Blue moon

Before I kiss my land goodbye,

And i think of you once more,

Same thing dawns as always I thought:

A dream of nothing else but you.

By a footstep of right followed by left,

And in your lock door I start knocking.

Some little talk of you and me,

Next thing I know it starts raining.

But when it must be,

it has to be.

And so I left a silent goodbye on your doorstep,

Where once U kept standing

till all my dreams had died.

Journey Unfinished...

Once I knew the way to go,
Knew the path I had to tread,
Now I feel I've lost my soul,
Somewhere on the dusty way.

Though the path is long and cold,
And I may never see the end,
Still I travel, young and old,
On this path without a bend.

The hill is steep, but still I climb,
A dusty staircase to the sky,
The earth is open on each side,
A rift that leads to nowhere I can hide.

I know that I can never stop,
Never fail and never falter,
I am the last to walk this path,
The others fallen in the past.

Jzz Sm Lyf!!!

A sad shady face
Or a sight of silent walk;
Name it the way you feel..
..It was a life.

Answers to those questions
Which were buried in my silence..
..in those days

Today, Your heart is back
from exile.
Now..please
Don’t spare tears..
It was a life..

So many times,
I gather courage,
Lips move in apprehension
Engulfing the hung expressions
Nameless feelings run in
Circles of love and pain,
Embraced by you,i go silent again.

Honestly!!!

I just want to feel safe in my own skin
I just want to be happy again
I just want to feel deep in my own world
but I'm so lonely I don't even want to be with myself anymore
On a different day if I was safe in my own skin
then I wouldn't feel so lost and so frightened
But this is today and I'm lost in my own skin
And I'm so lonely I don't even want to be with myself anymore
I just want to feel safe in my own skin
I just want to be happy again
I just want to feel safe in my own skin
I just want to be happy again
I just want to feel deep in my own world
but I'm so lonely I don't even want to be with myself anymore
On a different day if I was safe in my own skin
then I wouldn't feel so lost and so frightened
But this is today and I'm lost in my own skin
And I'm so lonely I don't even want to be with myself anymore
I just want to feel safe in my own skin
I just want to be happy again

Would You please Erase Me?

A string of violins cut through the dawn’s silence and settles into a rhythm with drums and congo . And even before the guitars join in on the fun, I instinctively knew what song is to play. This was the music which had accompanied me in so mny journeys home for a few four years of my life. This was the song which I played on my Walkman as the bus paced off the roads in early winter mornings and tore through the mist as I headed home for breaks.

It was “Raah Pe Rahte Hain’ from Namkeen!!

And as I stood today listening it and watch a plane flying past me, I wondered how much have I changed in the past couple of years and how the song has changed for me.

Depicted by the movie, ‘Raah Pe Rehte Hain’ is a quintessential truck driver’s song. And that in itself would have sufficed – magically woven lines relevant to the truck driver Geru Lal, RD’s music which betrayed a hint of easy movement, nothing kinetic but a languorous approach to a rolling hill and Sanjeev swaying gently as he sat on the driver’s seat with an expression that suggested the triumph of realism over romanticism with merest whiff of remorse as he occasionally peered out.

But just the so beautiful lyrics turn the truck driver’s ditty into a song of life; into the seeming conflict between the reality of the past and hopefulness of future. This song in a way plays with this paradox to let you find your own balance. And somewhere at the end of the song you realize why this film would have been named Namkeen.

“Raah pe rehte hain..yaadon pe basar karate hain,
khush raho ahal-e-vatan, ho, ham to safar karate hain.”

I'm a rolling stone. Forever in motion. Just gotta remember what Dylan wrote,
“How does it feel
How does it feel
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?”

Life’s a long road and while we may plan for future and look ahead in hope, all that’s tangible, all that has shaped us and all that gives meaning to our life is our past. That’s what’s real, that’s what you feed of. A casual look at that first line might give you an impression of another nostalgia drenched, sepia tinted view of life but, in reality, that first line is imbued with a sense of practicality. There’s no romanticism in past, it’s harsh and brutal. However, this past is what you live on, the future is what you live for. So, the journey continues.

“Jal gaye jo dhoop mein to saaya ho gaye,
Aasaman ka koi kona odhaa so gaye,
Jo guzar jaati hai bas usape guzar karate hain”

Life’s just some marathon, is it not?!.. When sun scorched you, you found a sliver of shade to rest in. In your deepest moments of low, you found hope springing eternal. Don’t seek out help from others, your own journey is your lesson. That which will sustain you lies within you.

“Udte pairon ke tale jab bahati hai zameen,
Mud ke hamane koi manzil dekhi hi nahin,
Raat din raahon pe ham shaam-o-sehar karate hain.”

In full flight, when the earth below you flows away as you speed ahead, who has the time to pause and look back? And why should you? That’s the time for the relentless march ahead. Of spending every waking moment on forging forward.

It isn’t a paradox really. You don’t drive using the rear view mirror but you can’t drive ahead with speed without it as well.

