What a woman wants (Part III)

.......... continued from Part II




The prince decided to take the witch's help, no matter what her price may be, for any price would be small compared to his father's life. The witch gave the answer to the prince, but in return she asked him to marry her. The witch was old and terribly ugly. Her mere sight drove people away from her, but the prince married her anyway and freed his father. When he retired to his chambers in the evening, he was surprised to find a beautiful young maiden waiting for him.

The maiden said that she is none other than the witch, but this is her real appearance. She had to assume the old and ugly form to keep people from taking advantage of her powers. Then she asked the prince to choose  one out of two alternatives. Either she could stay young and beautiful during the day, or during the night. The prince was confused. Whether to have a beautiful wife to show off to the world during the day and an old lady as his wife in the night or an old lady by his side during the day and a beautiful wife in the night. He was unable to decide. So, he asked the witch to choose by herself.

This, made the witch so happy that she gave a magical sword to the prince and decided to give up her other form forever. She told the prince that this is what every woman wants; to take the decisions in her life on her own.  

What a woman wants (Part II)

........continued from Part I


The prince's father was vanquished, though he fought gallantly. He was held in captivity by the powerful king and as the prince went before the king to ask for his father's freedom and apologize for his rude behavior towards the princess, the king challenged the prince to a duel. There was one condition. If the prince won the duel, his father would be freed and he would receive the princess' hand in marriage, but, if he lost, he would be required to answer a question correctly, failing which his father would be put to death. Seeing no other way to ensure his father's freedom, the prince agreed to the king's condition.

The prince was easily defeated at the hands of the king. He had to now answer the king's question. The king asked the prince "What does a woman want?" The young prince was bewildered at the question. He had never thought of it before. He asked for some time to think of the answer. The king granted him seven days.

In search of the answer, the prince went to every philosopher, every wise man, every scholar, every sage and hermit. At last, on the eve of the seventh day, he announced in the kingdom that anybody who gave him the answer to this question would be rewarded with a thousand gold coins. Then, an old witch came to him with the answer, but she was notorious in the kingdom for solving problems at peculiar prices.

What a woman wants (Part I)

   Today as I heard an actor shout " I don't understand , what do girls want after all?" in some movie, I thought of the simple answer to this much asked question and I shall tell it through a story.





 
Once upon a time, there was a very brave king who had a very handsome and intelligent young son. Unfortunately, the young prince was so proud of himself that he was rude to almost everyone. Once in an annual festival, the prince lost a game of chess to a common lass. Outraged and astonished at this defeat, he insulted the poor girl. The girl returned to her home and the incident was forgotten by the people of the kingdom, as it was common for the prince to insult and shout at his inferiors.

One morning suddenly there was an attack on the kingdom. As it turned out, the girl who defeated the prince in the game of chess at the festival some days back, was a princess herself : the cherished daughter of a very powerful king. The princess had heard much praise of the intelligence and beauty of the prince and had come to visit him dressed as a shepherdess. She wanted to see if the prince was really worthy of such accolades. Now the powerful king had attacked this kingdom to avenge the disrespect shown to his dear daughter.

 Here I talk about why the clowns are important. At the very first sight, clowns look foolish. They wear ill fitting clothes, huge wigs and have so many colours all over them. Although this looks stupid, it is a message which almost each one of us overlooks. In today’s society, we are chasing perfection, afraid of being the misfit, while the clown puts his shortcomings, his uncontrolled flow of emotions, his folly, his carefree imagination on display to the public.  He portrays that being the odd one out is not something one should be ashamed of; in fact it is what keeps one from being lost in a crowd.

In a world where one would rather keep one’s emotions in check, the clowns let them flow richly all over the place. They travel up to the extremes, blissful one moment and sulking the other. They also teach us to appreciate the small things in life.  I once saw a childlike glee spread over a clown’s face when raindrops touched him, as if it were the most exquisite pleasure available in the world. How many of us ever appreciate all this beauty around us? It is just something very trivial for us.  Clowns possess the very rare capability of making others laugh by playing a joke upon themselves.  How many of us even care if others around us are happy or not?? Even if we take a notice, do we often go to any length to make someone happy?? This is something worth learning from a clown.

The most vital lesson that we can learn from a clown is to live in the present. The clown does not cry over what has happened and does not brood over what the next moment would bring. He just dwells in the present; the past and the future don’t matter to him. This is what most of us lack. We too, don’t know how tomorrow will unfurl itself, yet we are often worrying about the future. Similarly some of us live in the past, not caring as the present goes to waste. Also, from a clown, one might draw the inspiration of imagining outwardly things and dare to follow it with persistent efforts.

