It was getting dark and I was returning on my bicycle from the book store as usual. The road was narrow and congested either with vehicles, or vegetable vendors or people. I wasn’t able to see properly and everything was becoming invisible. Suddenly a vehicle came in front of me and I lost my balance. I drove to the left and just managed not to fall on the road. But in doing so I collided with an old man on the road. It was not a head on collision but my bicycle's handle rubbed with his left hand and I stumbled. Somehow his wrist watch fell on the road as a result of my sideways clash with him.
Poor and old fellow! His mind and heart both spoke in sync and he shouted:
“Thief”! “Thief”! “Catch him….He has snatched my watch”.
The next moment I was paddling my bicycle with my utmost efforts so that the mob which was running behind doesn’t catch me up. It was a frightening scene. Scared! I thought if I stop now, these butchers will never leave me.
Butchers? Because it was the area of meat sellers. I imagined my skinned body hanging in their shop and this frightening imagination raised the speed of my paddling to the maximum limit.
When people usually are in groups and they are confronting someone weak and alone their power is raised exponentially. If the same guy who shows his strength and anger on that lonely fellow is trapped with some other violent mob he will either try to escape or appeal for mercy. At that time he becomes the weakest and the most innocent creature on this earth. A sensible and strong person never relies upon the mob’s collective power.
So, this was a mob driven by some old lady running towards an innocent guy. I don’t know whether that old lady knew what she is running after. At those moments people go on joining the crowd without knowing the reason. They just see something strange and they feel like it’s their obligation to add themselves and make the unruly crowd bigger. Later you go and ask them and they will tell you:
“There were people running and our curiosity drove us with them”.
If I would have stopped to clarify…I don’t know whether today I would have been living a normal life without any external support. The mob mentality is like this only…first they will catch their enemy and without having any words with them they will first bash him up properly. Most of the people in these types of chaotic procession are blind running towards a destination which they themselves don’t know. It’s like the notion of people’s power!! Where people are shown what a small group of thugs want to show them. They follow them but they don’t know where they are heading towards. They are content as they think it’s their power but isn’t that the biggest deception in which they live?
So where was I?
On my bicycle, trying to escape from the hands of the insensible horde. But my efforts were not enough to prevent me getting caught by them. At that moment a weird idea flashed my mind and without even giving a second thought I got down from my bicycle and slowly drifted to the side of the road and stood silently. My face was towards the unruly crowd. I was shocked and pleased to see the horde passing me and going straight towards I don’t know where. With a sigh of relief and thanking my Lord I took my way towards a small passage and reached my house at last.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Hyderabadi Autowalas
The auto rickshaw drivers in Hyderabad are strange creatures on this earth. I don’t understand why they have put meters in their auto. Whenever we ask them to go anywhere in the city they will stare at us as if we have committed some mistake by putting our steps on their land. It seems as if we are intruders having our pocket full of more valuable foreign currency than its Indian counterpart. Although we look similar to them but how can a newcomer speak like them. Either we need to speak in a strange Hyderabadi Urdu or know Telugu. Now as we all know, Telugu is not an easy language to even understand a few words. Speaking in Deccan Urdu (I mean Urdu with a Hyderabadi Style) is an impossible task for an outsider. Especially if you are coming from cities like Lucknow or Aligarh then you will be ready to give more money than sacrificing your ancestral language. If someone gets ready to go according to your legal demand of starting the meter then this meter will not forget to fool you on the way. Even these gadgets are so intelligent that they understand where they have to stop or where they have to go faster than the auto itself. The traveler ends up arguing with the driver or silently getting looted at his own consent. You do not have any other choice.
When I got down at Kacheguda station I had my confrontation with auto rickshaw drivers first. How intelligent they are in trying to fool people like us. They don’t know that already we belong to the category of Certified Software Fools. They don’t realize that their further attempts will go in vain. But they go on trying and trying and everyday they manage to fool few clever guys. That’s the reason I try to show people that I am a fool but still I get fooled.
Sorry but this is an unstated claim of my cleverness......
I don’t know whether there is a problem with my look or with my voice. Or is it because I am not alone that I look clever? But generally people think vice versa....................................
