Haath ko Aaya, Muh na laga

I was sitting idle in the office, had no major pending tasks. So, went to the pantry, grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down to see the ships sailing away from harbour. This is the best place in Hongkong, my office pantry, facing the sea and sitting on 20th floor makes it even more tempting.

Suddenly my phone rings, its my mom. She tells me that someone from my colony is visiting Hongkong. So, do you want something? Normally I say No to all these things. It's not that I don't like sweets or home made snacks. It's because I am alone here these days and a loner can't eat so much and the amorous feelings that are being shipped by loved ones goes down in the dustbin, which I do not like.
However, this time I said ok and asked them to send some sweets and some new clothes as well.
I usually have this knack of getting overly excited about any such thing and then when it doesn't turn out well, I feel sad.
So, this friend from my neighbourhood didn't even called me once to collect the packet. I kept waiting for his call and after 3 or 4 days, my parents told me that he has came back and didn't find any time to deliver the packet. No need to say, I was a bit angry and disappointed at the careless attitude shown by my friend. However, I consoled myself and allowed me a treat of Rochers in place of "Boondi ke Ladoo". Haath ko Aaaya but Munh naa laga.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S

On a Saturday morning, I was humming the lines of the title score of the most popular TV series F.R.I.E.N.D.S and it was something like this-

"You're still in bed at ten, the work began at eight.
You've burned your breakfast, so far, things are going great.
Your mother warned you there'd be days like these,
But she didn't tell you when the world has brought you down to your knees."

I would say Ohhh Myyyy Gaaaad obviously mimicking the nasal touch of "I Hate Most" Jenice. I mean how these four lines have painted the true picture of life without even using a single stroke of philosophy. In the past 1 month, I started watching this TV series, I still wonder why I haven't watched it in my college or during the 5 years of my professional life. It has always been there with me. Many of my friends suggested me that I should join them as they used to discuss about it all the time but I never watched a single episode of it.

I think I didn't watched it previously as I was in my own central perk kind of place all these years, surrounded by my circle of trust. People like Chandler, Joey, Monica and Ross were surely there if not Phoebes or Rachel.

God doesn't give you a chance to choose your relatives as he thinks its his main job but he makes up with you by giving a chance to choose your friends. So, you choose friends who laugh with you and sometimes laugh at you, who not only listen to your woes but also understands them, they don't promise to solve your problems as they have their own conundrums in life but they stands with you , they don't have perfect answers for all your questions. However, just the thought of their presence makes you feel better.
So, when I moved out of my cocoon and left all my friends behind, I started watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S. and while all my friends must have been busy with lives and grappling to come as winners in their respective areas, I just prefer to sit by my window and hum the lines

"That, I'll be there for you, when the rain starts to pour.
I'll be there for you, like I've been there before.
I'll be there for you, cause you're there for me too."

ये शहर, वो शहर

ऐसे ही चला जा रहा था अपने अपने बचपन के शहर में,

हर नुक्कड़ हर गली को ध्यान से देखता हुआ।
हाथ में थैला और दिल में कुछ अजीब सी अनछुई और अल्हड सी यादें।

हर मन्दिर, हर दरगाह मुडमुड कर देखता हुआ,
याद करता जा रहा था, हर वो पल बिताया हुआ।

कहीं से कोई आवाज़ देकर रोक लेता तो अच्छा लगता,
कभी में किस्सी को हाथ दिखाकर बुला लेता तो अच्छा लगता।

यहाँ सब मुझे जानते है, मेरी आवाज़, मेरी हस्ती को पहचानते हैं,

मिलते है तो दिल को छु लेते हुए प्यार से पूछते है की कैसा है और कहा है।

उनसे बतियाते हुए मैं कभी नही थकता, उन अपनों की चिंता करना बिल्कुल नही अखरता, मिलता जाता हु सबसे हंसकर, सोचता हु की कही और कोई मेरी इतना चिंता क्यूँ नही करता।

जिस दफ्तर मैं अपना सारा दिन बिताता हु, वह कोई मुझे नही जानता,
इतने सालो के बाद भी, बिना आई-कार्ड के नही पहचानता।

सुबह लेट पहुंचू ऑफिस तो कोई खैरियत नही पूछता।
पूछते है तो सिर्फ़ ये की लेट क्यों हुआ और कल का काम अब तक क्यों नही हुआ।

रात मैं घर लौटते वक्त रास्ते मैं कोई मन्दिर क्यों नही पड़ता,
मेरे बचपन के शहर की तरह, यहाँ सुबह सुबह कोई नमाज़ क्यों नही पढता।

इस शहर में हर बरस मेला क्यों नही लगता,
और छोटी सी बात पर आपस में कोई क्यों नही झगड़ता।

इस अनजान शहर में अपनेपन के अलावा कोई कमी नही है,
पर मेरे पुराने शहर की लाख कमियों में भी एक अनपढ़ सी खुशी क्यों है।

कल ये नया रंगीन शहर, रोजाना की तरह अपने बेरंग दिन को झेलेगा,
और वहा मेरे बचपन का शहर रंगों से खुल कर खेलेगा।

.......Siddhartha

HongKong.. First Take

I finally landed in Hongkong on 25th Feb 2009. Just before a week, I got married in Gwalior on 17th Feb 2009. So, keeping the personal side of the story apart, I disliked the place from the very word GO. Since my childhood, I had been making fun of the chinese accent and chinese people for their pug nosed resemblance to the ancient animal ancestors of human race.
Though, I used to devour the chinese food but I never realised the chinese food available in India is Not Chinese at all, it is so well customised to meet the user requirements of indian taste buds that it looses even a vague resemblance to its very word 'Chinese'.

So, once I landed, I easily reached my Hotel as the commutation is hardly a botheration here with well connected MTR and bus routes. Even if I dislike, I had to admit the fact and give due acknowledgement to the scenic beauty that this city offers. From the 26th floor of my hotel room, I can see Harbour very clearly with all the ships racing towards their destinations and the picturesuqe mountains make it even more enthralling.

Hoping to have a nice time here once my better half joins me. Till then, I have to keep counting days and keep watching movies. Thats all for now...