वो कमरा

मैं जब भी 
ज़िंदगी की चिलचिलाती धूप में तप कर 
मैं जब भी 
दूसरों के और अपने झूट से थक कर 
मैं सब से लड़ के ख़ुद से हार के 
जब भी उस एक कमरे में जाता था 
वो हल्के और गहरे कत्थई रंगों का इक कमरा 
वो बेहद मेहरबाँ कमरा 
जो अपनी नर्म मुट्ठी में मुझे ऐसे छुपा लेता था 
जैसे कोई माँ बच्चे को आँचल में छुपा ले 
प्यार से डाँटे 
ये क्या आदत है 
जलती दोपहर में मारे मारे घूमते हो तुम 
वो कमरा याद आता है 
दबीज़ और ख़ासा भारी 
कुछ ज़रा मुश्किल से खुलने वाला वो शीशम का दरवाज़ा कि जैसे कोई अक्खड़ बाप 
अपने खुरदुरे सीने में शफ़क़त के समुंदर को छुपाए हो 
वो कुर्सी 
और उस के साथ वो जुड़वाँ बहन उस की 
वो दोनों दोस्त थीं मेरी 
वो इक गुस्ताख़ मुँह-फट आईना 
जो दिल का अच्छा था 
वो बे-हँगम सी अलमारी 
जो कोने में खड़ी इक बूढ़ी अन्ना की तरह 
आईने को तंबीह करती थी 
वो इक गुल-दान 
नन्हा सा 
बहुत शैतान 
उन दिनों पे हँसता था 
दरीचा 
या ज़ेहानत से भरी इक मुस्कुराहट 
और दरीचे पर झुकी वो बेल 
कोई सब्ज़ सरगोशी 
किताबें ताक़ में और शेल्फ़ पर 
संजीदा उस्तानी बनी बैठीं मगर सब मुंतज़िर इस बात की 
मैं उन से कुछ पूछूँ सिरहाने 
नींद का साथी 
थकन का चारा-गर 
वो नर्म-दिल तकिया 
मैं जिस की गोद में सर रख के 
छत को देखता था 
छत की कड़ियों में न जाने कितने अफ़्सानों की कड़ियाँ थीं वो छोटी मेज़ पर 
और सामने दीवार पर 
आवेज़ां तस्वीरें मुझे अपनाइयत से और यक़ीं से देखती थीं मुस्कुराती थीं उन्हें शक भी नहीं था 
एक दिन 
मैं उन को ऐसे छोड़ जाऊँगा 
मैं इक दिन यूँ भी जाऊँगा 
कि फिर वापस न आऊँगा .
.
.
मैं अब जिस घर में रहता हूँ
बहुत ही ख़ूबसूरत है 
मगर अक्सर यहाँ ख़ामोश बैठा याद करता हूँ
वो कमरा बात करता था .
.
~ अख़्तह साब

The Bus Stop.

So after a minor detour to Hindi poetry I am back to prose. A month and a half of MBA has brought us right at the base of Maslow's pyramid. This post connects some old thoughts with new experiences and some contemplation about the future.

This incident happened sometime in April last year when I had just moved to Ahmedabad and was struggling to find my feet. A new place, a new language and a completely new set of people. My first encounter was with a well known demon called house hunting; bachelors simply are shooed away right from the security post (despite the fact that we overpay and sustain the entire PG industry as a whole).

So while going back to my guesthouse after another day of futile search, I boarded the BRT bus. Now here I was, one day old in a new city asking the locals which bus to board and which stop to get off. Some noble souls though did guide me and I found my route and a bus. I still kept asking every few minutes when and where to get off. There was this guy though who boarded the same bus and I thought that we were headed for the same stop. So at the next stop I saw him rushing out of the bus and I pretty much followed him as well. And yeah you guessed it right, it wasn't where I was supposed to be. So once again I asked some people for directions, went back to the junction, boarded the correct bus and reached my guesthouse late enough to miss out on dinner.

But don't we go through this same exercise every day? Aren't we all too anxious to jump off or get on a bus that we were never supposed to go by in the first place. I was in the right bus and on the right route. I knew where I was headed and I probably would have made it to dinner had I not panicked seeing this other guy get off. But I did and ended up at the wrong place. Just because the guy ahead of me picked his bag and left, I had this twitch of a response to follow him.

And this is what that happens every single day around us. Seeing how others act drives our own functioning, our decision making. Had no one helped me to find the way back, you never know where would I have landed up that night. There is no compulsion that people will help you get back to where you were you were intended to reach. So think, listen and chose wisely. Stay the way you wanted to be and keep things the way you intended. It is not at all necessary that you lead a pack, but lead yourself. And also, never forget the people who help you to find your way back. And if you ever get a chance, help someone find their way back as well. Be there for someone when they need it. Good karma never goes to waste!

Ciao.