On the station when they see passengers coming out from the station, their untrained psychological instinct tells them……Ok! The guy is having a family which makes obvious that he needs to go somewhere in an urgent. The next moment they will attack them and this will continue until people get on some vehicle to reach their destination...............................
The driver I got trapped with was a clever guy and his meter never started after we got on his rickshaw. I wanted to get down but he started requesting he won’t charge much. He told fifty bucks but my continuous attempt to leave him which was just an act created a spell on his mind. I paid him thirty bucks when we reached Arastu lodge and left him quickly................................
When I got down at Kacheguda station I had my confrontation with auto rickshaw drivers first. How intelligent they are in trying to fool people like us. They don’t know that already we belong to the category of Certified Software Fools. They don’t realize that their further attempts will go in vain. But they go on trying and trying and everyday they manage to fool few clever guys. That’s the reason I try to show people that I am a fool but still I get fooled.
Sorry but this is an unstated claim of my cleverness......
I don’t know whether there is a problem with my look or with my voice. Or is it because I am not alone that I look clever? But generally people think vice versa....................................
On the station when they see passengers coming out from the station, their untrained psychological instinct tells them……Ok! The guy is having a family which makes obvious that he needs to go somewhere in an urgent. The next moment they will attack them and this will continue until people get on some vehicle to reach their destination...............................
The driver I got trapped with was a clever guy and his meter never started after we got on his rickshaw. I wanted to get down but he started requesting he won’t charge much. He told fifty bucks but my continuous attempt to leave him which was just an act created a spell on his mind. I paid him thirty bucks when we reached Arastu lodge and left him quickly................................
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
The Lantern Age
Electricity was invented long back but still there are places on this earth where people don’t have access to this wonder. And people live happily there. When people don’t know about something they don’t feel the need, and sometimes if they feel they just take it as a figment of their own imagination. After giving some thoughts to it they just ignore it. But these needs somehow are felt and some great men convert these imaginations into reality. Benjamin Franklin, Michael Faraday and a lot of geniuses gave us this boon and it is like bread and butter for us today. We feel its need and if it isn’t there we get upset to the core. When it wasn’t, people lived with candles, lantern, lamp, chiragh, mashaal etc. But once it penetrated into our life it became a necessity without which we cannot live at all.
My town got electricity long before my father was born. But we feel its absence more than its presence. In twenty four hours of the day we get it for not more than ten hours. Sometimes I think what if electricity wouldn’t have been invented? Wouldn’t we have been happy with lamp and lantern?
In summer, fan is needed the most. Without light one can survive but without fan? Life becomes so difficult. But then again I think, didn’t people live a century back without these amenities of life? One answer people always give is, there was less population, mud houses, buildings were not so dense, and there were spaces all around. But see today, even the villages are crowded. But was life so easy, that people never felt the need? Then why people invented electricity, fans, refrigerators, air-conditioners?
I remember, in the evening we use to clean our lanterns and lamps with a piece of cloth and light it with a matchstick before it gets dark. There was always the danger of power going away leaving all in dark. And it used to be so dark that the children will get scared and start making noise. The teenagers will scare people out and the elders as usual will either do something to see the world again or scold the younger.
There use to be torches in everyone’s hand finding their way on the road. Till today there is no light on the road and people use torches with a good focusing lens. In the past the biggest concern before buying a torch was the focusing ability of the lenses.
People also use to go on changing the brand of their batteries as not a single brand use to last long. And once the battery gets finished they used to put them in their radios. People always try to conserve energy in whatever ways they can. But was that an energy concern or was it just to save money?
My town got electricity long before my father was born. But we feel its absence more than its presence. In twenty four hours of the day we get it for not more than ten hours. Sometimes I think what if electricity wouldn’t have been invented? Wouldn’t we have been happy with lamp and lantern?
In summer, fan is needed the most. Without light one can survive but without fan? Life becomes so difficult. But then again I think, didn’t people live a century back without these amenities of life? One answer people always give is, there was less population, mud houses, buildings were not so dense, and there were spaces all around. But see today, even the villages are crowded. But was life so easy, that people never felt the need? Then why people invented electricity, fans, refrigerators, air-conditioners?
