Mother of Moses

Duniya main ma baap se barh ker bara dukh kis ka hoga ke - they have to let their kids go.

Kubhi kubhi sochta hun, jub musa ki ma ne use bakse main band ker ke darya main chora hoga to us ka dil kin kin tufanon se guzra hoga !

Scientists

I think, people who study science are more near to God, mother nature, spirituality, supreme being or whatever you call it. One of the fundamental reason for it as they gain the strength of saying: "I don't know" !

Main ne khuda ko apne iradon ki shikhast se paya hai - Hazrat Ali

Bojh

Aaj kul jub bachhon pe kitabon, baston aur home-work ka bojh dekhta hun to saleem kausar ka ye misrah bohut yaad aata hai ke:

Sarak banane ki dhun main logon ne pag-dandian kaat di

Bhoot !!

- Eid pe khususi tehreer


Amma batati hain ke bachpan main, main neend se uth ker chalne lagta aur poochta jata ke "Woh white white cheez kiya hai?" (meri schooling english medium hui shayed isi liye white white kehta tha).

Aik to shuru se kuch mera rujhan paranormal cheezon ki taraf tha aur phir doston, kitabon, filmon aur tajarbat ka kuch aesa asar para ke aik zamane main mujhe paranormal, parapsychological, new age wagera type ka literature parhne ka addiction ho gaya. 1994 se 2001 tuk ka zamana woh tha jub main ne is mozun per sekron kitabain khanghal daalin. Horror films dekhne ka shoq isi silsile ki kari hai. OOB (out of body) ki mashq kerne ki behuda adat, ruhain bulane ki tarqeebain wagera bhi isi zamane ka shakhsana hai. Sunsan galion, qabarstaon aur 'haunted house' khangalne ka janoon (to be a ghost buster) usi dor ki yaadgarain hai. Ooper se internet ne jalti pe tel ka kaam kiya. Aaj bhi agar aap mujhe waqt dain to main ghanton beth ke is mozun pe parh sakta hun aur youtube ki videos dekh sakta hun.

Ye tamheed baandhne ke baad agar aap mujh se poochain ke: "what's the point?", to ye ke:

Bhoot, bad-ruhain, churailain, peechal-paherian, jinn aur is tarah ki kai mawraye-nazar makhlukat (ya aap jitne naam sun chuke hain), is kaainat ka hissa hain magar yaqeen kijye unhe aap ko nazar aane aur tang kerna ka koi shoq nahi. Jo kuch aap ne parha hai ya suna hai woh 90% bulke 95% jhoot, darog goi, factuation, aadha sach, ya phir khud bayan kerne wale ka nafsiyati problem hai. (Just to note: in this regard, concept of schizophrenia remained my favourite and you should watch the movie - 'A Beautiful Mind').

Ye sab cheezain hamare saath rehti hain magar unki apni duniya aur apne masail hain. Insaan un se bari makhlooq hai. Siwaye shaitan ke kisi ke paas itna power nahi ke insaan ko haunt kare. Aur agar kubhi aesa ho bhi to un ko bhagnae ke liye quran ki 2 ayatain (ya jo mazhabi kitab aap folllow kerte hon) bulke kisi sufi ka kalam, koi bhajan, koi ginan - bulke mirza ghalib ke ashar bhi kafi hain !!

Insaan ko agar darna hai to un buraion se dare jo shaitan us pe daalta hai.

Awwal to choti burian jo "addiction" ki surat main insaan ko pakar leti hain - Smoking, paan, chai, hukka, charas, sharab, pornography - ye woh bhoot hain, woh churailain hain jin se chutkara ziyada zaroori hai. Ye insaan ko ghulam bana leti hain, nuqsan paunchati hain aur zillat ka dum deti hain !

Dastane-ameer-hamza main kisi gumnam jazeere pe aik badruh umru ki gardan pe charch gai aur umru jese ayyar ko bhi peecha churana mushkil ho gaya.

Aur us se bhi azeem bari burian hain - gussa, hasad, jalan, garoor, taqat, hirs, lalach wagera - jinhe dusre mazahib main Kam (Lust), Krodh (Rage), Lobh (Greed), Moh (Attachment) aur Ahankar (ego) kaha gaya hai - ye woh balain hain jinka "exorcism" sab se ziyada zaroori hai.

