My Pensieve

Are 'I' and 'myself'  inseparable? Are they simply grammatical forms of the same person? Are they inter-changeable? A big NO is the answer to all the above questions. When invited for a party, I can decide to go alone. Or, I  can take along with me, my companion, myself . When I try to explain this concept to a privileged few, they ask, "How on earth can you go anywhere without yourself?" Well, if I am going out of compulsion and am not enjoying at that party, I have definitely left myself  behind. Simply put,  I and myself are twin souls that have polar moods. They are extremely moody and lead 'me'  into extreme choices. Of late, 'my'  most important task has been to keep them together! This is so because 'I'  have figured that the best company for 'me'  is none other than 'myself'  !! I am happiest doing something only when both I and myself  are together... To have a perfect Sunday, all that is required is I

What they say and what I hear: Boss says: You've got to finish this in 2 Hours' time. I hear: You've got to finish this in 2 H(opeless)ours' time. Friend says: Let's meet in 2 Hours' time. I hear: Let's meet in 2 H(opeful)ours' time. Mom (in a panic mode when I haven't packed and station itself is an hour away): Your train is in 2 Hours' time. I hear: Your train is in 2 H(urried)ours' time. Colleagues say: Let's grab a drink between 1500-1600 Hours. I hear: Let's grab a drink between 1500-1600 H(appy)ours. Sister says: The party shall begin at 2300 Hours. I hear: The party shall begin at 2300 H(igh)ours. Priest says: The Christmas mass will last 2 Hours. I hear: The Christmas mass will last 2 H(ushed)ours. An hour or any part of it, is a very strong word. An hour comprises of H+our. The 'H' is how I feel at that time. And 'our' is the companion of that H. While trying to meet o

If you want a living first-hand experience of the real-life depiction of your obituary, hand in that resignation letter with a month's notice, or live that last month of your soon-to-end-college life!! In the end, everyone is supremely nice, they will find ways to remind you of how you have been good to them, what is that thing in your personality that makes you lovable :) This is the good part. The bad part is that why didn't all those people realize these very things a few years back. If only they'd realized the goodness in us, maybe those past years would have been more beautiful..

The most bizarre thought but worth a thought nonetheless - I guess the biggest cure of old age and boredom is to sit at the railway station with a companion (hopefully) and observe people leaving and arriving. Railway station is really the most interesting place to see all the frenzy of emotions :)

A night before the very last exam of my law school life, here I am, chit-chatting in my friend's room. My friend had just received a confirmation regarding the publication of her short story in a US magazine (and that too in hard copy plus she is being paid for it! Yay!). That moment, our long concocted plan (some 2-3 years ago we had come up with it in one of those really late night 3-4 hour long marathon conversations talking about all the things on earth, literally all the things - except law - that was taboo :D ) re-surfaced in our discussions - "Man, what are we doing here in this law school?" and the subsequent - "It is the biggest mistake of our lives!" Our plan - She - the hot shot writer - Me - the hot shot translator - making her work reach international audience :D - We - not the hot shot lawyers anymore!! We had decided that ten years down the line we would be doing anything but law - hopefully a joint venture of writer+editor+translator!! She has

हिंदी हैं हम वतन हैं हिंदुस्तान हमारा हमारा सारे जहाँ से अच्छा - मुझे आज भी याद है की यह गाना और ऐसे ही कई और गाने हमने स्कूल के स्वतंत्रता दिवस आदि के कार्यक्रमों में बखूबी गाये हैं. लेकिन फिर भी हम अंग्रेजी में कुशलता, निपुणता आदि हासिल करने के पीछे भागते रहते हैं. हममें से अधिकतर लोग अपनी मातृभाषा को इतनी आसानी से क्यूँ भूलते जा रहे हैं? हममें से अधिकतर को क्यूँ शर्म आती है जब हम अंग्रेजी में अछे से बात नहीं कर पाते? दोस्तों के साथ हम क्यूँ अंग्रेजी में बात करना चाहते हैं जबकि हम सब को हिंदी बोलनी आती है? बहुत से लोग क्यूँ इतने गर्व से कहते हैं - "अरे मुझे हिंदी की संख्या नहीं आती. ज़रा अंग्रेजी में तो बताना कितने पैसे हुए?" या फिर - "ढाई मतलब क्या वक़्त हुआ है? और सवा मतलब कितना?" कोई यह क्यूँ नहीं सोचता की नहीं आता है तो सीख लेना चाहिए. आखिर हिंदी हमारी मातृभाषा है. यह दुर्गति केवल हिंदी की नहीं परन्तु अनेक भारतीय भाषाओँ की है. गौरतलब तो यह है की केवल आम आदमी ही नहीं, किन्तु देश के मार्गदर्शक नेता भी इसी "अंग्रेजी बोलो" दौड़ में शामिल हैं. किसी

धारावाहिक "तेरे लिए" का यह गाना - अनुराग और तानी के सच्चे प्यार को दर्शाते हुए: तेरे बिन यूँ रही ज़िन्दगी, जैसे ठहरी हुई एक नदी, यूँ कटा एक पल, जैसे काटी हो मैंने सदी, कबसे खड़ी तेरे लिए, तेरे लिए तेरे लिए जिस्म पाक आँखों में भर लूं, सास सास में शामिल कर लूं  इस दुनिया में जान गवा तुझे उस दुनिया में हासिल कर लूं ज़िन्दगी गवा कर भी जो ज़िन्दगी मिले, हर ख़ुशी गवा कर भी जो एक ख़ुशी मिले, तो मांग लूं तेरे लिए.. तेरे लिए.. तेरे लिए.. रूह से रूह के दरमियाँ, इश्क के है हजारों जहाँ, या खुदा..या खुदा..मुझको दे दे अगर एक जहाँ, तो मांग लूं तेरे लिए..तेरे लिए..तेरे लिए.. सौ सितम उठा कर भी जो एक ख़ुशी मिले, सौ जन्नतें गवा कर भी जो एक ज़मी मिले.. तेरे सजदे में सर है झुका, तू इबादत है तू ही दुआ, मौत के बाद भी, जो मिले बंदगी का सिला, तो मांग लूं तेरे लिए..तेरे लिए..तेरे लिए.. जिस्म-ओ-जान लुटा कर भी जो एक हसी मिले, दिल अगर जला कर भी जो रौशनी मिले, तो मांग लूं तेरे लिए..तेरे लिए..तेरे लिए.. जन्मों का प्यार तेरे लिए, खुशियाँ हज़ार तेरे लिए.. जन्नत दुआ तेरे लिए, ये जाँ निसार तेरे लिए.. तेरे लिए