Nice poem

Time is precious, don't waste it..

With each passing moment, we are changing. The only thing that is true is : change. What I was a second ago, I am not the same, a second later. May be, a billion cells died in that lap of one second. May be a billion were born. Well, I cannot just by the look of it, differentiate between you now, and the second before..but if you try to meditate, you can feel it in your subconscious mind [the change]. And that is what the great saints, or what do we call them, all the yogis do - they try to fathom this constant change, they try to observe.. the changing time...

  If you get to think about it, this has huge consequences. Since the concepts of time and change are intertwined so spectacularly into the universe, it turns out that for any change to happen, however infinitesimal it may be, you require some time. And thus, time in a quantified sense, is a quantity, a non-zero quantity. And thats where its value comes from..

  Twenty seven years ago, I was born as a kid. With time, I grew up. When I say I grew up, it means I changed. My mind. My body. My thinking. Everything. What mattered to me twenty five years ago does not matter to me now, and that is a proof that with time, change is indispensable. No one can stop the changes from happening. Try stopping. You would fail.

   .....Its 1:01 p.m. in the clock. The school lunch time is over. We have opened our history books, waiting for the ever-punctual history teacher, who barely is late. He barges into the classroom, and says, "My apologies, dear children. I am a minute late." And my respect for him grows by leaps and bounds. Its so true. Time is invaluable. How often do we see students loitering and wasting time ? How often does one indulge in meaningless activities, banal banters ? How often do we think what we ought to be, what we have not got ? And how often do we just pass our time for the sake of it ? Just too often...

  If we think of it, we cannot make each moment count. Because our consious mind is unable to take into account the millionth part of time's smallest unit. We are bound by limits. But what we can do, is to atleast try to maximize our limit at the time we do something. Studying ? Great..why dont you try to concentrate on just that single thing. Talking ? Why dont you try to give your all into how to talk best. Once our attitude changes this way, we will all become yogis in some sense, without having to abnegate the necessaties of life. And then most of the miseries, if not all, will go away.

   Even as I write this, I realise that time has changed between my beginning to write this, well whatever you call it, and just right now. Time is precious. Don't waste it. And make it count.

Mother

I saw a little calf, inseparable from her maa
When the milkman tried to separate she cried "Baa baa"

And I was lost in thoughts twenty years ago
When I kissed on my mother's cheek, and lo !!

In my mother, do I see the perfect and sweet lady
I remember going to school, she made me ready !!

The smell of her clothes make me feel so alive
Life becomes not one not two, but four and five !!

She always taught me to grow up be a good man
Once I was hurt, she healed me, and how I ran !!

I owe you mother all the pains that you have taken
I want you to be happy, your pains make me waken [at night]..

Wife

A friend and a foe,
is a wife if you know

A lady who gives all your life
Just to become your friend and your wife

And she is the one whom you ought to protect
You would not harm one half of you, correct !

To care for her, to scold her some times
(Just) to ensure we are doing meaningful in our lives

To forgive her in her mistakes do I find this joy
To give what she needs, do I become  man from a boy

Remember remember  this philosophy of life
Always choose wisely between a knife and a wife

As for me wife is a lifelong companion
who shares all my pains along with gains

Father

My father is the fulcrum of my life
He has helped me storm through strife.

Whatever I am, is because of him
When, he is not there, life becomes grim and dim.

When I was in sorrow, he was there to help
He gave me solace, he gave me my-self.

He always taught me to choose the good path
In failure  and in success, he loved me throughout.

He put my intersets over and above all
Your blood and respect, I will never let fall

Even if I dont show it all along loud
Dear father, you make me so proud.

Life is short, live it with a zest..

I am feeling heavy. May be it is the oppressive heat of September. May be it is the humidity. May be because nothing has been going right in life lately. Maybe because it is a Sunday evening...

So I decide to stroll down to the street leading to the temple. I walk across the street, lost in my thoughts. In front of the temple, I see the blind lady asking for alms. I have been seeing since I have come here, and she has become an assurance for me...An assurance...that all is not lost...an assurance...that the world will move ahead.....may be .....till I keep seeing her.

