A little story of forever moment - 2

A week ago, I posted a little story of a friend (here). Since that day, I had in my head (rather iPad), one of the finest song written almost 40 years ago by Tasleem Fazli (I think) - and was made immortal by Mehdi Hasan Sahab.

I have my own share of  nostalgic forever moments like any other human - and - often wondered in the middle of the night.

Itna puchuN kahin, mil jaye jo woh parda-nasheeN

Main bhi aata hun tujhe yaad, kabhie ya ke nahin

3 wishes of Alexander the Great

Following story of Alexander may not have any authentic historical documentation but anecdotally attributed to him all over. This was my father's one of the most favourite story.

Alexander, after conquering many kingdoms, was returning home. On the way, he fell ill and it took him to his death bed. With death staring him in his face, he had to accept the fact that his sinking health would not permit Him to reach his distant homeland. So, the mighty conqueror called his generals and said, "I will depart from this world soon; I have three wishes, please carry them out without fail." 

With tears flowing down their cheeks, the generals agreed to abide by their king's last wishes. "My first desire is that," said Alexander, "My physicians alone must carry my coffin." After a pause, he continued, "Secondly, I desire that when my coffin is being carried to the grave, the path leading to the graveyard be strewn with gold, silver and precious stones which I have collected in my treasury. " The king felt exhausted after saying this. He took a minute's rest and continued. "My third and last wish is that both my hands be kept dangling out of my coffin." 

The people who had gathered there wondered at the king's strange wishes. Alexander's favourite general kissed his hand and pressed them to his heart. "O king, we assure you that your wishes will all be fulfilled, but tell us why do you make such strange wishes?" 

At this Alexander took a deep breath and said: "I would like the world to know of the three lessons I have just learnt. I want my physicians to carry my coffin because people should realize that no doctor can really cure anybody. They are powerless and cannot save a person from the clutches of death. So let not people take life for granted. The second wish of strewing gold, silver and other riches on the way to the graveyard is to tell people that not even a fraction of gold will come with me. I spent all my life earning riches but cannot take anything with me. Let people realize that it is a sheer waste of time to chase wealth. And about my third wish of having my hands dangling out of the coffin, I wish people to know that I came empty handed into this world and empty handed I go out of this world." 

 Soon he let death conquer him and breathed his last. . . .

5 options

Talking to a friend about different options for dealing with an unhappy relationship, we concluded that there are five options for an unhappy relationship.

1. Stay unhappy and in constant torment. (Should not be an option, as nobody deserves continuous unhappiness)

2. Accept it - as our parents' generation did with arranged marriages. 

3. Create a parallel life - with something else as the source of happiness like a hobby or a charity and ignore other person's nuisance.

4. Leave the relationship - often it's hard due to other factors involved like kids, religion, society, etc.

5. Commit suicide (I will never advise this to anyone)

On "Mir Taqi Mir"

Even Mirza Ghalib acknowledged Mir Taqi Mir as a bigger poet than him. Reason? He conveyed deepest emotions in simple language and in small baher. Following shyer of Mir Taqi Mir mesmerized me for days. What a beautiful way of conveying the haal of a lover. Not widely known but Mir Taqi Mir was a son of a sufi saint and his poetry was a disguise of Malamati Sufism - and was commonly sung by faqeers on Dilli's lanes.

Note - This shyr is controversial. This couplet has also been referred to a relatively unknown poet: MUNSHI ANWAR HUSAIN TASLEEM

A little Story (of a forever moment)

Har insaan ki zindagi main kuch lamhe aese hote hain, jo saari zindagi pe bhari hote hain - Kuch lamhe jo saari zindagi insaan ke saath saath chalte hain, jinhe shayed kabhi maut nahi aati..... Kabhi subah brush kerte, bus main charhte, purhajoom dawat main ya yunhi akele chai peete - aik dum se yun saamne aa khare hote hain, jese bus kal ki baat ho. Us lamhe ki wahi taazgi, wahi khusbu, wahi vibration ......Aese hi aik lamhe ki kahani

There was a time when there was a guy who I truly, deeply, madly loved. We were in a forest, no really, we were in a actual forest, somewhere deep. It was early night time. And I was sitting beside him and we were talking. I cannot tell you how lovely I felt at the time. I was in 2nd year in medical school. He was a year senior. And then it got really late and we lost the way back and he picked me up in his arms (difficult to believe but I was around 50 KG at that point in my life) and it was the most romantic thing ever. I literally felt I was like a feather. To this day, if someone passes by wearing the similar kind of perfume that guy used to wear, I stop in my tracks.  
Oh doctor, aatish tab jawaan tha.