Agar aap kubhi mazaron pe gaye hain to wahan halwa bata jata hai. Halwa ya mithai jin paanch cheezon se banti hai woh hai doodh (kheer), cheeni (khand) , ghee (grath), ata (bhojan) aur saaf paani (amrat) - ye ishara hai ke aadmi darguzar, pyar, haleemi, qanat aur sachhai ki zindagi guzare.

Khush rahiye, abad rahiye, mithai ka mafhoom yaad rakiye aur khub Eid manaiye !

Eid Mubarak.

kohtaiyan aur bud-amaliyan

Ooper wale ki taraf se kohtaiyon ki to muaafi hai magar bud-amaliyon ki khub pakar hai. Us ki koi muaafi nahi.

Woh purani imaratain

Jub hum 7 - 8 baras ke hote the to mohalle main aur ilaqe main nikal ker makanoN pe likhi taarikhaiN parha kerte. Purani se purani imarat dhundhte. Pehle zamane main jub koi imarat bunti to uspe imarat ke naam ke saath san (year) likhwa diya jaata jese "aastanae-ameer san 1962", "nageena building 1944" , "Zainab manzil 1954", "kaashane-jameel 1971" wagera wagera. Koi ziyada shoqeen hota jese hamare taya the to - unhon ne hamari haweli pe pakistan ke 2 parcham bhi banwa diye. Koi sher likhwa leta. Garz ye ke imarat jitni purani hoti uske makeen mohalle main utne izzat dar samjhe jaate. Imarat ki banne ki taarikh aur us se jure makeenoN buzurgoN ke qisse bayan kiye jate.

Phir waqt badal gaya !

Imarat jitni purani hoti us ki qeemat utni kum hone lagi. Log koshish kerne lage "jitna naya 'house' ho behtar hai". Sidhi baat hai - imarat jitni purani hogi utne bakhere hon ge. Repair ka kharch barhe ga. Plumbing khasta hogi. Deewaron ke andar shayed deemak bhi ho aur kaun jaane kahan koi bhoot hi chupa betha ho. Aur sab se barh ker, jub phir bechne nikalo to purane makan ki "resell value" bohut kum hoti hai.

makanoN pe se uske banne ke saal mitte gaye!

Aur phir purana makan tor ke, uski jagah 'town homes', 'apartments 'aur buland-o-bala 'towers' ne le li. Raton raat purkhon ke makan ne logoN ki chandi ker di. Shaher aahista aahista cement ke darbon (cage) main badal gaye.

Ye hai woh safar jo hum ne iqdar (values) ki duniya se tijarat (commercial) ki duniya tuk kiya. Baqol Nasir Kaazmi

Akele Ghar se poochti hai be-kasi
tera diya jalane wale kiya huwe

Yeh aap hum to bojh hain zameeN ka
ZameeN ka bojh uthane wale kiya huwe

Fear Factor

Jub Barkatullah ka mujhe phone aaya to main samjha karachi se phone hai magar ye sun ker meri hairat ki intaha na rahi ke woh San Diego se bol raha hai. Barkatullah se meri aakhri mulaqat 15 baras pehle hui thi, jub main ne karachi chora. Barkatullah pehle hamare mohalle main rehta tha phir woh log kahin aur shift ho gaye magar mulaqat rehti thi. Barkatulla cricket kamal ki khelta tha. Gazab ka spin bowler tha. Sara din mohalle main awara gardi kerta, cricket khelta aur mohalle ki hur committee main shamil kiya jata tha. School se bhagna roz ka mamul tha.

Main ne poocha: "Tum San Diego main ho?". Us ne bataya aik biomedical company ki international advisory board main shamil hai aur asian region ko represent kerne aaya huwa hai.

Meri gari ne aik jhatka khaya. Main ne kaha: "Excuss me ! Tum Barkatullah hi bol rahe ho na?"

Us ne zor ka kehkaha mara aur bola: "Haan main wahi tumhara mohalle ka shararti bachha, Barkatullah hun".

