Author is not an alien

Author is not an alien
I write because we had deleted enough

Monday, December 30, 2013

अक्सर तुम मिल जाते हो



इन सर्द सिहरती रातों में 

कुछ भूले बिसरे गीतों में

कुछ कही अनकही बातों में

कहीं भटकी हुई सी राहों में 

अक्सर तुम टकरा जाते हो

इन अलसाई सी सुबहों में

कुछ याद नहीं उन ख्वाबों में

किसी अधूरी सी कहानी में 

बारिश के ठहरे पानी में 

अक्सर तुम मिल जाते हो

उन गुड्डे गुड़ियों के खेलों में

रंगों से भीगे मेलों में 

बेवजह किसी के हसने में

यूँ दिल किया रो देने में 

अक्सर तुम दिख जाते हो


हाँ अक्सर तुम मिल जाते हो 







Sunday, December 22, 2013

GOA........A Walk to remember



This blog post is about a journey, a holiday taken after months of hard work ,an escape from the thing called competition, performance ,results   etc etc So we boarded Goa Express (Mind it if you are not in a group or with a romantic partner when days seem into minutes, don’t try this train 38 hours of journey can take your nerves out)

30 of us went to Goa and all credit goes to Ankit sir for handling not some little kids but grown up adults who every passing minute wanted to do something different from the group Amid Aantakshari, dumbshall act, mimicry our journey proceeded disturbing our fellow travelers when cards start world comes to a halt and non players (yeah it was me) look as the most foolish ones .The train journey was a roller coaster one with swords drawn out on the movie names ,enmity feeling which can beat India Pakistan ,mimicry by Sarika which left people wondering “Am I actually like this”, the ever so pathetic train ka khana ,some facebookites updating every single second and cherry on the cake was ghost stories until midnight
Goa gives you a liberating experience ,a kind of break free attitude that strikes you the point you deboard the train as we reached ,I was enlightened that “What happens in goa ,stays in goa”(does it remind you of some other place?? Forget it…………J )
We stayed at South Goa’s Palolem beach and if you are looking for a serene ,quiet place, beaches that remind you of a distant island ,a romantic sojourn then south goa is what you are looking for thday had already ended when we reached so we just sat on the beach talking, dreaming There is something about beaches that make you dream ,dream not of materialistic gains but something deep ,something spiritual
Next day was planned a trip to North goa and inspite of waking up the earliest we were late (we means the three girls-Nova, Prema and me) Finally on being threatened that we would be left behind we rushed secret is we always were late because………ha ha ha u actually believed I will split out beans of our girls talks, no way

The bus proceeded to Basilica of Bom Jesus church amid lungi dance and fevicol types item songs and here was Gaurav Agrawal,he never sat on a seat for a minute ,always dancing its people like them who never let the dancing mood die down The church is marvelllous ,visit it not for the story of a miracle called St Francis and his 400 year old body but for beautiful gothic architecture ,don’t rush,absorb the intricacies of architecture ,its lovely Agauda fort was next stop ,initially used as a water tank the age old walls face sea and I could find some guides telling tourists about the movies being shot there ,we can never come out of bollywood the continuity ,the walls with small windows make Agauda Fort so splendid as if it challenges Sea,questions its mightiness and still stands tall

Yipee. North Goa and  its water sports ,the fun part actually began I was very terrified about the banana ride and the prospect of being thrown into the mid sea and these friends of mine assured that they will save me if I drown The person   standing at the edge of banana was holding my life jacket and I thought he was such a saint to support me suddenly I saw God in him Mid sea he held my jacket and threw me into sea and took the steamer with the rest of the people along I was like WTF !This demon actually left me here, well life jackets were there and Sid and Vishal screaming that keep cycling and yes inspite of that demon ,I was alive we went deep into sea later for an hour and I know I was a headache by being a non swimmer and always ending up coughing salt water after every wave, my friends never thought of leaving me and made sure someone or the other was always around to hold if I lost balance…..Love you doston for that

