On heartbreak

दिल टूटने से कहीं बुरा है 

आस का टूटना।  

Funny Punjabi Tappe

These were created as part of a spontaneous thing at a friend's house. 

Every alternate tappa is created by a friend. The back and forth was between us. 

This time, the first version is in Roman transcript, and then the Hindi follows. There is no Gurmukhi version. 

Gall Dil di Dassne aan, 

Baar Thanedaar Hoiye, 

Ghare jail 'ich vassne aan 

Gall jail dee karde o, 

Kujj te sharam karo, 

meena baar hi kadd-de o 

M(ah)eena keda kaddne aan 

asi kithon baar jaana, 

asi ghar vich saddne aan 

tuhanu ghar vich ki rakhna 

Tussi kede amb sajjna, 

jo achharaan vich suttna 

saare mene seh gaye aan 

ras saaraa nikal gaya 

bas guthli reh gaye aan 

Pyo ne Guthli naal Kallya 

Baag saara laa chhadeya 

tuhanu ras taanvi na labbeya 

Jee tuhaade vass paye si, 

boota taan tussi laaya si 

Paani dena bhul gaye see 

Tussi sai sir de ho 

Chhanve Baitho sajjna 

kyun ainve khapde ho? 

chal peengaan paa laiye 

chhittar te khaa baithe 

hunn pinniyaan kha laiye 

If something is in brackets, it is to help the reader understand the word, but that part of the word is silent while singing. 

गल दिल दी दसने आं, 

बा(ह)र  थानेदार होइए 

घरे जेल 'इच वसने आं 

गल जेल दी करदे ओ  

कुज ते शरम करो 

मीना* बार ही कडदे ओ 

 *महीना

 

मीना केड़ा कडने आं 

असि किथों बा(ह)र जाना 

असी घर विच सड़ने आं 

तुवाणु घर विच की रखना, 

तुस्सी केड़े अंब सज्जना 

जो अचारां विच सटना?

सारे मेने सह गए आं 

रस सारा निकल गया 

बस गुठली रह गए आं 

प्यो ने गुठली नाल कलेया 

सारा बाग ला दित्ता 

त्वानू रस फेर ना लबया! 

जी तुहाडे वस पये सी, 

बूटा तां तुस्सी लाया सी, 

पानी देना भुल गए सी 

तुस्सी साईं सिर दे हो, 

छांवे बैठो सज्जना, 

क्यों ऐंवे खपदे हो? 

चल पींगां पा लईए, 

छित्तर ते खा बैठे, 

हुन्न पिन्नीयां खा लईए। 

Translation: 

Let me tell you the state of my heart

I may be a cop outside  

But am jailed at home. 

You talk about a jail

Have some shame 

You spend the month away from home 

How can I spend a month away from home? 

I rot at home only. 

Why will I keep you at home for a long time? 

Are you a mango, 

that I need you for the pickle? 

I have heard all your barbs 

All my juice is gone, 

and only the seed (guthli) is left 

My father married me to a dry, loveless guthli 

I have created a full garden of love (family) from that, 

And you still say there is no mojo in in your life? 

I fell in your power/hands

You did sow the plant for the gardens, dear 

But forgot to water it 

Oho, Why do you get upset for no reason, my dear? 

You are the lord of my life 

Come, sit in the shade (of the said garden, apparently) 

Let's go swing together, then, 

Barbs we have digested, 

Let's go digest sweets now. 

*swings are also associated with gardens/orchards

Book Review: Pishaach by Sanjiv Paliwal

कहानी एक वीभत्स, निर्मम हत्या से शुरू होती है। और धीरे धीरे पाठक को PC Sorcar के शो की तरह अपने में खींच लेती है। 

कुछ हिस्से सुरेन्द्र मोहन पाठक की पुस्तकों की याद दिलाते हैं। पुस्तक के अंत में आभार को पढ़ कर पता चला कि उन्होंने पुस्तक पर अपनी राय और सुझाव दिए हैं। 

पूरी कहानी में एक भी plothole नहीं है। सब सिरे एक दूसरे से आ कर जुडते हैं। कोई बेसिरपैर का सिरा नहीं बचता। 