“Aise ujade aashiyane tinkey ud gaye,
Bastiyon tak aate aate raaste mud gaye,
Hum thehar jaayen jahaan usko shehar karte hain.”

Heyy and now I can almost recall a poem from my course by Robert Burns. In his most popular poem “To A Mouse” he says,

“The best laid schemes of mice and men
Go often askew,
And leaves us nothing but grief and pain,
For promised joy.

Still you are blest, compared with me!
present only touches you..
But oh! I backward cast my eye,
On prospects dreary!
And forward, though I cannot see,
I guess and fear!”

It doesn’t matter if I reached the destination I set out for. I have traveled far enough and where I stop dog-tired is the destination worthy of my efforts.

And so ends the song that never fails to evoke memories of holiday trips home and so mny other memorable journeys in last two years. Seems like I've traveled great distances in two years and reached nowhere...but that is may be I was worthy of this alone. But more importantly, it means a lot more a dozen years later in life.

So, Keep traveling; keep eking out a ‘guzar’; and when you tire and stop, look around – it’s your destination which was just within your grasp.

Following My own footprints on Time...

Bangalore was not meant to be a new place,..I have been there a couple of times before..but this tour of three days captured the spirit of the city...the vivid way...through a convexo-concave lens.....the things so many when converge in this city diverge off on to take numerous forms, so many of'em 'Larger than Life', while few others, jz sm microcosm of all that's associated with any Global city.

Some new discoveries last week(when I was supposed to be hurling with Delhi Temp moods, but did everything else (: )

Cosmo Village - Located off Brigade Road, a lounge bar, one of its kind. Hv heard quite a bit about the place. A decent joint. Liked the comfortable seating. Nice music. (However, I had got quite a few conflicting thgs about it). Crowded like all other happening places. I have a feeling that no one stays home anymore (I can hear you say: look who’s talking!). Wherever you go (any day of the week) you have to battle not only traffic jams but also crowds.
Out of the window, there’s a pretty pool. It had just rained, and the skies were turning dark. The weather was beautiful. Watched the F1 on the big screen. Kimi Raikonnen won. Felt a little sorry for Schumi though (where was he?!). It was the seventh consecutive race without a Ferrari victory and Schumi must be now wondering how he allowed his greatest fears in the form of Räikkönen and Alonso, to get ahead. Ah, a friends says he’d become arrogant. But I think he’s a Champ, anywyz. Regardless of all the talk of his going old, He went out in style after all his exploits on the track.
Unfortunately, all these cool joints close early. So at about midnight, we had to beat a hasty retreat.

Opus – A neat place somewhere near the Palace Grounds area, can’t remember the name of the road. They had karaoke night on Wednesday. It was a cool evening and thankfully, it didn’t pour since we had seats outside. Nice music. Some great singers emerged from the woodwork (or wherever they were hiding). They came up with Ironic, my own personal huge hit . I am quite sure some of them were professionals, the way they were singing! A nice place to hang out, if you’re looking for good music and a chilled out environment. Anyway Beware OPUS makes up bills. we landed to a 8K thing for 4 of us, which went back once to get reduced by 700. Prices lil steep.

Taika- I know, the name's baffling but needs to be checked out for its awesome ambience!( scented candles, indian chants etc.,) Kushagra and Abs swear by it (:
We had plans for sm place called Tavern too but it was so lots filled that we left almost as soon as we entered!

Spin- Almost instantly fell for this place..found it a great place to hangout with friends. Off Residency Road where I put up at for all three days, I wondered why we dint venture in here right on first day. It’s not like just another Disc. Anyone can get lots to do out here,...the dance floor, the terrace, the portico area. In all it’s a no nonsense hangout.

Hard Rock Cafe- This one, on Lavelle road is the best bet to sip a coffee. Finest blends and awesome music, the likes of Travis and A. Morisette gives it such a feel. It’s inside an interiors store called Cinnamon and easily qualifies to be a nice place to hangout, which shows with the budding crowd that you get to see in there.

Ebony- The roof top restaurant at Barton centre, M.G. road next to 'the 13th Floor' vows for the Spectacular view and food that's Gourmet's Delight. So if you are in Bangalore, gotta check out this place.

Corner house in Carlton towers- The place has a nice mix of people and the ice cream in Corner house is simply marvelous. Besides they dont tell you to hurry so one can just sit there and nurse one ice cream for hours together!!!

Yeahh...for once I saw the suave cosmopolitan face of a city that breathes software and thrives on globalisation happening like never before...
The Corporate thing here tastes of Champagne...the taste not meant for everyone and the tinge just too pungent for anyone who goes on to be careful with his steps....


PS.: I dedicate ths post to my frnds Akki, Abs, Ankit, Amit and Kushagra coz only its for them that this Bnglr tour went on to become this gr8 a deal that I wrote a post for it. I've visited some of the best plcs in the country, I believe but u guys truly rocked ths plc 4 me in a vry special way. And of course, not to forget GE, for all the opportunity to get me see this exuberent city in a nvr b4 experience.