the alarm hasn't gone off
the newspaper hasn't come
neither has the milkman
nor has the bin collector
no morning tea to make
no water to store
no dresses to iron
no shoes to polish
no utensils to clear
no clothes for the machine
no brooming
no mopping
no aastha
no bloomberg
no aajtak of overnight
no to-do list
no deadlines to meet
no calls to take
no waiting customers
no boss to be
no boss to see
---
surrounded by a hundred tall deodars
carpetted by a thousand idle apple trees
few koels and meerkats
wild cats
occasional humming car passing by on the serpentile sleepy road
alone in 'the mamleshwar'
amidst cold winter winds of chindi
waiting for the warmth of the fresh sun
of what is
a monday for the world
but an eternal sunday for me
the morning hasn't started......
welcome home
dear life!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
"do you believe in reincarnation?"
"it's cold, isn't it!"
"o yes! freezing!"
"when is the party?"
"tonight!"
"who all are coming"
"all neighbourhood"
"what all has been ordered?"
"hot pizzas and momos and pakoras...."
"and what else?"
"who needs anything else when you and me are there! Ha,Ha......!!!"
"Ha!Ha!Ha!!!!!!!"
both Coke and Fanta had a hearty laugh!
and waited in the fridge
for the wonderful evening ahead!
---
evening came
and in came the guests
kids, elderly, ladies and gents...
all dressed superbly for the celebrations!
everyone was so happy and excited!
hundred lights were lit
and music was turned on!
in came the piping hot pizzas
followed by momos
and spicy pakoras...
but everyone was still missing something
"where is the coke?"
"where is the fanta?"
yeah! give me the chilled coke
and me fanta!!!
me too!!
we too!!!
coke and fanta in the fridge felt like kings!!!
desperately needed and immensely respected and loved!
cans of coke and fanta were taken out of the fridge
and taken in trays
amidst the party
and loud cheers!!!
it was so intoxicating for both heroes!!!
everyone rushed to have one
rapid fire opening of cans after cans sounded like 21 gun salute!
"Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeers!"
and over a hundred lips kissed their cans and started gulping the first heavenly sip!!!
"Wonderrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrfullllllllllllllll!"
everyone announced in chorus!
it was ecstatic for the duo!!!
and then everyone got busy.
a few ladies started discussing dresses
and some about their husbands
gents in the corner were discussing business
while those on the table were talking politics
the kids were dancing
while the elderly near the fireplace were talking philosophy
"do u believe in re-incarnation?" asked one elderly gentleman with golden locks!
"yeah, i do!" another replied.
coke and fanta were enjoying everything except the philosophical talk of the senior guys!
they neither liked fire nor the talk of philosophy!
the party kept going on
till the crescendo!!!
and then the party got over.
everyone said bye and started to leave.
all put down the empty cans
they were not excited about them anymore!
suddenly the cans felt like unwanted, ignored and immaterial!
it was heart-breaking!
it was too real to be true.
they just couldn't believe the turn of their luck
all in just over an hour!
"this is so unfair!"
"u can't treat us like this!" they yelled
but nobody seemed to listen!
they all left.
lights were turned off one by one
and music stopped abruptly.
the catering boy collected the cans
and...
and...
and...
threw them in the waste-bin
and closed the lid!
"it's so dark inside!"
"and so hot!"
saying this both went silent
and then the empty can asked his buddy
"do you believe in reincarnation?"
"o yes! freezing!"
"when is the party?"
"tonight!"
"who all are coming"
"all neighbourhood"
"what all has been ordered?"
"hot pizzas and momos and pakoras...."
"and what else?"
"who needs anything else when you and me are there! Ha,Ha......!!!"
"Ha!Ha!Ha!!!!!!!"
both Coke and Fanta had a hearty laugh!
and waited in the fridge
for the wonderful evening ahead!
