Jana Hai

Tanhai ke suitcase mein,

Naye-purane zakhmon ko sametkar,

Lamhon ke khirki-darwaze band kar,

Jana Hai.

Mazhab kai hai, Bhagwan wahi.

Dard kai hai, Dil wahi.

Judai ki bus le kar, main,

Pauchunga pachtave ke stop par.

Umeed ke har store band honge aaj.

Rishton ke shahar mein curfew jo hain.

Waqt ke purse mein,

Galtiyon kay photo chupaye nahi chupte.

Mohabbat currency note hain,

Zamane ke theatre mein ghuste hi kharch ho jate hain.

Badan ke zoo mein,

Naraazgi ke kai jaanwar qaid hai, ab bhi.

Afsos ke kapdon se dhakkar, magar,

Jana hai.

Mijaz kayi hai, Mausam wahi.

Bahane kayi hai, khichav wahi.

By: NovoneeL ChakrabortY

Tap Water

While coming back home from college few years back my bus stopped at a signal. I was sitting by a window seat so got a chance to notice an old man sitting by a road side tap. He was carrying a not-interested-in-this-world-anymore kind of expression on his face. Or was I reading too much, I don’t know. Though he kept watching the people (so did I) who came for water and seeing the tap empty of it went away abusing the municipality.

The signal turned green and my bus leaped forward with gusto. For once I turned back at the old man only to see him happily filling his bottle. Voila! The water had come.

After I reached home I somehow felt relaxed from within for I now knew, sometimes, one needs to wait for the opportunity with the dress of preparation on and not make a blind sprint for it.

Thanks ‘old man’, wherever you are!

By: NovoneeL ChakrabortY

Stand Fan

It was hot. It was humid. I was irritated. I was angry. Suddenly a woman came over and put a stand fan where the patients were waiting for their call from the doctor. As soon as the fan was switched on it started swinging from left to right. I relaxed feeling the air but soon the fan turned away to my locked-jaw chagrin.

A little boy, who was sitting next to me, kept shifting from left to right in accordance to the fan’s face. And I soon surmised he was the happiest and the least sweaty amongst all the visitors. For unlike him we all were only waiting for the fan to turn towards us.

By: NovoneeL ChakrabortY

PC Game

There is this friend of mine who is a PC Game addict. I was at his place few days back and seeing his maniacal collection of game CDs I shot a casual query at him, "Bro, is there any game you have played but couldn't complete?"
"No!" It was prompt. "There is no game in this stupid world which can't be completed. Sometimes you have to be at it day and night though."

And he was right. I remembered all the PC and Video games I played as a kid. Every stage was an impossible challenge at first. But eventually - after playing it obsessively day and night - I did manage to conquer and move on to the next stage.

I thought about his statement for a while and then said, "Voila!" with a faint smile of realization.

And I guess you know why.


By: NovoneeL ChakrabortY

BADMINTON

During my Kindergarten days I used to play badminton with my elder sister. And her condition was straight and simple, "Whichever side the shuttle-cork falls you’ll have to pick it up!" Since helplessness gives you a new God, I always gave in.

But when I recollect those moments now I realize there is such a big lesson in it. Consider this: If the game has to continue one of the two will have to pick up the shuttle-cork.

If you know what I am talking about…

By: NovoneeL ChakrabortY

Tomorrow - Today - Yesterday

I believe (a personal one!) the way one laughs changes over time. And that the change is proportional to the experiences of life.

Last Sunday one of my uncles visited me. Though I was meeting him after a long time but he didn’t seem to have changed at all. My uncle always laughed like a child; without any inhibitions and straight from his heart. The surprise? He still laughs like that. If I tell you about his life then your definition of ‘bad luck’ would certainly be pushed. But I won’t do that as it will dilute the intention of this particular post.

All I want to share is what he told me when I asked him how he still manages to smile in his life-is-beautiful manner. This is what he said, “Even if Tomorrow is the most gorgeous woman on earth I don’t fantasize about her. If Today is the girl I love the most but I know I can’t get her I still live it to the full and not stop mid-way. And if Yesterday is the first crush of my life I, at best, remember her but never miss her.”

God bless him!

By: NovoneeL ChakrabortY

Awaazein

Dum lu bhi toh kaise,
Khwabo mein aana ab tumhe manzoor nahi.
Tumahri aawazo ki sui si chubhan zinda rakhti hai mujhe.
Bechani meri suhagan hai,
Sukoon meri vidhwa.

Haqeqat se jannat ki dooriyon ko
Zindagi kaha karte the kabhi.
Unki aawaz ki gaaliche main let kar
Sadiyaan paar kar lete the kabhi.

Bachpan mein khilono ke tootne se
Hum ro liya karte the kabhi
Ab khilone tootte hai bhi toh kya?
Bahano ke bazaar se waqt milta hi nahi.

Rok nahi sakta mann ke darwazon se
Beete waqt ki roshni ko, magar.
Aaj aur kal ke ek room ke flat mein
Andhera kayam rehta hai abhi.

Bhool jau bhi toh kaise,
Zindagi ka sweater chota lagta hai abhi.
Tumhari awaazo ki rui se dabkar
Neend aa jati hai kabhi.


By: NovoneeL ChakrabortY