આ મન પાચમ ના મેળામાં !!

            નાનપણથી જ જન્માષ્ટમી Favourite ફેસ્ટીવલ રહ્યો છે...અને એનું એકમાત્ર કારણ  એટલે "મેળો"..મેળો એટલે  આનંદ, ઉલ્લાસ, રોશની અને થનગનાત નો તહેવાર..શ્રાવણ મહિના માં ચારે બાજુ ખીલેલી પ્રકૃતિ ને માણવા નો તહેવાર. અને જન્માષ્ટમી  ની ખરી મજા સૌરાષ્ટ્ર ના યુવાનો ને પૂછવી પડે...પછી એ શેરીઓ માં મુકેલ રોશની હોય, ચોકે ચોકે મુકેલ ફ્લોટ હોય, શોભાયાત્રા માં નાચવાની મજા હોય કે મિત્રો સાથે મેળા માં જવાનો આનંદ હોય...મેળો આજે પણ દિલ ફેક જુવાનીયાઓ માટે નું  ડેઇટીંગ મીટીંગ નું  હોટ destination છે.. જન્માષ્ટમી જેવો થરવરાત  દિવાળી માં પણ જોવા નથી મળતો...જાણે આખી દુનિયા પોતાનું ઘર છોડી બહાર આવી ન ગય  હોય???  એમાય મેળો તો જન્માષ્ટમી નો USP ગણાય....જેને સૌરાષ્ટ્ર નો મેળો નથી જોયો તે surely કંઈક miss કરે છે.  જન્માષ્ટમી નો ઉત્સાહ રાંધણ છઠ થીજ જોવા મળે છે...ઘરે ફરશાણ મિઠાઈ  બનાવાની વાત હોય કે પરિવાર મિત્રો સાથે ફરવા જવાની વાત કે પછી નિર્દોષ પત્તાનો જુગાર જન્માષ્ટમી ની વાતજ નિરાળી છે.     

             મારી નાનપણ ની સાતમ આઠમ ની યાદ એટલે બાપુજી સાથે સાયકલ માં આગળ બેસી મેળામાં જવું...મેળા માં તો બસ જાણે બાપુજી સાથે જ જવાય..મનની મરજી થી બસ એજ ફેરવે....દર વખતે ગોંડલ ના મેળા ની એજ જૂની arrangement..જે જગ્યા એ ઊંચા ફજર ફાળકાઓ, ખાણી-પીણી ના સ્ટોલ, જાદુ ના ખેલ, મોત નો કુવો એની એ જગ્યા એ એ હોવા છતાં મેળા માં જવાનો એક અનેરો ઉત્સાહ રહેતો. ગોળ ગોળ ફરતી આંખો માં જાણે વિશ્વ સમાય જતું. દુનિયા ની વિશાળતા ઉચક નીચક ને ફરતા ફરતા જોયને થતી..મેળા ના એક ગેટે થી બાપુજી ની અંગાડી પકડી ચક્કર લગાવી બીજા ગેટે થી બહાર નીકળી જવાનો રોજ નો ક્રમ. જેટલા દિવસ મેળો ચાલે એટલા દિવસ. વચ્ચે રોજ કુતરા, ગધેડા ના શો જોવા, બંધુક થી ફુગ્ગા ફોડવા અને ice cream ખાવો. અજ હતો મારો મેળો. શહેરી લોકો નો મેળા માં આવી ગરદી  કરવાનો ટાઇમ થાય એ પહેલા ઘરે પાછુ આવી જવાનું.

સાબુ ના પાણીના ગોળા હવા માં ઉડતા જોય તેને અડવા જાણે હદય માં ઉડતું. રંગ બેરંગી લાઈટવાડી દડી, nitrogen ગેસવાળા ફુગ્ગા, પીપુડા, શીશોટી, લાઉડ સ્પીકર, અવનવા રમકડાં, નામ લખાવેલ કિચેન આ બધું જાણે કુતુહલ બની રહેતું...