Beside her is a group of sari-clad, poor ladies. They sit on the dirty floor, busy chatting with each other about the daily chores of life. They seem content and happy. I am not. They have nothing, it seems, still everything. I have everything it seems, still nothing.

I close my eyes. It has been 5 years since I left my college in Kerala, still everything is so fresh. 5 years back, when I would be sad, or would feel heavy, I would similarly stroll down the empty lanes of my college at midnight. I miss my college days so much. Even more today. How strong was I then. Being alone gave me strength in those days...  

I open my eyes. Feeling a lot better. The world is a mixed baggage. It is full of pleasures. It is full of sorrows. There are diseases. There are those cute faces of little kids which make you smile. There is death, which is the ultimate realization that nobody is immortal. There is birth, which seems such a cause for celebration. There is money, which can't give you happiness. There is care and love, which make you happy.

Well, I have now reached too far from the temple. I decide to turn around. I decide to go back now. I decide, not to worry about the frills of life. I decide to be positive....again...like in college....

Tommorrow...will be a new day...a beautiful day...hopefully...

A meaningful dream..

"Guruji, I feel so restless...Please help me."

Guruji, my 10th class English teacher, was a panacea for all my problems. He was so realistic and wise. Once he looked at my palm, and said, "What a miserable life you have." I have since then, found solace in his pessimism.

"What is it son?"
"I am restless Guruji. Its just 4 months now".
"4 months to ?"
"4 months to the exam I have never before experienced."

Guruji, who had an amusing look, suddenly became serious. "Oh I see, my son".

I was inconsolable.
"Yes Guruji. I keep thinking.. I have even tried removing all distractions from life. Tried sleeping early. Left my mobile alone. Thought and thought."

"You seem to be quite tensed, my son."

"Yes Guruji. For the past few months, I have been living in my own fantastic world. Now that the exam is approaching, I...."

"Carry on, my son."

"I now understand how dofficult the task is. I now realise the need to be realistic. I have to learn so many things. When I think, I dont know so.many basic things."

"Oh !", exclaimed Guruji.

"Yes Guruji. I am apprehensive about the future. How would I handle the future. What should I expect. What are the expectations on me. Will I able to rise above talking, and prove worthy. How do I gain respect.."

"Stop my son. You seem to be confused."

"Show me the path, Guruji."

"Dont worry, my son. Take the medium path. Dont indulge in fantasies. Dont be too realistic  either. Welcome the new change in your life. Dont forget respecting the people of ypur past. Dont ever overexpect. Dont be too rude. At the same time, dont be too polite."

"Your words are helping me, Guruji."

"The answer lies within you, my son. Dont waste these 4 months. Think what you need to learn, what you don't know. One who prepares well, shall not bleed in the war."

"You are right, Guruji. I will make a list of things I need to learn...."

"Remember. Become like a tree. It is so forgiving, yet at the same time, it is so magnanimous."

My heart became lighter. I found the answers. " Become like the tree which follows the middle path."

I was not going to flunk the exam, 4 months later...for sure...

And the real exam was to start after that. How would be it...depends on how well I prepare now...

Who am I..

I am your pride lest you say
I am your joy, if you may...

I am the vermilion of your large head
I am one without whom you feel dead...

I am the beauty of your finger's ring
Oh yes ! I am the one you search on bing...

I am, o dear,  the colour of your attire
What I say is true, no I am not a liar...

I am the reason why you feel, why you smile
When I am not there, your heart skips a mile...

I am the sun of your morning, moon of your night
You will never be happy when I am not in sight...

I am the blood that flows through your ventricles
If you are one large spider, I am your tenticles...

For if I am no more, you will cry and cry and cry
And you will feel numb and fry and fry and fry...

I may go on and on and on, as to who am I
But for the sake of saying lets say good bye...

Strange is the world and its ways...

Statutory warning : The following content is emotional...

Strange are the ways of this world.
People promise and promise.
Till they forget what they promised ...

Strange are the ways of this world.
People love on desktops and mobiles.
And cant tolerate when they live along...

Strange are the ways of this world.
People want to be treated like kings.
When they are worthy of being treated like beggars...