हर किरदार सटीक उकेरा गया है - हर एक की अपनी शख्सियत / व्यक्तित्व है। 

एक के बाद एक खुलासा होता जाता है, और कुछ भी वैसा नहीं है, जैसा पाठक को दिखता है। 

हिन्दी में थ्रिलर कम मिलने लगे हैं। यह पुस्तक बहुत अच्छी है। पढिए। 

बस एक ही बात - सोनिया और रैना की शक्ल का मिलना - कहानी में एक बार गौरव इस बारे में सोच सकता था। 

  

The saints

मनुष्य जब बड़े हो जाते हैं तो संत हो जाते हैं। 

संत जब गंतव्य पा जाते हैं तो पेड़ बनते हैं। 

पेड़ों को अपने जीवन यापन के लिए नाम मात्र की ही हिंसा करनी पड़ती है। 

उनके जीवन में कोई शत्रु नहीं है, क्यूंकि किसी को उं से कुछ पाने के लिए उनका वध करना ही नहीं पड़ता -  फूल और फल स्वत: झरते हैं। लकड़ी बिना पेड़ का वध किए, काटी जा सकती है - तना नहीं, डाली काटो। 

एक दूसरे का साथ देने के लिए वो कभी अपनी जड़ें मिल लेते हैं, कभी हवा से एक दूसरे की मदद करते हैं। 

पेड़ संत होते हैं। ऊपर नहीं, नीचे भी नहीं। बस, अपनी यात्रा पर एक पड़ाव पर। 

कुछ लोग, पेड़ होकर भी कुछ बुरा करते हैं। वे फिर इंसान बन कर पैदा होते हैं, और बड़ी हसरत से पेड़ों को देखते हैं। 

And that is how tree huggers are born. 

Joke

वकील: Your Lordship, हमारी दरख्वास्त है कि...

जज (मुस्कुराते हुए):  वकील साहब, ज़्यादातर वकील हमें Your Honour कह कर संबोधित करते हैं। 

वकील: उन्हें झूठ बोलना आता है Milord! मैं अभी सीख रहा हूँ। 

- Dedicated to Supreme Overlord MoonPowder. 

Lawyer: Your Lordship, we would like to humbly submit that... 

Judge: Most lawyers address us as "Your Honour." 

Lawyer: Yes, Milord. They know how to lie.

- Dedicated to Supreme Overlord Moonpowder 

********** 

My name should be Sita. 

Why? 

Because every time something goes wrong, I wish the Earth would open up and swallow me whole! 

I hate the Congress

As soon as Congress came to power in Karnataka 2023 elections, no one has a problem with their uniform. The hijab row is over. Done. Finished.

In 1977, for the first time, the Congress lost elections to all 9 Lok Sabha seats from Punjab. Within weeks, "Sant" Bhindrawale magically appeared, had the resources to do a massive PR campaign, and the golden fields of Punjab were blood red till 1990. The Akalis were responsible for religion-based politics.

In 1946 provincial elections, Congress won absolute majority in 8 out of 11 British Indian provinces. The three provinces in which they did not win absolute majority were - Punjab, Bengal, and Sindh. The demand for Pakistan came from Aligarh, in UP. But the provinces that were partitioned and given to Pakistan were - Punjab (80% of Punjab), Bengal, and Sindh (100% of Sindh). The Hindu Mahasabha and Muslim League were responsible for the communal riots of India.

In 1947, as soon as Congress came to power, magically, India became a peaceful country. There were no more communal riots. People who had been fighting each other over cows, pigs, processions, and temple/mosque land, for more than a decade, started to co-exist in perfect harmony again.

Until 1969. When a lesser-known party called Swatantra Party defeated the Congress in Gujarat Elections. In 1969, independent India recorded its first communal riot. In Gujarat. Shortly after the elections. Swatantra Party was responsible.

The thing is, last night, communal violence reached my backyard. Now, generally, I smile politely when people brandish their ignorance and generously spew opinion on communal violence incidents in isolation, contributing neither brain nor time to understand the issue.

Fair warning: Today is NOT such a day. Anyone's ignorance is their personal decision. Today, do NOT give me gyaan on how one party does communal politics and how you are such a peace lover. Peace lovers don't live in a haze of deliberate ignorance. They find out why something happened. They invest time in understanding long-standing issues and their underlying patterns.

