekend would pan out:

Day 1, Friday: whether you spent previous evening socializing or not, you make it a point to do all your pending household tasks by end of the day. that way you are in a better frame of mind to tackle the tricky aspect of meeting friends and dates without guilt gnawing at your mind.

Day 2, Saturday: you’ve fun, just letting your hair down, exploring your city, shopping, pubs, strip clubs what not. get as many pictures clicked as you want (this part is very important!), share as many location based tweets, this is the day when you create all those memories you’ll be nostalgic about in a few months’ time.

Day 3, Sunday: now this is the clincher. what happens in a 2 day weekend is, even if you’ve had a good time with your real life friends, you don’t have time to share it with your online friends. and frankly, who stays with you through the week? not those you meet on the weekends, right? so on this extra holy day, you create all those facebook albums you’ve been wanting to. you diligently tag everyone present the day before, if possible their good looking friends too and be the envy of all those who couldn’t go out with you. if you’re one of those literary types, you can also write blog posts about the day gone by and share it with all your friends and followers.

ATTENTION Employers: this 3 day weekend will help increase productivity in offices as well. employees will spend less time gossiping about the weekend ‘cos almost all would have seen each others’ facebook albums, tweets and status updates. there will be no such term like ‘Monday morning blues’ anymore and corporate slaves would really work  without mood swings for change.

no wonder i’d this world changing idea on the third day of an extended weekend! so, what do you say 🙂

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