MAKE IT COUNT!

In the current digitally connected world, it is quite easy to think that we are establishing connections and building relationships without even having a face to face conversation. Despite the advent of technology, nothing comes close to a personal interaction because, that is when people feel close to each other, and cared for. With these thoughts in mind, I just crafted a few lines: 

Phone calls couldn't do much, 
What you could achieve through touch. 

You could gift them the best mugs, 
But the most happiness only came through hugs. You can promise them a treat, 
But what they want is to meet. Doing a phone call is nothing but a ploy, 
If you can't be there to share their sorrow and joy. Congratulations should be given by a pat on back, 
Not by a cold message through Slack. Apologies are messages said with emotion, 
Not a WhatsApp message with an emoticon. Nothing works better than a smile, 
Don't be lazy and walk that extra mile. Building a relationship takes some time, 
Meeting people in person is not a crime. Don't drop an email, meet face to face. 
Don't be busy in your inbox, life isn't a race. hashtag#poetry #poem #kunalviews #success #corporate #technlogy #break #connection #personal #relationships

Why Don't You Write?

`Why don’t you write these days? It has been a while since you wrote something.`

He did not have a response. He knew he was guilty. Guilty to her and guilty to himself. There were thousands of stories within him, hundreds of poems bubbling, waiting to be leashed out and a string of words that came into his dreams every night, but yet there was something that was stopping him. Was it the famous writer’s block? Was it inertia and laziness? Was it distractions that gave him instant gratification without much effort in comparison to writing which took its own time and effort and the gratification wasn’t even guaranteed?

Yet, whenever she would ask him innocently on why he wasn’t writing these days, he felt as if he owed it to her to sit down and write something. It was even ironic that while he himself was struggling to write, he kept pushing her to write every now and then and she would oblige by coming up with the most beautiful stories that were recognizable and relatable to all, stories that resonated with its readers, stories that stripped the outer layer of human emotions that were all made up and went deeper. It was as if she had access to the realms of people that they themselves weren’t aware of, but yet, every time they would read what she had written, it would leave them with a pang of pain, a sense of moral dilemma or deep pathos that made them sit back and reflect.

He was her biggest critic as well as her biggest admirer. He would read lines and words in her story that would make him wonder in awe on how she thinks, what brings to the surface such deep lines and how she surprises him by going one step further in her craft than what he would think is her limit.  Oddly, he would feel proud that she belonged to him and loved him, that she had the purest heart which got reflected in her stories, that she wrote on his insistence every time and yet his writer mind would also feel a tinge of jealousy. He would happily tell the world that she writes and would urge others to read what she wrote and yet he would wish that someday his craft would get sharper enough to stand next to hers. He knew there was some distance to be covered, he knew that her writing was the spark that he needed every now and then to improve his writing but what he kept forgetting was that to even come close to her, he had to write first.

Why don’t you write these days was a question that she asked him innocently but she didn’t know that it started the rusting machinery once again. 

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 |

बादल Baadal (Clouds)

बादलों को देखा तो ऐसा लगा, की रूई का एक मुलायम झुंड जा रहा है,
उनसे खेलने को दिल किया, उन्हे एक दिन छूने के लिये मन किया तय |

लेकिन वो तो बहुत दूर थे, उनके पास जाना नामुमकिन सा लगा,

कुछ पाना था और उसके लिए मैं कई रातें जगा |

फिर वो दिन भी आया, जब मैं ऊपर और बादल मेरे नीचे थे,

ऐसा लगने लगा की ज़िंदगी के ख्वाब अब नही रहेंगे अधूरे से |

तब ये एहसास हुआ की सपने देखना कोई बुरी बात नही,
और दूर से जो जैसा दिखे, ज़रूरी नही की हक़ीक़त भी हो वही |

जो मुलायम लग रहे थे, वो तो अंदर से कठोर हैं,
हवाई जहाज़ को बिना किसी संकोच के, अपने दिल को चीरने देते हैं |

अपने अंदर बहुत सारा पानी समेट लेते हैं,
और अगर गुस्से में आ जायें, तो पानी की बौछार लगा देते हैं |

