OK OK Enough of bakwaas,let’s hit the road now ..

Presenting a composition by Sehar. The title is : “Tu asti tarr” (If u were there..)

तू असती तर..

जगण्याला या कारण असते,तू असती तर..

दारालाही तोरण असते,तू असती तर ..

फुले वाहिली नसती इथल्या धोंड्यांना मी , तू असती तर ..

घरात काशी पैठण असते, तू असती तर ..

रात्र अन रात्र जागरण असते , तू असती तर ..

चंद्र केशरी मिठीत असता, तू असती तर ..

नैराश्याची कळी उगवली नसती कुठे, तू असती तर ..

सदैव हसरे आंगण असते ,तू असती तर ..

जगण्याला इथे प्रत्येकाला आकाश मिळे ,

माझेही तारांगण असते, तू असती तर ..

The poem is simple.About some situations where  you feel somebody is required. Some places in your life where you feel you are incomplete. Instances in life where you badly need somebody for a company. This void is being explained by my friend with some simile , apostrophe etc etc..

तू असती तर..

जगण्याला या कारण असते,तू असती तर..

दारालाही तोरण असते,तू असती तर ..

फुले वाहिली नसती इथल्या धोंड्यांना मी , तू असती तर ..

Time for some explanation now..The poet is trying hard to explain what he is missing in his life due to absence of that special person…He says if it was you, My life would have had meaning, If you were there, my door would have had ornament/decoration( तोरण = decoration/festoons.) Actually तोरण indicates that the home is a happy, peaceful place.But absence of this special person means the door is also abreast of the तोरण. I wouldn’t have had offered flowers to the stones over here if only u were here.The guy is lost in love so much that he is considering worthless to pray to god when she is not in his life…

घरात काशी पैठण असते, तू असती तर ..

रात्र अन रात्र जागरण असते , तू असती तर ..

चंद्र केशरी मिठीत असता, तू असती तर ..

If u were there, my home would have been equivalent to the sacred holy places(Kashi/Banaras). This also means that my home/life would have been heaven if only you were there in my life. My nights would have been eventful if only u were there.. And the moon would have been in an golden embrace if only u have been here.Indeed a good thought of taking an honeypot(Saffron) like moon in our arms.

नैराश्याची कळी उगवली नसती कुठे, तू असती तर ..

सदैव हसरे आंगण असते , तू असती तर ..

जगण्याला इथे प्रत्येकाला आकाश मिळे , तू असती तर ..

माझेही तारांगण असते, तू असती तर ..

If only u were there, there would not have been a trace of depression in my life. The bud of solace would not have had emerged in the first place if only u were present in my life. The life would have been full of laughter and happiness if only u were there. Everyone gets his own part of sky for his survival.But, I don’t have any..The part of sky that belonged to me would have existed if only you were there in my life…

That’s it folks!! I hope that I have made you aware of the situation of my friend. My efforts are sincere to the core and please please please, do wish all the best to my friend for finding that special one in his life. I do pray to the god that somebody somewhere is made for each other and it is a matter of time and chance that we meet that special one.Never ever lose hope and keep your eyes and heart open.Never know, love can be just 1 step away !!

(Mrudgandh = Scent of Earth, Shraap = Curse)

I would like to mention here that I really adore the scent of earth and find it inexplicably invigorating.But the concept of this perfume as curse just triggered a storm of ideas that got violent and violent until this composition was delivered ( Call about pressure of delivery )

The composition goes something like this:

सावलीच्या सोबतीला कधी सहवासाचा ध्यास असतो ,

श्वासांमधल्या अगतिकतेला आठवणींचा भास असतो,

खरचटलेल्या प्रेमात माझ्या जगण्याचाही संताप असतो ,

कोरड्या अश्रूत माझ्या मृदगंधाचा श्राप असतो ..

Translation

The shadow sometimes is in pursuit of a company(of somebody) ,

The uneasiness of breath gives an illusion of a memory,

My wounded love is frustrated with life(OR rather it’s existence)

My dry tears have got a Curse in form of Scent of Earth.

Seems sadistic? confused? frustrated? full of demise? full of anger?