I remember, in the evening we use to clean our lanterns and lamps with a piece of cloth and light it with a matchstick before it gets dark. There was always the danger of power going away leaving all in dark. And it used to be so dark that the children will get scared and start making noise. The teenagers will scare people out and the elders as usual will either do something to see the world again or scold the younger.
There use to be torches in everyone’s hand finding their way on the road. Till today there is no light on the road and people use torches with a good focusing lens. In the past the biggest concern before buying a torch was the focusing ability of the lenses.
People also use to go on changing the brand of their batteries as not a single brand use to last long. And once the battery gets finished they used to put them in their radios. People always try to conserve energy in whatever ways they can. But was that an energy concern or was it just to save money?
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Thank God I was not a Romeo
In Bihar there is a famous region called Mithalanchal. It gets its historical significance from Sita the wife of Rama. Once it was the kingdom of Raja Janak, Sita's father. Situated in the northern Bihar a notoriously famous state of India, it reminds me about its rich cultural heritage when we go back to the history. I feel mentioning this because there are not much at present in Mithalanchal to boast about. It’s my native land so my love for my soil keeps me reminding something great about it every now and then.
Darbhanga a small town of Mithalanchal. Who knows? One day it may become the capital of Mithalanchal, if the process of state demand goes on in our country at the same pace as it is now. I was born and brought up there and I remember my school days very well, as they are something which is difficult to forget for anyone in his life. They are the best period of one’s life.
They were the days when I with my friends use to go to my school in dresses we liked to wear and with one notebook. First period we use to attend and then our classes continued to be outside the classrooms, but inside the compound and without any teacher. Mathematics we were forced to attend as Mr. Theorem our Maths teacher, was very strict. And it was the first period with attendance. How can we afford to miss the school even for one day? Then we won’t be able to appear for the exams. So this motivated us to attend the classes on theorems and quadratic equations. The medium was Hindi and I use to crack my head on the tough Hindi terms “dwighatiya samikaran”, “ek char wale samikaran” etc etc. I was a victim of this language attack as I was directly coming from an English school to a pure Hindi school. It still haunts me sometimes but now I have the ability to show my scholarly Hindi.
One special feature about my school were the Romeos all around. To vent out their frustrations they use to write strange things about the Juliets who always rejected their proposals. The teachers ignored those writings but if someone was caught red handed then it use to be the day of our Principal. A long and heavy wooden rod, my Principal’s one and the only weapon, was hard enough for the Romeo’s backs or legs. And these wooden sticks were especially trained to give the ancient experience of torture to the poor Romeos.
And the next day all those brave friends of mine will come with their guardians to the School. Seeing them, I use to thank God for not giving me those Romeo instincts. I was always a passive observer sitting with all my "good for nothing" friends and criticizing either the administration of the school, or the Indian Education System.
Darbhanga a small town of Mithalanchal. Who knows? One day it may become the capital of Mithalanchal, if the process of state demand goes on in our country at the same pace as it is now. I was born and brought up there and I remember my school days very well, as they are something which is difficult to forget for anyone in his life. They are the best period of one’s life.
They were the days when I with my friends use to go to my school in dresses we liked to wear and with one notebook. First period we use to attend and then our classes continued to be outside the classrooms, but inside the compound and without any teacher. Mathematics we were forced to attend as Mr. Theorem our Maths teacher, was very strict. And it was the first period with attendance. How can we afford to miss the school even for one day? Then we won’t be able to appear for the exams. So this motivated us to attend the classes on theorems and quadratic equations. The medium was Hindi and I use to crack my head on the tough Hindi terms “dwighatiya samikaran”, “ek char wale samikaran” etc etc. I was a victim of this language attack as I was directly coming from an English school to a pure Hindi school. It still haunts me sometimes but now I have the ability to show my scholarly Hindi.
One special feature about my school were the Romeos all around. To vent out their frustrations they use to write strange things about the Juliets who always rejected their proposals. The teachers ignored those writings but if someone was caught red handed then it use to be the day of our Principal. A long and heavy wooden rod, my Principal’s one and the only weapon, was hard enough for the Romeo’s backs or legs. And these wooden sticks were especially trained to give the ancient experience of torture to the poor Romeos.
