Turning the clock back!

21 saal baad! I can make a film, too! by that 'top-sounding' name! (top as in cannon, as in hindi, and not top as in upar, as in english!).

Aaj hain 22nd February, 2008.

and just realised ki have completed, today, exactly 21 years, outside my beloved hometown, baroda!

it was on 23rd February, 1987; I chugged out of Vadodara station, by Vadodara express; and I am still on the journey of self-discovery, and still to find my destination! wonder if it will be found not by turning the clock back, but retracing one's steps to THE OLD NEIGHBOURHOOD. Remember reading this good book, in 1986, while staying in the hostels. My brata's friend, Kenneth, had given the book on loan to us, and i daresay, we didn't / couldn't return it back! hazy the reason! maybe he went back to his hometown, or what? pata nahin. should return it even 21 saal baad?! yes, if i still have the book. lemme search my loft, for the set of old papers!

btw, kenny (as my brother and his friends used to call Kenneth) had a sister who was a very successful model, those days.

Far simpler days; and therein probably lies my solution, too! hark back to those times and the lifestyle which was effective for me! have already done one thing and it's working wow! no tv at home, and it's such a relief! ankhon ko rest mil jaati hain!

and I am back to my favourite pastime, from the past, writing! okay, iss baar on blogs instead of my own logbook!

Okay, have to beat it home, now.

here is an apparently, unnconnected ghulam ali ghazal ! woh koi aur na tha, chand khushk patte the, sajal ke tootne se jo, fasle gul pe roye the...!
and this line rings so true (it is sad, but gives me for no apparent reason, a strange feeling of melancholic happiness. as abby baby says : dard main bhi kuch baat hoti hain!) : TAMAAM UMR WAFA KE, GUNAHGAAR RAHEN; YEH AUR BAAT HAIN KE AADMI TO HAM ACCHE THE! (aur janaab, abhi bhi shaayad acche hi hain!).

It's all the quixotic need to be different/the maverick, as ever! Ham alag hain-syndrome! The supreme non-conformist teaching his students conformity-achievement-processes/systems!

Ajab hain dastaan teri hain zindagi, ajab hain dastaan teri hain zindagi, kabhi hasa diya, rula diya kabhi, ajab hain dastaan teri hain zindagi!

itne gam ke bawander ke beech bhi koi kaise khush-mizaz reh sakta hain?! uske liye tanjorean hona ek karan ho sakta hain! us mitti main hi kuch baat hoti hain, IRREPRESSIBILITY! and of course, apno ka saath aur beshumar pyaar, har cheez /kathin ghadi ko suhana bana deta hain!

Kyonki! Rang baatein karen, aur baaton se khushboo aayen! DARD PHOOLON KI TARAH MEHKE, AGAR TU AAYE! (jai ho to abida parveen's famous rendering of this great ghazal!).

Can you understand? Can you understand? (i can't?!!) People are people, so why should it be, you and me, should get along so famously?! (aisa kuch angrezi gaana me suni'ng! in hostels, back in baroda, circa 1985! on a two-in-one loaned by one kenyan called Daniel, me thinks! not bad, ganesha, teri yaaddast abhi bhi acchi hain, kuch te-eess saal baad!~).

Abari, asantesan, et. al. (lo karlo baat, swahili bhi! tera kuch nahin ho sakta ganesha! the incorrigible jack of all!).

jai hi ho!

aur sab hi ki!

ting, ting, ti ding!
the real 'SUDDEN'!