Let me give it a try to explain more about it(Rather it’s beauty )..

My interpretation starts with the last line which mentions about “Curse in form of Scent of Earth”

The line is : “My dry tears have got a curse in form of Scent of the earth”

“कोरड्या अश्रूत माझ्या मृदगंधाचा श्राप असतो …”

The eyes have shed so much tears that there is dryness in eyes and if at all, the tears come … They are spreading a perfume of soil( Kind of smell you get when drop of rain water falls on a dry soil) Now the message/expression here I want to convey is, the tears are so much shed that eyes are dry and looking like layer of dry soil(If u can imagine)And the tear coming thereafter is spreading a perfume of soil. This perfume is considered good by others, but for me it is a curse because it is bringing back a memory…The memory again, is forcing me to cry.Through dry eyes again,tear drops roll. Hope this little explanation gives you an idea of “A curse in form of scent of earth”.

The third line of the poem needs a special mention here as it got some good reviews from my friends.I got a completely different perspective thanks to Shivesh.The third line:

My wounded love is frustrated with life(OR rather it’s existence)

खरचटलेल्या प्रेमात माझ्या जगण्याचाही संताप असतो

The wounded love is very much frustrated with life.The bleeding love is angry with the life and it’s strange ways.But with shivesh’s explanation,the interpretation goes like this. The love is actually frustrated over it’s own existence.What is the need for the existence of love when it is so much depleted and defeated in life. Kudos to Shivesh for this out-of-box thinking. I think this is also a good explanation for the third line.

Feeling too distraught? Getting bored ? Let me add some more to your agony and “try” to explain 2nd line and then the first line.You can skip the further explanation if you want to.Even I am going through the motions while writing this. Seeing your own composition through different glasses is indeed interesting. And putting it in front of the world is indeed a difficult task I must say !!

Now moving onto our next explanation for line 2 :

श्वासांमधल्या अगतिकतेला आठवणींचा भास असतो,

The uneasiness of breath gives a false notion of remembering somebody

What should I say? The line is a bit confusing you can say! The uneasiness of the breath you experience sometimes, I want to associate memories with that.The word भास् means a mirage/illusion in Marathi.So, the illusion of memories you get when you are feeling uneasy is a striking concept I can say   Did it struck you ??  Please let me know!!

Just wanted to quote a nice anecdote for this line:

यादें, कभी महफ़िल में तन्हा छोड़ जाती हैं

कभी तन्हाई में महफ़िल सजा देती हैं ..

Hope that sums up all whatever I want to say..

Now, let’s finally get into the line 1.Line 1 goes something like this:

सावलीच्या सोबतीला कधी सहवासाचा ध्यास असतो ,

The shadow sometimes is in pursuit of a company(of somebody),

To put it straight, Shadow is in pursuit of a company.But the beauty is accentuated when I say that even my shadow does not need my company.It is in pursuit of somebody else!And to add to the agony, Shadow is having a hope !! (Even when I don’t have any)

Ahhhh.. That’s it folks!! Thanks for being with me till this point.You may feel I have gone overboard in describing the pain,agony,sadness of a totally lost person.But I must say I really enjoyed thinking on these lines.The feeling of ecstasy I enjoyed while writing expressions for “Curse in form of scent of earth” is still unfathomable for me.I tried to put in my maximum for  translating this prose and explain my point of view to you.Really don’t know how much I have succeeded.Would like to know more from you…

P.S:  Nowhere I intend to say I am a failed lover.I am just putting in my words.Nowhere these are my real life experiences.This is work of  my imagination and feelings.Please don’t attach any tag to me(Lover, Majnu, Lute hue ashiq, blah blah blah ) You are free to attach tags to this poem!!

Do put me a mail at mandarisunique@indiatimes.com if some explanation is needed.

Keep Reading.Keep Blogging.Keep Smiling.