I see a clown as a beautiful enigma and like most small but beautiful things, they are often neglected. Each crown has not only numerous tricks in his bag, but also a wealth of lessons, if we would just care to learn.

लहर वक़्त की बह रही है, 

संग उसके मैं भी बह रही हूँ 

पर मन के किसी कोने में 

वापिस लौटना चाह रही हूँ 

वापिस वहीँ जहाँ वो बगीचा है 

जहाँ नन्हे मन का नन्हा परीलोक था 

उस जहाँ की मैं मल्लिका थी 

जब जादू से हवा बहती थी 

तारे टिमटिमाते मेरे इशारों पे 

और आसमान छूती मैं झूले पे

हाय बचपन था कितना सुहाना 

ज़िन्दगी है क्या ये अब मैंने जाना 

ज़िन्दगी है क्या ये अब मैंने जाना .

ये टूटकर  बिखरा फानूस नहीं,
ये तो ख्वाब हैं उस दीवानी के,
जिनको हुकूमत ने पायों तले  रौंदा.

उसका जनाज़ा उठा तो गुमनामी में,
उसकी मय्यत पे न आंसू बहे थे,
उसकी ख़ता थी तो ये कि ,

एक  गरीब को, चाँद से मुहब्बत थी,
एक कनीज़ ने, एक शहजादे  की
चाहत की थी

# मुग़ल -ए - आज़म 

हज़ार हसरतें हैं गुमनाम सी,
रोज़ हलक में दम तोड़ने वाली.
उनकी कब्रों पर, यार हम
सजदे पेश करें तो कैसे।

आहटें

ये आहटें कुछ कहती हैं 

पर न जाने क्यूँ सुनना 

चाहती ही नहीं मैं 

क्या संदेसा देना है 

उनको, नहीं समझती मैं 

चली आती हैं वो फिर 

भी, जैसे गाने में बजता 

मद्धम सा संगीत हो,

जैसे मन के पटल पर 

रंगों की हलकी सी छींट हो,

पर उसे मिटा नहीं सकती मैं.

जुगनुओं सी इनकी भाषा है ,

आते- जाते, पल भर को,

अंधेरों में, जलती-बुझती ,

इशारे तो कुछ करती हैं,

इनकी पहेलियाँ मगर, 

सुलझाने को ठहरती नहीं मैं.

तन्हाई और भीड़

भीड़ के संग  चलती हूँ,
साथी तो हर तरफ हैं,
पर फिर भी रहती  अकेली
सी हूँ ,साथ निभाती है बस
यह मेरी तन्हाई, अब तो
लगने लगा है कि तन्हाई ही
है  मेरी  सच्ची सहेली।

ख्वाहिशें

ख्वाहिशें हैं ऐसी कि ,
चाँद हथेली पर सजा लूँ,
बहती हवा की चुनर बना
लिपट जाऊं  उसी में,
सिमट जाऊं उसी में।

फूलों से रंग चुरा के
अपने घरौंदे पे बिखेर दूँ ,
परियों जैसे पंख लगा के,
सैर करूँ मैं गगन की।

ख्वाहिशें हैं ऐसी कि,
उदास चेहरों को मुस्कानों की
सौगातें बाटूँ , सूनी सूनी
आखों में तारों से मांगकर,
चमक के खजाने भर दूँ। 

डूबती हुयी कश्तियों को
साहिलों के आगोश दूँ,
पोटली भर जादू मिले मुझे,
 तो दुनिया हसीँ बना दूँ

 लगे यूँ जैसे कि उड़ सकती हूँ

जैसे ये महकी सी हवा पंख  

बनके जुड़ सी गयी है मुझमें कहीं 

अब तो क़दमों को थामकर, गगन 

की सैर पे जाना है, कि बहुत चल 

लिए अब, आसमान  अगला ठिकाना है .

भाषा तो नहीं समझ  सकता 

पर आवाज़  समझता हूँ, 

शब्द तो मेरी जुबां बना नहीं 

सकती, भले ही कहना हो 

बहुत कुछ. 

कह पाता अगर तो मैं 

भी कहता, ये कि प्यार 

करता हूँ तुमसे, बहुत, 

तुम्हारी सलामती के आगे, 

मेरी जान की कीमत है बहुत 

थोड़ी सी, ये कि तुम्हारे दर्द 

में चुभन मुझे भी होती है.

