गया काम से तू

लबों की वो लाली,
पल पल की गाली,
चढ़ती मदहोशी साली,
गया काम से तू|

थी जुराबें गुलाबी,
छंछंनाती पाजेबें,
मोरनी से हैं पंजे,
गया काम से तू|

मटकती सी आँखें,
दिल में हैं झांकें,
हैं नश्तर चलाती,
गया काम से तू|

उलझी सी जुल्फें,
कि थोड़ी तो सुल्झा,
लगाती हैं फांसी
गया काम से तू|

इधर तिल उधर तिल,
थकता ना गिन गिन,
हैं नजरें चुराते,
गया काम से तू|

मजबूर है दिल,
बड़ा है ये कातिल,
जबसे उसे मिल
गया काम से तू||

Some Vintage Days

Some vintage days, gone are they

Some vintage memories, left

Ups and Downs, gave they to us,

Heavy and Light talks abuzz

Those lengthy evenings, graphs and charts

Those bickering, arguments tarts

Whatever you told, I often repulsed

But the words come back to me

You said it from your experience

I could not grasp much then

They hit me now, like wine of old

All said and done, memories built,

Will meet, paths will cross again,

Some vintage days, gone are they

Some vintage memories, left.

Friendship Day. Really?

Just got a call from a long time friend. “Hey pal. How r u?”, asked he. “I’m fine”, said I. “Just called to wish you friendship day”. And we both laughed to tears for next 30 secs or so. A day for friendship. Who are we Colonists? Ok, bad joke.

Friendship is the essence of humanity. Why is there a need to put a day for it? Ok…let me try and go with it a bit. It’s friendship day, today. What am I supposed to do? Call up my friends? Greet them? Shouldn’t I be had been doing it regularly if they are my friends?

Historically such days were declared to celebrate some achievement. Independence Day, Republic Day etc. What I feel is sometime down the line, it became a fashion to declare days just for the sake of it. I mean friendship day? Who are we Invaders? Again, bad joke.

In college I understand, it gives a shot at maaroing chance. What after that? Also with declaring days with increasing frequency, it’s not far when we will be marking more than one thing on a single day. Imagine Friendship Day and Animosity Day falling together. That would be hilarious, now wouldn’t it?

To me it seems yet another capitalistic agenda to mint money. Friendship band, cards, gifts, tv, movie and what not. That’s genius by the way. Respect.

With the scale getting larger year by year, not long before I get mutated too. Who knows my friend, you will get a card from me next year.

This Lonely Isle

I could not fathom the smile,
Lovely pink, shining white,
I just remember the pleasure,
Stranded on this lonely isle.

Thumb which I sucked slowly,
Hiding face, feeling secure,
I just remember the comfort,
Lying on this rocky isle.

The fights, the arguments,
All leading to truce; embrace,
I just remember shouting at you,
Mumbling on this silent isle.

Mad, immature, childish,
Teaching, Preaching Day n Night,
I just remember you nodding,
Gazing at this unresponsive isle.

Pushing me away, No No No,
Mighty struggle in my arms,
I just remember you losing,
Fighting this unrelenting isle.

Calling at unearthly hours,
Talking for long, without care,
I just remember fighting sleep,
Insomniac, this uncomforting isle.

Forcing me, Adamant you,
Holding it, fingers wrapped,
I just remember the feel of it,
Lying dry, this barren isle.

I think, I never said enough,
How lovely you, how smitten I,
If only we could meet again,
Separated by this isolate isle.

Of Batman and Bollywood

With anxiety about the latest Batman flick running Everest high, Christian Bale is the name on everyone’s lips. This masked and caped vigilante has brought a sense of respect to comic books, missing till now. There have been many a actors who have donned the cowl over the years ranging from the heroic Val Kilmer to the forgettable George Clooney.

This led me to wonder how would the character have panned out had our own Bollywood stars played The Batman. Let see one by one.

1. Salman Khan
	The accented Khan would have suited best as when he speaks in accent he is hardly intelligible, much like Batman whisper. How awesome would it have sound. Catwoman: “Tumne Gotham ke liye bahut kuch kiya. Ab bas karo”. Batman: “Nahin, ek baar jo maine commitment kar di, toh main apne aap k bhi nahin sunta”.

2. Shahrukh Khan
	He is no alien to wearing tight body suits and saving the town. Unlike Batman, his sign would be posing sideways with arms stretched out. Whenever he would do that, Inspector Gordon would run into his arms with music in the background.His melodrama and his enemies would die weeping. Casting Robin for him would be a no brainer!

