Khamoshi

Kaisi hai yeh khamoshi

Jo bina kuch kahe

Chott pohunchati hai

Kaisi hai yeh khamoshi

Jo bina kuch kiye

Tadpaati hai

Aisi kya hai tumhari khamoshi mein

Jo mujhe itni besudha aur ghaayal kar jaati hai

Scent of a Woman

I doubt it was physical

Cos if it were,

Then I would be tired of it by now

I doubt it was emotional

Cos if it were,

Then I would have broken down by now

I knew I fell

I knew I fell in deep

But why it happened

Still keeps me from sleep

The scent of a woman had me floored

The scent of a woman had me good

It's the scent that drives you crazy

It's the scent that shows you paradise

You'll never find when you look for it

The scent finds you

And when it does

You are sure to know

The scent is everything she is

Every inch of her makes the scent

Every bit of her is the scent

It's so strong

It becomes the elixir of life

You live by it

But you die without it

In it's absence you crave for it

In it's presence you're immersed in bliss

Your scent takes me to a place

Where I never want to leave

It takes me to a high

I've never gone to

Your scent is intoxicating & revitalizing

But when you go away

You leave me craving

Your scent of a woman

Looking back

At the time we've spent

Lying in each other's arms

Living life like no tomorrow

I can only but hope

You come back

Or a new scent finds me.

Bhrasht-achaar: Everyone hates the taste of it, but it doesn't stop them from eating it!!

Does corruption end with the passing of a bill? 

Is a law or an agency really what we needed to stop Indians from looting our own country? 

Are we, the citizens of India, the so called victims of "the system", completely innocent in the breeding of corruption thru every vein of our country?

A few days back, we as a nation celebrated the victory of one man. A man who stood for what he felt was right. Anna Hazare won a small, minute battle against "the system".

The days preceding the decision by the govt to look seriously into passing the bill thru, the whole nation came out in one voice to support Anna Hazare on social networking sites, websites, SMS's, and on the roads. It is to these supporters that I would like to pose a simple question.

Are you ready?
Are you ready to give up on those small luxuries you've had till now? Because the system has been corrupt, the beneficiaries of "special" services have been us, the citizens of this Country. Don't you think we have had it easy so far?

I mean, off the 6 crore Indians who messaged in support of the bill, how many do you think may have paid a bribe? Wait, that may be a big number. So let me rephrase. From the 6 crore Indians who texted in their support, how many do you think have never paid a bribe?

I'm all in for change. I'm all in for a revamp of the system. But does that mean we only have to scrutinize the people sitting in power? I really doubt that will do anything useful in the long run.

So I suggest two things.
Firstly, both the parties involved, i.e. the person paying the bribe (aam aadmi) and the person taking the bribe (bhrasht karamchari) should be booked for corruption. Why? Because by paying a bribe all we are doing is feeding the parasite. If we don't pay, then they won't eat.

But the problem is, we have got used to the convenience of paying for everything legitimate and illegitimate. If you cross a red light it's easier to pay the traffic cop Rs100 and go home rather than have to pay Rs500 and go to the station to pick your car. This is a simple example of violation of traffic laws. DUI and speeding tickets are all too common to "pay off".
How many of you reading this have bought your driver's licence? Today if you can afford it, then there isn't a single thing you can't buy. Everything in our beautiful country has a price. And we, the so called victims of the system, are all too willingly paying our way through life.

Secondly, along with the acceptance of the idea of a bill and law against "white collared" corruption by the govt, I suggest we, the youth and the cream of our nation and the future of our country, take a unified solemn oath. That, from today I will not give in to corruption. From today I will and am willing to go thru a few hardships. The hardships will be nothing more than a price we have to pay for a few years so that we can clean "the system". This may mean we will lose out on a few opportunities in life. But I’m a firm believer that "fortune favours the brave". Let's be brave and move forward as a country.

Drive this message forward into every Indian in the age group of 10-45. I strongly feel our country is a tree. And this generation is the new roots for the tree. We need to make sure what goes into the nourishment of this tree is pure. Our country needs this generation so that we move forward to the next stage of world dominance.

Why world dominance? Because we have worked our asses off for it. This is our time. This is our generation. The world knows it but they also know we are too corrupt within to make it to the top. We have achieved so much so late. We should have been the worlds no1 superpower a decade ago. What has stopped us? And what is stopping us? Think about it. Our corruption plays a very important role in that.