Diamond(s)

Kehte hain Heera (Diamond) agar aurat ki ungli main ho to, jitna qeemti ho, utni hi aurat ki zindagi barh jaati hai - Aur - agar mard ki ungli main ho to, utni hi uski umar ghat jaati hai.

Shayed aesa is liye hai ke - aurat "heere" ke saroor main goom reh ker har gum bhool jaati hai - aur - mard is gum main ghul jaata hai, ke itne qeemti heere ki heefazat kis kis tarah karun!

Relax

Four Teachers

I always tell my kids, there are 4 teachers in life. Indeed, I was lucky to have all 4 in my life

1. Books
2. Travel
3. People (log)
4. Poverty

Read book everyday, even if its your wedding day. Travel if time and money permits, even a short day trip excursion to nearby places. Aur, insaan is kaainat ki sab se bari kitab hai. And I wish my kids get their share of days in life without a penny in pocket, scratching head to find a way out.

Running Water (Woman)

(I wish I knew the source)

Story of a Cherry tree

Once there was a large cherry tree next to a house. 

A little boy who lived in that house loved to come and play around it every day. He used to climb the tree , ate the Cherries, played around and took a nap under the shadow…He loved the tree and the tree loved to see him play. Time went by…The little boy grew, and he no longer played around the tree. 

One day, the boy came back to the tree with a sad look on his face. “Come and play with me,” the tree asked the boy. “I am no longer a kid, I don’t play around trees anymore.” The boy replied, “I want toys. I need money to buy them.” “Sorry, I don’t have money…but you can pick all my Cherries and sell them so you will have money.”     

The boy was so excited. He picked all the Cherries on the tree and left happily. The boy didn’t come back. The tree was sad. 

One day, the boy grown into a man returned. The tree was so excited. “Come and play with me,” the tree said. “I don’t have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?” “Sorry, I don’t have a house, but you can chop off my branches to build your house.” So the man cut all the branches off the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy didn’t come back afterward. The tree was again lonely and sad. 

 One hot summer day, the man returned and the tree was delighted. “Come and play with me!” The tree said. “I am sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?” “Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy.” So the man cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and didn’t come back for a long time. 

 Finally, the man returned after he had been gone for so many years. “Sorry, my boy, but I don’t have anything for you anymore. No more Cherries to give you.” The tree said. “I don’t have teeth to bite,” the man replied. “No more trunk for you to climb on.” “I am too old for that now,” the man said. “I really can’t give you anything… the only thing left is my dying roots,” the tree said with sadness. “I don’t need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years,” the man replied. “Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest. Come sit down with me and rest.” The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled. 

 The tree in the story represents our parents. When we are young, we love to play with them. When we grow up, we leave them and only come back when we need help. Parents sacrifice their lives for us.

On 'Mortality' & 'Simple Joys of Life'

Few days ago, someone asked me about mortality. Since that day, I wanted to share one finest thing, I ever read on mortality. Its from a well known American novel "Water for Elephants" authored by a Canadian, Sara Gruen. 

"I am ninety. Or ninety-three. One or the other. 

When you're five, you know your age down to the month. 

Even in your twenties you know how old you are. I'm twenty three, you say, or maybe twenty-seven. But then in your thirties something strange starts to happen. It's a mere hiccup at first, an instant of hesitation. How old are you? Oh, I'm-you start confidently, but then you stop. You were going to say thirty-three, but you're not. You're thirty-five. And then you're bothered, because you wonder if this is the beginning of the end. It is, of course, but it's decades before you admit it".

and

"Sometimes I think that if I had to choose between an ear of corn or making love to a woman, I'd choose the corn. Not that I wouldn't love to have a final roll in the hay-I am a man yet, and some things never die-but the thought of those sweet kernels bursting between my teeth sure sets my mouth to watering. It's fantasy, I know that. Neither will happen. I just like to weigh the options, as though I were standing in front of Solomon: a final roll in the hay or an ear of corn. What a wonderful dilemma. ...."