शाख़ की हरी पत्तियां पीली पड़ चुकी हैं

शाख़ की हरी पत्तियां पीली पड़ चुकी हैं
तेरी राह तकते-तकते,

उन लम्हों की यादें फीकी पड़ चुकी हैं
तेरा इंतज़ार करते-करते

बरसो बरस बीत गए मुलाकात न हुई यार,

अब तो आँसू भी थक गए हैं, तेरे लिए बहते-बहते

अक्सर तेरी याद में ऐ दोस्त, कुछ लिख लिया करते थे

मगर अब तो क़लम भी रो पड़ी हैं, लिखते-लिखते

हम तो बस तुमसे मिलने के दिन गिना करते थे
लेकिन अब तो उँगलियाँ थक गयीं, गिनते-गिनते

शाख़ की हरी पत्तियां पीली पड़ चुकी हैं,
तेरी राह तकते-तकते

A twinkle in the eye (Poem)

A twinkle in the eye
Can, a lot, signify

A hidden mischief
A massive lie
A trick up the sleeve
Revealed by the twinkle of the eye

A child's innocence
A thought, sly
An unrevealed incidence
Unveiled by the twinkle in the eye

A twinkle in the eye
Can, a lot, signify

Fate - Thou art heartless (Poem)

Too many thoughts inside
Yet none that words can share
Too many people around
Yet none who truly care

Oh fate, you are a heartless creature
Loving those who pay no attention to you
And mess with them
Who fear the power beheld by you

Oh fate, why would you hate me,
When I fear your might?
Or is it that
You enjoy my plight?

For if it's so, then I shall avenge
The wrongs you did to me
And fly fearlessly like the birds
And, with courage, face thee

Oh fate, you sure are a heartless creature
But soon you shall bow down to me...

Life of a Writer (Poem)

Pencil ends bitten
Notebook pages filled
Pen nibs broken
Erasers milled

Stacks of books
Disrupted on the tables
He sits and weaves
The loveliest of all fables

Imagine. Write. Check. Hack
Repeat the process again
An unsaid hope - the hard work
Doesn't go down the drain

He reads it over - once, twice, thrice
Re-checking what would fit
A writer's day never ends
Even after evening lamp lit

The pay could be meagre
Though the effort too high
But a writer loves his life
Spinning out webs from a lie

Stop ‘Phubbing’

What pops into your head when you think about the causes which could end the civilisation? Probably World War III, natural or man-made disasters, nuclear wars or phubbing. Wait, how does phubbing come here? Yes, “phubbing” has been labelled today, as the end of civilisation.

What is “phubbing”?

The word “Phubbing”was coined recently to describe a unique 21st century phenomenon of snubbing the person in front of you in favour of your phone (Phubbing=Phone+Snubbing). 

A team of language experts had gathered at the University of Sydney and after much deliberation they agreed to introduce the word “phubbing” in the Macquarie Dictionary.

Apparently, we were in need of a word to describe this issue for a while. After all, it would be rare to find someone who hasn’t been in this situation at least once.

The café in which you would have spent evenings hanging out with friends and got relieved of all tension with the first sip of coffee would seem no more familiar. 

It would be a strange room where you are drinking a tasteless coffee and sharing a table with those who indulge in the “cold and rectangular device with pretty lights” while you are trying to hold a conversation.

Thus, when invited again for a hangout, you would recall the experience and reply, with rolling eyes, “Sure, I would love to come over and talk to you while you talk and text to other people all the time.”

Of course, no one likes being ignored. The worst part is the phubber doesn’t realise the effects on the victim. The person phubbed can feel ignored, unimportant and even resentful.

Unknowingly, we are using our phones in a manner that is affecting our real-life connections.

“Phubbing” might seem to be innocuous at once. But, it is capable of destroying relationships (if not the entire civilisation).

If you are feeling distanced from your loved ones recently, take an honest look at your daily phone habits. Taking small steps can save relations or friendships from breaking.

So, the next time you are with someone, put down your phone and look around. 

You will be surprised by the warmth of your relationship that you had been missing!

(Published in The Gulf Today on January 14, 2017)

New Year, New beginning?

A new year brings with it an array of new possibilities and the desire to set out on the “better me” path. A new beginning to a new life filled with new dreams and new hopes. 

People’s expectation from this New Year was no different. On the New Year Eve, everyone carried a hope in his heart – the arrival of New Year will bring revolutionary changes that will make the world a better place to live.

