Finding Nemo

For the last couple of weeks, I have been tied down to a corner due to my broken foot. I am unable to move and unable to do anything. On top of it all, the painkiller keeps me drowsy and throws me off-balance when concentrating on something important. Yet we are doing well. My family is well taken care of and the kids are happy. All thanks to my wife who stood up as a pillar on whom the household stands. True, everyone has cracked jokes at her for her being busy with her community work. I am sure that they do realize the load she carries on her shoulders of taking care of her two daughters and a grown up kid. Last evening I was watching one of the soap-operas on the television, where the lady of the house takes it on herself to expose the bad guys all around the work place playing with the lives of their co-workers slyly. Despite of her solid plan, she failed in her attempt as the evil guys got to know of her plan somehow. The situation was then turned in such a way that the lady be...

When Thomas Jefferson wrote the US Declaration of Independence, he coined the famous phrase "All men are created equal". For centuries since then the phrase has gained popularity and has exuberated its meaning in different forms. The phrase has been used in decorating the speeches, writings and reflecting the intellectual bent of mind by many. Well, I am not untouched by the vast sense of meaning of the phrase either. I love it! The challenge though comes with what follows the initial phrase – "All men are created equal,…..". It is left for the others to supplement the phrase with additional words forming a statement. And this too has been a very populist subject. I remember in the late 1990's, the editorial of one of the leading newspapers of its time used the phrase to cause quite a stir. It read – "All men are created equal, but some are more equal". This became one of the common themes for essays, group discussions, debates and other literary wo...

पाती तुम्हें लिख रहा हूँ, दिल थाम कर पढ़ना। बातें तो बहुत हैं, पर आज कुछ विशेष है कहना। चाहो तो मुझे ही दोषी कहना, पर मेरा हाल भी समझना। जो सपने हमने देखे थे, उन्हें जीवन मत समझना। जिन राहों पर चलना था, उन पर बबूल उग आये हैं, ज़रा देखना। मेरा धीमे चलना तुम्हें नापसंद था, पर तेज चलना कठिन है, ज़रा समझना। तुम दूर जा चुकी हो, पर मुझे आज भी अपने आंसुओं में पाना। अब जो भी है, वही जीवन है, इस जीवन को सुख से जीना। मैंने भी जीवन से बहुत सीखा है, तुम मेरी चिंता मत करना। अब भी सपने देखना, पर मुझे नायक मत बनाना। इस संदेसे को खूब पढ़ना, और जो अनकहा है, वह भी समझना। दोषी न तुम हो, न मैं, पर इस सज़ा को तो पड़ेगा सहना। मैं हर गम सह लूँगा, बस तुम्हारे सुख की ही करूंगा कामना। फिर से विनती करता हूँ, कभी अलविदा ना कहना, मुझे अपने आँसुओं में छुपा कर रखना। पाती तुम्हें भेज रहा हूँ, दिल थाम कर पढ़ना।