Zindagi Tere Kadmon Mein

                                             

Few days back, I had gone for camping and paragliding and I had this beautiful view in front of me, where I could see the mountains, a lovely lake and the sun rise. 

As I stood there, mesmerized with the beauty of the nature, a few lines started coming into my head. Here are those lines written in English (Hindi words) as well as Hindi:

Zindagi tere kadmon mein le aayee hai mujhe,
Ab yeh bataa isse zyaada kya doon tujhe.

Yahaan aake aisa laga ki jannat mil gayee
Isse pehle toh yeh Zindagi yu hi chalti rahi.

Suraj ki har Kiran lage ummeed ki nayee asha,
Ab se karenge wahi jo dil chahega, duniya chahe kahe usse tamasha.

Behte hue paani mein bhi ek sthirta hai,
Darr mat kyunki har kaamyaab admi udaan bharne se pehle ek baar toh girta hai.

Pahaad ki uss chhoti ko jaake chhoone Ka mann karta hai,
Bas tu apni rah pe chal, bekaar ka hi darta hai.

Andhere mein toh teri sundarta bhi nazar nahi aati,
Phir main kaun hoon yeh soch mujhe kyun hai sataati.

Nazar jahaan tak hai jaati, Tera hi raaj hai,
Dekhne main tujhe aaya kyunki tu hi mera aaj hai.

Jeevan ki kayee seekh yahan se le jaunga,
Dhanyawaad dene tujhe ab jeetne ke baad hi aaunga.


Hindi:
जिंदगी तेरे कदमों में ले आई है मुझे,
अब ये बता इस्से ज़्यादा क्या दूं तुझे |

यहां आके ऐसा लगा की जन्नत मिल गयी
इस्से पहले तो ये जिंदगी यूँ ही चलती रही |

सूरज की हर किरण लगे उम्मीद की नयी आशा,
अब से करेंगे वही जो दिल चाहेगा, दुनिया चाहे कहे उसे तमाशा |

बहते हुए पानी में भी एक स्थिरता है,
डर मत क्यूंकी हर कामयाब आदमी उड़ान भरने से पहले एक़ बार तो गिरता है |

पहाड़ की उस चोटी को जाके छूने को मन करता है,
बस तू अपनी राह पे चल, बेकार का ही डरता हैं |

अँधेरे में तो तेरी सुंदरता भी नज़र नही आती,
फिर मैं कौन हूँ, ये सोच मुझे क्यूं है सताती |

नज़र जहाँ तक है जाती, तेरा ही राज है,
देखने मैं तुझे आया, क्यूंकी तू ही मेरा आज है |

जीवन की काई कयि सीख यहाँ से ले जाऊँगा,

धन्यवाद देने तुझे अब जीतने के बाद ही आऊँगा |

2014: #55WordStory Themes - Set 1

Theme: Curiosity

She had two passions in life – writing and film gossip. To pursue these, she applied for the role of a film magazine journalist.

At the interview, the Editor asked her about her biggest strength for this role and her response was: ‘Curiosity to find out what is happening in their lives.’

Theme: Reading

"Pursue your passion and enjoy your hobbies." said the professor on the last day of the graduation ceremony.

"Oh that's easy for me. My passion is the same as my hobby. Reading." said Malini to her friend Beena.

"That's interesting. In my case, it is writing. So I will write and you read." laughed Beena.

Theme: Allure

The dance floor was crowded. Her shining nose ring was the first thing that caught his attention through the smoke from the smoke machines. She turned towards him and her kohl eyes were alluring enough for him to get mesmerized. The sixth drink was enough for him to mistake a mannequin for a beautiful lady.

Theme: Video Game

Shalini was seething with rage and waiting for her husband Rajiv.

Her suspicions made her check the browser history of Rajiv and she found words like 'Infidelity and Sex'.

Rajiv came home with a box of cake and announced 'Honey. Months of hard work has paid off. My new video-game will be called 'Sex & Infidelity'.

Theme: Neck

He felt it on his neck first. He ignored it. He then felt it on his arms and he couldn't ignore it any longer.

He was visiting the same place where he had spent many memorable moments with her and today, when she was not with him, he was getting goosebumps all over his body.

Theme: Quintessence

Salil got his big break when he secured the role of Vice-President in a leading MNC. But he was surprised at the culture of the company, where even Vice-Presidents couldn't have a difference of opinion with the CEO. This was quintessentially coming from the subconscious mindset of Indians due to years of ruling by the British.