And the next day all those brave friends of mine will come with their guardians to the School. Seeing them, I use to thank God for not giving me those Romeo instincts. I was always a passive observer sitting with all my "good for nothing" friends and criticizing either the administration of the school, or the Indian Education System.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
A different lesson
It was early morning and the sun was showering its light on my face, but the rays which were penetrating my head and igniting my brain were disturbing enough to force me out of my bed. This happens every day and I have to leave my favorite place to no one for the whole day. And I know, if I continue to lie down like that, I will still be forced out of my abode of rest by a set of other irritating elements who happens to be my great room mates. Sometimes I really feel that sleep is one of the loveliest creations of God for the entire living being but no one has ever been able to unravel the mystery behind it.
So it was the beginning of a new dawn, and as usual I was scolding myself again for being late. I was wondering, why all the people were sitting silently and not preparing for the day and my eyes went on the calendar which was hanging in front of me and that gave me a logical explanation….
It was Sunday and I was out of the bed so early??? No, this isn’t fair at all….
Mr. Sun why did you wake me up so early today??? If you can’t sleep , at least let the others sleep man….Everyday if you have got the responsibility of lighting the earth, it doesn’t mean that you expect everyone to get up and be like you. And you know how important rest is for a human being?? I mean after working for the whole week we get one day to take rest and you don’t even care for that.
“You should not rise on Sundays, you should also get one day holiday, and directly rise on Monday”, I was telling this to the Sun….
Imagine the prospect of Sun not rising on SUN-Day…..
I was standing and looking through the window, and advising Mr. Sun on my illogical thoughts that will bring a social harmony on this earth, but the vibration of my cell phone broke my reverie and was so high that I had to reluctantly apologize to Mr. Sun and come back to welcome the intruder who disturbed me in such an important meeting.
I thought it would be some colleague of mine planning to waste this Sunday too by roaming and loafing out…but no it was an unknown number. I picked up the call and tried to recognize the voice, which was actually known to me.
“Hey man forgotten or what, It is Saquib”
“Oh My God where are you my dear friend….long time didn’t hear from you”
It was one of my old friends trying to revive an old friendship by reciting all the idioms and phrases, he had learnt in the English Class. I also tried to show some but I know it’s not my piece of cake and again I stooped down to my level and then the sentences were fully loaded with all sorts of slang which I am sure will be censored if spoken in public.
“See it’s a serious matter…If your blood group is A positive then you need to directly go to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital and meet one old lady, who is hospitalized there and needs blood. She is going to be operated today and she doesn’t have any one to look after. If you can do this favor God will reward you. “
Now this God stuff always drives everyone crazy and people are ready to do so much if someone takes his name. In my case it was a matter of just a few milliliters of blood so I thought it a good opportunity to get some praise from my heart who always scolds me of being a self centered man. I thought at least for some days it will stop speaking against me and I will gain some respect from him if not from any other…
I asked my friend to accompany me as it was necessary to take precautionary measures. What if I lose my control by seeing the cruel nurse inserting the horrible needle in my vein? He can at least take me back home peacefully.
We reached the hospital soon and at the entrance there was a lady with a smiling face sitting and eagerly waiting for someone. We guessed maybe some attendant of that patient…. and asked. She nodded her head and started taking us towards, we thought to the bed where the patient is lying. On the way she started asking about us and I went on explaining to prove our credentials. I thought she was suspicious whether we were the right persons or not. Her questions were general, what we do, how do we know Saquib, but you know the human mind ….it always tends to think in the negative direction.
At the diagnostic centre she stopped and asked me to go and talk to the nurse sitting at one counter. I followed her commands and gave the patient’s name. The nurse filled a form , took my signature and asked me to go and lie down on the strange looking bed in the next room.