Just before 2019 elections, when I declared at a table that 'if the Congress does not come to power in 2019, India will enter a downward spiral of communal violence that will become more and more violent until the elections of 2024. If, in 2024, the Congress comes to power, we will suddenly become peaceful. If it does not, the communal violence will lead to large scale bloodshed' - I was not being an oracle. I was merely stating the pattern from 1936 to 1947.

IF communal violence bothers you, READ. You might reach a different conclusion than me. But read. 

101 Truth Questions

 1. Tell us about your first crush

2. have you ever kissed anyone in the dark? Tell us about it.

3. When you were 6 or 7 years old, how did you visualize your future life? What did you think you were going to be?

4. If you could change 3 things about your life, what would those be?

5. What would you never change about your life?

6. What is the best memory of your childhood?

7. What is the worst memory of childhood?

8. What instantly makes you like a person?

9. What makes you instantly dislike a person in a social setting.

10. What is the most romantic movie, according to you?

11. What is the most romantic song, according to you?

12. Tell us about a day or event that you were really looking forward to, but it turned out to be a damp squib?

13. What is the most uninteresting/ boring date that you’ve been on?

14. Have you felt attracted to someone when it was totally inappropriate?

15. If you fell for your boss, what would you do?

16. If someone in your team fell for you, what would you do?

17. Describe your ideal date. Who would it be, where would you go, what would you do, how would it end, and everything else.

18. What is the first thing you notice about a person?

19. What are your best qualities?

20. What do you dislike or want to change about yourself?

21. What do you value most about your partner (if you are in a relationship)?

22. Who would you like to be reborn as? Why?

23. What are your strongest values? Things you would never give up?

24. What’s a dealbreaker in a relationship?

25. Have you ever had a crush on a friend’s partner or a partner’s friend?

26. What is the most embarrassing text on your phone right now?

27. What app do you spend the most time on? What do you like about it?

28. Tell us about a time that you were friends with someone but did not like something about them. Did you tell them? Why or why not?

29. What do you do if you don’t like something about your partner?

30. What do you do if you don’t like something about a family member?

31. What is your biggest fear?

32. If you met a genie, what would your three wishes be?

33. An AI is making you your perfect partner. Give it the prompt.

34. A best friend that you are not in touch with any more, but think of often.

35. Have you been attracted to someone younger (for women)/ older (for men)? How did that end?

36. Tell us about the first time someone told you they loved you.

37. If you married for love, how was marriage proposed to you? ‘

38. Which public figure would you like to have dinner with? What would you like to do/talk about?

39. Imagine you can switch places for a day with any one person on the planet (alive now). Who is it? Why? What do you do as them?

40. Who is the most attractive person you know in real life? Why are they attractive?

41.  You have the power to create an imaginary friend. They are real to you. Describe them. What do you folks talk about? What are the things you do together?

42. What is your dream profession? Why are you not it?

43. Who is the most beautiful person you know? What do you like about them?

44. Who, in your real life, has inspired you the most. Tell us about it.

45. What’s your dream come true?

46. What food can you never say no to?

47. What’s your favourite book? Why?

48. Who do you text or message the most?

49. Think about a friendship you have or have had for the longest time. Who was it? How long were you friends? Why, if at all, did it end?

50. In this room, who knows you best? Why do you feel that way?

51. In this room, who do you know best? Tell us one interesting thing about them.

52. What, according to you, is your most beautiful part?

53. If you could go back and change one thing or one incident, what would you change?

54. What are you most grateful for?

55. Have you ever spied on anyone? Why? What did it lead to?

56. Happiest day of your life so far?

57. Saddest day of your life so far?

58. What are the most important things or people in your life right now?

59. Describe an ideal day. You live where you want to live, you do what you love to do, and you are with whoever you want to be with. What happens? Describe the day.

60. In an alternate universe, you are back in college. A person you had a crush on proposed to you and you said yes. In that universe, what are you doing right now?  