The main adventure was not water sports but finding out that we were left behind as we were late after changing and the bus headed to cruise as the tickets were pre booked (We here again refers to the three of us) we called ,bus waited midway and when we reached we could feel whispering and angry eyes penetrating us and then again friends ,Pankaj,Sidd,gaurav,vishal and shiva made us feel that”Ho jata hai” nothing to worry ,making us laugh which we did not until we said sorry to sir While everyone assured us that  nothing to be sad ,sir made it real being the sweetest person 

The late night talks were all full of planning for the next day,a group wanted to explore casinos, we wanted to go to Disco ,someone wanted to have a lone time at the beach and the day dawns ,we all took a boat ride to honeymoon island ,At the middle of the sea was carnatic music with Akshara Damle and when we returned a big wave splashed over all the plans made a night before ,after discussions, road safety ,distance issues, girls safety each and every plan was headed towards a no (he he) and evening was spent in biking ,trying local cuisine, buying cashews and Mallikarjun Temple (Krishna – mere ghar waale bolenge tu Mathura se Goa mandir dekhne gaya hai………;-)  and here came the shocker of the day-Silent disco now I really want to know who came up with this idea ,Dance is a community feeling,to celebrate joy,togetherness ,happiness or just to enjoy ,Keeping headphones on and dancing is something I could not understand and so did others When we perform classical ,its said that you have to make the audience believe that he/she is actually radha and is longing for love and then this silent disco-something very individualistic, very isolated  and very silent

Well Goa trip came to an end and I was at the beach at 6 in the morning for I knew I will miss the beach ,the  splasing sound of waves the most when I reach back to hustle of Delhi and sitting there clicking pictures of couples who were trying after every failed attempt of self clicking, I observed something that I would carry with myself back” A Russian Father and his 2 year old son at the beach, waves come,the boy falls and he puts his hand towards father but the father does not hold, the child walks on hands and legs ,again the wave comes and he fells The father stands there just saying get up and finally the child stands on two feet ,again to be splashed by a wave and again trying ,Father never ever holding his hand and only boosting verbally “……………….so on the southern most end of Goa at sunrise ,I got life’s little lesson-lesson of parenting 

Back to the train ,everyone was tired, exhausted, sleeping, exchanging numbers and in the process of one or the other person getting down in between at their home towns,almost everyone got down ,hugged, waved goodbye  ,promised to stay in touch ,This made me believe that we may have missed visiting a casino or a beach but we did not miss making new friends

This is for everyone there………………………
"I couldn't find the right words
Nothing seemed to rhyme
To write something for you all
I think it will take time

Because when you have friends
That are very hard to find
There's so much to say
Because you make everything alright

So I will tell you right now
exactly what I need to say
To show you how much I appreciate
You all being there everyday

You're worth more than anyone
even a million pounds
Because you always know what to say
When I am feeling down

You made me smile big smiles
And my days so very bright
And when I was sad
we talked the whole night

I sometimes wish I could explain
How much you all mean to me
But its just not possible
To list a billion things

So I just wanted to say
I love you so so much
And I hope you never leave me
promise to stay in touch...........Sehar

Monday, October 28, 2013

MY DELHI MY VOICE............I SUGGEST



DELHI- the city which just celebrated its 100 years (or let’s say its too young to be 100) this beautiful, historic city of ours is riddled with endless number of problems but does that make this city uglier? Certainly no ,Delhi has witnesses a parade of rulers, divergent religious beliefs ,ethnic diversity ,migration of races but what’s the most beautiful thing is its there ,there for you with open arms from the majestic Red Fort to Lodhi Gardens,from the modern Lutyen’s to the old shahjanabad ,From the archival Hauz Khaas to the Select city walk. It was a witness to a unified empire of Akbar, an anxious Delhi saw the INA trials, a weeping Delhi gave shelter to refugees of partition and today it stands with increasing urbanization with its own set of issues ,My Delhi Manifesto talked about how I want my Delhi to be,lets work towards each issue individually


1)Lets make it a green Delhi, Save Yamuna - Delhi today manifests the symptoms of uncontrolled urbanization with respect to population, transport, industrialization and trade, and commercialization. The city, made initially to cater to 70,000 people has grown outward to host over 16 million people in the present day. This has put understandable pressure on Delhi’s natural resources and led to depletion in quality of the ecosystem services provided by these. Yamuna is now a drain that flows in one part of the city and is known only because there is a trans-’Yamuna’. The once continuous Ridge is now split into parts. It lies quiet but is slowly facing ecological crisis of all kinds. Both the Yamuna and the Ridge have been opened up for construction allowing urbanization to destroy the very “lifelines” that first facilitated it. And now, there is an urgent need to highlight the issues of the river and the Ridge before more damage is done to these But in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, most of us forget this and remain detached from the essential reality that we too are part of the ecosystem and will be impacted by any unnatural adverse change. It is now time to realize this truth and be more aware and informed about our surroundings. On this 100 year ‘capital celebration’, give Delhi the gift it deserves. Give it some of your time and it will only be an investment in your own future.

