Where we make our own Binaca Geet Mala

I heard this on radio while driving to work today. Pulled out my phone at the traffic signal, opened chrome and searched it on the internet. Located the video on youtube, played it in a loop and drained my phone battery in the process. Because I couldn't hear, see or think anything else, I had to figure out a way to somehow continue to listen to this on a dying phone. Either that or be miserable and wait for 5 pm which is the earliest that I can push off, and reach home and download it on my laptop. I couldn't manage to download the song on my phone, so I downloaded gaana.com app, and played this in the loop again. Finally, after about 2 hours of continous listening, I am at peace. Still not composed enough to focus on work, but good to form coherent sentences to talk about this.

Every once in a blue moon, there is a poem/song/musical piece which puts me through this ordeal. I am trying to think up of more of those, and put the list here. These are not my favourite or anything, just the ones which have haunted me in the aforementioned fashion - stirred my soul and created this unsatiable urge for more after the initial tryst. OK.. so here are some from the top of mind recall!

Bawra man dekhne chala ek sapna..



Kuchh aur zamana kehta hai..



O Rangrez..



Hamare baad ab mehfil me..



Zihale miskin makun taghaful..



Moh moh ke dhaage..



Chain se hum ko kabhi..



Tang aa chuke hain kashmkashe..



Piya haji ali..



Chhupa lo yun dil me..

Ye moh moh ke dhaage..

I watched the movie 'Dum Laga kar Haisha' on a flight last week, and this song has been playing non-stop in my head & on my phone since. Apart from the fact that it is indeed a soulful song and that I really loved the  movie - so much that I downloaded it and watched a re-run in less than 24 hours after the first viewing, the reason that I feel so connected is because it is also reflective of our circumstances. We are all so tied up with 'moh ke dhaage' or 'the strings of attachment'. Most of these are by virtue of birth.. with the parents, grand-parents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, even with the children. The other set arises out of love/marriage. We complete 10 years of marriage today, and I continue to be so tied up with the 'strings of attachment'. I am as spell bound, as enchanted, as smitten, and as head-over-heels as I was a decade back. This guy still has me wrapped around his little finger!

निकले थे कहाँ जाने के लिए..

पहुंचे हैं कहाँ मालूम नहीं
अब अपने भटकते क़दमों को
मंजिल का निशां मालूम नहीं

हमने भी कभी इस गुलशन में
एक ख्वाबे बहारा देखा था
कब फूल झडे कब गर्द उडी
कब आई खिज़ा मालूम नहीं

बर्बाद वफ़ा का अफसाना
हम किससे कहें और कैसे कहें
खामोश हैं लब और दुनिया को
अश्कों की जुबां मालूम नहीं

And just when you are about to give up on life..

...it rains. It drizzles and it pours.. and then drizzles some more! As the heavens open up, the world suddenly turns into this beautiful place and life is once again, a bliss. That I am totally smitten with the rains is no secret, and the love just grows. I lusted after the rains in Allahabad, mushed over them in Bangalore as well, but I am totally floored by the rain in Joka. Less than a day into the monsoons, the campus has already turned a shiny green, what with all the moisture glistening over the leaves. The freshly-bathed frogs are holding concerts at their chosen venues, many of which happen to be by the lake-side, and the ripples in the lake(or is it the fishes beneath?) dance in unison. Isn't it serendipitous that our classes got over by 1.30 today, unlike usual days when we stretch till 5.30? Alright, here is my favorite rain song. Which is yours?

5 years today..

धन से न दुनिया से

घर से न द्वार से

साँसों की डोर बंधी है

प्रीतम के प्यार से

दुनिया छूटे पर न टूटे

ये कैसा बंधन है..


It is five years today since we entered the aforementioned 'Bandhan'! The occasion demands a mushy post, but I'll rather spare the torture. I would just stick to doing what I do the best- 'plagiarize' and put it elegantly-- 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of credulity...'. Now that I have 2 writers turning in their graves already, let me conclude the post with some original stuff.

I have no clue as to why I like this particular picture so much, we both are looking quite awkward in it. Still, the fondness is probably because we are genuinely smiling in this one, unlike the zillion other pics where we had to fake as many smiles for the pushy photographers.

From Patriotism to Religion..

And so we celebrate Independence Day, with mankind and dogkind..



..till Gods love makes a sudden appearance..



Wish you all a Happy Independence day and may God's love be always be there with you!

p.s. Apologise for the hazy recording, this was taken with the cell phone camera.

हमारे बाद अब महफ़िल में अफ़साने बयां होंगे...

बहारें हमको ढूँढेंगी न जाने हम कहाँ होंगे

इसी अंदाज़ से झूमेगा मौसम, गाएगी दुनिया
मोहब्बत फ़िर हसीं होगी, नज़ारे फ़िर जवाँ होंगे

न तुम होगे न हम होंगे, न दिल होगा मगर फ़िर भी
हज़ारों मंजिलें होंगी हज़ारों कारवां होंगे

बहारें हमको ढूँढेगी न जाने हम कहाँ होंगे

कुछ और ज़माना कहता है

कुछ और ज़माना कहता है
कुछ और है ज़िद मेरे दिल की
मैं बात ज़माने की मानु
या बात सुनूँ अपने दिल की...

ये बस्ती है इंसानों की
इंसान मगर ढूंढें न मिला
पत्थर के बुतों से क्या कीजे
फरियाद भला टूटे दिल की