61. What was your greatest learning at your first job?

62. Have you ever physically hit anyone? When?

63. When was the first time you said “I Love you” to someone? Who was it?

64. Tell us about your first heartbreak.

65. What is the worst thing that anyone has ever done to you?

66. What is the most incredible experience you have been a part of?

67. What makes you happiest?

68. What always makes you cry?

69. How would you know if you were starting to love someone?

70. If you saw a friend’s partner cheating, would you tell your friend? Why or why not?

71. What is the best news you ever got? Who gave it to you? Where?

72. What do you do when you feel sad?

73. What is your biggest regret?

74. What achievements are you most proud of?

75. Tell us one thing you like about any two people (or all) in the room.

75. Tell us one thing you would like to change about any two (or all) people in the room.

76. If you could become invisible, what would you do? For how long would you stay invisible?

77. If you could do astral travel, what would you do? How far would you remain in that state?

78. How long were you with a partner before you decided to go all the way?

79. What’s your favourite possession? Why?

80. What was your most fun holiday?

81. What was your least fun holiday? Why did it go wrong?

82. If you were to write a letter to the 20 year old you, what are the 4-5 things you would write?

83. Is there something you would only do alone, and we don’t know about it? (Any talent)

84. Imagine you can play a prank with no punishment. What would you do?

85. What dress would you love to buy?

86. Imagine that your perfect wedding is all yours. Describe it. Location, costumes, guest list, how many days, what rituals, everything.

87. What is a skill you wish you had?

88. What is the scariest thing you have ever done?

89. What are you most passionate about?

90. What is the best advice you ever got?

91. If you could be a person of the opposite gender for a day, would you take the swap? What would you do?

92. If you could have a superpower, what would you choose? Why?

93. What is the most romantic thing that someone has ever said to you? What is the most romantic thing that you have ever said to anyone?

94. Suppose someone has to meet you for a really important thing. What can they do to be instantly liked?

95. What would you observe on a first date? What would you make of it? Why? For example, say you would notice shoes. Why is that important to you?

96. Imagine you have won a jackpot lottery. What would you do?

97. What do most people assume about you that isn’t true?

98. Tell us about your best kiss.

99. Who are you closest to? What makes you open up to them so easily?

100. Who are you most impressed by? Why?

101. In this room, who are you most impressed by? Why?

********* 

This list is made for the birthday present of a dear friend. It might help some of my blog friends too.

Most of the questions are standard truth questions, some I thought up. 

 And while you are at it, do answer some of these questions for yourself too :) 

 

Ishk karna

इश्क करना  कनकव्वे  उड़ाने जैसा होता है। कभी खींच कर अपने पास लाना होता है, कभी उड़ान भरने को ढील देनी होती है, पर भरोसा रहता है, कि एक ही डोर से बंधे हैं हम। 

लोग पेंच लड़ाते हैं, पर डोर को सम्हाल कर रखना होता है। डोर एक बार टूट गई, तो न पतंग उड़ पाती है, न डोर वाला आकाश छू सकता है। 

इश्क करना, कनकव्वे उड़ाने जैसा होता है। 

Why Shiv on Shivratri?

Today, while meditating, I was asked to keep the Shivalinga in front. I didn't understand why. 

Then, realised that Shivaratri is approaching. 

This led to the question: If the universal light is the torchbearer of humanity, what is the spiritual objective of Shiva on Shivaratri, Ganpati on Vinayak Chaturthi, and so on? How does this devotion towards a deity come automatically in our hearts at just those precise times? 

The Answer: 

This is wave that is needed for entire humanity at the same time. At about this time, the overall energy, the element of Agni is gaun (subdued). At this time, the world needs the energy that is represented by the name Shiv. 

Likewise, around the time of Vinayak Chaturthi, a feeling of coldness is starting to envelop the world as per our Ritu. At that time, a general sense of universal camraderie and well-being, which we call Vighnaharta, Vinayaka, is needed by the world. These are not names of Gods alone. The name and image of a God helps us identify with the energy, but these are energies represented by these specific names. 

Therefore, all humanity is automatically drawn towards these energies at these specific ritus. 

Just like group meditation raises the overall vibe of the universe, likewise, a yagya, or a communal spiritual practice in which everyone feels the same thing (Ojas, for Shivaratri, Kalyan, for Vinayak Chaturthi, Samriddhi, for Deepavali, Harsh, for Holi) raises the balance of these energies for everyone else - even the non-believers. 

That is why you are drawn to the name Shiv at this time.