Celebration..? Oh No...Not Today!!

So...here I am, sitting in the cozy indoors of my house, with no one around, listening to the distant sound of crackers and the beep of my phone which is receiving some random texts every minute or two. There's nothing new about this. This has been extremely typical of the eve of the Independence Day, since long, at least for me.

Though this may seem to be absurd for some, and to some it may sound like a dark story is about to commence. However, it  for is not so. I am alone in the house, because my parents are out for dinner-cum-late night party with friends, while my brother is out with his bunch of people, probably drinking his way through the night.

The sound of crackers denotes nothing, but a mindset which probably believes in the fact that fireworks, on the eve of the Independence Day is a great way of showing their love for the country.

As far as the texts on my phone are considered, they are trying to remind of a very important duty that I need to fulfill, and that too exactly when the clock strikes 12:00 am. The "duty" here refers to the changing of my display picture on apps like the BBM and Whatsapp and whatnot to the picture of the Indian National Flag. Well, why not? After all, I constitute of the youth of today, I am the future of this nation, and thus it is my solemn duty to do so. This is my biggest opportunity of showing my love, respect and dedication to my motherland.

Come the dawn, and there will be a horde of patriotic songs being played on loudspeakers at various pandals set up by activists, political groups, and social circles (which by the afternoon will be playing the like of Sheila and Munni....And why not? After all the constitution bestows upon one and all...the duty to respect woman).

Oops!! How stupid of me?!  I forgot to mention the most important aspect of this day. FACEBOOK! How on earth could we be celebrating our Independence Day, without Facebook?  Every Indian on the social network, will be tagged by another, in a picture that depicts the greatness of this nation, or the plight of its poor people, or the shameful acts of its politicians, and in some rare cases, the sacrifices of the freedom fighters.

All that being said (by me), and done (by others, of course), the one question that is popping into my head is "Why?", followed by others like - "for whom?" and  "for what?"

I mean is there anything that this "Facebook generation"(if I may say so) is doing for the betterment of the nation on a consistent basis? Does the nation and its welfare even affect even one decision that we make from one 15th Aug to the next? Does the well-being of the follow countrymen even fare on our list of priorities?

Well, I am no die-hard patriot to give any "gyaan" out here. But then, I am also not indulging in the so called "patriotic-acts" of changing display pictures, forwarding texts, or singing patriotic songs just to mark this day. With all humility, and utter humiliation, I stand here and accept the fact that I am doing nothing significant for my nation, and I am therefore not eligible for flaunting my love towards my motherland.

Therefore I choose not to flaunt my love for the motherland today. I am not putting up a fancy display picture of the National Flag. I am not wishing people on this great day that marks the freedom of my nation. I am not celebrating today. Today, I feel sorry for myself, b'coz all I am is burden to this nation, when I could have been its pillar of strength. 

Today, I feel GUILTY.  What about you?

P.S. - I DO NOT mean to demean the Indian Flag, all I wish to do is to question us - the "so called" youth, question the consciences of one and all, who claim to be true Indians!!

The Ramble...

                  Just went through an awesome presentation made by a friend on her life, her accomplishments and her achievements. As I was thinking on what all she has achieved, very subconsciously I began to retrospect what have I attained?  Is that good enough?? To my disappointment the answer was no..it is not..!! The “NO” brought this whole thought process to my conscious mind. When I tried looking around I found so many people who have achieved so much more in life..while I have done nothing..still..! My mother, a national level snooker player; my brother, a guitarist; this friend who is an amazing writer, another friend who is a great photographer...! People who dance, who sing, who can draw, who are skilled in some or the way...are all there...form a major chunk of my friends and acquaintances!!!

                This got me thinking...Is it a mandate that every individual has to have some talent, some achievement that he can boast about..? What about people like me?? I have been to school for 14 years, an undergraduate college for 3 years, then another 2 years for a post-graduate course..! Started with a business, called it quits and then started with another...  No achievements.. whatsoever..!!

                   So does it not count if a person survives through this life, the ups and downs..and in the meanwhile...doesn’t feel like doing something extra-ordinary?? Why does one need to pull off something exceptional to win accolades from the society?  And more so since the rave reviews of the life history of an individual solely depends on the “so called achievements” .

                      I mean c’mmon..we are all here to survive, and yes we do that pretty efficiently..Remember- “survival of the fittest”...so since we are one of the fittest..I think that should be good enough..!! But seems it isn’t!! Accept the fact! Expect no limelight...if you are simply fighting the battle of survival..if you do not have any inborn talent, if you aren’t a sportsperson, if you do not have that x-factor, if you are just another human being..!! Then, there is an unending drill that goes on in one’s mind to find if there exists some latent talent that one might have...but sometimes...there isn’t any..sadly so! And this gets him a tag of being Oh So Futile!

                   

                   Having said, seen and experienced all of that, I still manage to find happiness, probably in the sweet nothings of life, in the nature around, in those good vibes from people, in my solitude, and mostly in the virtue of my being. Because, somewhere, deep down in my heart I still believe, in what Hans Christian Anderson said...and rightly so.. “To Travel is To Live”

विडम्बना...