Strange are the ways of this world.
Suddenly friends become our own.
And own mother becomes stranger...

Strange are the ways of this world.
People talk of devotion and integrity.
But the same two words dont apply to them...

Strange are the ways of this world.
If you succeed, you become the darling.
If you fail, you are a blot to the society...

Strange are the ways of this world.
People talk of selflessness and sarifice.
When all they are is selfish and fulsome...

And strange are ways of this world.
People like and comment and tweet.
But cant appreciate the wife's food...

Strange ! Strange ! Bizzare ! Sinister !
People talk about high ideals in eons and ages.
But truth is, they havent talked to their ageing father in ages...
(Oh ! I AM SO GOOD AT ALLITERATION)

And if this is how the world is.
And if this is how its ways are.
Well ! Its a really really strange world...

बन्दर-बाँट में ही आनंद है..

जीवन सापेक्ष है. कोई ऋषि या महात्मा, यदि हिमालय की कोख में अकेले निर्विध्न समधीलीन हो जाये, तो निश्चित ही उसे हम जितेन्द्रिय कह सकते हैं, लेकिन वह एक सम्पूर्ण जीवन जी रहा  है, ऐसा कहना विवादस्पद है. क्यूंकि मानवीय जीवन तो सापेक्ष है ना. एक मनुष्य का जीवन, दूसरे से प्रभावित ना हो, ऐसा कैसे संभव है.

और इसीलिए जीवन में खुश रहने के लिए व्यक्ति को कहीं ना कहीं दूसरों की ख़ुशी को भी महसूस करना पड़ता है. क्यूंकि वो मनुष्य ही क्या, जो सिर्फ अपने हित में ही ख़ुशी तलाशे. वह तो एक स्वार्थी है, एक रोगी है जो सिर्फ अपने लिए जीता है. ऐसा जीवन तुच्छ है, जीने योग्य नहीं है.

और इसी विचारधारा से प्रभावित होता है व्यक्ति का कर्म. की क्या करने योग्य है और क्या नहीं.   अगर असल माइनो में देखें तो आनंद उसी चीज़ में है जो कर्मनिये है, जो करने योग्य है. इंजीनियरिंग कॉलेज के एक रूम में, २ बजे रात को ५ लोगो का चिल्ला चिल्ला के हँसना, जिससे दूसरों की नींद ख़राब हो, इसमें कैसा आनंद, ये मेरे समझ से पर है. 

असल में उसे आनंद नहीं बस कौतुहल कहेंगे, नादानी कहेंगे, कच्ची उम्र की नादानी.
हाँ आनंद जरूर है :
१) अपनी जिम्मेदारियां बखूबी निभाने में
२) सुबह सुबह उठ के, जब सब स्वास्थ लाभ ले रहे हों, घूमने में
३) किसी के चेहरे पर मुस्कान लाने में
४) किसी गरीब की मदद करने में
५) अपने सपनों को स्वांगिकार करने में
६) और अंत में, मिल बाँट के खाने में  ..

जी हाँ, आपने सही सुना : मिल बाँट के बंदरों की तरह खाने में. क्यूंकि, बन्दर हमारे पूर्वज ही तो हैं  (ये मै नहीं विज्ञानं कहता है ). मिल बाँट कर खाने से मेरा तात्पर्य है, परिवार के सभी सदस्यों के साथ खाने की कोशिश करें. ओहो !! जो आनंद आता है.. सबको ख़ुशी की अनुभूति होती है और एक पंथ, अनेक काज हो जाता है. रिश्तों में सुदृढ़ता आती है , बड़े खुश होते हैं की छोटों को उनकी फ़िक्र है, छोटे कहते हैं की उन्हें आप पर फक्र है.

और इसी फ़िक्र और फक्र पर तो जीवन का आनंद है. अगली बार जब जलेबी दिखे तो खुद  पेट भरने से पहले उस मुस्कान को याद करें, जो आपके बाबूजी के चेहरे पर होगी, जब आप जलेबी खाने की जगह पैक करके उनके पास जायेंगे, और कहेंगे - "बाबूजी, आज आपके साथ जलेबी खाने का मन है. खाएंगे क्या।।।।।।

The woman's wish...

