Sometimes

Sometimes, the only one in the whole world who knows exactly how you feel
is a piece of poetry buried deep inside some book.

Review of The Little Prince

The thing is, one cannot review a book like The Little Prince. Its the kind of book you read and either you realise that this is a book written for people like you, or u find it a bore. Its a bestseller, so my guess is that this book, written in a really simple language, echoes the heart of many most souls on earth. Sadly, we have no other planet to go to. But sometimes, we can look up at the sky and wonder if a little prince and a little gentle, unique rose are fine, on Asteroid B 612 somewhere.

There are lessons in the book, but only if u choose to remember them. Otherwise, of course, you can read big books, and use big words and say them to other big people who will then marvel at your wisdom. But in the end, it all comes down to this:

• Children must show great patience with grown ups.
• I am responsible for my rose.
• That which is essential is invisible to the eye.
• You must cut the baobabs early, when they are still young.
• Your rose is unique. Because it is unique to you.

And somewhere, on Asteroid B 612, is a Little Prince. Whose story must be shared. And told. Again. And Again. And Again.

 

Soulmates

I have always loved you
in all my lifetimes.
We have never met...
but don't let a small detail like that
interfere with The Truth:
I have always loved you
in all my lifetimes.

love and relationships.. they are not the same thing

We often think that Love and Relationships are the same thing.  Love is like a flowing river - it nourishes, it enhances, and it flows freely. If we dont pollute it with negative things, it will always remain clear. Relationships, on the other hand, are containers. They draw boundaries and put things inside and outside. They confine. By definition, a relationship is like a dam on a river. Thats why they are not the same thing. Dams and containers are necessary. Our misery stems from the fact that we create a container, and look for the river. They are not the same thing. If we remember that we have created a container, we will not look for the unlimited flow of love in it. Like water in a container, love in a relationship needs refreshing, otherwise it can go bad.

:)

थोड़ा ज़ाहिर
थोड़ा निहाँ
रब भी तुझ सा
यहां वहां

Legend Gone Wrong..

अब मत आना चातक
ले कर अपनी प्यास
स्वाति नक्षत्र को
मिल गया वनवास
 

ਐ ਹਰ ਸਾਹ ਦਾ ਹੀਰਾ

ਨਿਤ ਨਵੀ ਪੀੜ
ਰਾਂਝੇਯਾ ਵੇ,
ਜੇ ਹੀਰ ਜਾਣਦੀ
ਹਰ ਸਾਹ ਸੰਗੀ ਸੰਗੀ ਹੀਰੇ ਵਰਗਾ ਹੋਨਾ ਹੈ
ਤੇ ਸੋਹਨੀ ਦਾ ਘੜਾ ਉਸ ਰਾਤ
ਓਨ੍ਨੇ ਚੁੱਕ ਲੈਣਾ ਸੀ.

ਐ ਹਰ ਸਾਹ ਦੀ ਪੀੜ
ਕੋਈ ਕਵੀ ਨਹੀ ਲਿਖ ਸਕਦਾ
ਕੋਈ ਸਯਾਹੀ ਨਹੀ ਕੁੱਜ ਸਕਦੀ

ਐ ਹਰ ਸਾਹ ਦਾ  ਹੀਰਾ
ਬਸ ਹੀਰ ਨੂ ਲਗਦਾ ਹੈ

A new pain, everyday
Oh Ranjha, if Heer knew,
that this would be her destiny,
she would have taken
the pot from Sohni's hands
that night.

This pain in every breath
cannot be described by poets
nor can it be contained
in any pot of ink

This, the pain of swallowing a diamond
with every breath
Is only known
to Heer.

Review of the play "Bebe Da Chamba"

Once in a while, one watches a play that one is forced to review. Bebe da Chamba is one such play. Disclaimer: I am a Punjabi. I love Punjabi folk music and its ability to express complex human emotions in simple words.

And for me, that was the highlight of the play - the strategic use of Punjabi folk music.

The story is simple - 4 unmarried, way past marriageable age daughters stuck in a suffocating home with a dominating mater and 2 gossiping female servants. The eldest is engaged to a prized catch - presumably bcs of the dowry she brings, while the youngest loves the same man.

The plot is complicated.. but the acting makes it easy to understand. The characters are well sketched and have integrity. You can tell how bebe will act in a given situation. Chaiji deserves special mention.. very special mention. In the brief time that she is on stage, she makes it known that a good actor is easy to spot. Which is a tall order in this play - the casting is almost perfect. Everyone from Guddi to Bebe is sooo well cast. The actress who played Vimla also deserves very special mention. Vimla was not an easy character to bring to life, and she did perfect justice to it.

But my highlight of the play was the scene where the sisters have an impromptu Gidda sequence to talk to each other. They express themselves in "bolis" and "tappas" and the most poignant of all is the admission of the engaged sister - Mahiya pehle nit milda, hun milda karaaraan te (my beloved would come to see me everyday, but now, I only see him on promised days)

A play with layers is never easy to realise, the nuances are too many and far too much depends on each member of the cast. Which is what made this evening - and the play, that much more special.

if you do get a chance, go for this play. If you are a Punjabi, you are likely to enjoy it.

Things I find strange about the World

1. Of all the millions of species on the planet, humans are the ONLY species with the concept of "money" - something not inherently of value, but manufactured and artificially injected with value. And it is the most important concept in our entire civilisation. An entire species.

2. We can allow a person to live for years and years in misery - whether from terminal illness, or depression or any other cause. But we do not give the person even the basic right on their bodies to determine that they want to go. We can give them comfortable palliative care, but we do nothing to end their misery - when the body is theirs and the life is theirs. Did they know, when they were born, that their lives will be held hostage by a million people who don't care about their happiness, have no valid reason for prolonging their misery, have contributed NOTHING to their lives, but who need to give an "approval" for their death. Would we still choose to be born if we knew our lives were hostage?

3. There are, at this time, at least 7 billion human, living bodies around the world. They all have flesh. We are also ok with varying levels of nudity in our personal  and public spaces. A lot of people watch explicit porn, sometimes even at their workplace. BUT the minute a celebrity suffers a "wardrobe malfunction" or does something that shows flesh, we are "scandalised". I want to understand, what is so scandalising about naked flesh? Everyone has flesh and skin. Its who we are!