I have a small dream, I want to retire from the current rat race I'm in. But I want to do it in an India which is the biggest super power of the world. The country the whole world looks up at and says "Why on Earth can't we be like the Indians"!!!

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And India will live as one!!!!!!

BLEEDING BLUE

How different is it this time around? How different is it from 2003? Didn't we think we cud win back then? How much of a difference is this current team from that one in the past?

In 2003, India embarked on a  World Cup campaign amid a slight turmoil. The Indians were mauled by the otherwise flightless Kiwis in their backyard. The tiger was wounded and hurt. The wounds were so deep that when they landed in South Africa, not a lot was expected off them. Through the month long competition, with the help of some sparkling individual performances, we reached the final of a world cup for only the second time in our history. The final bout was ON and we were the contenders. The team at the opposite corner of the ring was the defending champions and back then, the all conquering Aussies. That team was next to impossible to beat. Being a big Indian and Proteas supporter, I hated no other team other than that particular era of the Australian cricket team.

On the day of the big fight I still didn't see the same expectations we have from tomorrow. What difference has there been?

From hopeless contenders to finalists in 2003; to serious contenders in 2007 which was an eventual disappointment; finally we are here. At the doorstep of another chance, at glory.

Our beloved cricketers have always been heart breakers. In India we call them bewafa. Barring some memorable performances, most often than not they have tend to disappoint us. But Dhoni and his Blue Brigade have taught us to believe in them. So much that, a defeat is just not on the cards or expected. Even a depleted Indian side hammered the Kiwis 5-0 at home.

Coming into this WC, we are tagged favourites ahead of all teams. This was expected. Even our coach was quoted saying a year ago, that not making to the finale would be definite failure in his system of coaching. So we have been expecting us to be here at the finals.

But let’s not forget our opponents who are capable and hungry just like us. Recent records will count for nothing. Cause tomorrow is a brand new day. A new match.


But come tomorrow I will be among the billion or so supporters screaming my heart out, cheering my team on. This time it’s different. This time it’s ours. We know it. We feel it. 

I hope our cricketers don’t turn out to be bewafa again.

Cheers!!! & Bleed Blue!!!!

Bewafa

Hey bewafa,
Aise zulm na kar
Aise zulm na kar
Tum humpe

Beawafai to tumne
Kai baar ki hai

Jab tumne hamein
South Africa le jaake
Hamare dil thod diye

Phir jab tum
West Indies se
Ghar vaapis jaldi laute

Hey bewafaa
Ab aur mat sata
Ab aur mat rula
Is baar tu mat rula

Is baar tu lekar hi aana
Is baar khaali haath mat lautna
Is baar champion hi kehlana

C'mon Team India...BLEED BLUE....!!!!

My Dear Pearl

Tonight I’m sad

A little angry even

For today I lost a friend

I still remember the first time

When I came up to u

Saw your towering height

You weren’t so colourful back then

But you were still an amazing sight

I still remember

Every time I stuck my head on the window

To catch a glimpse of your grandeur 

I don’t know the number of times

I over-counted your legs

Going 'round your elegant structure

I still remember all those times

I came back after six years apart

And saw you lit up and colorful

Like a pretty 'lil thing at a carnival

I was happy to see you again

After so long

Nothing had changed between us

No distance had come

But then on that unfortunate day

Those miscreants decided to take over you

Take over us

Take over our ‘lil paradise 

They ravaged your skin

Poked your body

And polluted your surroundings

I was happy when you were freed

But little did I know 

It was to set you free

To put you to rest

Today I’m hurt

A little angry u may say

For today I lost a friend

Good bye my friend

Good bye my pearl

May you R.I.P!!!

Do U understand What I'm Saying??!!!!

Sayed Saleh, thank you brother!

"You are the most incredible, inspirational woman I have ever met. For the mistakes I have made in my life, I am sorry. Guess you have to go there to come back. It was a dark place and you were the light to bring me back. I love you!"

Love has many languages. By this, we mean that there are different ways that people express love and recognize it. Many times, the way that a person expresses love is not the same way that their partner wants to hear it.

Many times, a person feels unloved by his or her spouse because the expected language to hear that love never materializes. Yet, if the spouse were asked about his or her feelings, it would become clear that true love does actually exist. It’s just a matter of not communicating the feeling of love properly to the other party.

