Poems for KHUSHI

We can't sleep early. We can't sleep enough. We can't sleep together, One room, not enough.     We must wake up early. We must stand in a queue. We must not shit in pants Hold the shit like a glue. We must stop the fights Of the husbands and the wives That's the life in the chawl One lives till he dies. We don't save at all We don't get enough We live in today Future stays in the next suburb. We don't ask for rights We forget what is right We learn only wrongs We grow in the night. Our schools are full of us, But education. Talent isn't a big deal But opportunities limitations.  We aren't scared of cops We are habitual to the allegations We are habitual to the blame For this country's demotion. When we grow we can't reach The sky-filling branches of the tree Like a mushroom we have to be Be a shelter for the family. We are poets, We are singers, We are fi...

After spending two and a half weeks in the company of Woodhouse family and their friends, today my vacation has come to an end, and I have finally bid farewell to Highbury. What a splendid visit it was! It would be a shame if I do not show my appreciation towards the people of Highbury by thanking them for all the entertainment and solace that I found in their company.   To start with,I was lucky to attend the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Weston of Randalls on Day 1 of my visit. Although Mr. Woodhouse wasn’t too pleased about the wedding but in my opinion they were quite suitable for each other. Mrs. Weston, a very kind lady and Mr. Weston a noble man with pleasant manners were a match made in heaven; though Ms. Woodhouse boosted that she deserved all the credit for the match as it was her scheming which led to this arrangement. At  one  and  twenty , Ms. Woodhouse (Emma) is beautiful, smart, and witty with a little air of arrogance (which she is unaware of). B...

Being a girl born and brought up in an Indian joint family, I have always been taught to be respectful towards elders, kind with youngers and polite to everyone. Magic words ‘Sorry’, ‘Please’, ‘Thank you’, etc. used to be at the tip of my tongue. I was taught by my mother and teachers to greet people when I meet them and to respond to them whenever they talk to me. I remember, on many occasions when there were visitors at my home, I wanted to avoid meeting and talking to them but had to respond to their usual questions because it was a part of communication etiquettes. The only people I was not supposed to talk to or respond to were strangers or the ones who according to my parents were bad people. Talking to family and friends was never exhausting or forced. Letters and greeting cards were never enough to quench our thirst of getting in touch with our distant loved ones.  Making those short duration calls once in a while from landline during my childhood was nothing le...

"These astrologers are imposters. They are kept here for the entertainment purpose only." Our driver for the Rajasthan tour interrupted while driving the car out from the crowded parking area outside 'Chokhi Dhani' when he heard me telling my wife about the astrologer I met inside and how he had told me several truths about my life. "A true astrologer who knows stars and planets and has studied astrology doesn't ask for money. A true astrologer would never." He interrupted again when he heard me saying that I had paid him Rs. 100 for telling me my fortune.  "If you want to meet a true astrologer, want to experience what wisdom is, I will take you to one." He said while driving us back to our hotel.  "I don't believe in all these things," I said while checking the unread Whatsapp messages from our 'Atheist Group'.  "That's completely fine. It is up to you but nothing is wrong to listen to someone free of...

"Dadda, take me to the balcony. It is too hot here". Little Diva got up from her sleep as the electricity went off and the fans stopped. She was sweating. I took her in my arms and headed to the balcony. She asked me to tell her a story so that she could sleep.  Now, she has heard the stories of 'An Honest Woodcutter', 'The Cap Seller and The Monkeys', 'The Monkey and The Crocodile' and many other stories. As she is fascinated by Ramayana and Mahabharata, I chose the story of Prince Siddharth (Gautam Buddha) and his cousin Devdutta, and how Siddharth saves the swan. She was fascinated by the story and was mesmerized by her reaction. I have seen her praising the valour of Rama. She praises how Rama kills the demons and bad people. For her, Rama is the symbol of strength. But after listening to the story of Prince Siddharth, she has all praises for Siddhartha's non-violence, his love for animals. She told me that it is always great to save some...

It was still five minutes left for the clock to strike twelve in midnight. My four-year-old daughter Diva was playing around. Me: Diva, do you know tomorrow is Dr. Ambedkar's birthday. (This was the first time I was talking to her about Babasaheb Ambedkar since she was born.) Diva: Who is he? Is he your friend? Me: Hmm .... He was a great man. Diva: Where is he now? I have never seen him. (I opened Dr. Ambedkar's images from Google and showed it to her.) Diva: Wow, he looks so handsome. But Daddy, you have better clothes than him. Me: No dear, nobody had worn clothes like him. He had a great collection of suits, ties, shoes and books. (Diva looked at an image where Dr. Ambedkar is writing something. There are books around him.) Diva: In which school was he? Me: I don't know. But he studied a lot. He read so many books (I showed her other images of Babasaheb with books in his hands) and became intelligent. One day, he became great. Diva: Do you like...

“Ah, music, a magic beyond all we do here!” - says Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard, from the Harry Potter series. Although it's a fiction but doesn't the saying sound true?  Being a 90s kid, I am blessed to have a musically wonderful childhood, and on the top of that, Bollywood songs made it memorable. It is the Golden period of Bollywood music. Every day, we relate ourselves to the songs that we listen to in our mobile, on the radio, in the car or at home while cooking and doing other chores. There are numerous songs for each mood. Today, I am writing about my 'Top 7 Bollywood Songs' that inspires me when I am feeling down.  7) 'Jhuk Na Paunga':  If you are in a fix to choose between right and easy, this song is the perfect one. Sung in the soulful voice of Papon and penned by Indraneel, this is one of the most underrated songs of Amit Trivedi. You would surely get the goosebumps when you will listen to the line 'Tinke z...