Saaki

Saaki is oftenly used word in urdu shayari. Saaki is often referred to the bar-tender who serves you drink in a bar.’Saaki’ as a word is not gender specific, but the poets most probably use a lady for bringing more effect to shayari. If u ask me, the scenario of a lady serving you a drink who has got the looks to kill is a sure enough recipe to make your imagination go wild.The metaphors,similies,anagrams,allegory,euphimism all come calling if you are believing in such a situation.But Saaki is still elusive,complex,mystery for me…

Sometimes this person is also referred to as the healer solves your problem over a drink.Saaki may also be your secret keeper, who keeps the forlorn secrets with herself. (The secrets that you spill out during a drinking session). Saaki may be the entertainer who keeps you in good ‘spirits’ by sharing some jokes or anecdotes.Saaki can be the preacher who gives the worldly wisdom to you.Saaki can be the philosophy of your life.You refer to saaki as the life which serves you with the day-to-day experience! Saaki can be a good  friend who is with you only during drinking session but enlightens you with his/her presence. The best saaki  can be your lover who not only serves you drink but loves you as well.This saaki can take all the roles mentioned above.

To quote from the famous song Saaaki Saaki (Film: Musafir , Year: 2004 )

साकी से मोहब्बत होती है , हर रोज़ शिकायत होती है

पीने को मेरे पीना ना कहो , यूँही तो इबादत होती है !!

I am putting here some najms of mine dedicated to saaki.Though I am not a regular drinker but I really feel excited to write about drinks,bar and the beauty(Saaki to be more specific). “MadhuShala” by Hariwanshray Bacchanji and my friend Abhishek have played a crucial role in glorifying the real beauty of “Haala” !! So readers, soak into the spirits of saaki and have a blissful experience reading these shayris.Your feedback/comments are welcome as always.

Keep reading.Keep blogging.Keep Smiling.

*******************************************

तेरे साए में रहते हुए साकी ,

तेरी मस्ती का जाम हमने छलकते हुए पी लिया …

तेरी ज़िन्दगी से जाते हुए साकी ,

तेरी जुदाई का घूंट भी हमने हंसते हुए पी लिया !!!

*******************************************

साकी ने भर दिया जाम ,मेरा दिल खाली कर दिया …

इस बुझती हुई रात को जशन-ऐ-दिवाली कर दिया …

बस दरख्वास्त यही है खुदा से , ये जाम कभी कम न हो ..

छलक जाए आँखों का पैमाना , इतना भी मुझे ग़म न हो !!!

*******************************************

हमें अपने हाल पे छोड़ दे साकी ,

पीने दे चार घूंट जो कुछ हैं बाकी ..

इस रात का आलम कहता है जी ले ..

ज़िन्दगी है चार घूँट हंसते हुए पी ले !!

*******************************************

Do write in to mandarisunique@indiatimes.com if you need some help in understanding this.Awaiting your comments

P.S : For some more good shayaris dedicated to Saaki refer to  http://anonymouspoet.rediffiland.com/blogs/2008/11/22/Saaki-Ka-Ghar.html

Upwardly, it seems that testimonials are only written to flatter people.A form of  bragging if u say so.Full of praise, decorated with flowery and goodie goodie words or else just copy-pasted from some other testimonial.These are just some examples of Testimonials I hate.My testimonial philosophy says that a person should be worthy enough to have a testimonial written for him.

जिसपे सर ना झुक जाए, उसे दर नहीं कहते …

हर दर पे जो झुक जाए, उसे सर नहीं कहते ….(Just Love these lines )

The testimonial should be written for a person worth his salt.Just because he has done something stupendous for you, or he behaves as per your liking, or he is “the best” shouldn’t be the reason(s) one should write testimonial.Rather, if you ask me personally, the motive behind writing testimonial should be to put the real human being in front of others and not the utterly qualified, glorified ” superhuman”(If u may say so).

I am posting here, some orkut testimonials I have written in past 6 months or so..The experience is always special of putting the “person” in the limit of 1024 words. Just enjoyed writing the testimonials.Hope you too will ehnjaay reading them as well.

Keep reading.Keep Blogging.

Note: These are not the guidelines or “testimonial” or the best example of how to write testimonials.They are posted here just for pure fun.