(This is a touching story about an old woman who loved her village more than anything else..)

Long ago in China, there was this village called Manho

Through the heart of the village, flowed the river Hwang-Ho..

And if there existed something like a necessary evil

The river was exactly that to the village and its pupil..

It gave them life it gave them food

It gave them death when it was rude..

It fed them with rice, it gave them the wheat

But when came the floods, all felt the heat...

And so Hwang-Ho to Manho, was a thing everyone feared

In its awe were the villagers, it wasn't the thing they jeered...

And the sleepy little village, in the year of our Lord

Lived a woman, aged 100, with shiny hair like a cord...

Since time immemorable, she had lived and she was there

Once she was a shy bride, now she was the mother of care...

She was alone and, she didn't even  remember correctly

That when did her husband, "you know", became heavenly...

But there was something that made her go on, even with a cracked rib 

The village was her kith and kin, and so nobody saw her sob or crib...

(...A pause...)

It was an ominous day my dear, never was it so dark

The cat meaowed, and the dog frightened with its bark...

There was something wrong, as if the lull before the hush

Through the big gates of the dam, water would now  gush...  

The river never soared so high, in a hundred year  or so

The devil had finally arrived, and the fate sealed "oh no" ...

Tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock

The water in the dam now could touch the flying hawk...

Panick spread like wildfire, people began to flee

In that moment I wonder, God where was thee...

It was the announcement of the disaster to come

Manho would be history, all thought  and some...

(There was one escape though...)

One of the walls of the dam spelled doom for Manho land

Though on the second wall, lay a desert of dust and sand...

And if somehow  the village could be saved from wreck and death

If the second wall broke, not the first one, was the villagers' faith...

And so when our old good lady heard about this misfortune 

Her heart was filled with sorrow, and her bosom with gloom...

And in her heart she now  decided, its not going to end like this

"I lost my love once, now I wont let the bear swallow the fish"...

She thought about the government helicopter, which came there to save

And she told the pilot about her plan and said  "Come on !! Be brave" ... 

The pilot in a fix, and in the dichotomy of the lady's words

"Dont do this, old lady !!" His core shook like feather of birds...

But the lady was inconsolable, adamant in her talk

She would defeat the river and no way let it mock...

So along with the pilot, the two flew past the dam's other side

And reached the other gate, with the desert to welcome the ride...

And now the lady told the pilot to fly back to home

And now she was alone, the guardian of the dome...

Her eyes were  a little moist, she knew what to do

There was no doubt now, and flew across the loo...

"I have lived such a good life" she did whisper and mumble

Not even for a second, did her hands shake or did fumble...

And now took a deep breadth and remembered all her good fate

"Alas, every good thing had a end", and opened the ill-fated gate...

(And...)

Water, water everywhere, water gushed through her lungs

It tossed her here it tossed her there, and tore apart her gums...

And so the lady, our good old lady, saved Manho that day

And the village survived, its children live, run and play...

The holy sacrifice of the lady would be remembered till the time

Come another such story, and we will have another poem to rhyme...

Nuptial ties.

Well, I have seen many a couples fighting over small petty things, and always feel bad about it. Although not an expert, I am sharing here whatever I have learnt from scriptures, good people, and of course, my parents.

'Men are from Mars, women from venus'. Yet the mars-venus relationship is the most perfect ones in the world. Man completes the woman. Woman completes the man.

And when the relationship is given that stamp of legality, it becomes the purest of relations. Purer than anything else. Man becomes a husband, woman a wife.

Its bizzare that two strangers, who till now were lost in their own worlds of family, friends, and career, suddenly reach the state where they, so easily, give up their self and vow to live together. Where they vow to tolerate each other for life. And to care. And to respect. Its pure bliss.

So what are the husband's responsibilities towards his wife. Well, to say the least, the husband must be his wife's best friend. Never in his life should he disrespect her. He should consider his wife to be his better half. He should provide her with all the amenities to live a decent life. The wife has been described in scriptures as 'ardha-angini', and for some good reason. She is her man's shakti, which enables him to face the world. A husband should be single-minded in the devotion towards his wife.

