"बात तो सिर्फ देखने की हुई थी"

"बात तो सिर्फ देखने की हुई थी", एकदम निश्छल मासूमियत पर बच्चो सी संजीदगी से, कहा था उन्होंने।
फिर अपनी गर्दन घुमाई। दोनों की नजरें मिलीं और दोनों मूस्कुरा दिए। बस मुस्कुरायें कहा कुछ भी नहीं और ढेर सारी बातें कर ली।
बात बस इतनी सी थी की उनसे प्यार कर रहे थे। उनकी पीठ बड़ी प्यारी लगती थी हमे। कह दिया देखना है। दिखा दिया उन्होंने ठीक वैसे ही जैसे कोई बच्ची अपनी गुड़ियों का बक्सा दिखाती हो। करीब चले गए उनके। 

बस उन्होंने अपनी भोली सी सूरत बना कर कह दिया की ,"बात तो सिर्फ देखने की हुई थी"।
बहुत ही मामूली सी बात है पर शायद प्रेम इन्ही छोटी छोटी बातों मे छुपा होता है। पता नहीं कैसा होता है ये प्रेम पर लगता है की ऐसी ही अनुभुती को प्रेम कहते हैं जैसा मझे उनकी ये बात सुनकर हुई थी।
पीठ शायद उतनी याद नहीं। ये बात शायद उनको याद भी न हो।
पर आज हमें भले उस प्यारी सी पीठ को याद करने मे दिमाग खपाना पड़े पर जब भी प्रेम जैसी कोई अनुभूति होती है, मैं फिर से सुन लेता हूँ, "बात तो सिर्फ देखने की हुई थी" और हौले से मुस्कुरा देता हूँ।
(based on experiences of Sukhen Da read more at recklesspen.blogspot.in/2014/09/sukhen-das-quest-for-love.html?m=1)

अनायास (Effortless)

नहीं तैयार होता था वो मेरे लिए,
कभी रूठी जो मैं,
तो मनाता भी नहीं था,
न खुद के रूठने पर,
मेरे मानाने का इंतज़ार करता  था
न मैं उसे प्यार  'करती थी,
न वो  मुझे प्यार करता था,
असल मे,
हम कुछ भी नहीं 'करते' थे,
एक दूसरे के लिए,
पर,
अनायास ही,
सब हो जाता था. 

An exemplary way of writing news...

(This has been written by Nasir Kamal a senior journalist associated with Hindustan Times for a long period... now with Free Press Journal, Bhopal...the way of expression of this news could change the perception that content is more precious...I urge every journalist go through it at least once...)

Nisar main teri galiyon pe...

Nasir Kamal

Bhopal

Poet Faiz Ahmed ‘Faiz’, in an entirely different context, had said:

Nisaar mein teri galiyon pe aiy watan, ke jahan;

Chali hai rasm ke koyee na sar utha ke chaley.

(I offer my life to your alleys my homeland, where nobody is allowed to walk with head held high).

The citizens of Bhopal – pedestrians and drivers alike -- are also being forced to walk with their heads bowed. No, it’s not because of some ‘state repression’ as was hinted by Faiz; it’s because of the deplorable condition of the City’s roads. You just cannot walk or drive looking 20 yards ahead; you have to keep your head down and keep eyes fixed just three-four yards ahead of you to avoid potholes. Probably, this is the administration’s idea of turning Bhopal into Paris – a bombed-out Paris.

Every locality, every street of the town tells the story of corruption and criminal negligence of the civic authorities who are obsessed with the beautification of the Upper Lake and setting up viewing points.

The condition of streets in Bhopal had never been so bad. The works of various projects, like laying sewer pipes and new water supply pipelines (often gleefully mixing with each other) have worsened the situation. The contractors who carried out the projects did such a shoddy work of repairs that instead of improving, the condition of roads has worsened after repairs.

The administration, in the past, used to blame rains for poor roads. This excuse cannot work this time round because there was hardly any rain this monsoon.

The administration also did not show the customary decency of repairing roads during the festival season, though the leaders concerned made a show of ‘inspecting’ the festival venues and ‘ordering’ repairs of potholes. Those who visited Paris to learn about development should have instead spent the amount on filling up the potholes and their purpose would have been better served.

The condition has slipped to such a deplorable state that some wag parodied a famous couplet like this:

Inhi pattharon pe chal kar agar asako to aao;

Mere ghar ke raaste main koyee RAASTA naheen hai.

(The original second line was ‘mere ghar ke raaste main koyee KAHKAKASHAN naheen hai).

Not only the streets in most parts of the town tell the tale of stark negligence and widespread corruption, the management of traffic, particularly in old town, points at a lackadaisical attitude bordering on bureaucratic arrogance and political lack of will. How many times the authorities hold traffic committee meetings and announce big plans to clear streets of encroachers and handcart-pushers etc? And how many times they implement their ‘resolves’? What happened to the plans to create parking lots (announced after much fanfare and photographs of the authorities concerned visiting the spot)?