Then came the horrible scene of me getting tied to the bed…actually I was not tied to the bed but my left hand was cuffed, I don’t know why they make that scene so terrific. At that time whatever tool they bring, it doesn’t look friendly to the eyes. Then the prick of the needle, and the pain which is less but the eagerness before that drives a normal person crazy. I have always been curious to see that scene in spite of being scared but somehow I manage to always replay it in my mind, so that when I come next time I better be prepared. But that has never helped me in overcoming the phobia of deadly needle and the monstrous syringe. I mean they always turn my face white, I never understand why? So my hard earned blood was taken away for which I was very happy. I was imagining my heart standing in front of me and smiling with pride.
I got down from the bed and saw that lady’s face whom we met at the entrance. She was still smiling and looking at me with a sense of gratitude. I requested her to take us to the patient so that we can give her assurance that everything is fine and there is no need to worry about anything. After coming from such a long distance to donate blood to an unknown and poor person who was not well, it was necessary for us to greet her at least.
She smiled and told “You people have already met her”.
We were surprised and asked where and who is that lady?
She again repeated the same sentence and told she is going back to her bed now…..
She thanked us and then we saw the lady marching towards her room where she was admitted and going to be operated the same day.
I still remember the look on her face, a face without any worries and eagerness as if she is someone else attending to the patient.
So it was the beginning of a new dawn, and as usual I was scolding myself again for being late. I was wondering, why all the people were sitting silently and not preparing for the day and my eyes went on the calendar which was hanging in front of me and that gave me a logical explanation….
It was Sunday and I was out of the bed so early??? No, this isn’t fair at all….
Mr. Sun why did you wake me up so early today??? If you can’t sleep , at least let the others sleep man….Everyday if you have got the responsibility of lighting the earth, it doesn’t mean that you expect everyone to get up and be like you. And you know how important rest is for a human being?? I mean after working for the whole week we get one day to take rest and you don’t even care for that.
“You should not rise on Sundays, you should also get one day holiday, and directly rise on Monday”, I was telling this to the Sun….
Imagine the prospect of Sun not rising on SUN-Day…..
I was standing and looking through the window, and advising Mr. Sun on my illogical thoughts that will bring a social harmony on this earth, but the vibration of my cell phone broke my reverie and was so high that I had to reluctantly apologize to Mr. Sun and come back to welcome the intruder who disturbed me in such an important meeting.
I thought it would be some colleague of mine planning to waste this Sunday too by roaming and loafing out…but no it was an unknown number. I picked up the call and tried to recognize the voice, which was actually known to me.
“Hey man forgotten or what, It is Saquib”
“Oh My God where are you my dear friend….long time didn’t hear from you”
It was one of my old friends trying to revive an old friendship by reciting all the idioms and phrases, he had learnt in the English Class. I also tried to show some but I know it’s not my piece of cake and again I stooped down to my level and then the sentences were fully loaded with all sorts of slang which I am sure will be censored if spoken in public.
“See it’s a serious matter…If your blood group is A positive then you need to directly go to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital and meet one old lady, who is hospitalized there and needs blood. She is going to be operated today and she doesn’t have any one to look after. If you can do this favor God will reward you. “
Now this God stuff always drives everyone crazy and people are ready to do so much if someone takes his name. In my case it was a matter of just a few milliliters of blood so I thought it a good opportunity to get some praise from my heart who always scolds me of being a self centered man. I thought at least for some days it will stop speaking against me and I will gain some respect from him if not from any other…
I asked my friend to accompany me as it was necessary to take precautionary measures. What if I lose my control by seeing the cruel nurse inserting the horrible needle in my vein? He can at least take me back home peacefully.
We reached the hospital soon and at the entrance there was a lady with a smiling face sitting and eagerly waiting for someone. We guessed maybe some attendant of that patient…. and asked. She nodded her head and started taking us towards, we thought to the bed where the patient is lying. On the way she started asking about us and I went on explaining to prove our credentials. I thought she was suspicious whether we were the right persons or not. Her questions were general, what we do, how do we know Saquib, but you know the human mind ….it always tends to think in the negative direction.
At the diagnostic centre she stopped and asked me to go and talk to the nurse sitting at one counter. I followed her commands and gave the patient’s name. The nurse filled a form , took my signature and asked me to go and lie down on the strange looking bed in the next room.