What about the wife ? Well it is said, that given a house, a woman turns it into a home. So, the wife should be to a husband what oxygen is for life. She should stand by her husband in times of happiness, as well as in times of distress..
----------------------------
Question is, how often do I see people adhering to the above principles. That is the reason of all miseries in relationships. Believe me, even Lord Buddha couldn't understand this...

The 25 kilometers to office

(At the age of forty, a lady is remembering her old days. She is having high fever at the moment...)

A sunny day of summer, and I was dull and dry,

Some went to work, some to play, I was left to fry..

And in those moments of solitude and lull,

My god, the thermometer, said 100 and a null..

So, I was confined to my room, my body left to ache,

And in the year of the lord 2030, my memories began to wake..

So young and so lovely, I was 25 in those times,

All my hormones were balanced, so were the enzymes..

I worked at a place so far from my house,

I cribbed all along, well I was such a louse..

I cribbed "Why do I have to have to do this, O please",

"In the summer do I boil, in winter do I freeze.."

The road that I went was all dust and hell,

Smoke in my eyes, and jams in the cell..

I hated, loathed, and cursed at my luck and my life,

And I despised from my bosom, those kilometers twenty five..

Everyday, I saw people hurrying to their work,

The road that I went through, my god ! gave me jerk..

And now ! Well.. gone are those days, and gone is my youth,

IN RETROSPECT !! And now !  do I know the truth..

Its so hard to sit here, and I really miss those days,

I wish eons froze ! it was best part of the phase.. (called life)

Give me back the smoke, give me back those jams,

I want to see the trains, I want to feel the trams..

I want to travel like I did, even if it was tortuous,

IN RETROSPECT !! I didn't know I was so fortituous..

I know it wont come even if I shout and I cry,

How much do I want it, when the time is gone and dry..

Folks ! People ! One moment I ask you please,

Listen to what this good lady means as she speaks..

I have lived all my life, thinking what is next,

IN RETROSPECT !! So futile was my pretext..

We should live life the way as it presents, the way as it comes,

For who knows, where will we be, and where will be our chums..

With these words, I leave it to thee (the reader)

Well ! How did I write, How did I see..

A bad dream

(Note : This is purely based on the author's dream and has no reality whatsoever. Any similarity found can be purely coincidental)

20 light years away, two ill-fated massive stars collide..

The resultant energy generated is unimaganable for the human mind to think, or to even calculate. Its simply humongous. Well, according to physical laws, energy spreads in a circle destroying everything in its path. Its as terrifying as Shiva's trinetra. The only good thing is, the intensity of the energy waves decreases as it encompasses
planets such as earth..

So, when the earth comes in its range, the intensity of the waves has decreased  (by millionth of the original). Still the waves have a lot of energy. To shake our mother earth...

The result is ....earthquakes, aftershocks. All over the world..everywhere..Tremors are felt..

Starts with Nepal. Under the influence of  the energy waves, the vulnerable Himalayan region shakes not once, not twice, but 8 times in a day. Such frequency is repeated every now and then...Even India is affected, and at some places, the weather changes for worse..

What happens next ? Does this pattern continue..all over the world. Is it a threat for the human civilization ? Do the repercussions include only the quakes, or something else, such as tsunamis?

With this, the alarm clock rang, and I opened my eyes, all drenched in sweat. I thank God, for this being a dream..

The hopes of many have been shattered. Who would save us in the hours of peril ? Lord, it is time you did something..

Childhood days

I met a man in Nigeria
With a beard white and grey
He was 40, looked like 60
"Men age as wine", they say...
This man to me seemed like a phrase
For there was this thing missing from his face
Nope !! Nor there in the heart too in his case...
Was it a smile !! Was it a smirk..
I could not fathom why there was no dawn after dusk
So, I asked him, with all my humility..
Mr Chimamandanata, where are the flowers of your city ?
Why dont you laugh, why dont you giggle
Why do you grumble, why do you niggle....
And he replied, with all his maturity...
The sun shines while they make hay
With this world I have turned so sombre and grey
When I was a child, I used to smile and laugh
Then one day, died my beloved cat and the calf...
The world is full of wickedness and crooked ones.
They fight for petty things with their bombs and guns...
And so one day, they took away my beloved and I cried..
The laughter in me was gone, and the child died...
I have lived my life with "suited" pirate and jack
Oh good man, can you give me my childhood back ....