For example, some people express their love by wanting to spend quality time with their beloved. This is generally more common amongst women. If a wife does not get to spend quality time with her husband, she might feel unloved, even if he is showing his love to her in other ways (by spending his money on her, for example). On the other hand, other people express love by physical acts, such as kissing and sexual activity. This is more common amongst men. When a man regularly approaches his wife, he is showing that he loves her. Yet, the wife is not ‘hearing’ this love because in her vocabulary, love must be expressed in a different language – that of time. Unless and until she sees this aspect, she will find it difficult to understand that her husband loves her.

Another language of love is helping the one whom you love. A wife might show her love for her husband by taking care of his daily needs and household chores. But it is possible that the husband does not hear this love, because he is not tuned into this language! Rather, he might be expecting it in different ways. Therefore, all of the acts of devotion and dedication that the wife shows to her husband are simply ‘tuned out’, like a foreign language, because that is not what he wants to hear to confirm his wife’s love for him.

By understanding the different ways that people show love, each spouse can better appreciate the languages of love that his or her spouse speaks. Many people unknowingly speak more than one language of love – however, until the other partner learns to listen to and recognize that language, all of these beautiful expressions of love will be lost and evaporate into thin air.

Saying "I love you"
Is not the words
I want to hear from you
It's not that I want you
Not to say but if you only knew
How easy it would be to show me how you feel

More than words
Is all you have to do
To make it real
Then you wouldn't have to say
That you love me
'Cause I'd already know

Sayin I Love You....

The following story was posted on my brother, Imran Rafai's Facebook wall. Bro, its an amazing story of love. If you are a true romantic, only then read further. Cheers!!!

 When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn't know how to say it. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly. She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why? I avoided her question. This made her angry. She shouted at me, "you are not a man!"

That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; I had lost my heart to a lovely girl called Dew. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, 30% shares of my company and the car. She glanced at it and then tore it to pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said, for I loved Dew so dearly.

Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me, her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell fast asleep because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just didn't care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month, we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that everyday for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy.

Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request. I told Dew about my wife's divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she has, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully. My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest... I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily. Suddenly it hit me; she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart.

Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head. Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mum out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come close and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy. I drove to office... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind... I walked upstairs. Dew opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other any more. Now I realized that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until one of us departs this world.

Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away. At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The sales girl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote: I will carry you out every morning until we are old.

The small details of our lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, the property, the bank balance that matters. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build a relationship.

Rain Drops

This poem is written by a dear friend, and brother. Thank you Anil Nair for these beautiful words.

Listen to the rhythm of rain

With every drop

We get closer

When lightning strikes

We embrace

When it thunders

We become one

It’s such a good omen

Listen to the rhythm of rain

Fire is our youth

The water burns our bodies

At first

The more it showers

It cools us down

At that moment we see

A beautiful dream

Listen to the rhythm of rain

The magic in the air has spread

With the cool breeze

The fragrance of flowers emanates

From your body

Our breaths have become one

In love let us drown

Oh it’s such a good omen

The lightning has ceased

And thunder no longer

Makes us shudder

But yet we stay embraced

As one

Listening to the rhythm of rain

Extacy Of Gold

When you close your eyes,
What do you see?
What do you feel?
What can you smell?


Do those moment flash by?
Do you relive them frame by frame?
Does it bring a smile on your face?
Do you feel lost?
When you open your eyes?


Oh I know that feeling 
I know it too well
That amazing feeling
where
No bruise hurts
No height's too high
No problem's too difficult


Nothing is impossible

That state of bliss
The bliss ure in
Oh that bliss
Just an intoxicating bliss



Never let's you down
Never pushes you away
It Strengthens you
Empowers you
To do the impossible


Such is the bliss
The ecstacy of love

Fall in love
Not once
Not twice
But over and over
A million times over


I know i will
I love to close my eyes
Just to relive
Everything over again
Frame by frame


Love is pure
Just like gold

The ecstasy of love

is nothing more

But the ecstasy of gold

Cup of the World

To all who are reading this, let me tell you one thing first and foremost. Cricket is NOT a boring game. Its a game of skill and patience. Ability and concentration. Application of the mind more than the body. Ask this to anyone who has picked up a willow or thrown down a few deliveries. They will stand by my word.

