Think for yourself

A friend in need

is a friend indeed,

but what when your need

is the cost of his own need?

Many a song sung,

many a poem penned

-how, in hardship, the friendship persists

alas, in songs 'n' poems, it only exists.

think for yourself -is the need of today,

deceive and trample, even if you may,

riding the right to wrong your friend,

for your need is the only need in the end!

Distance and You

Sometimes I am afraid
to come closer to you,
- only a step towards your heart
or a stampede of my emotions at large?

Sometimes I am afraid
to go farther from you,
- only a step away from your heart
or closing of doors that may never open again?

And sometimes I am afraid
to remain at the same distance from you
- only a growing urge to be closer to your heart,
or a loosening bond, that we may not even realize?

Photography by Pankaj Anand

zindagi hai pattey ki tarah

Trying my hand at hindi poetry for the first time.... :P

yeh zindagi hai pattey ki tarah,

hawa na ura le jaye, dekho zara

jis tehni pey hai leh raha rahi,

uska daaman na chhootey dekho zara.

thandi tez hawa chali lubhaney,

aur mohh mey patta bhi chatpatane laga,

rookhi sookhi tehni mey kya hai rakha,

socha nayi zindagi dekhu toh zara.

phir chorh diya jab us tehni ka aanchal,

aur tez hawa mey mast behney laga,

na koi bandish, na khushi ki seema,

na kisi ki chinta, na khayal zara.

phir tabhi hawa ka rukh badla,

aur diwaar se takra tab patta gira,

besahara, tarapta aakhir ye ehsaas kara,

kyu na rakha astitva ka mol zara

yeh zindagi hai pattey ki tarah,

hawa na ura le jaye, dekho zara,

jis tehni pey hai leh raha rahi,

uska daaman na chhootey dekho zara.

The Turmoil in the Sea

The sea sees it
again and yet again,
the turmoil that occurs
within and the pain.

The sea that rests
in a corner lonesome,
sometimes expresses,
with storms gruesome..

The storms will subside
again and yet again,
not the turmoil within
and neither the pain.

The Role Model

It’s not everyday that you come across someone totally strange, whom you meet for just about five minutes and who leaves a lasting impression on your mind. An impression which makes you believe something quite opposite of what you had always ‘known’ as a fact. Such was one fortunate winter day when I was out shopping with family, hunting for jackets and coats, in one of the popular, hip South Delhi markets. My brother and I had been trying different shops and had bought a jacket each, but finding good coats was proving to be a pain in the neck. My father, as always, was in the lead, guiding us from one shop to another. Just as that, we followed him inside one of the shops with relatively larger floor area, the whole of which was, curiously enough, occupied with just blazers and coats. There was this huge variety of them and we did not know from where to start. Just then a young guy, smartly dressed in a neat suit, approached us. His kempt beard and left-ear stud added to the rich look he already possessed. He could well have been the owner of the shop or some ramp model; such was the personality he reflected. But as he spoke, I realized that, in spite of his calm, courteous manner, he was an attendant. A look around the shop and I realized that the shop kept the same high standard with its other employees as well.

Dad checked the price tag on one of the coats that caught his eye and asked my brother to try it on. My brother put on the coat, while my dad approvingly said that for 4k it seemed a coat worth the price. And then something happened which felt as if a bomb dropped. As my father spoke, the attendant was quick to point that the correct price was Rs. 40k!!! Apparently, dad had overlooked one zero. Embarrassed, my dad explained that he had misunderstood the price and frankly told him that it was beyond our budget. My immediate instinct told me that there was no need to have given the guy this honest an explanation. I was now expecting him to turn into one of those typical, high-nosed, spoilt salesmen who give you an unrelenting ‘you-don’t-belong-here’ stare in such situations. But something quite different happened. Seeing my dad uncomfortable, he spoke quickly again, but with a genuine smile this time…

“It’s perfectly fine, sir. People like me can’t afford even a 4K coat!”

And to top it all, he sounded apologetic. I was surprised. No, I must say I was pleasantly shocked.

Well, he had had many options. He could have kept quite or he could have behaved in a manner that my instinct told me he would. Or he could have gone overboard by taking sadistic pleasure in making us feel more uneasy. But he did none of these. Instead he preferred to put us at ease. And he did it in such a respectful and friendly manner, that it made it possible for us to make a decent exit from the shop a few minutes later.

I realized that there are still some people in sales business who do not just carry out their duties in a perfect professional manner but also take extra pains to ensure that the pride and honour of the customer is preserved. I don’t think I would ever forget the remarkable humility on part of this person. And yes, although not a ramp-model, he is certainly a role-model for thousands of other salesmen like him.

Kudos to you buddy!