3. Akshay Kumar
	A flirt Batman. A Kishen Kanhiyya. More like Bruce Wayne, partying with models on his yacht. His endless gags one after the another and his enemies would go insane laughing. Dialogue: “Mein apne desh ka pehla launda hoon jo chimkadad ban ke ud riya hoon.”

4. Ajay Devgn
	The Singham Batman would break the fingers when pointed at. Aata majhi satakli, aali le aali Joker, teri baari aali. The superhero with tilted head would be famous for car chases, blowing and flying cars as he chases his enemies in Bat Car.

5. Saif Ali Khan
	The cool urbane Batman with a sheepish smile. “Ek baar mein samajh gaye ki main Batman hoon ya mein waapas ghoom ke aaoon”. He has his readymade Batgirl in Kareena. He would roam around flirting with umpteen girls while his enemies would get eliminated. “Bade aaraam se”.

6. Aamir Khan
	The perfectionist Batman. He would sleep hanging upside down at the ceiling, lest the character gets diluted. He would surgically get bat wings and paint his face black. Instead of fighting crimes, would fly away and live with bats in their caves. His logic, Bat’s don’t fight crimes, they just hang upside down and terrorize people.

7. Abhishek Bachchan
	This would be the first Batman of its kind. Liberation! Instead of the Cape, he would be donning a gown. Instead of all black, it would be all red and pink. He would charm his enemies and live with him happily ever after.

Anna you betrayed us

Amidst the chant of “Bharat Mata ki Jai”, the atmosphere was all charged up. Patriotism was in vogue again. A huge crowd had gathered at the ground while million more stuck to their TV screens. All were living a force-fed dream. A dream of corruption free India. A dream that we can make a difference. A dream that we do matter.

We saw rebirth of a frail, thin leader. A fighter without arms. Not the demand for food, but the refusal of it shook the very foundations of the legislative of the biggest democracy of the world. We all stood in unison, we did what he said, and we followed wherever led.

As the days passed. One…Two…Three, the pressure started mounting. The health started deteriorating. People were anxious, government was worried. Not for his health but for the backlash, if something happened. More so coz the ideology of party in power was based on fast-unto-death. There seemed no way out.

Some back room negotiations ensued. A tainted ex-CM from financial capital was rushed to Delhi. Anna you agreed. Having been betrayed by Govt., time and again, you still acceded to the letter and promises as if you were just waiting to pounce upon. It’s tough for me to say, but Anna it would have been better if you had withered sitting on the fast. Alas! somewhere down the line, your fast-unto-death became wolf cries.

The corrupt politicians unclothed you in front of public. The cheer-haran was painful. I ask Why? Why did you fool us into disbelief if you were not ready to go the distance? I know it’s tough to give one’s life and I for one cannot. But why did you make false promises?

Your movement is in tatters. Our belief stands shaken. You sided with the limelight hungry, self proclaimed Guru to get the zing back into your campaign, but I am scared now. Scared to be betrayed again. Scared that I will be left again in the midst to fend myself off.

It would be tough for me to believe in another Anna. So long Hazare!

No Country for Emotional Men

“Real Men do cry”. This has almost become a modern cliché. Of the past, men were considered to be this hunk, who were strong physically and emotionally. They seldom broke down, could take right decisions even in traversity and could carry the family on their shoulders. Of late this perception has changed. Emotional sides of men have come to the fore. They do cry, they do break, they do are humans.

How does our society behave with these mortal beings? How does the emotional men treated? Well not quite well to be frank.

What I have observed is, however we may evolve, however we say its fine for men to be emotional, the truth is ‘emotions’ and ‘show of it’ is considered by and large a weakness. On your face nobody would say anything, but you would be mocked behind your backs and the worst part is, at the next opportune moment, you would be ripped off and your emotions en-cashed.

Not only people who don’t matter to you, but also the people who matter to you a lot, your friends and family, will chance upon. Might not be music to your ears but it’s true.

How many times have we seen parents trying ‘emotional blackmail’ just because they know their ward is an emotional fool? How many times did your girl fake cried just because she knows you will break? How many time a colleague told an emotional story just to get some money out of you? It’s all a big hoax.

The thing is, there is no place for emotions in this cruel-cruel world. None outside, None inside. Especially, if you are men. My tip would be to keep to yourself, not let anyone in your emotional side. Not unless you want to be short changed.

People will try to make a fool out of you, just because they can. No other reason.