Like the footballing world, we too have a World Cup. Non-Believers(people who don't follow cricket, and from where I come from, India, it is a religion and me a devotee, and no Sachin is not my god!) say that how can you call it a world cup if only a handful of countries play in it(14 actually). Well i say its the game of the elite. You need to be born with the skill to play it. So yes only a few 'elite' countries participate in it. But none-the-less we do have a world cup and this time, its in my back yard (Oh how I hate myself for leaving my backyard to a desert looking for a career).

Before the start of the WC a lot was written with respect to the format, the number of teams etc. I think in 2 weeks I got to see some amazing cricket. Some expected, while some shocking to say the least. And a frikkin tie.
I must firstly stand up and salute the 'minnows' for some amazing moments. Netherlands almost made it past England. The Irish finished that job against the same opposition. Canada nearly made it across Pakistan (remove that ever youthful Afridi who is still only 18-19, they did get past the rest). The Irish also nearly pulled one against India.

The other day cricket witnessed, well i say, a funny thing. 4 teams played on that day. RSA, NED, PAK, CAN. Each team fielded at least one Pakistani player. How more global do you want this game to be.

This WC is wide open as far as i can see it.

Other than the performances of the 'minnows' I think what has caught my eye has been consistence performances from some noted names, and the RSA spin trio(un-thinkable, but they are very good).

Add to all this drama, the role of the elements(rain Gods), and you have an 'anything can happen' scenario. I personally support 2 teams. My homeland, no its not England(like Russel Peters once said), India. And South Africa. I hate the word chokers myself (it's true in all sense, but the truth hurts).

I hope the remainder of the tournament goes the way it has started. Oh I'd so love to see the Netherlands, Irish and Canadian teams qualify for the next stage. But that might just make the next round a wee bit predictable.

So here's to an eventful WC. May the best team win. Cheers!!!!

PS. Shame on you Bangladesh, you threw stones on the wrong bus(WI).

Sound of Silence

AND THEN, THERE WAS SILENCE!!!!

AND ALL YOU COULD HEAR WAS THE THUMPING OF THE HEART AND THE SOUND OF EXHALING!!!!

BUT THE SILENCE WAS QUARRELING IN ITSELF. YOU COULD FEEL THE DEAFENING CRIES. 

"I LOVE YOU" HE SCREAMED, OVER AND OVER AGAIN

"BUT I DON'T" ECHOED HER VOICE, SOON WITH IT.

AND THEN, THERE WAS SILENCE!!!!

Dream On!!!

Dream a dream

A thousand dreams

A wonderful dream

A beautiful dream

As u lie In deep slumber

You dream away

With amazing wonder

So colorful

So bright

So pure

So right

Your dreams maybe

Of love and romance

Filled with lovely color

Or of the devil's smile

While he haunts and dance

In lightning and thunder

You wake up

You move out

From that very place

That happy place

You'd love to go

Once again

But I have

Seldom gone

As I have

Kept sleeping

While awake

Kept dreaming

While awake

Dreaming a thousand 

Beautiful dreams

In a day

So Dream a dream

A thousand dreams

A wonderful dream

A beautiful dream

Never stop dreaming

Not for the day

Not for the sun

Dream away into

That happy place

Where you'd always want to be.

Tears

When you're In love

You close you're eyes

To feel the bliss

All around

But while u smile

You cant feel,You can't see

What I feel.

But I beg u to open you're eyes

To see the tears In my eyes.

Distortion

Distortions
Of the mind
Blur your thought
Of the eyes
Blur your sight

You wonder
If It is or not
You ponder
If it's true or not

You know the fact
From the fiction
You know the truth
From the lie
But
Yet you believe
In your distortion
It Brings you hope
And with it
Eventual sorrow

Now there are none
No more Distortions
'Cos I've cleared it all
Cleared my mind
Cleared my heart
Cleared my body n soul

I can see clearly now
As clear as through a crystal
I can think
I can dream
A thousand new dreams

I will learn
to cope
I will learn
To live
Rather than
hurt myself with hope.

Fly Away

Now I can fly away

Since you have gone

As my arms feel lighter

Since you have gone

As my heart feels emptier

Since you hav gone

As my dreams are clearer

Since you have gone

Does it hurt now?

I'd lie if i say no

Will it hurt forever?

I'd lie if i say never

But Ive known pain

Like no other

I'd die thinking what if!!

Bt I'm dying now knowin what is!!

So all I tell you today is

Thank you for setting me free

As I can now fly

Fly away so high

And never come back down

'Cause down below

I have memories

Memories I don't want to know

So here I soar

And fly,

Fly away so high.

Good bye!!!