दिल बदले या चेहरे, बदली चालें या सिर्फ मोहरें
खैर, चोट तो तब भी खायी थी..और है लगी आज भी..
तब बस  फूट फूट कर रोया कीए थे, 
और आज मुस्करा दिए अपनी ही मस्ती में..


विडम्बना-Irony

मेरी धुन ...

जीतने की धुन में जीती रही मैं,

जीते-जीते जीना ही भूल गयी ....

जीवन में जीत या जीत में जीवन ..?

जाने क्या माँगा, क्या पाया।।



जीतना - To Win
जीना - To Live

जन्म भर के नाते ...

Goes out for all the amazing people I've met in this life,who stood by me, no matter what..!!

एक दिन और यूँ बीत गया,
इस ज़िन्दगी की राह में ,
एक मोड़ और यूँ ही पीछे छूट गया, 
आगे बढ़ जाने की चाह में ...
इस एक दिन में ना जाने कितना कुछ घटा है,
घट जाने पर भी इसके, जीवन का रस बढ़ सा गया है!
लोग मिले कई, और लोगो से मिली मैं भी ...
कुछ जाने, कुछ अनजाने, कुछ अनूठे से ..
क्या जाने क्या बात थी इनमे ?
यूँ ही एक घनिष्टता बढ़ती चली गयी ..
सादगी भी थी, मदमस्त चंचलता भी,
कुछ गहरे नाते जुड़े , हुई कहीं दिल्लगी भी ,
बाटें कुछ ग़म, तो इकट्ठी की खिलखिलाहटें,
दो पल की बातें और जन्म भर के नाते ...
जीत के इस जूनून में, मैं सब छोड़ चली थी,
पर मन में थी एक अनकही बेकली,
रह न गए हों कहीं वो "लोग" पीछे ...
पर पगला मन ये मेरा समझ ना पाया,
साथ चलते हैं वो "दोस्त "आज भी !!

सच! किसने था जाना, क्या जाने कोई?
ढाई अक्षर का शब्द और असीम है मायने ....

P.S.-The word "बेकली" refers to Fear. (भय)

युद्धभूमि ...

On the irony of winning the battle of LIFE..!

जग से अगर है जीतना,
तो जग को साथ लीये चलो ,
जग जो ये पीछे छूट गया ,
तो जग ये मानो जीत गया ...

जो जीत की ख़ुशी जब बाटोगे,
तो जग ही होगा रमने वाला,
जग जो ये पीछे  छूट  गया
तो सूना जायेगा जश्न तुम्हारा ..

अजब ही ये विडम्बना,
जग से बैर, जग से ही नाता,
इसी में जन्मा, इसी से संघर्ष
रे योद्धा! विदा तू कैसे लेगा सहर्ष ...??
क्यूँकि जग जो ये पीछे छूट गया,
तो रह जाएगा बस सन्नाटा ....!!

Girl...and Proud To Be

Yes I am a girl...

And believe me...it’s HARD to be one

I like to be friends with guys...not because I think it’s cool, not because it’s less of drama, but because I know it’s easier to hide my feelings from them when I m not okay...

I give away my favourite chocolate, not because I am not fond of it anymore, but because I love my younger one more than that chocolate bar...

I like to spend some time alone, not because I need my space to chill out, but I think it’s easier to cry my heart out that way...

I like to be friends with girls...not because I can bitch about others with them, but because they make me feel cared for and pampered, when I am all by myself...

I like to shop...and sometimes not just for the sake of it, but because I become too conscious of the way I look...

I might be found shouting at people at times, not because I am cranky, but probably it’s the way I show that I care...

I don’t ask for help all the time, more likely because I don’t want to be looked down upon, for being weak...

I do snap and throw up, but that doesn’t mean I am mad, just that I find it a little hard to cope with 10 tasks at hand and 1000 things in mind...

I do race my car at times, not always for the fun of it...but because I feel that someone is possibly following me...

I act more sophisticated than I am...because the society expects me do behave that way and not because I like to throw tantrums...

 I show that I am strong, but it’s exactly at that point in time when I am at my weakest...

I spend more time with family than with friends coz I know, one fine day I’ll get married and will have to leave my own home...

I let my guy, the love of my life walk away, just to make my father happy...

I skip meals, work out and live on all those salads in order to look lean, on that weekend party...

I end up being completely disheartened for weeks even if a stranger happens to signal that I don’t look pretty...

And still I manage to make this earth a happier place to live in...It’s me...yes me...!!

I am the one my father feels proud of...more than any other thing in the world!

I am the one my mother confides in... in spite of all the friends she has!

I am the one my brother comes to...when there’s no one he can talk to!

I am the one my sister first hugs...when she realises she’s in love!

I am the one my guy knows will stand by...no matter what!

I am the one my friend calls up at the first sign of trouble for she knows I am there for her!

I am the one my kids look up to whenever they just don’t know how to go about stuff!

Yearning yet giving, Confused yet guiding, Nervous yet strengthening, Perturbed but comforting, Messed up yet organised, Vulnerable still robust, Secretive and still expressive...That’s what I am...a G.I.R.L. and proud to be..!!!

P.S. – I drive rashly, not because of any problem, but because I have no sense of motion, or direction, or even of handling my own steering wheel for that matter. That is something I am totally deprived of... (I know guys will completely agree with this one..lol..)