Kafi batain hui. Lekin un baton main uski batai hui ye baat qabile zikar hai. Jub main ne poocha ke itni taraqqi kese ker li, to us ne kaha:

"Iska sara credit mere walid ke optimistic attitude ko jata hai, jinhon ne hamari nakaamion ko bhi gale se lagaya. Abbu sunday ko hone wale mere sare match dekhne aate. Main wickets lun ya mujhe chakke pare, abbu tareef hi kerte ke, 'chakka lug gaya magar tumhari gugli kamal ki thi'. Tum to jaante ho hum bas 'hand to mouth' log the aur ye bhi ke main school main kitni mushkilon se paas hota tha. Magar jub bhi paas hota, abbu khub khush hote aur mithai le ker ghar aate. Jis din mera metric ka nateeja nikla, abbu office main the. Woh mithai ka dabba le ker ghar aaye. Main ne darte darte bataya ke abbu main fail ho gaya hun. Woh has ke bole: 'chalo koi nahi, har saal paas hone pe mithai khate hain, is baar fail hone pe sahi'. Abbu ke is tarah ke 'attitude' ne mere ander se nakaami ka khauf nikal diya. Mujh main opportunities ko avail kerne ki ajeeb taqat aa gai. Risk lene ka dar khatam ho gaya. Aur jub main ne zindagi main race pakri to dorta hi chala gaya".

Ye ander chupa dar hi hai, jo insaan ko aage nahi barhne deta. Hum me se kitne log hain jo apni aulad ko kamyabi se ziyada nakaam hona sikhate hain - ke 'how to move on with failure ?' !!

Rajab Ali

Due to General Zia's flirt (and abuse) with Islam, lot of cultural destruction happened in Pakistan, including its vibrant film industry. Is pe itna kuch likha gaya hai ke - anything to write further is nothing but redundant.

When people asked Bill Gates about spread of pornography via internet, he replied: "First thing men did is chalking pornography over caves' wall. Humans grow out of it" !

One very sweet and soft voice died or atleast lost with that is of Rajab Ali. I heard last of him visiting USA 3 years back. Unfortunately, no major pakistani music site has his songs uploaded. He sung both in urdu and punjabi. Rajab ali ke gale main punjab ki ruh gaati thi !. If any one of you have info., please let me know.

Here is one of his song.

About bed and breakfast

If you want to know how a person will be in bed, watch the way he or she eats - signs of enjoying sinful indulgences at the dinner table ! - Annonymous

Anhone

Aaj se koi 24-25 baras pehle bharat main aik film bani thi - "Masoom" (Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi). Ye Shekhar Kapur ki pehli film thi. Is film ke dialogue aur gaane "Gulzar" shahab ne likhe the. Is film ka aik gana bohut mashoor huwa tha - lakri ki kaathi, kaathi pe ghora (see here). Ye baat shayed bohut kum log jaante hain ke ye film darasal Erich Segal ke novel "Man, Woman and Child" ki adaptation hai bulke shayed poora plot us pe bani angrezi film se hi liya gaya hai. Gulzar Shahab jese writer ko kahin se plot lene ki zaroorat nahi thi. Darasal unhon ne imandari se us rishte ko hamare culture main portray kerne ki koshish ki (aur khub kaamyab rahe).

Agar kisi din aap ko maalum ho ke aap ke ghar aik aesa bachha rehne aa raha hai jo aap ke shohar ki extra-marital 'one time sex' ki badolt najaaiz aulad hai - aur us bachhe ka ab is duniya main us ke baap ke siwa koi nahi ?

Is bat se qata'-nazar ke aap asli novel parhte hain, is novel pe bani Martin Sheen ki film dekhte hain ya us ka indian version, film Masoom dekhte hain -zaroori baat ye hai ke aap ka radde-amal kiya hota hai ? Zindagi main aksar aese rishte ban jaate hain, aksar aese waaqiyat ho jaate hain jo aam dagar se hut ke hote hain - Jin ka koi naam nahi hota hai. Woh bas hote hain. Unki koi explanation nahi hoti. "Society" ke aam riwajon aur bandhon ke mayar pe woh poore nahi utarte magar woh qisse, woh hakeektein apni tamam-tar sachchaiyon aur gherayion ke saath hamare aas paas rehti hain !