Tandava - Lord Shiva's Abhimaan

(Lord Shiva singing....)
On the abode of this mountain
Up above the Mansarovar lake
I sit alone beneath the fountain
Lost in the dreams which are fake
Have I been drinking the soma...
The people on earth are at my mercy
As if I can order the winds to be my jersey
Well I dont mean that, atleast per se
One blink of mine will turn the earth turvy topsy
Have I been drinking the soma...
The sun seems so fragile and weak
And there again..I started talking like a wretched wreck
All the nature submits to me like meek
I can talk latin and greek
Have I been drinking the soma...
I am in awe of my own awesomeness
And the weak ones sing in my fulsomeness
There is no end to my kindness
But I start my tandava, and begins this endlessness....
Have I been drinking the soma....
(Soma is a narcotic drink, supposed to be drunk by Gods)

If I were a doctor...

If I were a doctor... people would say -
He is the second God on earth.
Oh look ! he is so smart as well..
Aha ! He is so caring, and he speaks so well..
And yes ! he can cure us all !

If I were a doctor...my parents would be proud -
You know ! My son is a doctor.
And guess ! He keeps us healthy..
Nay nay ! He doesn't smoke and drink.
And has no habits of the common man !

If I were a doctor..I would have had a clinic -
Not feeling well ! Go to Mr. Kumar's.
You have a problem ! Go to him..
Really ! He will cure you.
True ! He has a magical wand !

Well ! Woah ! You know what -
I am not a doctor, and the only reason why..
Shhhhhhhh.....dont tell anyone..
I was bad at biology ! :)
And so I became an engineer !

Of simplicity, and earthquakes...

"If you cant explain it simply, you dont understand it well"  --Albert Einstein

The following lines are the opening quotes of the novel, the Stranger, by Albert Camus :

“Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday; I can't be sure.”

And you know what, these lines are considered to be the most powerful opening lines ever..Why ?

I have wondered often - what is it in a rose that it is one of the most beautiful of creations. Simplicity. Yes, the word. It is so beautiful because its so simple.

Same goes for those lines. So simple, yet so powerful...

All the woes in the world are because humans unnecessarily complicate and enmesh the simplest of things. Well, its in human's nature to complicate. Politics is based on it, science is based on it, everything human does is basically to complicate things. Watch the nature. There is so much discipline. The sun always rises from the east, and always sets in the west. Even if a slightest complication were to arise in nature's ways, chaos would prevail.

We are able to live, because the mother earth is simple in its ways...simply revolving round the sun for thousands of years. What happens if this simplicity is broken...What happens when the earth, once in a blue moon, strays from keeping it simple ? And shakes a bit....

Well, it shakes everything. It shakes the birds. The animals. Our conscience. The way we percieve. In a nutshell, our lives... 

So why don't our politicians dont understand. Why do religious fanatics complicate, and kill, in the name of religion...I always wonder what would the world be like....if simplicity prevailed....

Definitely a better world indeed....

Beauty..

The dormant desires have again come alive.
And passion is burning in the veins...(again)

Like a never-dying lamp it stands...
There must be some reason for this...(why)

The childhood memories are vivid.
And gone are those halcyon days, still don't feel...(gone)

Happy I was, happy I am.
Beautiful the world was, beautiful it is, and...(will be)

The bees are hovering on those flowers.
As if giving them the potion of love and making them more...(lovelier)

Who said Monday morning had blues.
I feel all the colors today, all of'em...(rainbow-like)

Suddenly the existence of the almighty feels.
Suddenly the dots are connected and it makes sense...(more)

So fortunate I am to have lived in this world.
Even when I am gone, there will be...(I)

The bloody streets Of Delhi

On a farcical evening, all the omens came to loiter.
The dark cat criss-crossed my way, the clouds began to hover.
The night approached, and the day ran for cover.