2) Make Delhi safer for women- Gang rape shook the conscience of every citizen and it is no hidden fact that Delhi  is”Unsafe” for women, but let’s introspect who made it unsafe? Its we the people of Delhi Girls- Be safe ,use women helpline numbers and Men –Respect every women around you ,confront any male if you see eve teasing, molesting, stalking sometimes its just the community voice that demotivates any spurious intention of these psychopaths

3)Save Water, Save Air –The constantly declining water table is an issue of urgent concern where many parts of the city are facing acute water crisis ,Harvest rain water, stop wastage of water ,teach your children that water is a finite resource ,and for air its causing respiratory problems thanks to the increasing number of vehicles and their exhaustive fumes why not try car pooling or public transport? it may save you a few bucks too

4)Where are the sparrows gone- Delhi recently gave the state bird status to the little house sparrows but have you noticed you hardly see any of these little creatures now .Where have they gone? Why not make little nest boxes for them ,sprinkle some food for them in your balcony ,a little water and plant trees ,you will have those harmless visitors again



5)Last word : For the Government-  Now here why do we need to even suggest you people? even a class 6 student will tell you the tenets of Good Governance No corruption in commonwealth like events, it’s the hard earned money of ours Secondly as your welfare programs do something(we mean at implementation level) for the huge population of unorganized workers and urban poor Delhi is home to migrants from practically every neighboring state in search of livelihood generation opportunities and failing to which they resort to crime

Go out Delhi and vote in the coming elections  ,don’t just suggest be the medium to bring about the changes that you suggest
Here is a toast to “Forever Delhi”
This is My Delhi Manifesto in association with BlogAdda.com

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Be safe girls with these smart tips

Delhi -the scary news of Nirbhay Gangrape is still fresh in our memories and every second girl will have her own story of harassment in any form 
So why not read these smart tips which can come very handy while preventing any kind of adverse situation 
1) Download Smart suraksha app ,which sends a pre saved message to 5 of your contacts in any kind of emergency situation ,with this you will always have your loved ones around


2)Whenever you take a cab or auto ,call anyone and give your location,your destination,the cab 
's number to someone from family or a friend (You can always fake a call too..take my word ,it works) this act of yours demotivates a person even he has some fishy ideas

3)Hire a She cab (remember the ones shown in Satyamev Jayate)  by this u can not only be safe ,u could also help some women in distress are trying to make out a living by driving cabs ,the best part is you can always have that girly talk with them if you are one of a chatterbox like me 


4)Google about the distance ,time taken etc before going to a new place beforehand ,this would save you from extra bucks too and no one can take an advantage 

5)Some places are a complete no no if you are unaccompanied 
for eg-the criss crossing lanes in interior of chandni chowk
 
6)The satellite towns of Delhi -Delhi is expanding and its periphery is increasing accommodating nearby villages so if work or any reason takes you there just to avoid any uncalled attention like no short dress ,no hugging in public,sometimes you have to respect the society u are going in as is said"Jaisa desh,waisa bhes"


7)Night -if you are partying late at night and you are high ,be in groups ,don't travel alone ,never take a transport avenue if it seems just too empty

8)The always helpful pepper and chilli spray are a must carry in your handbag

9)Take some self defense classes,the best way to be safe,my karate instructor has advised me that if you are attacked or caught tightly from behind ,always remember always MAKE THAT FIRST BLOW,A HARD HITTING BLOW AT THE GROIN AREA the excruciating pain  to him will give you time to escape

10)The last and the most important ,don't ever leave any unwanted or suspicious activity around you unreported even if it's not effecting you directly,report to police ,they are there to help us and they are good at that