---
evening came
and in came the guests
kids, elderly, ladies and gents...
all dressed superbly for the celebrations!
everyone was so happy and excited!
hundred lights were lit
and music was turned on!
in came the piping hot pizzas
followed by momos
and spicy pakoras...
but everyone was still missing something
"where is the coke?"
"where is the fanta?"
yeah! give me the chilled coke
and me fanta!!!
me too!!
we too!!!
coke and fanta in the fridge felt like kings!!!
desperately needed and immensely respected and loved!
cans of coke and fanta were taken out of the fridge
and taken in trays
amidst the party
and loud cheers!!!
it was so intoxicating for both heroes!!!
everyone rushed to have one
rapid fire opening of cans after cans sounded like 21 gun salute!
"Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeers!"
and over a hundred lips kissed their cans and started gulping the first heavenly sip!!!
"Wonderrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrfullllllllllllllll!"
everyone announced in chorus!
it was ecstatic for the duo!!!
and then everyone got busy.
a few ladies started discussing dresses
and some about their husbands
gents in the corner were discussing business
while those on the table were talking politics
the kids were dancing
while the elderly near the fireplace were talking philosophy
"do u believe in re-incarnation?" asked one elderly gentleman with golden locks!
"yeah, i do!" another replied.
coke and fanta were enjoying everything except the philosophical talk of the senior guys!
they neither liked fire nor the talk of philosophy!
the party kept going on
till the crescendo!!!
and then the party got over.
everyone said bye and started to leave.
all put down the empty cans
they were not excited about them anymore!
suddenly the cans felt like unwanted, ignored and immaterial!
it was heart-breaking!
it was too real to be true.
they just couldn't believe the turn of their luck
all in just over an hour!
"this is so unfair!"
"u can't treat us like this!" they yelled
but nobody seemed to listen!
they all left.
lights were turned off one by one
and music stopped abruptly.
the catering boy collected the cans
and...
and...
and...
threw them in the waste-bin
and closed the lid!
"it's so dark inside!"
"and so hot!"
saying this both went silent
and then the empty can asked his buddy
"do you believe in reincarnation?"
Friday, December 3, 2010
sugar cube
a man frantically searched the net for 3 days
to get the real email id of god.
finally, he got it!
he had his mail text ready.
he opened the 'compose' box,
pasted his message
and clicked on "sent".
god was online.
he opened the mail and read
"dear god,
i am very annoyed with you.
you threw me inside the cup of your universe
in the hot boiling coffee of life
like a sugar cube!
and mercilessly
stirred me violently
and randomly
and unpredictably
and non-stop
with the spoon of events and shocks!
consequently
i got dissolved
and finished
much before i had expected to stay on the shelf of life.
what was more shocking was that when i got completely dissolved
u stopped stirring and put aside the spoon of events!
were all storms in the cup of life created only for me?
i was used to sweaten
somebody's coffee.
i wanted to live
but i have vanished without a trace!"
---
god smiled
and typed back
"my dear child,
it was not somebody's coffee
it was my cup of coffee!
i hand picked you for me.
you have not vanished
i sipped u, i drank you
now u are inside every pore of mine
intoxicating and charging me
looking thru my eyes
breathing thru me
living with me!!!"
to get the real email id of god.
finally, he got it!
he had his mail text ready.
he opened the 'compose' box,
pasted his message
and clicked on "sent".
god was online.
he opened the mail and read
"dear god,
i am very annoyed with you.
you threw me inside the cup of your universe
in the hot boiling coffee of life
like a sugar cube!
and mercilessly
stirred me violently
and randomly
and unpredictably
and non-stop
with the spoon of events and shocks!
consequently
i got dissolved
and finished
much before i had expected to stay on the shelf of life.
what was more shocking was that when i got completely dissolved
u stopped stirring and put aside the spoon of events!
were all storms in the cup of life created only for me?
i was used to sweaten
somebody's coffee.
i wanted to live
but i have vanished without a trace!"
