Monday, February 25, 2019

स्वछंद उड़ान -
साहस और निश्चय से भरी ।
कभी ढलती , कभी बढ़ती ..
जब जब हुई थकान - ली गहरी सांस और होठों पर मुस्कान,
क्यूंकि फिर से उड़नी थी - ऊँची उन्मुक्त उड़ान ।

भाग्य - कि पंख काटे नहीं  गए, उड़ने का मौका मिला !

इस मौके के साथ मिला, कृत्रिम उपहार -
सामाजिक स्याही से रंगा हुआ, नैतिक आवरण में लिपटा - एक डिब्बा ।

डिब्बा -- उड़नी है जिसमें.. स्वछंद उड़ान । 

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Moving Beyond Sight

'Dialogue in the dark' - was inaugurated few months back at Inorbit Mall, Hyderabad.

One fine evening, got a chance to get into the colorful, decently decor-ed reception of - 'Dialogue in the Dark'. A polite, courteous man greeted us warmly, and helped us understand more about this venture. He said, with conviction, that this 45 minutes long walk in pitch darkness would be an unforgettable experience! It was impressive to know that this concept was started in Germany, way back in 1986 and  has its presence in over 30 countries worldwide. Hyderabad is its only centre in India.

Before we entered the dark tunnel, we were handed over long white sticks to help us guide our own way. We were also told that there would be crew members inside, for our help. And then, came out an unexpected, interesting fact - 'The crew members, were visually impaired'.

Lost inside the darkness, I felt helpless. With no idea of which way to go, it was tough to take even a step forward. I strained my eyes, expecting my retina to expand and let some light in. But all in vain! My eyes, seemed so useless! Tapping the stick here and there anxiously, I managed to take a few steps forward.. but what next??

Just then, came our savior --- A Voice.

"Hello Ma'am. Welcome to Dialogue in the Dark. I am Farhana, and would help you walk through this journey. We would go ahead together.".. It said.
This cheerful, polite, female voice was a ray of hope for me, in that depressing darkness!

Me: Hi Farhana! Great to have you here. Its terribly dark and we have no clue which way to go!
Farhana: Sure Ma'am. I would help you move ahead. Can i please hold your hand?

And, the journey began...

As we walked through the park, the bridge, the bus stand... darkness took a back seat. It became easier, to touch, smell, and sense things around us. Each time, we identified an object or managed to find the correct way, there was a sense of achievement, which we shared with our guide - Farhana.

Me: Where are you from Farhana?.. Hyderabad?
Farhana: No Ma'am. My family is in Bangalore. Finished my graduation and came here for work.
Me: Oh..So you live alone out here! In a PG or a hostel?
Farhana: Yes. I live in a hostel at Madhapur, with my friends.
Me: Nice..So what do you do apart from work? Any hobbies?
Farhana: I like to hang around with my friends, love reading books, surfing internet and listening to music.  Sonu Nigam is my all time favorite.
Me: Yeah.. I like his voice too! He is an awesome singer!

I have had a similar conversation, so many times, with youngsters, living away from their families. Farhana's hobbies and interests were not extraordinary, yet not easy for me to digest! Probably, because i did not expect her answers to be this simple! After all, Farhana was visually impaired. Being in her shoes that time, i was struggling to put even a step forward. But she, sounded just like any other normal independent young girl, enjoying her life.

As the conversation continued, she explained, how she surfs internet and reads e-books with the help of software especially designed for blind. As we walked together, we cracked jokes, sang songs, laughed, and then came the biggest relief. Yes, we could see some light at the other end!

We headed towards the light, and I felt like going back to my own world. However this time, I could not share my joy with Farhana. For her, the world was still dark. Finally, we could see the face of the cheerful, polite voice, that guided us all the way through.

Farhana, is an independent girl, with strong convictions. She knows, how to find her own way and live life to the fullest. The dark world where she lives, is not poorer..it is just different!

Monday, January 31, 2011

Hide and Seek

Its always a pleasure to look back into my good old childhood. Carefree, pleasant evenings with friends were full of joy and laughters. 'Hide and Seek' was very popular amongst us. We had a well defined boundary, and players had to hide from the denner within 10 counts.

Had a perfect dream last night.
Perfect, as it made me realize that no matter how tight I close my eyes..the truth wont change.

Wish .. I could set some boundary to these thoughts and forget them forever within 10 counts.

Ever played hide and seek with yourself?

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Au Revoir Weekend !!!

Yet another Sunday at office...

The gift - 'A ruined lifestyle'.. is what i graciously accept after 23 years of my life, that made me a Software Engineer.
I agree.. this sounds like coming from a non enthusiastic 'experienced' person.
For those who do not know, its been just an year that I entered the corporate world.

No offense.
Corporate world is a dynamic place to be. Every day may not be enriching enough, but a sense of uncertainty keeps the momentum on. The quest for position, money and knowledge (for few) drives one through.

I have got umpteen opportunities to meet people who have been in this profession for 10 + years. Admiration and respect for them defines the feeling well enough.
However, on a second thought, a question creeps in my mind -
How interesting is it to live 10 years of a lifeless lifestyle in IT?

What makes me happy to be comparatively fresh in this industry?
I am not yet caught in the vicious circle of money, power and politics. I am still not addicted to the luxury of comfortable living. I still see hope, to find a way out of this herd and define my own journey..

Saturday, September 11, 2010

One year's trash...

Happened to clean my room today.
With piles of papers stacked together, its hard to keep track of what is where. Our very own room becomes so unknown! And the day we need something, unfortunately there is no CTRL+F option to make our life easier!
So, today i thought of putting things back in place. Believe it or not.. I managed to collect 5 big polybags of trash.. out of my room. Some old unknown bills, shoes, bags, accessories.. There were things about which i had no idea.. courtesy my poor memory. And few, which had some incidents attached to it..which were equally trash. Some of them also reminded me of my unfulfilled dreams.. and unimplemented plans.

Removing trash out of my room, was a walk over to what all i did last year. Most of them were things which mean nothing to me anymore.

I hope that i dont accumulate any more trash in my room.
Hope i dont lift another dream to dump it to dustbin again.