**********************************************************************************************************

Testmonial for : Rachit Raman(Classmate at SCIT,Pune)

I am proud to say, he belongs to the elite SSM club.SSM stands for Single, Sensitive and Mad club. Rachit is active member of this club and has been in this club from its inception i.e. July 2008. Don’t go on the childish face and frail body structure because the appearances can be deceptive. Nonetheless, this guy has got a strong character and a golden heart.A friend of friends and will always stand firm for his team and friends.I believe he is an open book to study Team dynamics and team building.

Excellent team player and a core entertainer.

Ab sahi baat batayein toh thodasa aalsi hai aur baat jyada karta hai yeh ladka.Ladkiyon se sharafat sse pesh aata hai aur koson door rahne ki koshish karta hai.Lekin “character” hi aisa hai ki ladkiya khinchi chali aati hain

Padhaai ke mamle me kahein toh bhaisaab thodese aalsi hi hain..Apne dimaag ko sahi jagah lagaye toh tarakki kar hi sakta hai…Bass willpower ki baat hai..

Wish you best of luck for ur life Buddy!!! Thnx for being my frnd !!

**********************************************************************************************************

Testimonial for : Shwetambari Gulhane

Ok Ok ..so I accept I got 10% in “How well do u know Shwetambari Gulhane” quiz in Facebook. This is an attempt to compensate for that. To tell you v.frankly only 7 questions can’t cover all the aspects of an personality as diversified & colourful as Shweta.

She is kinda adventurous,sporting and seems a tough nut to crack outwards. I was actually astonished when she asked me to accompany her to SiddhiVinayak Temple(Dadar).I think I got my first glimpse of a caring, sensible and a serious Shweta through this gesture.

Then onwards,it has been a long journey of understanding this bindaas,frank,kabhi Girly kabhi Tomboyish,kabhi cheerful kabhi gloomy,kabhi careful kabhi careless,kabhi intelligent kabhi ‘Bhaitaad’,kabhi chirpy kabhi khamosh.I m still clueless.

She is crazy for fitness,shopping,hritik,salman,dancing,party etc.

Had a wonderful time watching movies,watching dramas,trekking(The trekking queen somebody said?)with her.

Wish all the best for your future life,Shweta!

Keep the Party of Life going !!!

**********************************************************************************************************

Testimonial for : Nitin Kr. Maurya

Sorry for writing this testimonial so late.But this was there for a long time in my mind. To write about a multifaceted personality as Nitin is not an easy task,you see!!I have seen the eccentric,humorous,sensible,jocular,easy-going,hurt,dejected,high-spirits, mischievous,smart, hard-hitting,jovial,freak moods of this man in the last 1 year. The upwardly jovial,happening Nitin has many undertones to it.That is an Artist’s panache, I believe!!

His works of art are on display in his album.They are self explanatory.But I would like to throw light on the other part of Nitin’s life. That part is – Going to limits to help others,Tech Savvy,Trying out new things (Just like me ) ,Freaking out with friends,Travelling,Keeping contacts intact…

Time for some confessions though!!He has been my partner in crime in watching movies, reaching out to places at moment’s notice,doing some unexplainable shopping etc etc.

Only 1 suggestion Bro,Never ever let ur shoulders down! V r and will always b there !!

**********************************************************************************************************

Testimonial for: Silja Nair

I m feeling very lucky as I am writing the first ever testimonial for Silja.At the same time, i wonder how come Silja haven’t had a testimonial yet ?This simple girl with her “girl next door” image might go unnoticed in a crowd but not even a single testimonial is really bad,Silja.

Or it might be the case that this humble girl might have rejected the testimonials Chalo,bahot ho gaya.Lets hit the road now.

Silja, a very shy,quite and intelligent girl.A rare combination of Beauty and Brains I have seen(Yeh thoda jyada ho gaya, Sorry) The first thing you notice about her is her smile and the calmness.The elegance,helping nature & the coolness quotient is appreciable.Rarely seen a content and happy girl as Silja.Though she is from a conservative family, she has an open mind and her own thinking which I really adore.

Here is a girl with a beautiful face but no great deal of air about it.

Feels great to have a friend like you,Silja!

Be confident & cheerful always!