Shayed sub se ziyada zaroori ye baat hai ke - hum judgemental ho kar kisi pe tahumat lagane ka gunah na ker bethain !

Izzat, Daulat aur Shaurat

Kul Talat Hussain se "Aaj TV" pe General Zia ka aik qissa sunne ko mila. (At that time Talat was working as an assistant to Stephen Cohen)

General Zia aik din Stephen Cohen ke saath presidency ki balcony main khare huwe the jahan se poora Islamabad nazar aata tha. Unhon ne Stephen Cohen se poocha: "Do you know Mr. Cohen, why I stand here ?" . Stephen Cohen ne kaha: "I don't know". General Zia ne bari rauunat se jawab diya: "Because nothing in Islamabad escape from my eyes". Stephen Cohen ne poocha: "But what about your back ?". To General Zia ne jawab diya" Mountains are at my back" (mutlab ye tha ke Pakistan army, aur shayed he meant america, are at his back).

3 months later Zia died in a plane crash !

Izzat, Daulat aur Shaurat allah ka inaam, amanat aur aazmaish hai. Woh jise chahey bagair hisab deta hai. Magar insan ko halimi apnani chahiyye. Jo de sakta hai woh le bhi sakta hai. Jo cheez aaj hai, shayed kul na ho !!

The Bridges of Madison County

Agar aap ne Robert James Waller ka mashoore zamana novel "The Bridges of Madison County" parha ho to aap ko maalum hoga ke ye 171 pages ka, aik chota sa, aasan angrezi main likha huwa novel hai. Magar ye baat samjhne main mujhe barson lag gaye ke is novel main aesi kiya baat hai ke jis ne bhi parha (it sold so far 12 million copies), ye novel hamesah ke liye us ke dil main bas gaya. Per author of novel "certain moments in which the ordinary can take on rather extraordinary qualities."

Baat ye hai ke hum sub aik mikanki (mechanical) zindagi to guzarte hain, jis main shadian kerte hain, bachhe paida kerte hain, karobar kerte hain wagera wagera - magar zindagi ke kisi mor pe 2 ya 3 din aese aate hain (ye poora novel bus 4 din ki kahani hai) , jin ki yaadain dil ki deewar per aese sabt ho jaati hain ke poori zindagi pe bhari ho jaati hain. Agar aap ko novel parhne ka time nahi hai to Clint Eastwood aur Meryl Streep ki is novel pe bani film zaroor dekhiye (preferably read novel).

Ye dil saala wa'qiye bara harami hai ke, kese aik 45 saal ki aurat, do bachhon ki ma aur wafa shuar biwi, aik anjaane shaks ke sahar main zindagi bhar ke liye giraftar ho jaati hai - aur kehti hai: "Tum mujhe le jana chaho ge to main apne aap ko rok nahi paaun gi magar ye saali (damn) meri zimandarian - mere 2 bachhe aur mera shohar" !

Aur yeh hakeektein bhi saalee bari harami hain... un teen chaar dinon mein bhi peecha nahin chortien...



See these 2 clips, it will give you idea: Song, Robert leaving

Monsoon ke Baad

Log kehte hain september aur october main khub qudrati aaftain aati hain aur duniya main bare bare siyasi waaqiyat hote hain, magar mujhe september bohut achha lugta hai kiun ke, aasman se sub kuch dhulne ke baad ujla ujla khubsurat sa bara bara chand nikalta hai. Zameen ke janoobi hisse main rehne waalon ka chaand to september main bohut bara ho jata hai. Baqol Faiz

Chand ka dukh bhara fasanaye-noor
ShahrahoN ki khak main galtaaN

Pedro Zapeta ka bhayanak khawab

This is reverse version of "dubai chalo" nightmare !


Pedro Zapeta, an illegal immigrant, managed to save $59,000 while working as a dishwasher for 11 years. Two years ago, Zapeta was ready to return to Guatemala, so he carried a duffel bag filled with $59,000 -- all the cash he had scrimped and saved over the years -- to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. But when Zapeta tried to go through airport security, an officer spotted the money in the bag and called U.S. customs officials..........