---
god smiled
and typed back
"my dear child,
it was not somebody's coffee
it was my cup of coffee!
i hand picked you for me.
you have not vanished
i sipped u, i drank you
now u are inside every pore of mine
intoxicating and charging me
looking thru my eyes
breathing thru me
living with me!!!"
coins in the pocket!
a man started meditating
on one leg
without eating
standing in ice cold water
in dead winter
in the open sky
at the setting of the sun!
minutes turned into an hour
hour passed after another!
his body started turning blue
his breaths became erratic
his nerve started sinking
but he withheld his vow!
---
despite hating such brazen acts,
god appeared.
just to save a life.
---
"Make the wish you want to!" He said
"give me money, o almighty!"
god waved his hand in thin air and produced
a gold pitcher full of gold coins.
"happy?" god asked
"somewhat. but i want more, o lord! what u have given will finish in a year"
god smiled and again waved his hand in air and produced
an elepant made of gold!
"enough, child?"
"huge! but this will finish in 10 years!"
god smiled much broader this time, closed his eyes
and produced a mountain of gold!
"hope this will be more than enough, son!"
"surely, god! surely! but pardon me, this too will finish in 100 years!"
---
"how much do you really want, child?" God asked curiously!
"enough to last for a lifetime!"
"then you should have first checked the length of your life, son!"
"oh yes, o yes. tell me that, God! tell me how long will i live?"
the man started sweating in that freezing cold!
---
god checked his diary
and then replied
"you will finish earlier than the coins in your pocket, son!"
on one leg
without eating
standing in ice cold water
in dead winter
in the open sky
at the setting of the sun!
minutes turned into an hour
hour passed after another!
his body started turning blue
his breaths became erratic
his nerve started sinking
but he withheld his vow!
---
despite hating such brazen acts,
god appeared.
just to save a life.
---
"Make the wish you want to!" He said
"give me money, o almighty!"
god waved his hand in thin air and produced
a gold pitcher full of gold coins.
"happy?" god asked
"somewhat. but i want more, o lord! what u have given will finish in a year"
god smiled and again waved his hand in air and produced
an elepant made of gold!
"enough, child?"
"huge! but this will finish in 10 years!"
god smiled much broader this time, closed his eyes
and produced a mountain of gold!
"hope this will be more than enough, son!"
"surely, god! surely! but pardon me, this too will finish in 100 years!"
---
"how much do you really want, child?" God asked curiously!
"enough to last for a lifetime!"
"then you should have first checked the length of your life, son!"
"oh yes, o yes. tell me that, God! tell me how long will i live?"
the man started sweating in that freezing cold!
---
god checked his diary
and then replied
"you will finish earlier than the coins in your pocket, son!"
too busy
suddenly rattan appeared in front of me
with folded hands and radiant face
and asked for keys of the new vehicle to be transported to rampur showroom
125 kms from shimla towards china.
---
vindi was sitting right in front of me
boasting about his daring mischieves and misadventures
---
95 year old sandhu uncle (grandfather of my earlier landlord)
so politely welcomed me into the house
when i went there to hand over the monthly rental
---
rajesh impressed me with his answers
and i immediately recommended him to my c.e.o.
to be recruited as finance executive
---
jerry barked at me when i went to himanshu's house
---
little did i realise that rattan was about to meet with an accident in 5 hours!
little did i realise that vindi's foot would have to be amputated 1 month after i last met him!
little did i realise that sandhu uncle would breathe his last that night!
little did i realise that rajesh would accidently kill someone and be jailed for life!
little did i realise that jerry would breathe his last by the next sunday!
---
we are always too busy to realize
that we may not be realizing
the must-be-realized!
with folded hands and radiant face
and asked for keys of the new vehicle to be transported to rampur showroom
125 kms from shimla towards china.