मगर दिल फिर भी उन्हे देख कर मचल जाता है,
उनका हर रंग चेहरे पे एक मुस्कुराहट लाता है और मन को बहुत भाता है |

क्या वो यह जानते हैं और इसलिए आँख मिचोली खेलते हैं,
कभी दूर तो कभी पास आके सताते हैं लेकिन यह तो हम प्यार से झेलते हैं |

सूरज की किरणों के लिए एक पर्दे की तरह तैयार खड़े,
कोई दो एक से नहीं, कुछ छोटे तो कुछ बड़े |

रुकते नही हैं वो, और चलते जाते हैं अपनी मंज़िल की तरफ,
अपने साथ कहीं लाते हैं धूप तो कहीं बरफ |

सीखना चाहता हूँ मैं उन्से ज़िंदगी के कुछ अन्मोल पाठ,
अगर मौका मिल जाए तो करूँ उन्से थोड़ी सी बात |

डर और भय से कोई नाता ना रखूं,
उँचाइयों को पाके मैं भी सफलता का रस चखूं |

ए बादल, मुझे बना लो अपना शिश्य,
चाहता हूँ मेरा भी उज्ज्वल हो भविष्य ||

दुनिया देखूं पूरी और बनूँ लोगों के लिए एक मिसाल,
की मेरे जाने के बाद कहें, की था एक आदमी बेमिसाल जिसका नाम था कुणाल |

Hindi poem in English script

BAADAL (Clouds)

Baadalon ko dekha toh aisa laga, ki rui ka ek mulayam jhund jaa raha hai
Unse khelne ko dil kiya, Unhe ek din choone ko mann kiya tai.

Lekin woh toh bahut duur the, unke paas jaana namumkin sa laga.
Kucch paana tha aur uske liye main kayee raatein jaga.

Phir woh din bhi aaya, jab main upar aur baadal mere neeche the.
Aisa lagne laga ki zindagi ke khwaab ab nahi rahenge adhoore se.

Tab yeh ehsaas hua ki sapne dekhna koi buri baat nahi,
Aur duur se jo jaisa dikhe, zaroori nahi ki haqeeqat bhi ho wahi.

Jo mulayaam lag rahe the, woh toh andar se kathor hain,
Hawaii jahaaj ko bini kisi sankoch ke, apne dil ko cheerne dete hain.

Apne andar bahut paani samet lete hain,
Aur agar gusse mein aa jaayein, toh paani ki bauchaar laga dete hain.

Magar dil phir bhi unhe dekh kar machal jaata hai
Unka har rang chehre pe ek muskurahaat laata hai aur mann ko bahut bhaata hai.

Kya woh yeh jaante hain aur isliye aankh micholi khelte hain
Kabhi duur to kabhi paas aake sataate hain lekin yeh toh hum pyaar se jhelte hain.

Suraj ki kirnon ke liye ek parde ki tarah taiyar khade,
Koi do ek se nahin, kucch chotte toh kucch bade.

Rukte nahi hain who aur chalte jaate hain manzil ki taraf,
Apne saath kahin laate hain dhoop toh kahin baraf.

Seekhna chahta hoon main unse zindagi ke kucch anmol path,
Agar mauka mil jaaye toh karu unse thodi si baat.

Darr aur bhay se koi naata na rakhoon,
Unchaaiyon ko paake main bhi safalta ka ras chakhoon.

Aye baadal, mujhe bana lo apna shishya,
Chahta hoon mera bhi ujjwal ho bhavishya.

Duniya dekhun poori aur banoo logon ke liye ek missal,
Ki mere jaane ke baad kahe ki tha ek aadmi bemisal jiska naam tha Kunal.

Solitude

Lonely when alone, lonely when in a crowd,
Solitude for company, but silence seems too loud.

Not a moment to be satisfied or feel proud,
As happiness lies hidden behind a shroud.

People once close are no more in touch,
The ones who are never bothered too much.

He sits on the beach as the waves pass by,
Taking away the sand around him and saying a good bye.

He lies down under the open sky with stars shining bright,
Wondering how time changes and darkness takes precedence over light.

Mobile phone next to him as he waits to hear it beep,
Knowing well that neither will it come to life nor will he get any sleep.