कि तुम्हारा लाड़ चाहता हूँ मैं 

ज़िन्दगी है मेरी छोटी सी , 

उसी में प्यार बटोरना है,

उसी में प्यार जताना है, 

बस उम्मीद है यही, 

समझतें हो तुम वो बातें,

जो मैंने कही नहीं.

वो बचपन

वो साबुन के बुलबुले थे 

कि थे गोल गोल  इन्ध्र्धनुष, 

वो सावन के झूले जब छूते 

आसमान, तो उड़ लेती थी 

मैं भी चमकीले पंख लगा .

वो मुस्कानें थीं मेरा बचपन 

वो बर्फ का गोला था जैसे 

गर्मियों की दोपहर की पहचान 

बरसात के पानी में गली पार 

करती मेरी कगाज़ की नाव,

बन जाती मेरी शान.

वो पल थे मेरा बचपन .

मिटटी की गुल्लक थी मेरा 

खजाना, जब झूठ बोलने पे 

कौवे के काटने का डर लगता था ,

निराले थे वो दिन, जो मन में 

अब बसते हैं बनकर मीठी यादें.

वो नन्हे मन की ख्वाहिशें थीं  

मेरा  बचपन.

 

ढूँढती हूँ जिसकी आहटें मैं 

कभी कभी हर कहीं,

वो था मेरा बचपन .

Inspired

The sun is slowly going to
 its bed in the west skies,
The day is beginning to
end, the dusk  here lies.

But today was not just
another date in my calendar.
Today I have an inspiration,
lingering,like my lotion's lavender.

This little spark,oh I know
into a raging inferno, will blossom
I now have a desire, a longing,
my heart leaps under my bosom.

The moon now shines above
but, within me it is a new day.
It looked plain, but it was special,
for it was today, that I was inspired

सन्नाटा और हँसी

होठों के पीछे छुपी बैठी 

है मेरे मन की ख़ुशी 

लबों से छलकने को है तरसती 

मेरी हँसी, पर करूँ  क्या 

बाहर तो सन्नाटा है 

सब खुद में मगन हैं

ठहर कर सुने कोई 

किसी को वक़्त कहाँ है 

इस सन्नाटे को चीरती मेरी 

हँसी सबको शोर लगती है 

मैंने कहा खुश  हूँ तो घनी 

रात भी मुझे भोर लगती है 

रात

अब रात ढल गयी है 

चल कुछ ख्वाब तू

बुन ले, कि क्या पता है 

दिन के उजाले में, 

यही ख्वाब हकीकत बन जाएँ 

इन्द्रधनुष

आँखों में पलते सपनों 

में रोज़ भरती हूँ रंग 

कुछ हलके, कुछ गहरे 

कभी सादे, कभी सुनहरे 

सपनों का ये झुरमुट 

पलकों तले तैरता है 

यूँ , जैसे हो कोई  इन्द्रधनुष 

सुनती हूँ मैं नगमे अक्सर 

कोई मीठा, कोई मद्धम 

कुछ में छलके ख़ुशी 

कोई बयान करे गम 

धुनों का ये संगम 

है जैसे बूंदों संग 

बरसता कोई इन्द्रधनुष 

एक किस्सा लिख रही हूँ

पल पल जीकर ये ज़िन्दगी 

झेली है मैंने तपिश भी 

चखा है छाँव को भी 

ये मेरा जीवन भी तो 

है जैसे आसमान के सीने 

पे बिखरता कोई इन्द्रधनुष 

.............

Here Comes Spring

Okay people, Spring is here. Which means there are going to be lots of flowers and leaves surrounding me. I live in a place where you can find trees almost every time in your sight. It is lovely to find a canopy of leaves nearby with bright flowers as a splash of colour on a green canvas. Then there is also the occasional breeze that carries the scent of these flowers with it, and if I am lucky enough, I get the rare pleasure of twirling around with flowers raining on me.

Spring is the season when Mother Nature is at its most beautiful. Perhaps this is the reason which makes Spring the Queen of All Seasons. But if you choose to look deeper, beneath the overlying beauty you will find the lesson Mother Nature tries to teach us. It is the lesson of rejuvenation. That after every destruction,  we must start the process of creation. We can regenerate ourselves from nothingness to a flourishing entirety if we just try hard enough. Often the first step to this is very small,  like a tiny bud. But we must not lose our heart. We must keep working for it, waiting , for one day, our efforts shall bear fruit and the tiny bud shall blossom into a beautiful flower.

