Wednesday, March 28, 2012

The Teeth and The Tongue

A friend sent me this beautiful quotation the other day : "No matter how many times the teeth bite the tongue, they still stay together in one mouth. This is the spirit of Forgiveness."
Oh! How lovely this sounds.
Of course to the one who is seeking forgiveness.
Does it mean then that the tongue should go on bearing the bite? Does it mean that one must go on forgiving a wrongdoer eternally?

How long does one sacrifice one's self respect in order to accomodate a friend's ego?

So this teeth-and-tongue quote remained in my thoughts through the day. And as I shared it with a couple of friends, I kept pondering over the fate of the soft and silent tongue.
The teeth, hard and sharp as they are, surely came across as the annoying bully who kept troubling a quiet and serene tongue. The similarity to human beings was indeed striking. A kind and quiet person is most likely cornered into isolation by a cunning and conniving lobbyist if the former chooses to assert himself on a conflicting issue. This revelation was discomforting because it meant that the bully will always have his way. The teeth will always bite the tongue. And the poor pained tongue had no place to go.

How far and how long would this play.....?
And then the legendary "bandd-aqal-ka-taala" opened... I smiled to myself thinking of the fate of the "hard-and-strong-thirty-two"
With the passage of time don't they fall off one by one naturally?
But the tongue always remains unhurt, unharmed... So no matter how many times the teeth bite the tongue, they still stay together in one mouth.... till the tongue's silence is rewarded and the teeth bow out.... forever... :))

Monday, March 26, 2012

Mere saath hi rehna hoga...

Wo dil jis mein hai yaad teri, mere paas hai, mere paas rahega
Lekin wo waqt jo saath guzaara tha tere
Uss ko to guzarna hoga...

Wo jo baatein tum se hua karti thiin, sadaa yaad rahengi mujh ko
Haan! wo lamhe jo gawaah thay unn baato'n ke
Unn ko to guzarna hoga...

Wo jagah aaj bhi hai tum ne jahan baagh lagaaye thay kabhi
Par wo baharein jin ki wajah tum thay
Unn ko to guzarna hoga...

Zakhm teri judaai ka, teri yaad ka tazaa hai, rahega har dum
Kal se hua aaj, aaj ban jaaega kal, waqt rukta nahi
Uss ko to guzarna hoga...

Saath tere mera bachpan bhi gaya, ek khal'a-a chhod gaya
Dhoondhta kya hoon, na aayengey wo pal
Unn ko to guzarna hoga...

Laakh chaha ke dafan kar doon tere saath mein yaadein teri
Ye na ho paya magar, mere jeenay ka sahara hain ye
Inn ko mere saath hi rehna hoga........

(By Ghazala)

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Sari comes back

Whatever be the reason behind Vidya Balan's preference for saris, I am very happy to see the Deepikas, Kareenas, Dias and all the etceteras falling in line with her. After Rekha ji it is this indigenously pretty girl setting the trends in Bollywood. And what a completely rejuvenating experience this has been. Looking at Vidya so splendrously draped in six yards of shimmering silk, her elegant blouses making a sensuous statement and her magnificent jhumkas teasingly adding richness to her charm, is a delightful feast for the eyes.

The nauseating display of perfect bodies looking almost artificial in their finely chiseled beauty can take a break, while a rather imperfectly-moulded yet refreshingly beautiful real woman comes to fore.

I recently read that Vidya with her silk saaris and elbow-length blouses has become so uninterestingly predictable and that she is scared to experiment having gone wrong with her western outfits in the past. I dare say I have not heard another more ridiculously dumb remark. It smells of burning insecurity.
If Vidya is predictable in her saris I really wonder what all those scantily clad women who leave nothing to imagination are....????!!!!!

Call me traditional. Label me orthodox. But I strongly believe that being sufficiently and decently clothed is a sign of cultural refinement, human progress and a developed civilization.

Be it reel or real life, aristocracy and royalty have displayed their abundance and sensuality majestically covered in silks and chiffons rather than choosing to bare it all.
No wonder then that an innocent "hawa mein udta lal malmal ka dupatta" arouses much more desire and romance than a badnaam Munni's jhandoo balm or a Chikni Chameli's raunchy pauua...

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Ek Rang Ye Bhi

Across the road opposite my house in Allahabad was the PWD Colony. We had not much in common with the residents there and most of the time lived in our separate worlds. I distantly remember some family names like The Goels, The Shuklas, The Senguptas, who we knew through chance meetings in the neighbourhood.

And there was also this one family who we hardly even spoke to, and yet quite certainly we shared a special bond with them. Their elder daughter was unfortunately mentally challenged. But it was a delight to see the dignified upbringing and care that she was receiving from her responsible and enlightened family.

I would often see her sitting with her mother engrossed in conversation oblivious of the world around them. The mother would sometimes be combing the girl's long black hair and at times trying to teach her to read and write.
Whenever our eyes met, we would exchange good-natured smiles.
My husband would gift her chocolates and biscuits on Children's Day.

Their unspoken reciprocation of affection would come with Holi Greetings.
Puri, kachori, paneer in a tasty gravy, seasonal vegetables cooked deliciously, dahi baras, two-three varities of papad, assorted snacks and the gujhias......all arranged on sparkling brass trays, with spotless white crocheted covers would come just in time for a delayed lazy lunch as my children returned home from the neighbour's house drenched in colours...

Amazing how the splendid colour of selfless love and regard manifests itself so silently, so sweetly, so memorably....

HAPPY HOLI :))