One example in this regard would suffice: About 40 years ago (yes 40 years!), only one-way traffic was allowed on the street from Imami Gate to Moti Masjid (via Peer Gate and Tehsil Huzoor Road). Now, when the vehicular traffic has increased at least 20-fold during the past 40 years, all kinds of vehicle run madly on this stretch from both sides and the cops watch listlessly. In between these years, we have had officers and netas who keep announcing, flyovers, underpasses and subways etc to ease traffic.

One is also worried about the fate of the low-floor AC buses proposed to be run soon. With speed-breakers of varying sizes dotting the streets, one wonders how will the buses, their drives and the commuters cope with them.

A beautiful cup of morning tea!

Getting up! straightway has always been a troublesome affair for me it takes me atleast half an hour to get up after getting up.
Drowsily I turned my eyes towards the window peeping straight into the neighbourhood window. It was liek a cup of tea, in the morning; The sight of drowsy, sleepy, Mamta in the adjacent window. Clad in wrinkled night gown, hairs shabbily tied, soem scattered over the face, frequent yawns, oh god.....!
Every curve of her tender femine self was reflecting the intoxicating laxity. The charm of the wild eyes, extremely lazy, I really lack words to describe them.
This was with, what my days used to kick off.
I can admit that I really love drowsy girls. Though I didn't had any acquaitance with Mamta, when I used to enjoy the eternal charms of her beauty. Later one hand I gained acquaitance. For now I was a noticed viewer and the spell of her natural drowsy, lazy looks were replaced with cautious movements to impress her lover peeping from the adjacent window....and now even after gaining acquaintance with her, I thought I lost something very valuable.......which I miss even today...

Impact of Information and Communication Technologies in shaping love affairs.

Every step of our routine life faces, numerous encounters with new avatars of Information and Communications Technologies, (ICT) and they are really shaping our relations. They have turned out to be boon, for those who are in love, but at some time they become hurdles. The role of ICT’s encroachment in our personal relations and lives is constructive or destructive is an issue of debate. Here I would like to put forth two incidents which I went through in the course of my life…..which I think reflects their roles…
1st incident

“Dear if you don’t mind, can I ask you something personal, not that important but about your parents”, I asked my girlfriend, (XYZ), with servile politeness. As you need to be careful, and use properly weighed words, when talking to your girlfriend that too, when on a date. Who knows, what, which, and when, will offend her highness, and spoil your entire date.

“Of course, you can”, the sweet assurance ensued my questions.

Though now, its years, we met or event talked. I don’t know even where she is, but to be honest she was damm! Pretty and Beautiful. In fact and her beauty was the womb of the questions, which I asked her. Her mother’s looks were contrary to hers. She was not as good looking rather below average. Mellissa was on her father. I asked her, why and how they married. She told me that they had a love marriage. The couples were pen pals, and they committed to marry even before, seeing each other. The firmness of their commitment is clearly reflected by their successful marriage. Letters turned out be the fevicol of their relations.

2nd incident

I was in my sixt standard, when a letter endorsed as Chotte Lal Sharma C/O my Big B’s (Elder brother) name used to come frequently at my place. It was informed by my Big B that, the owner of these letters is a friend, who is not having a permanent address and is new to the town, thus his letters are coming to our place. These letters were given to my Big B, unopened and as soon as they came, at least once in a week. Utmost care was taken to deliver those letters without delay. Maa thought that, who knows what important information is in the letter, she used to tell my brother, “Beta pocket mein hi mat rakhe rehna apne dost ko de dena”(son don’t keep the letters in your pocket deliver them to your friend in time)

I had no apprehensions about those letters, as a kid use to give it to my Big B as soon as he used to come. But one day I was assigned with the boring job of arranging my big B’s bookshelf. To my utter surprise I discovered a bunch of those letters, lying behind the pile of books. My curiosity, made me read one of them, then another, then another, I read almost ten.

I could not understand at that time ( as I was a kid studying in 7th standard) the letters were for my Big B, that too, love letters from a girl not only known to me but to my whole family.

Today I really admire my Big B’s intelligence, how deftly he managed to communicate with his beloved in those tough days. I really pay tribute to him.



Derivations

Well in both the cases, letters (as they were the only available mediums) played an important role. If we really ponder over the first case , had the mobile phones and all the latest, avatars of communication technology been there , what could have been the probable outcome?

They must not have married each other rather maybe the thing called love would never have materialized between them. Though proverbs like, “dil lagi diwar se toh pari kya cheezh hai”, underestimate the role of looks, but whatever said, importance of looks cannot be denied, especially for initiating the relations. Most probably if my girlfriend’s father had seen her mother prior to the development of emotional ties, he must not have developed those bonds of emotions which held them together over those years.

Here in this case lack of communication, technologies, significantly played a very positive role in binding their relations.

In the second case, the letters ceased to come after few months, probably the relation died. Though I don’t really know the reason behind the termination of relations, but the presence of contemporary communication technologies in those times, could have given, the love story a new turn. At least they could have eased the troubles of my Big B. I really sympathize for him. May be, playing the cupids role, the Information and communication technologies, would have accelerated their relations.



The probable impact of modern technology on these two cases undermines the role of communication technology in shaping the LOVE AFFAIRS, prevalent in today’s society. What do you say? ………………….