Thoughts on my mind were not different.

I woke up the next morning, yearning to see the rosy glow diffusing into the orange light that covers the sky, to feel the soft wind caressing my hair as it flows by, to see the streets huddled with smiling faces — some warming up with a cup of coffee in the nearby café, others carrying a long list of resolutions. 

As I bent over the balcony, I was disappointed with the scene below. It seemed like any other day. Cars resting in the parking lots. The grey pavements covered with dust with no souls wandering upon. The sky plain blue with minor white clouds blotched across it.

An eerie silence was holding the reins. No excitement in the air. Nothing that would give you the high spirits or let you believe it actually is a new year. 

As I stepped out from my apartment to visit the nearby café, I saw the guard sitting in his cabin as usual. It seemed as if the New Year was just another mark on the calendar for him. 

Guests at the café were trying to re-energise themselves with a mug of coffee. But even the strong aroma of their favourite drinks failed to fill the air with excitement that was witnessed on the New Year Eve. 

It reminded me of the words of famous American essayist and educationist Hamilton Wright Mabie: “New Year’s Eve is like every other night, there is no pause in the march of the universe…”

(Published in The Gulf Today on January 7, 2017)

Secret Santa

Secret Santa!!!

Christmas celebration is over, but Santa Claus continues to amuse children. While most of them are busy playing with the gifts they received this festive season, a few grown-ups are busy discussing the enigma behind the chubby old man with a snow-white beard flying across the night sky with Rudolph. 

As I was having a leisurely walk in the neighbourhood park, I overheard a group of children discussing the subject. 

“Santa has brought so many gifts for me,” a child said.

“Santa Claus doesn’t exist. Parents shouldn’t lie,” said the elder one.

“He is fictional,” said the third one joining the debate.

These were just a few among those who give Santa the stiff-arm. But what is the fun without a Santa? There will be no Christmas carols, no excitement on Christmas eves, no waking up early to tear open the gifts, no more magic in the air.

For a child, Santa Claus remains at the core of Christmas celebrations. He is someone, who increases the fun of a family reunion, who motivates children to remain good throughout the year using his “naughty and nice” list, the one who loves to share the spirit of Christmas with others.

You can spot Santa anywhere walking in the crowd. In fact, Santa could be anyone who goes out of his way to help others, who shares his joys with those who are sad, who tries his best to bring a smile to the face of others, one who teaches the spirit of benevolence.

As American educator Edwin Osgood Grover has said, “Santa Claus is anyone who loves another and seeks to make them happy.”

It would be better if we don’t try to take away the magic of the festive season and let the child himself unveil the mystery of Santa!

(Published in The Gulf Today on December 31, 2016)

Read, as you like it

Many people believe fast reading isn’t the best way to read, while slow reading is the habit that a reader should acquire. On the contrary, there are many others who believe otherwise (though I do not know how it matters whether you are a slow or a fast reader).

My friends often criticise me for reading too fast. They believe one cannot grasp enough of the plot if he/she reads fast.

“Try to read slowly,” they prescribe.

“You just skim through the book.” 

“Do you even remember what you have read?”

Reading fast, according to these well-wishers, implies that you read just as a frivolous pastime. You don’t actually pay attention to what is written. While slow reading can help you savour the plot, grasp the content, be captivated with the characters, provide time for imagining the scenery, wondering about the characters you come across. And the list goes on.

However, the question remains – do they really have a point? And, is their viewpoint relevant in all situations and for everybody?

Can’t it be that fast readers understand better, remember more?

I have met a few who support speed-reading. They are keen on proving that slow reading is not a good idea as it proves less fruitful than speed reading. 

“Slow readers often aren’t able to retain information for a long period of time. On the other hand, a fast reader is able to do so,” one of my fast-reader friends said fiercely when others were bent on proving us wrong. 

I have often read that few slow readers experience tension, since they read for a short time and they fear exceeding the time limit. Conversely, a fast reader can remain relaxed while reading. Often slow readers lack concentration while those who read fast are in a position to concentrate well by being able to avoid distractions.

However, I fail to understand why it is necessary to hold a debate on such a trivial topic. Read at your own pace and enjoy reading a book the way you like it.

How does it matter whether a person is a slow reader or a fast reader as long as he/she is an avid reader?