---
vindi was sitting right in front of me
boasting about his daring mischieves and misadventures
---
95 year old sandhu uncle (grandfather of my earlier landlord)
so politely welcomed me into the house
when i went there to hand over the monthly rental
---
rajesh impressed me with his answers
and i immediately recommended him to my c.e.o.
to be recruited as finance executive
---
jerry barked at me when i went to himanshu's house
---
little did i realise that rattan was about to meet with an accident in 5 hours!
little did i realise that vindi's foot would have to be amputated 1 month after i last met him!
little did i realise that sandhu uncle would breathe his last that night!
little did i realise that rajesh would accidently kill someone and be jailed for life!
little did i realise that jerry would breathe his last by the next sunday!
---
we are always too busy to realize
that we may not be realizing
the must-be-realized!
disprin
year : 2040
place : punjab university canteen, chandigarh
present : a group of p.g. students
topic : how to counter stress
"i patch up with the problem and surrender" rohit, the flamboyant thinker of the class shot the first salvo!
"my stress doesn't go till i take disprin" added sarita, "the doc"
"i use an ointment and get some relief" sarita's tail savita joined in
"i ask someone to massage my head instead" tina said, shruggin her shoulders
"i take a drink" thakur, the hardy boy, quipped
"i prefer coffee" gurjeet, the naturopath of the group, declared
"i listen to ghazals" said saloni, the voice of the class
"i try to work out a solution to the cause of the stress" pali, the practical announced
" i leave it alone, it leaves me alone soon" sukhi, the statesman stated
"i try some sleep" deepa, "the sleeper" of the class yawned!
"i do yoga" said yoginder, the yogi!
what do you do rudra?
suddenly
heartbeats stopped
eyes turned
ears stood up
even students on the adjacent tables turned their heads
those playing table tennis stopped
timeout was taken in the chess game
everyone wanted to hear rudra's answer
rudra, true to her habit, was unconcerned by the attention
and uttered
"nothing is stressful, but a situation.............. i have philosophy.......my philosophy is my disprin"
for next 60 seconds nobody knew what had happened!!!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
bankruptcy
the year 2025 AD
class : IIIA
---
"what is the meaning of bankruptcy?" the teacher asked.
out of 30 students in the class only one hand shot up
that of little rudra!
teacher got nervous
she feared the creature's unpredictable answer!
"anyone else?" teacher provoked the class
no other hand popped up
either out of tiny rudra's fear
or for not actually knowing the answer.
"ok, rudra, tell me - what do you mean by bankruptcy?"
"teacher,
when you become a rich man from being a poor,
and then become richer and richer and richer,
but still, all you can think about is
what to buy with that money
all you can think about is gadgets and assets
and can't think beyond buying property or clothes or accessories
can't think beyond cars or shopping malls or toys
can't think anything except money and stuff money can buy
can't think anything except bank balance
when financial insecurity simply doesn't go away
and there seems nothing left in life except money and material
...that is bankruptcy
bankruptcy of ideas
thankyou!"
after saying it all in one breath
rudra sat down
with the entire class with mouth open in awe!
teacher took out her handkerchief and wiped the droplets from her forehead.
class : IIIA
---
"what is the meaning of bankruptcy?" the teacher asked.
out of 30 students in the class only one hand shot up
that of little rudra!
teacher got nervous
she feared the creature's unpredictable answer!
"anyone else?" teacher provoked the class
no other hand popped up
either out of tiny rudra's fear
or for not actually knowing the answer.
"ok, rudra, tell me - what do you mean by bankruptcy?"
"teacher,
when you become a rich man from being a poor,
and then become richer and richer and richer,
but still, all you can think about is
what to buy with that money
all you can think about is gadgets and assets
and can't think beyond buying property or clothes or accessories
can't think beyond cars or shopping malls or toys
can't think anything except money and stuff money can buy
can't think anything except bank balance
when financial insecurity simply doesn't go away
and there seems nothing left in life except money and material
...that is bankruptcy
bankruptcy of ideas
thankyou!"
after saying it all in one breath
rudra sat down
with the entire class with mouth open in awe!
teacher took out her handkerchief and wiped the droplets from her forehead.
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