On My Mind

“India is my country. All Indians are my brother and sisters…..” , Ritesh still remembered the pledge he used to take in his morning assembly at school. So many thoughts flew through his mind as he drove his car past the busy highway. It was Independence Day. 68 years back on this day, India won its independence, but it didn’t matter now. He had this important meeting with a client he could barely afford to miss. “Oh, come on!”, he screamed as he pressed brakes for the third time in last five minutes. He hadn’t anticipated such heavy traffic on the morning of a National Holiday! Somehow, he managed his way to his office, although a little late; a tad too unprofessional on his part. The client was waiting for him. Slightly embarrassed, he excused himself with the traffic woes. The meeting concluded and a happy Ritesh went to the nearby cigarette shop to smoke his anxiety out. Given the audacity of the client to demand a personal meeting with him, it could have gone rough but h...

With Independence Day coming up, lots of people are putting up tricolor as their display picture and that leaves me wondering if not doing so makes me any less patriotic, and then I remember this little incident I read in the newspaper. An accident occurred on the road and there was a huge gathering of spectators. Everyone was busy taking snaps and passing comments when a taxi driver came up, informed the police over the phone and drove the victim to the nearest hospital in his taxi. When I read about this incident, all I could do was smile. I was pretty sure that the taxi driver did not have any Facebook profile to show his patriotism!

रात घनी थी, चाँद नज़र नहीं आ रहा था, उस पार देखने की कोशिश तो की, पर अँधेरा बहुत था।  कमज़ोर दिल धड़कने की कोशिश तो कर रहा था, पर डर शायद जीने की चाहत से ज़्यादा था।  आखिरकार दिमाग ने दिल पर काबू किया, डर के आगे बढ़ना सिखाया।  रात घनी चाहे कितनी भी हो,  सुबह का इंतज़ार करना सिखाया।  फिर सूरज निकलेगा, फिर रौशनी होगी, धुंध छटेगी, नयी कोपलें फूटेंगी।  उस घबराये दिल की मत सुन,  बस थोड़ी देर और,फिर सुबह होगी।