I would just like to pitch for reading. One must find time to read, anywhere, anytime, anyhow. Because, as they say, “the world belongs to those who read.”

(Published in The Gulf Today on December 24, 2016)

Ode to the editor

It is difficult to speculate the speed of time. Oh, how swiftly it passes! It seems as if I had started contributing to the Short Take column only a year ago, although I completed five years this month.

I remember being nervous when I had sent my first piece. I had never thought that I would reach this far. The fact that I have written over 200 articles during this period makes me feel grateful towards my family and friends and my readers for continuously encouraging me. But it is the editor who deserves the most credit.

Editing is a tough task. Going through each and every line of the article, deleting some and rewriting other passages. It is quite taxing.

Editing is no five-finger exercise. Looming over the computer, pushing his glasses up with one hand while the other is busy typing; the keys of the computer forming a rhythmic sound; the words magically appearing on the screen; smiling inwardly, and praising the modern technology for the assistance; reading word by word, line by line and wondering whether the particular line is significant or not; spending even hours on a single article.



I realised this when I experienced the busy lives of editors recently, after I was appointed as one for my school magazine. Convincing others to send their parts. Correcting the improper grammar. More often than not, rewriting the sentences. Creating a sensible version of something which was incomprehensible initially. These were what occupied most of my time.

It made me realise that the job of an editor is much more challenging than an outsider can imagine.

A few of my friends believe the job of an editor is to simply go through the articles once and compile them while the writer is the one who does the hard job. If only they knew how wrong they were! If only they could understand the effort behind it all.

It’s not just collecting all the articles and glancing at them once. To make an article worth admiring, it requires the same amount of dedication and persistence that any other art does.

Ace American author Stephen King has rightly said, “To write is human. To edit is divine.”

(Published in The Gulf Today on December 17, 2016)

It’s the spirit that counts

 VS

Last night, as I was trying to sleep, my phone vibrated. It was a message from my friend – Those who are successful start their day differently. You too should plan something new for the next morning.

I pondered upon the message for quite some time. It wasn’t new for me. I have often heard people saying so. But I always beg to differ.

I believe it is the spirit with which you start your day that determines success, not the morning habits. Successful people don’t have a much different lifestyle.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates spends two hours on the treadmill every morning. Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg loves to check his Facebook account. Howard Schultz, the owner of Starbucks, prefers taking his three dogs for a morning walk. Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon.com, prefers having a family breakfast.

While many of us share their habits, we don’t follow their spirit.

Think about a common man: as the sunlight filters through the window curtains and the alarm clock echoes throughout the room, he would use a hand to cover up the yawn and think, “Today is going to be another boring day. I am already tired.” 

If that’s what you also think, then indeed, your day will be filled with weariness. 

But, that’s not how successful people start their day. The optimistic approach they have towards the new life differentiates them from us. They would rather think, “Today, my day is going to be perfect. It will be better than yesterday.”

It doesn’t matter whether you are an early bird or a night owl, whether you start your day by hopping online or diving into emails, whether you give priority to having a breakfast with your family, or exercising or sending kids to school.  It is, in fact, the spirit you have upon waking up that counts. 

(Published in The Gulf Today on December 10, 2016)

It’s all about perspective

Wayne W. Dyer, an internationally renowned author and speaker in the fields of self-development and spiritual growth, had once said, “Changing the way you look at things can change the things you look at.”

True, indeed.

Alas, not many of us follow it.

I have often met people who complain that they are so used to the daily routine of life, it has become boring.

I believe they should look at their surrounding with a new perspective. They will find many more interesting things among their usually dull lives. Instead of the grey pavements, they might be able to notice the rainbow.

With a new viewpoint, your usual journey home from work can turn out to be interesting too, despite the fact that you are used to the scene unfolding in front of you.

A feeling of idleness creeps into your heart, as you take a seat in the bus. You know that the journey home will be boring – the traffic, the car honks, children on the beach, as usual.

But change your perspective a bit and take a glance beyond the glass windows. You can see the evergreen trees, the blossoming flowers, the cotton-candy-like clouds. You might notice a young girl waving as your bus zoomed past her, with a smile carved upon her innocent features. You see glistening water of the beach, as the sun tries to take over the water, killing small droplets. And, the sea recruiting new ones in place of all martyred droplets for defence. 

And you would think, “How could I fail to notice these beautiful views earlier?”

Yes, a change in perspective can help you see the world under a different light. Different perspectives can attract you towards what you once felt was uninteresting. 