Then came the horrible scene of me getting tied to the bed…actually I was not tied to the bed but my left hand was cuffed, I don’t know why they make that scene so terrific. At that time whatever tool they bring, it doesn’t look friendly to the eyes. Then the prick of the needle, and the pain which is less but the eagerness before that drives a normal person crazy. I have always been curious to see that scene in spite of being scared but somehow I manage to always replay it in my mind, so that when I come next time I better be prepared. But that has never helped me in overcoming the phobia of deadly needle and the monstrous syringe. I mean they always turn my face white, I never understand why? So my hard earned blood was taken away for which I was very happy. I was imagining my heart standing in front of me and smiling with pride.
I got down from the bed and saw that lady’s face whom we met at the entrance. She was still smiling and looking at me with a sense of gratitude. I requested her to take us to the patient so that we can give her assurance that everything is fine and there is no need to worry about anything. After coming from such a long distance to donate blood to an unknown and poor person who was not well, it was necessary for us to greet her at least.
She smiled and told “You people have already met her”.
We were surprised and asked where and who is that lady?
She again repeated the same sentence and told she is going back to her bed now…..
She thanked us and then we saw the lady marching towards her room where she was admitted and going to be operated the same day.
I still remember the look on her face, a face without any worries and eagerness as if she is someone else attending to the patient.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Lal Rang
Main!
Apni duniya me gum tha
Ek Khwaab!
Jahan musurahat thi
Haseen muskuraahat
Chehre par tabassum
Jisne mujhe apni aaghosh me
Dhaanmp rakha tha
Kitni khushnuma thi wo waadi
Kitni seher aamez
Kitni pur fareb
Jahan Dard Gumnaam tha
Hawaen zehen par jadoo chalati thi
isqo aashqi ke naghme sunaati thi
Na jaane kyun aur kab
Kisi ne jaga diya
Mere jismo jaan ko hila diya
Dil par ek nashtar chala diya
Mujhe haqeeqat bata diya
Main pareshaan ek ajnabee ki tarah
Jise dekhta tha
Jahan dekhta tha
Ajeeb lagta tha
Sawal karta tha
Kya yeh wahi duniya hai
Jahan mai jeeta hun
Kaifiyat aisi ke
Sab kuch naya ho
Sab kuch badal sa gaya ho
Meri duniya me
Aashiyan to jale na the
hamsaaye to ghamgeen na the
Tamannaen to luti na theen
Wahan to!
Khushboo thi
Shaadabi thi
Husn tha
Rang tha
Lekin yeh laal rang?
Nahi!
Yeh rang nahi ho sakta
Is me to dard hai
zindagi hai.........
Udaasi hai..........
Josh hai..............
Taaqat hai..........
Rang me jaan to nahi hota
Rang me toofan to nahi hota
Rang me ranj to nahi hota
Rang me zarb to nahi hota
Lekin Ab!
Meri aankhen khul chuki thein
Meri rooh zindagi paa chuki thi
Mera qalb roushan ho chala tha
Haan!
Main ab jaag raha tha
Seher jaa chuka tha
Badal chant chuke the
Aur phir
Dard hi dard
Karb hi karb
Cheenkho pukaar
Andhera aur sannata
Meri pareshaani ne sada lagai
Gile aur shikwe kiye
Ke!
Mujhe kisne jagaya hai
Meri haseen waadi se
Mujhe kis ne nikaala hai
jawab do
Achanak! Ek sada aai
Pur asar sada
Pur kashish sada
Pur khatar sada
Pur nazar sada
Wahi laal rang!!!
Mera sawal....
Aaho naale me dooba tha.
Tum kaun ho?
Lahoo!
Jo tere ragon me bahtaa hun
Jo teri duniya me syaah hai
Jo teri duniya me paani hai
Main wahi lahoo hun...
Jo yahan aankhon se tapakta hai
Haan! Main hi hun
Tumhara mujrim
Lekin is jurm par
Mujhe fakhr hai
Main tumhe roz jagata hun
Manzil ka pata batata hun
Khwaabe ghaflat se
Nikaal laata hun
Tilism tod deta hun
Haqeeqat aashkaar karta hun
Main tum me hi rachta hun
Main tum me hi basta hun......
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