Save Trees Campaign!

He was in a bad mood!!

His long planned leave had to be cancelled due to coral bleaching in Maldives.

He burnt all the pictures and half the documents in his office drawer.

His own e-mail signature read  "Thousands of trees are felled daily to make paper for 'Save Trees' Campaign. Plz be cautious."

Irresponsible!

Did I say that?

He spent half his first periods outside the class, in punishment.

Teacher labeled him as 'the most irresponsible' brat!

Several multi-storeyed buildings he had to cover, early in the morning, before leaving for the class.

He was 14; and a news paper hawker.

~ #Irresponsible ~

The Centre Forward Florist

#BhaiyaSpeaks :


He was the centre forward in National Men's Hockey Team. Represented India in 3 consecutive Olympics. Horticulture was his hobby. Now the former 'Centre Forward' earns his living from his rented 'rear garden'.

A florist shop he had opened!!


~Center Forward~

Mockery of Democracy

Did I say that ?

There was a huge rally of followers of this great leader!

Free lunch packets and packaged water were to be provided to the janta attending the rally.

A boy, with dirty clothes and uncanny look was left to starve right out side the rally ground.

He was under 18. 
He was not a prospective voter!!


#MockeryOfDemocracy

Ironically Bhagat: An atheist by choice!!

There's a cousin of mine, 25,
desperate to get a lady, his senior colleague,
eight years elder to him.
Not sure either to marry or just an infatuation;


Lapped a decent job,
for which he toiled 'day & night';
of which he is quite proud!

Dedicated like anything, towards his career growth;

Willing to sacrifice anything, to watch FIFA matches, 'Live'!

Ready to do anything, to just get even a distant glimpse of Maria(h)s, Sharapova or Carey, any of them!

Celebrates with crackers on every win that India registers, in Cricket!

With his MBA from this top ranking B-School,
With kind of pictures he shares over the social media,
With the kind of 'cool' & 'happening' updates he posts thereat!
With the number of 'Likes' & 'favorites' he receives from his 'online friends'!

With the numbers of followers in three digits he commands!
With the kind of suave tailor-made Suits he sports for his board meetings!
With the kind of cars he has shortlisted to be owned by the year end!
With the kind of 'connections' he has arising out of his Alumni Association...
... and for other numerous reasons, He is considered to be a successful, influential and a sort of an ideal for an average youngster, dreaming of a nice, rewarding career.

& there he was, merely 23 by that time...


When most of his friends were searching for a soulmate,
he was in a desperate search for the purpose of his life,
'A life' to which he gave a 'larger than life' definition;


With his given background and credentials,

he could lead a decent life, with plenty of comforts,
but he chose to choose the path less traveled,

Dedicated he too was, towards the cause of 'the Nation';

Sacrifice he did, with his mortal self;
but the spirit remains, even to this date!!

Childishly impatient he was, to read the 'other revolutionaries'

He too played with bombs, but merely "to make the deaf hear!"

No foreign earned Degrees he had,
No casual socialising could charm him, at all,
Of course, he wrote, so that the younger generation gets to know more, better;

Had more foes than friends, but favorite he became of 'the Nation', Later!

Lesser followers in his lifetime, but many joined in later.

No comforts he knew of,
nor did he desire,

Brandishing, he in deed loved,
Rather his country made pistol!

'Connections' he too had;
and an Association he raised on his own,

... and for numerous inexplicable reasons, he was propagated as to be a 'Terrorist';


Toil, he did, for not a few days & nights,
rather years;

of which, the entire Nation is absolutely proud and indebtted, even today!!

He taught an entire generation to love, their Nation!

To dedicate, their life!

To sacrifice, their everything!

To lead, by example!!

...& make this Life, larger than the life itself!!


Ironically christened as #BhagatSingh!

'An atheist' by choice, he was!!

#BhaiyaSpeaks

It happens!!

He opened the shutter @4 p.m. after attending the senior secondary government school he was destined to deserve.

Hosiery shop cum boutique it was. Enters a woman in her late thirties or early fourties, supposedly to purchase a pair of under garments. He being an adolescent boy, somewhat hesitated to show it with all the specifications she was asking for. Extending the boxes of the things she was looking for, he said-"Please choose by yourself!"

She, bending forward & smiling wickedly, replies - "if you are here, then serve the purpose completly!"

That was the last day he was seen in that shop!!

~ #Adolescence ~

Swadeshi

Did I say that ?

He just smoked the best of Havana Cigar available... And gulped two large pegs of JW Black, backstage; hurriedly!!

He was invited to deliver a lecture on the importance and need of SWADESHI!!

~ #Swadeshi ~

Did I say that ?

Removing his towel, Jumping into the fresh water river, "today it will be plenty I guess!", he said to his companion. The passers by thought 'what a life he has'... & He was wishing some new fish to have swam their way to his side of the river bank!