He logs in, as social media is an escape and Internet gives some hope.
He knows that it is now an addiction and is his life’s dope.

How long this will last, he has absolutely no clue,
But suffering and pain is a friend of many, which he knows is true.

Ephemeral and eternal are words that sound quite same,
But which one you will get stuck with, for that you have Karma to blame.

As the morning sun rises and throws it rays,
He gets up and adds this to another one of those days.

A canvas that was once full of colour,
Today seems fading and getting duller.

I pray for him and I hope he stays sane,
Because every smile of his hides so much of pain.

Solitude as your companion is always a bane,
It is an evil that gets your life in the wrong lane.

#4linepoetry - Themes: Week 2

Theme: Faith
Fired from his job, lost his love, met with an accident and yet they told him to keep the faith alive,
He was not surprised with what they said but rather by his own will to survive.
He knew he'd have to start from scratch and it won't be an easy ride,
But then it is only the courageous who overcome all odds and sail the tide.

Theme: Attire
The proof was clearly visible from his attire and his boots,
That this city was clearly not where he had his roots.
Getting used to this lifestyle will be tough,
But then even a diamond is initially pulled out from the rough.

Theme: Painting

The canvas came to life with a stroke of a brush,

What followed next was a lot of patience and very little rush.

The masterpiece made after two years of efforts got its due,

When at the auction the bid was being made by not one or two but quite a few.  

Theme: Rose

Whether its a poetry or a prose,
Everything looks beautiful when the subject is a rose.
No wonder it is the king of flowers,
To see its serene beauty, wait for the showers.

Theme: Courage

Big words have no meaning if you don't walk the talk,
Staying true to your works is never a cake walk.
Grit and determination have to be your friends,
These are qualities which these days are not very popular trends.

Theme: Teenage

Now that I look back, I think teenage was the age to be,
Stress was a word in the dictionary and the mind was completely free.
A bit of tantrum and parents would take care of all you need,
Even though rebellious streak made me not pay any heed.

Theme: College

New found freedom, class bunks and proxy attendance formed a large part of college,
One never realized that in between all of this, you all picked up lot of knowledge.
If given a chance, one would always want to go back to those days,
Where the road was not very clear but yet we were all trying to form our own pathways.

Theme: Time

He tried everything. Locking it, holding it and even grabbing it in his hand,

But every instance, it just flowed out like loose sand.

He forgot that possessing time cannot be achieved by anyone,

Because time and tide wait for none.

#4linepoetry - Themes: Week 1 (Mar 15 - Mar 22, 2012)

Theme: Beaches
I asked her preference 'Beaches or Mountains?'
She responded 'Waterfalls and fountains'.
I told her compatibility will then be an issue.
She was crying but I walked off after handing her a tissue.

Theme: Chips

A packet of chips and a bottle of beer,
Sachin's 100 100s needed everyone to cheer.
All the celebrations went out for a toss,
After such a glorious moment, it was painful to see India's loss.

Theme: Terrace

It was on the terrace when he first saw her.
That she was married was a thought that did not occur.
Dreams of a life with her, he started to make.
Without realizing that knowing the truth is something he won't be able to take.

Theme: Soul

He came to the city to earn lot of money and fame. 

A successful business got him all of this and a huge name. 

Achieving all of this had its effect and took its toll.
In this process, he just did not realize when he lost his soul.

Theme: Mirrors

“How could you do this to me?”, he asked her. 

She could execute such a devious plan still seemed like a blur. 

“Don’t be surprised. After all that you had done, I had to save my honour, 

So what I have done is nothing but shown you a mirror.”

Theme: Memories

The paper had become yellow and crinkled,
Similar to his face that had become pale and wrinkled.
But the memories that they brought out were as fresh as dew,
Reflecting various moments of his life as he grew.

Theme: Lips

I clearly remember it was a rainy night,

We were drenched completely but I still embraced her tight.

Our lips met and it was magic.

Four years later, when we separated, it was tragic.

Theme: SMS/Emails

The year was 2002 when not all of us had a cell phone.
The STD booth on campus is where we would go to hear our mother's familiar tone.
Today, SMS is free and emails are easy.
But I am not sure people's relationships are so breezy.