**********************************************************************************************************

Testimonial for : Nidhi Chaudhary

The drama queen,oops Overdrama queen of our class !!Ghadi ghadi nautanki karne me jawaab nahi iss ladki ka ..Just look at the hyper in each n every emotion that she depicts…

Bhagwan se Haryana ka 1 dost maanga tha ..Aur bhagwan ne iss pagal se milwa diya !! Thats why,i am proud to tell you,she is member of the SSM club(Single,Sensitive and Mad).

Movie dekhna aur ratna isska bahot purana shauk hai (kitna purana pata nahi)Lekin maan gaye iss ladki ko.Andaz apna Apna aur Dil chahta hai me toh PhD haasil karni chahiye mohatarma ne..Mimicry ki 1 jhalak se pata chalta hai ki drama ka talent kitna kuut kuut ke bhara hai..

Ab ladki wali bhi koi baat nahi iss meinChoclate nahi khati,Golgappe nahi khati,Icecream nahi khati ..

Hey bhagwan, iss ladki ko aise kaise bhej diya apne?

Jokes apart, she is a real fun loving girl with a go-get-it attitude..Really lights up the environment whenever she is around.Really like her relaxed attitude towards true friends.

Thnx for being my friend ,Nidha !

********************************************************************************************

Testimonial for : Kinjal Ramaiya

Iss insaan me chhupe rakshass ko mai kareen kareeb 7 mahine se janta hun ..

Lekin sirf itna janta hun ki Awaaz bhale hi kitni bhi Khunkhaar ho, Ht/Wt bhale hi kitna bhi XXL ho, jubaan/language kitni hi “Saaf” ho, hansi kitni hi badsurat ho, jokes kitne hi bakwaas ho, ladkiyon se kitna hi flirt karta ho,kitna bhi “BESHARAM” ho, lekin banda dil ka accha hai..

A good team mate ,thinking of the team first always,Excellent comm skills,computer geek in many ways, gaming freek,always friendly,never seen depressed etc,etc..

1 suggestion for u,bro… Just Make sure not to go overboard anytime,anywhere…

Ur character is ur strength,ur personality..Maintain good mixture of decency with fun and u r bound to succeed

Baaki aur kuch kahne ke liye raha nahi hai waise toh ..

Hanste raho,jeeyo dil se

********************************************************************************************

Testimonial for : ManindraNath Kalsa

Hmm…Time to write about an unpolished diamond in our class.. Mani,if you see him in group would like to keep a quite profile. However once you give him a weak link, he will pounce upon the opportunity like a hungry lion(Bengal Tiger said somebody?) Ask Sandeep/Prashant for better results.This guy hasn’t asked a single qn in class as far as I remember.However, he is a completely transformed guy once he is asked to make presentation!(Believe me!) There are many epics around mani’s presentation(Bryan adams episode,Banking ppt episode)

He is generally lazy.Would rather like to listen to stories rather than study/read!

Mani’s dancing skills are at par in whole of the campus as far as I believe.Like Govinda, he enjoys dancing and dances effortlessly.[:P] A perfect folly for me in listening rock music and playing cricket.1 more thing about Mani is his Graphiti wall.Mani as an artist is great at drawing sketches and has developed a knack of drawing cartoons of some famous(?) personalities during the lecture sessions. The next place for these masterpieces is the Graphiti wall which

will truly be a souveneir as long as my MBA days are considered. Hats off to Mani for this interesting concept. Would really like to display the Graphiti Wall Snap over here but because of some reasons the Graphiti Wall can’t be displayed over here.

Mani is a sincere guy at heart and enjoys life to it’s fullest in his own SSM way(Simple, Sensuous and Musical way)

Be as u are, buddy !!

Best wishes for a successful life ahead !!

****************THE END****************

This is a recent addition to my poetry.Marathi poetry is not new to me but writing good stuff is always a challenge I believe.After hearing Sandip Khare I was etching to write something good in Marathi.And I think I have came up with a decent prose I guess

The title “Kadhi asach tila pahun watata” says it all.This is a story of feelings you go through for that “special” person in your life.The questions asked are very personal yet the answers are supposed to be known to that special person.I think this proximity, this closeness is enjoyed by very few people in our life.The one with whom we share something more than words.Our eyes, our emotions, our experiences are like an open book for them which they can refer to and read whenever they want to.