Be a responsible citizen,be safe,be secure..........HAPPY LIVING

 I am sharing my Smart Suraksha Tips at BlogAdda.com in association with Smart Suraksha App

I WISH I HAD SMART SURAKSHA

One fine day ,i was new to Delhi ,it was the month of december ,the foggy winters ,the beautiful mornings i loved Delhi- every little part of it ,every historical place ,the evening stroll at Lodhi Gardens and was always amazed anyone advised me to stay safe in Delhi,i always thought dilliwaale welcome you with open hands until one day i had my own little brush with truth
Some of my friends were passing by Delhi from the old dilli railway station and they wanted to meet me .At 7 in the morning i took an auto rickshaw chatting the whole way with him,the weather was beautiful ,the dusty lanes of old delhi started ,i looked at my watch it was  8.15 .Damn i thought this is taking a hell lot of time i inquired from auto driver ,his uncertain reply made me a little suspicious 
i opened up browser and Googled the whole  way to old delhi railway station and yeah i got replies that it takes only 30-40 minutes This frightened me for the first time in my Delhi stay ,suddenly all those" Breaking News" started flashing before my eyes ,i asked the driver to stop ,He didn't .yes he didn't saying the station is nearby while my smartphone was telling me it was still 7 kms away ,I screamed but he didn't stop and i jumped from the auto being in a small lane it was already slow he looked back ,saw an auto coming from behind and ran away
i was a little injured and completely refused to take any help from that auto driver who was a sardarji he said that he has a daughter of my age and wanted to help but could i really trust any new stranger? i walked up to the nearby shop,called my sister and waited only to meet an worried sister later saying"Don't step out in Delhi alone" have i heard this earlier..........a million times
I wish i had a smart suraksha app that day because i was lucky enough to escape .may be i could not,may be i could.its an app that sends an instant message with your location to 5 pre
saved numbers........the thoughts of that day still makes me shudder 

Believe me girls its always better to be safe and secure because Delhi is not that bad after all ,it has helping people and a few bad ones too,but then you always have smart suraksha app
 I am participating in the Seeking Smart Suraksha contest at BlogAdda.com in association with Smart Suraksha App
 I am participating in the Seeking Smart Suraksha contest at BlogAdda.com in association with Smart Suraksha App


YEH DILLI HAI MERI JAAN....MY DELHI MANIFESTO



Delhi- a mystique city with many historical tales at its backdrop ,from a sleepy city to a hub of power struggle from Nadir Shah to Mughals ,a rich cultural heritage emanating from the Ghalib’s  shayari to the epicenter of India’s freedom struggle ,Delhi has seen it all ,tall and standing
From a city which truly reflects the unity in diversity of India Delhi has been in news for all the wrong reasons , for all the worst things

My Delhi – My Delhi would be the one where women are respected, where eve teasing would be a story long forgotten where we won’t have to come out on streets to demand a safe environment for women ,where I can roam anywhere in the night without the fear of being ogled, stalked ,where there would be no more “Nirbhay” My Delhi would be a place where  I can proudly say I am safe as I am a Delhite

My Delhi- The lush green environment of Lutyen’s Delhi is being replaced by a city where cars are honking, surveys say the air is polluted and every second person is facing respiratory problems My Delhi is a city where people take to Metros, car pooling where we ride bicycles ,where we make our Delhi a clean and Green Delhi

My Delhi – the scorching summers come with a baggage of water scarcity and then raise serious conflicts on Water , water being basic human need we need to respect the ecology around ,My Delhi would be the one where people don’t waste water ,where we do water harvesting for every drop counts

My Delhi- Delhi is known for Dilliwale who are bade dilwale ,My Delhi would be the one where we revive the bade dilwaale who have been somewhere lost in the mad rush for money, the growing NCRs when was the last time you said a hello with a smile to an old man in the park, when did you help an accident victim on road, when did you stopped by to talk to a child about his problems and why does he sell those magazines at signal which he doesn’t understand ,How about going to an orphanage and celebrating your birthday rather than that cocktail ones
We have many problems but the best part is the answer to all  these lie within us only and it is “My Delhi Manifesto”
  This is My Delhi Manifesto in association with
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