Zapeta, who speaks no English, said he didn't know he was running afoul of U.S. law by failing to declare he was carrying more than $10,000 with him. Anyone entering or leaving the country with more than $10,000 has to fill out a one-page form declaring the money to U.S. customs. Officials initially accused Zapeta of being a courier for the drug trade, but they dropped the allegation once he produced pay stubs from restaurants where he had worked. Zapeta earned $5.50 an hour at most of the places where he washed dishes. When he learned to do more, he got a 25-cent raise.

After customs officials seized the money, they turned Zapeta over to the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The INS released him but began deportation proceedings....

"They are treating me like a criminal when all I am is a working man," he said.

Robert Gershman, one of Zapeta's attorneys, said federal prosecutors later offered his client a deal: He could take $10,000 of the original cash seized, plus $9,000 in donations as long as he didn't talk publicly and left the country immediately. Zapeta said, "No." He wanted all his money. He'd earned it, he said.

Marisol Zequeira, an immigration lawyer, said illegal immigrants such as Zapeta have few options when dealing with the U.S. government.

"When you are poor, uneducated and illegal, your avenues are cut," he said.

On Wednesday, Zapeta went to immigration court and got more bad news. The judge gave the dishwasher until the end of January to leave the country on his own. He's unlikely to see a penny of his money. "I am desperate," Zapeta said. "I no longer feel good about this country." Zapeta said his goal in coming to the United States was to make enough money to buy land in his mountain village and build a home for his mother and sisters. He sent no money back to Guatemala over the years, he said, and planned to bring it all home at once.

At Wednesday's hearing, Zapeta was given official status in the United States -- voluntary departure -- and a signed order from a judge. For the first time, he can work legally in the U.S. By the end of January, Zapeta may be able to earn enough money to pay for a one-way ticket home so the U.S. government, which seized his $59,000, doesn't have to do so.


Source: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/27/immigrant.money/index.html

Darguzar

Bus lafzon ka pher hai magar har mazhab ki pehli taalim yahi hai ke, saath ke insaanon se mohabbat karo aur darguzar se zindagi guzaro. Duniya main namaz, roze (means ritual of any religion) se bhi ziyada agar sab se mushkil koi kaam hai to 'everyday life' main darguzar ka wasaf apnana hai. Ye waqiya mujhe peechle dinoN aik 'iftar party' main sunne ko mila. I think its worth sharing.

"2 baras pehle ramzan ka ye waqiya hai. Meri nai nai shadi hui thi. Main roommates ko chor ker aik apartment main move ho gaya. Barabar ke apartment main aik hispanic family rehti thi. Woh mian biwi aur 4 bachhe the. 'Husband' construction worker tha aur biwi dusron ke gharon main 'maid' ka kaam kerti thi. Bachhe poora din ghar main uddham machate rehte. Aksar raat gaye tuk hamain awazain aati rehti thi. Kubhi bhagne dorne ka hangama aur kubhi deewar pe ball marne ki awaz. Humne 2/3 baar knock ker ke shikayat bhi ki. Un ko angrezi nahi aati thi. Main ne unki bari bachhi jo 12/13 baras ki hogi, se baat ki. 2/3 din khamoshi rehti phir wahi halla gulla. Main bhi thora 'honeymoon' phase main tha. Biwi ke saamne shahrukh khan bunne ka shoq tha. Aik din raat 11 baje hum bedroom main bethe laptop pe film dekh rahe the ke phir dhar dhar ki awazain shuru ho gai. Aik hafte se roze rukh rukh ke main kafi 'irritate' chal raha tha. Mujhe gussa aaya aur main ne police call ker li. Police aai to baat bohut aage barh gai. Woh yun ke police ne unka legal state check kerna shuru ker diya. Mian biwi undocumented the. Meri wajah se poori family dubara mexico deport ker di gai. xxxxx Bhai ! ab saari zindagi bhi roze rakhun to qayamat ke din meri khalasi nahi hogi. Zara si baat thi magar mere gusse ne woh aag bharkai ke 6 zindagian jal ker raakh ho gaiN".