And in such dark days, was I trolling across the road.
Never in my life did it look so solitary, and broad.
As the night approached, the road was moonlit.
And in the shine of the moon, I saw a monolith.
And I approached...

No, it is not a monolith. Its a human being....
A soul torn apart, another one shamed...
The heart of Delhi's streets once again murdered...
The face of Delhi maligned...
The belly of Delhi starved...
and the clothes of Delhi torn apart....

The Dil of Delhi broken....again

मेरा नाम

मेरा हमेशा से यह मानना है की किसी व्यक्ति से मित्रता करने का पहला चरण है : आप उसके नाम का उच्चारण इस प्रकार करे की "ऐसी वाणी बोलिए मान का आपा खोए औरान को सीतल करे आप हूँ सीतल होये" वाली पंक्तियाँ चरितार्थ हो. अर्थात हर व्यक्ति को सबसे ज़्यादा अच्छा लगता है अपना नाम. बड़े बड़े बी-स्कूलों में मॅनेज्मेंट का एक गुर सिखाया ज़्याता है की आप किसी को प्रभावित करना चाहते हैं तो अपने वाक्यों मे श्रोता का नाम बार बार प्रयोग करें. पर ध्यान रहे किसी का नाम आपने ग़लत उच्चारित किया, तो दाँव उल्टा पड़ड़ जाएगा.

मैं इस मामले मे बड़ा अभागा हूँ. हां, मैं सच कह रहा हूँ. माता पिता ने मेरा नाम प्रभव रखा है. प्रभव शब्द का अर्थ है साक्षात विष्णु समान तेज वाला (बेशक यह अतिशयोक्ति है). परंतु मेरे नाम का उच्चारण इस मानव जाती के लिए इतना कष्ट-कर क्‍यूँ है, यह मेरे समझ से परे है. वरण उत्तर प्रदेश, बिहार आदि के लोग मुझे प्रभाव कहने पर आमादा हैं. बंगाल प्रांत के लोग तो मुझे प्रावाब, प्रोभाब, और ना जाने क्या-क्या बोलते हैं, जो मेरे हृदय को आघात पहुँचती है. जी हां ! किसी के नाम को विकृत करना उसे आघात पहुँचा सकती है.

अब आपको स्कूल के दिनो की एक रोचक कहानी सुनता हूँ. मैं उस स्कूल मे उस दिन नया नया आया था. स्कूल के पहला दिन. पहली कक्षा मे जो अध्यापक आए, उन्हें मेरा नाम उचरित करने मे ख़ासी परेशानी हुई. उन्होने मुझसे पूछा, "आपके पिता का नाम ?"
मैने बोला, "अशोक".
"अच्छा ! आज से मैं तुम्हे अशोक ही बुलाया करूँगा".
मैने अपना सर पटक लिया.

किसी ने कहा था "नाम मे क्या रखा है".
कहने वाले को कोई उन लोगों से मिलाए, जिनका नाम उच्चारित करना टेढ़ी मेधी खीर ही न्हीं, पूरी जलेबी सा सीधा हो.

FULL CIRCLE

I love four things. The first, I haven't done till now (I am 26), but, yes I believe every male would love to do it !! So, lets be serious. The second one is listening to romantic songs, while I drive my way to the office. I believe it is the most enjoyable part of my daily office routine. Third in the list would be debugging software programs [yes, I am good at it, and I am a computer science engineer]. Fourth one, giving aptitude tests...

So now, the second and third ones, I'm a master. No issues there. The problem comes when my ego is often hurt doing the fourth...

Well, let me give a brief history...

When I was in class 6th, I was horrible at maths, but good in English. My father decided that I should give the entrance of the Kendriya Vidayalaya. I practised rigorously for two months, and though I did not ace the test according to me, I came second overall in that competetion...My love for competetion and competetive exams was born.

Next chance came when I was studying class 10. It was a mixed year. Though I performed well in some of the competetions, I fared badly in the mother of all junior level competetions -- NTSE. It shattered me, though somehow I mustered the courage to prepare for the board exams...

Failure in NTSE taught me something - I wasn't the next James Bond !! I would have to slog it hard to stand amongst the brightest of all !!

...To be continued