It is time for me to bring Spring into my life. May there be Spring in all of your lives as well :):) 

Fairytale Moment

To me, this picture looks like a scene out of a fairytale. What is the girl doing? Seems like she is a princess. So, is she trying to escape from an evil stepmother, or wandering around in her own palace?

Many of us think that fairytales are just tales, made up to sooth crying children. But what I think is that every now and then a fairytale exists, and it plays out before our eyes. Sometimes we can identify it, sometimes we can't. But that is the beauty of life. Life gives each one of us a fairytale moment.

It comes in our life and we might not even recognise it at that time but it is there. Let me ask you, have you ever been in a horrible situation and then your problems have magically disappeared, or maybe you could have had dreams of finding a treasure, or living in a glorious place. Think about it, for all of us there is that one moment when our  dreams come true, when we feel as if we are being watched over by a fairy godmother or we have a guardian angel.

I am waiting for the next fairytale moment in my life, how about you??

Living With A Stranger

These days I am living with a stranger. It is really funny how people you once knew turn into complete strangers.
All the time that you spent with them, was maybe spent living under the illusion that you know them but after all there is this one moment that comes along to show you how mistaken you were.

I know how it feels then,  because it happened to me recently. I'll tell you. The second you come to know of something that person did and you never expected him/her to because he/she knew it would hurt you,  you feel like you are looking at a stranger whose eyes do not radiate care, but ignorance. Ignorance that says "Excuse me, who ARE you?"

 Some tend to fight this stranger to make him/her  pay for what they have lost, for all the hurt that they have to bear. Some, like me shroud themselves with silence. Which is the better way, I don't know since this is my first time dealing with such a situation. I just hope I come out of it a wiser person

P.S. This post is in English because I thought that the balance of my posts was shifting to ones in Hindi 

मेरा कोना

एक कोना है 

दुनिया की भाग दौड़ से

ज़माने के शोरगुल से 

अलग, दूर कहीं मन 

की उन सलवटों में 

छिपा कर रखा है 

जहां सिर्फ मैं पहुँचती हूँ 

उस कोने को सजाया है 

मैंने कुछ खास यादों से

वो खुशियों के पल

वो ऐसी ठोकर जो 

कुछ बड़ा सिखा गयी थी

वो कुछ बातें जो 

दिल के कागज़ से मिटती नहीं 

उनसे मिलने जाती हूँ मैं 

जब होती हूँ उदास 

या होती है तलाश 

किसी ऐसे जवाब की 

जो दुनिया में नहीं मिलता

खोजने चली जाती हूँ मैं 

वहीँ उसी कोने में कहीं 

उन सभी को सलाम करते हुए  जो असफलताओं के बाद भी हार नहीं मानते और फिर उठ जाते हैं आगे बढ़ने को तैयार होकर :


चंद लम्हे छूटे तो क्या 

जिंदगानी तो अभी बाकी है 

एक दफा फिसले भी तो क्या

आसमान मुट्ठी में भरना तो अभी बाकी है 

महिला दिवस पर

 उन महिलाओं, युवतियों और बालिकाओं के नाम जिनको उन्नति का अवसर नहीं मिला............

                                                                  वो कहाँ जानती है  

                                                                  महिला दिवस क्या होता है 

                                                                  उसके लिए तो 

                                                                   रोटियों कि गोलाई ही 

                                                                   उसकी सफलता का पैमाना है

                                                                    

                                                                    उड़ने के ख्वाब तो 

                                                                    देखे होंगे उसने भी                                  

                                                                    उसके पर कुतरने वालों को

                                                                    कहाँ उनका अंदाज़ा है 

                                                                      एक अधूरी कहानी है वो

                                                                       छीन कर उसके हाथ से 

                                                                        उसकी कलम, औरों ने 

                                                                         लिखा उसका फ़साना है 

एक कविता प्यार के नाम

लैला- मजनू , शीरी- फरहाद, रोमिओ -जुलिएट  जैसी कहानियों से प्रेरित होकर ..........

सर्दी की दोपहर सा 

गुनगुना सा एहसास 

ओढ़ा जाती है 

तुमसे हुयी हर मुलाक़ात 

कितना प्यारा है ये 

रिश्ता मेरा तुम्हारा

कि बस पलकों का पर्दा 

हटाकर पढ़ लें हम 

मन में छिपे हों जो जज़्बात 

गीत तुम्हारा ,आवाज़ मेरी है

रंग तुम्हारे , कला मेरी है

सच ही तो कहते हैं सब

दो तन एक प्राण हों 

नसीबों से मिलता है ऐसा साथ