Hawwa ki beti

Very touching poem, printed in urdu newspaper 'jang' (taken shamelessly from blog of 'suffering with behaviours' but paid off with my own translation and send it to editor of newspaper's magazine. I hope Ms. Shahida Israr Kanwal get it)

Daughter of Eve

Wearing shroud of 'customs'

little dreaded, little afraid

fearfully bundled in herself

either scared of (her own) loved ones, or of people

unaware of privilege of finding her own destiny

sustaining all atrocities, being doll of contentment

as sacrifice and suffering, from nature

granted to her with birth (in her genes)

And she !

knowing her 'evangelical rights' upto words only

(but) can't (even) move her lips

because her loved ones

told her to remember only her duties

and 'stuck' in this 'racket' since ever

atleast so far, she is unable to get freedom

Ratan Bai urf Rattie

Duniya main samandar se bhi gehra agar koi zakham hai to woh insaani rishton ka zakham hai.

Mohammad Ali Jinnah ko log 'man of iron will' kehte the. Agar kisi aik shakhs ne Pakistan banaya to woh Mohammad Ali Jinnah ka dimag tha (Its another story that we turned the biggest political achievement of 20th century into biggest fiasco). Aesa shaks zindagi main sirf 2 baar roya. Pehli baar jub woh apni biwi ki qabar ko matti de raha tha aur dusri baar jub hindustan chorne se pehle woh aakhri baari apni biwi ki qabar pe gaya!

Jub lambe baalon wali Ratan Bai urf Rattie, daughter of bombay's cotton tycoon Dinshaw Maneckji Petit, Mohammad Ali Jinnah ke ishq main giraftar hui to sirf 16 baras ki thi aur Jinnah ki umer 40 baras thi. 24 baras ki umer ka faraq bhi kuch na ker saka. Mohabbat ke liye rattie ne baap ka ghar chor diya aur jinnah ne raja shahab mehmoodabad se mili qimti anghuti rattie ko pehna di. Magar ye mohabbat, quaid-e-azam ki siyasi zindagi ki bhainat char gai. Shadi ke pehle 4 saal baad, ratti apni bachhi ko utha ker london chali gai magar jinnah ki mohabbat usey phir bombay khench laayi. Dono ki koshish ke bawajood ye 'relationship' nahi chali. Quaid-e-azam ki muslim leauge bar bar bich main aati rahi. Saali ratti ki sokan. Dono ki phir alehdgi ho gai. Rattie, jo ab maryiam thi, ko Jinnah ki mohabbat ka gum kha gaya. Apni 29win salgirah ke roz Rattie akelepan main bombay ke Taj Hotel ke aik kumre main is duniya ko chor gai.

Rattie khud to chali gai magar peeche aik zinda laash chor gai. Aik aesi laash jis ne Pakistan to bana diya magar apne dil ki weraniyaN na bhar saka. 18 baras baad bhi agar dubara roya to wahin jahan pehli baar roya tha !


* (baqol quaid-e-azam ke driver 'azad' ke, woh raat ki taariki main apni biwi aur beti ke kupron ko saamne rukh ker roya kerte the).

Main roze kiun nahi rakhta

Main roze kiun nahi rakhta,
Uska jawab hafeez jhalandari ki ye nazam hai.

(With beautiful English translation at sub-title)

Hadsa aik dum nahi hota

Urdu ke shayer qabil ajmeri ka sher hai

Waqt kerta hai parvarish barson
Hadsa aik dum nahi hota

(It takes an age to built, event does not happen instantly)

Agar aap apni zindagi pe nazar daalain to 20/30 baras pehle hone wale waqiye aaj se jure nazar aayain ge !

Ibne Insha

Urdu adab main 'mizah' bohut kum likha gaya magar jitna bhi likha gaya woh paaye (standard) ka likha gaya. Tamam zarafat likhne walon main ibne insha ka apna aik munfarid muqam hai. Agar aap mujh se poochain ke baqi "humorist" aur insha main kiya faraq hai to bus itna ke...baqi logon ki tehreeron pe ruk ruk ke hasi aati hai, magar insha ke hur jumle pe hasi aati hai.

You can read his book "Chalte ho to chin ko chaliye" online here