Theme: Social Media

I knew I wanted to do something like this. There was always the urge, but wasn't aware of the source. A place where like-minded people could talk on a similar topic but with different perspectives. Social Media got me on Twitter and made me find the #55wordstory theme and have been addicted to it since then.

Theme: Date

The argument was heating up between Sonu and Bhola.

"Mango is the best fruit in the world" said Sonu

"No. Watermelon is the best fruit in the world." argued Bhola

"Let us ask Radhika. She knows better." spoke Sonu

"There is no fruit better than date." said Radhika and walked out of the room casually.

2014: A Year where no Resolutions shall be broken

Happy New Year Readers.

As I hit the road called '2014', I can see 2013 in the rear view mirror going further into the opposite direction. Very soon, it won't be visible but it shall be remembered as the road I traveled on. 

This is the time of the year when people will try to make resolutions and try to live up to those resolutions for a short while before letting go and waiting for another year to give it another attempt.

I realized the futility of resolutions a few years back and was constantly pondering over what I should be doing to do the things I want to do without the fear or the guilt of breaking my resolutions. That’s when I wrote my blog at the start of 2013 called 2013: No Resolutions. Just Follow the Es. (http://fugleman.blogspot.in/2013/01/2013-no-resolutions-just-follow-es.html)

This approach was very helpful and allowed me to go ahead and do so many things without bothering about breaking resolutions. In the year 2014, I would like to continue with the same approach and the same model called the ‘E Model’ but with a different set of Es as it is a dynamic model that keeps evolving with every passing year. 

So what is this ‘E Model’ and why will it ensure that I do not break any resolution? The simple reason for that is because this model allows you and encourages you to do more and achieve more rather than restrain yourself.

Without further explanations, let me list down my ‘E Model’ for 2014:

1. Experience – Life is all about experiences and I like to call myself a Collector of Experiences. To me, an experience is a vast word that comprises of many things. Travelling and exploring new places is an experience as much as going to a new restaurant is. Trying a new adventure sport is as much an experience as attempting to learn a new language is. Reading a new genre is as much an experience as writing a novel is. I am sure that you have got the gist of what an experience can really mean. Experience is nothing less than an ocean that has been formed by small and big moments, which have turned into memories, to create an experience. For me, that ocean still needs lots and lots of such moments which I shall be collecting throughout the year. 

2. Earn – Collecting experiences is not an easy thing. It costs. Hence it is critical that I earn more than before through better performance, smart financial investing and other possible avenues. But earning financially is not the only thing that I am interested in for 2014. I am keen to earn the respect of colleagues and peers by the work that I do. It is important that I earn the trust of the consumers as a marketer by doing better and sharper marketing. Last but not the least, it is extremely important that I earn good Karma by my behavior and deeds and take a small step in being a better human being than what I was in 2013. 

3. Exercise – Every sportsman will tell you that ‘Health is Wealth’ and it is even true literally in their cases. But the reality is that only if you are healthy can you experience more out of life and earn what you intend to earn. So I will use 2014 as a year to exercise more than before and move to a healthier body and a healthier mind.

4. Exchange – In the times of social media and messaging platforms like Whatsapp, while the friends list has grown tremendously but most of the exchange of expressions and emotions take place only through status messages and emoticons. 2014 shall be the year where I make an attempt to change that. No, I have no intention of cutting down on the time that I spend on these platforms but what I surely intend to do is to catch up and meet friends and family in person and exchange thoughts, conversations and emotions face-to-face and in person. I would also like to use 2014 as a year to meet new people, form new relationships and expand on my bonds with people. 

5. Entertain – This one is about the attempt to escape reality and the current environment for a few hours every now and then to see the movies/TV Series/Music Videos that exist out there as well as the ones that would come out in 2014. 

6. Enjoy – While I may attempt to list down all the things that I want to do in 2014 and also achieve some of them, the truth is that I do not have control beyond a certain extent to what lies ahead. There would be ups and downs, achievements and misses and it is a part of the deal. Instead of mulling over those that I can’t control, my attempt for 2014 would be to enjoy life and its big and small pleasures, knowing well that I am trying and taking an approach that lets me grow and emerge a better individual with more knowledge than before and hopefully a broader horizon to view things. 

I hope that this model makes 2014 a great year so that I can look back at the end of the year and say that it was an eventful year with lots of excitement that I lived with great exuberance!