There are too many clichéd hero-villain fights in movies, where hero always manages to win. People would be bored, knowing the climax. Yet, the fighting scene picturised at the climax of the classical Indian film ‘Sholay’ is still remembered by many. For, the filmmaker had filmed the same plot with a new perspective.

A columnist would have written many articles on nature and pollution, yet he manages to write another piece on the same topic and grab the reader’s attention by writing with a fresh perspective. 

The adaptations of Shakespearan play Romeo-Juliet, Heer-Ranjha and Laila-Majnu, managed to win the hearts of the audiences even though they knew the story, because it showed the same story under a different light.

So, if you ever feel tired of your life, try to look at the world with a new perspective. For, it needn’t be the rose bush that has thorns, it can also be the thorn bush which has roses.

(Published in The Gulf Today on December 3, 2016)

Feminism ‘fiasco’

A woman is like a drop of sea-water – flowing in freedom, caring nothing about the boundaries that could limit her and she feels nothing for rules or customs. 

Women have achieved the right to equality in many parts of the world. They are not inferior to men. They need not pay attention to what the society says.

Then, why do we still have feminists around?

As you log on to your Facebook account, you see 1,897 likes to a post on feminism. Log in to your Twitter account, and find 465 comments on supporting women.

Posts and images revolving around supporting women’s rights have flooded social media sites.

The other day, I overheard a couple of friends discussing feminism. One of them said, “I am sick of hearing about it.”

“The topic has now turned old. Whenever I open my Facebook account, posts on feminism fill the page,” another replied. It was quite surprising to find females criticising “women empowerment.” But on second thought, they weren’t wrong.

Feminism, in today’s world, is no more a fight for woman’s rights. It has become en-vogue to just talk about it – a hot topic for debates on news channels; one of the favourite topics for discussions at family gatherings; a common sight at social-networking sites.

Once I had asked a self-proclaimed feminist the reason behind her being one.

She replied, “Why not? Just have a look around.”

Her counter-question had caught me a bit.

Unfortunately, feminism too has lost its cause. Mere talks will never help accomplish the real objective. It seems that people have got tired of it.

I wonder whether there is a need for another “revolution” to help women across the world fully achieve their fundamental rights.

(Published in The Gulf Today on November 26, 2016)

Daddy’s girl

The audience erupted in applause, as celebrated Indian author-politician Shashi Tharoor and his rising son Kanishk Tharoor ascended the stairs that led to the stage in Sharjah. The father-son duo was there to release their books from the same platform.

Everyone had one thought in mind – like father like son. For, they shared every aspect of their personality, their conduct, their passion, their knowledge on contemporary topics, from A to Z.

This was just one example of father-son pair among thousands of others in the world. Ask someone to prepare a list of such pairs, and it would take days to complete.

Former presidents of the United States John Adams and John Quincy Adams, singers Julio Iglesias and Enrique Iglesias, Hollywood actors Kirk Douglas and Michael Douglas,  Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek. The list goes on...

On the other hand, most people would be lost if you ask them to prepare a list for all the possible instances of “like father, like daughter.” As a matter of fact, such a phrase is not even canon.

Agreed, there is equality between men and women in today’s world. A girl has the approval for education. A girl is independent. A girl has the freedom of speech.

There are many feminists in our society, who love to fight for women’s rights. I wish they would have fought with as much zeal for giving equal importance to “like father like daughter” expression. 

Why should the society always associate sons with fathers and daughters with their mothers?

It may not be a big issue for many, but it sure would make a girl happy.

A girl (myself included) grows up considering herself her father’s princess. She would be overwhelmed with happiness when her success is mentioned along with her father’s accomplishments.

Indeed, it would be gratifying if the phrase, “like father, like daughter,” becomes canon.

(Published in The Gulf Today on November 19, 2016)

Plug in to your ‘inner-net’

Though an unusual sight, it was a wonderful session when Gopi Kallayil, the Chief Evangelist, Brand Marketing at Google, addressed the crowd at the Sharjah International Book Fair.

Wonderful because of the message conveyed – to reconnect ourselves with our inner- selves. Unusual, because a man belonging to the world of technologies was cautioning us against his own source of living.

What an irony, you may say.

But what he said, could not be ignored. His suggestion to go back “from Internet to Inner-net” could not be disregarded.