For others, it was kind of an adventure;

For him, it was his 'livelihood !!

~ #Fisherman ~

Did I say that ?

She was least bothered that one of the packets were missing from her over laden bag...

He was glad to pick that unclaimed packet of dry colour from the road thinking that he will play holi with 'his own colours' this year!!

~ HOLI ~

Did I say that ?

Childhood friends they were.

They bid adios after discussing her new, pricey, in-vogue nailpaint, that was gotten by her new boyfriend, for almost an hour of their two hour long gettogether and she left in her chauffeur driven BMW.

She waved to an Auto & smiled at the #'BlueInk' that was still there!!

It was rather free of cost when she did caste her vote two days back!!

~ Beauty!! of Democracy ~

Capitalism

Did I say that ?

He read the news that farmers committed 'mass suicide' for not getting the expected minimum price for their 'potato crop' !!

Sad he was!!

To unwind, he went out and bought a cold drink with 'potato chipps' worth Rs. 25!!

~ Capitalism ~

उपसंहार !!

   उपसंहार !!

वो दबी थी,
निस्संदेह कुचली भी,
खुशियाँ उसकी ना हुई, 
मुस्कान कहीं खोई थी,
वो तो बस थमी थी, 
क्या उसमे ही कोई कमी थी?

हाँ, आँखों में कुछ नमी थी...   और शायद वो सहमी थी,
किस्मत के मत्थे ही तो शायद वो पड़ी थी,
पर अब भी वो कहीं दूर मुस्कुराती  खड़ी थी,

चुटकी भर सिन्दूर से लाल रंग बिखरा,
पर काले का तो परिचय भी न हो सका,

‘हाँ’ से लिखी थी जीवन की रूप रेखा,
‘जी अच्छा’ से पटी पड़ी थी प्रस्तावना,
और पुनश्च,  ‘हाँ’ से ही होता था उपसंहार,
     संवाद लिखे थे रूढ़ियों से,
     पटकथा थी परम्पराओं से भरी पड़ी,
व्यंग्य से कुंडली का होता था श्री गणेश,
     और कटाक्षों से ही हो पाती थी इतिश्री,   


भूल सी चुकी थी वो शायद अपने को,
     खो चुकी थी वो ‘हम’  के ‘अहम’ में कहीं,
और शायद ललक भी बाकी नहीं रही अब,
     ‘खुद’ को ‘हम’ में ढालते हुए, ‘मैं’ को  पाने की...

क्या कुछ नहीं लिखा,
क्या क्या नहीं कहा,

माँ का हाथ बटाती,
     थोड़ी सी सहमी पिता से,
एक नयी सुबह की मूक प्रतीक्षा में,
     अपनी ही सी एक सृष्टि के सृजन में,
क्यूँ...?
     क्योंकि वह अब एक बेटी थी!!

सारे हुक्म मानती,
     खुलने ना देती कोई भी राज़,
करती साल भर एक रक्षा-बंधन का इंतज़ार,
     सब समझती,
पर कुछ न कहती,
क्यूँ...?
     क्योंकि अब वह एक बहन थी!!

सब ‘अपनों’ को छोड़ के आई, बिना उफ़ किये,
अपना सर्वस्व निछावर कर नयों को पूर्णतया अपनाया,
सतत करवा चौथ की प्रतीक्षा में,
     सब कुछ सहती,
     पर कुछ न कहती,

क्यूँ...??
     क्योंकि अब वह एक पत्नी थी!!

अपनी छाती से प्यार ही प्यार उड़ेलती,
चौथ और डाला छठ का व्रत रखती,
आंसू पोछने में कम न पड़ता आँचल का विस्तार,
     सब कुछ देखती - समझती,
     पर कुछ न कहती,
क्यूँ...??
     क्योंकि अब वह एक माँ थी!! 

क्या नियति ने किया नियत ये,
     एक स्वच्छंद आत्मा के चार प्रहार,
चारों ही कुछ ठहरे से हैं!!

क्या कमी थी स्नेह में ?
     या रह गयी कमी उसके प्यार में ?
कम पड़ गया उसका समर्पण या फिर ?
     आँचल पड़ गया छोटा दुलार का ?

तो क्यूँ थी कमी उसके हिस्से में,
     कमी उसके हिस्से के प्यार में,
कमी जीवन के रंगों में,
     कमी थोड़ी  सी खुशियों में,
कमी उसके विस्तार में,
     कम सी पड़ती वो मुस्कान, और
कुछ कम ही व्यक्त हो पाती वो सहृदय भावनाएं...


     एक ही रंग की भोगिनी थी वह,
ना साहस कम पड़ता, और
     ना ही विश्वास..

तो क्यूँ... क्यूँ  ‘हाँ’ ही ‘हाँ’ की रट लगाती,
     वो इधर से उधर भागती...
कभी थकती...
     कभी हांफती...
कभी थकती...
     कभी हांफती...