CHERISH with HARISH

I had just reached NID and what I saw was a broken main gate. Yes, there were things going on with respect to increasing the main road area which was in turn cut down on the 'chai-gate' and the main gate area. But this is how it looked now, may be it would change once it's done. I took my bag and I walked in. So, this is the first trip I have made to NID where I have no work. Literally no work at all. So, why was I in NID then. The plan was simple- to meet Saheb to do some research on the documentary I am planning to work on in the next 6 months; to get the DVD covers of my dip film ready and consult Reuben (a friend) for the design, to meet Pravin and talk of a new project in Ahmedabad. As I had just figured this list of what to do in the city, I was in the city. But as I take a walk across my campus, there are things changing. There  are innumerable new faces whom I do not know as of now, there are structural changes happening in the campus which make it look differe...

क्या गलत था, और क्या सही, क्या बड़ा था, और क्या छोटा, इन्ही उलझनों में तो फंस के रह गयी, मैं और तुम, तुम और मैं। आज भी हम यहीं देखते रहे, कि क्या-क्या है तुम्हारे पास, और क्या मेरे पास, और इसी में सिमटी रह गयी, लड़ाई तुम्हारी और लड़ाई मेरी। बस इसी लड़ाई में, फंस्स कर रह गई, सोच हमारी, ज़िन्दगी हमारी। क्या मेरा, क्या तुम्हारा।

That one day I prayed and prayed, in the far off lands I know, I saw that enchanted temple, I just saw that enchanted temple. I concentrated harder, and the visuals became clearer, of that pure enchanted temple, so clear, so true. I closed my eyes harder, I breathed with so much ease, I saw the enchanted temple, with more clarity and honesty. And then, passing through, all the channels of concentration, came Ma's voice, "Harish, come for dinner..."  And I opened my eyes, in shock, I was back in my room, with all the everyday things, around me, above me. I got up and left for food, I sat down with Ma's and Pa's love, tasty was the food, indeed, but I just could not take out, the visuals and the thoughts of, the enchanted temple...

"Nahi saamne...ye alag baat hai..." This is the song which plays in the background as of now. It's 01:13 AM at night and it's raining outside my house.It is slightly humid but it's nice and wet in general. I traveled across the city last night to shoot my first ad. The time was not exactly night, but it somehow looked like night. It was 4 am when we got into the taxi, and the feel of the sleeping city felt more like night than an early morning. With the cold monsoon breeze touching me, I would like to call it 'Night'. The place where we went was an old Parsi colony in Byculla in Mumbai ( formerly Bombay). I must tell you that we had to meet the rest of the crew by 7:00 am but we reached there at 6 and the place was beautiful. It was not completely day-break, but there was enough light to admire the beauty of the place. There were just a few close knit buildings of the old times architecture- neat and clear. The buildings were made in 1908 but the fr...

(I wrote this poem in my hospital room . I was lying down with me sitting under this random picture in my hospital room, which had a couple walking away from the camera. And...it was raining! :) That photograph on my wall, right above the bed, it had so many untold stories, so many of them. That young couple, walking away from the camera, with hand in hand, had so many things to tell me, but more importantly, it had so many things to tell each other. What if I knew the girl, or the boy, or anyone, but they never turned! What if...? I had so many questions, so many doubts to clear, but none of them turned, none of them. It was just a plain photograph on my wall, right above my bed, with so many untold stories...