The other part is our anxiety,eagerness,questions. These special person are “know-why” and “know-how” people according to me.They always are there, not only to help you but to tell you the destinations/solutions as well.Terms like Guide/Friend/Mentor/Life-partner are too small to explain this relation.

The third part of this poem is simplicity.I think I am asking these questions to myself just looking casually at her.There is no special “purpose” to ask these questions to myself.Just came to mind that “How could this happen?”.I strongly feel that such simplicity is the soul of marathi poems.I am trying not to have any “bounds” on the expressions and let the prose be easy on the heart and mind as well.

Hope the message is clear from my side.Now just ehnjaay the poem.

Write back to me for any queries/comments/feedback.

कधी असंच तिला पाहून वाटतं ,

काय माझं मन तिला कळतं ??

का माझे जीवन गाणे तिला शब्दासवे जुळते ? ?

का माझी तळ-मळ तिच्याच कानावर रुळते ? ?

का हे मनाचे कोडे तिच्या डोळ्यांमधेच खुलते ? ?

अन हि अंतराची कळी फ़क़्त तिच्या ओठांवरच फुलते ?

कधी असंच तिला पाहून वाटतं ….

का ही रात्र तिच्या केसांमध्ये संपते ?

का हे फूल तिच्या स्मितासरशी झुलते ?

का हे चांदणे तिच्या वाटेवरच पडते ?

अन का हे आभाळ तिच्या रंगातच रंगते ?

कधी असंच तिला पाहून वाटतं ….

Keep smiling.Keep writing,Keep Blogging !!!

So somewhere down the line, I don’t know when, I decided to change the world only and started to see the world from a new view(Hence the title “Meri nazar se”).It has been a pleasant experience so far seeing world in an altogether different view..Where you are trying to relate things, trying to seek a logical/illogical explanation for everything happening around you.And believe me, it is a feeling which is to be experienced rather than explained.During this journey, I tried to explain my view,my world in the language I feel is close to my heart.Though the medium chosen was Urdu/Hindi, the words are more from the heart than the language ..

To begin with, I can say that I was fascinated with SMS shayaris, shayaris from my friends(Uday, Kartik, Vivek, Amey to say a few), shayaris seen in films(especially FANAA was rocking), the shayaris exchanged during chatting, some forums etc. But the turning point for me turning to shayari was I think the Ghazals..this credit goes to Amey and my mobile’s song collection of course.The passion of Amey combined with some magic moments in chatting with Kartik,Unmesh and Savi roller coasted me into a world, where my poetic journey got kickstarted.The backing of Sachin,Uday,Alok,Nirav,Ankit and unspoken magic of Jagjit Singh et al was always there(Not to mention)…But then, first step is always important…

The first meaningful composition from me, as far as I remember, goes something like this:

“मंजील है मेरे सामने ,
हमसफ़र की तलाश में हूँ ,
जान नहीं है साथ ,
बस जीन्दा लाश में हूँ …

(I have destination in sight,but i am looking for my compatriot…
This body is lifeless,only a caricature is moving..)
written in Kartik’s scrapbook on April 12th 2008.From thereon,I have moved ahead in this journey to cover new grounds.The journey has touched many a topics(which I will cover in another blog), but the journey has been eventful.My friends have taken me this far and it really feels proud to look back at those milestones and relive those moments again.Alas! Life is not that easy!! The show must go on,wanderers must also..

Again to quote 1 more composition of mine ( enough of self-praise )

कारवाँ तो चलता रहेगा ,
मुसाफीर बदलते रहेंगे ,
देंगे साथ आखरी दम तक , ये दावा तो हम करते नहीं ,
तुम्हे मील जाए मंजिल एक दीन, ये दुवा जरुर करते हैं …

I truly believe that, the journey has just begun …I really need wishes(Duwayein) from all you my friends, well-wishers, critics, readers!This is the fuel to keep me running.So keep pouring in those flowers/brickbats at me to let me know where I am leading.After all, it’s the first step in the journey that matters & I really don’t want to falter at this first step…

Keep Reading!! Keep Smiling!! Keep Blogging!!!