It’s obvious that Internet has become the backbone of today’s society, but it has become the “Weapon of mass distraction” too. 

The best example is watching people walking on the streets with their heads bowed down, as if in some deep meditation.

Today, we give more importance to this 79th organ – as Gopi Kallayil calls it for it is inseparable from us – than we have ever given to our other sensory organs, who have served us loyally to date.

Your heart skips a beat as you notice the low battery sign flashing across the screen of your smartphone. You have a hide-and-seek game with your charger. And amidst the game, if the mobile is switched off, you would run at a lightning speed and plug it in to the switchboard, praying for it to survive the ensuing life-and-death battle.

As if it was your relative in the ICU and not a discharged mobile phone.

Our relationship with this 79th organ has increased so much, that it has become unhealthy for us. But what can we do? For it is impossible for us to plug out of this life in the modern world, where the world revolves around the technology, and plug in to your inner-net.

Well, we could probably hold weekly appointments with ourselves. Or spend only a few minutes daily on ourselves. These are but a few of the golden tips that the maestro of technology has laid out for us, so that it becomes easier for us.

What harm would connecting to your inner-net, without disconnecting from Internet, do to you? Better to follow such advice than to cry over spilt milk later.

(Published in The Gulf Today on November 12, 2016)

Books in a Boat

 The 35^th Sharjah International Bookfair has become a reader’s paradise, indeed. Housing over 1.5 million books is certainly a boon to avid readers.

I often wonder what would have been the scenario when the bookfair was first hosted in Sharjah 35 years ago. It would have been a daunting task to initiate the project and make continuous efforts to instill the love for printed words in the residents.

This reminds me of the noble initiative taken by an Indonesian man. Guided by the same spirit, he runs (in this case, sails) a boat library in the remote parts of the country. All along the way, distributing free books to children and novels to adults, inculcating the love of reading.

He just wanted to bring fun in the lives of others through books. To simply etch upon their faces, a beautiful smile.

I am sure there would have been limitations preventing him from taking the initiative. For, society is harsh that way. Judging you either way – when you help others and when you don’t.

I can imagine others persuading him to quit the plan.

“Oh, why would you leave your job for such a silly thing?”

“If I hadn’t known you better, I would have thought this is your way to gain popularity!”

“Well, I too had thought of it once. But you see, I am a family man. And so are you. My family depends on me. And so does yours. Then why would you leave them behind to fulfill the wishes of others.”

But he wouldn’t have let those talks sway his determination.

He would have said, “My family is satisfied. But others are not. My family is happy. But others are not. And neither am I. For, I would want to share my happiness with others.”

We should realise that a small step, like the one he took, can enlighten the lives of others. It would do no harm to us. All we have to do is feel. Feel their pain. Feel their sorrow. Feel what it feels when you are deprived of the bounties of life.

(Published in The Gulf Today on November 5, 2016)

En Vogue

In the contemporary world, ‘fashion’ is the only word that echoes throughout, reaching out to every corner of the planet.

It has an extraordinary power of attracting people of all the age groups. A grown-up man remains updated about the latest designer dresses. A teenager fawns over the new hairstyle in vogue. And a kid? Well, a small child too has been sucked into the world of fashion. After all, the store’s catalogues do include a section vibrant enough to capture a kid’s attention.

However, it is no secret that the teenagers of today are more enchanted by the sense of fashion than others. Youngsters of today – boys and girls – are very particular about fashion. They would often stare at their classmate incredulously if he (or she) would confess that he (or she) is not an ardent fan of expensive brands.

Many students, probably to create a reputation for them in the trendy world, wouldn’t mind emptying their pockets for the sake of following what is ‘in’. An expensive dress and a trendy smartphone are considered essentials.

Earlier, movies were considered a significant factor as film stars used to set a trend. Not anymore. Youngsters try to imitate superstars of today, whether one follows his (or her) screen idol or a role model from the world of sports.

One is bound to get sucked into the world of fashion irrespective of the fact that he (or she) follows soccer great Lionel Messi or tennis icon Maria Sharapova, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar or master golfer Tiger Woods, chart-topping singer Justin Bieber or pop star Beyonce, legendary actors Pierce Brosnan or Amitabh Bachchan.

Each one of them endorses a number of products, prompting their ardent fans to follow them.

It is hard to escape in today’s commercialised world. After all, “a world without fashion is like a body without a soul.”

(Published in The Gulf Today on October 15, 2016)