           જેમ જેમ મોટો થતો ગયો તેમ તેમ મેળા નો ઉત્સાહ પણ ઘટતો ગયો...પૈસા અને ટાઇમ આવ્યા ત્યારે સ્પાર્ક જતો રહ્યો...મેળા ની ચીચીયારી જાણે  ઘોંઘાટ લાગવા માંડ્યો..બીજા યુવાનો માફક મેળા માં તૈયાર થયેલ ફટાકડી છોકરીઓ જોવા નું logic પહેલે થીજ મગજ માં  ફીટ થયેલ  નહિ..બીજા માટે જે હૈયે હૈયું દળાય નો આનંદ મારા માટે મુંજારો બનવા લાગ્યો.મેળા બહાર કોઈ ગરીબ છોકરા ની ભોળી આંખો માં પૈસા ના અભાવે મેળા ની મજાઓ ન લય શકવાનો વસવસો દેખાવા માંડ્યો. ધીરે ધીરે મેળા માં લઇ જવાવાળા મિત્રો પણ વિખુટા પડ્યા અને બાપુજી પણ...આજે જયારે મેળા ની બહારથી પસાર થાવ છુ ત્યારે પણ બાળપણ નું તાદસ ચિત્ર ઉભું થઇ આવે છે. મેળાને માણવાનો સ્પિરિટ અને થનગનાટ પણ એ સાથે બચપણના રંગીન ચડ્ડી-ટીશર્ટની માફક ટૂંકો થઈ ગયો છે. હવે મેળો ‘સદતો’ નથી, ને મેળામાં જવા માટે કોઈ પોકારતું પણ નથી.

હજુ પણ મેળાના વળતા પાણી થયા નથી. ચબૂતરે જેમ પંખીમેળો ઉભરાય એમ ગામેગામ ભરાતા મેળામાં ‘માનવ મહેરામણ’ ઉમટી પડે છે. પણ હવે એમાં ગામડાંના લોકો વઘુ હોય છે. શહેરી લોકો કાર લઈને કોઈ ડેમ કે હિલ સ્ટેશન હંકારી જાય છે. પૂનમ અને અમાસના મેળા તો ઠીક, આકાશમાં એનો ચાંદો જોવાનો સમય કે ઈરાદો કોની પાસે બચ્યો છે? લાઈફ ઈઝ મૂવિંગ ફાસ્ટ, બડી. કેરિઅર બનાવવાની છે. કમાણી વધારવાની છે. હરવા-ફરવાનું તો જોયું જશે! જલસા કરવા માટે કમાવા દોડતા લોકો પાસે પૈસા આવે છે, પણ જલસાનો સમય ખોવાઈ જાય છે! આમાં મેળો? સો ચીપ! સો ડાઉનમાર્કેટ! છી! ક્યારેક ફરતા ચકડોળના આંટા સામે જોતાં જોતાં મનમાં ચક્કર આવે છેઃ એક દિવસ આ બઘું અલોપ થઈ જશે? ટીન્સ ઓફ ટુડેને કોલેજ કાર્નિવલ, ફૂડ ફેસ્ટિવલ અને ટ્રેડ ફેર ગમે છે. એમનું ગુ્રપ જ જોઈએ. દૂસરા કોઈ નહિ! સર્કસની જેમ ડિજીટલ મિડિયા મેળાને પણ ઓહિયા કરી જશે? પબ્લિક મેળાની ગંદકી અને ઘોંઘાટથી ઝટ કંટાળી જાય છે. બાળકોને ઉંચક-નીચક કરતાં કાર્ટૂન નેટવર્ક વઘુ ગમે છે. મેળો કદાચ આઉટડેટેડ મનોરંજન છે!

મોલ. મલ્ટીપ્લેક્ષ, ઇન્ટરનેટ ને   યુગ માં મેળા નું મહત્વ ઘટ્યું હોય એવું લાગે પણ હજી એટલીજ માનવ મેદની ઉભરાતી જોવા મળે છે....માણસ ભેગું થાય જ્યાં એજ "મેળો"

 માણસને માત્ર પ્રકૃતિ જ ગમે છે એવું નથી. માણસને ભલે માણસ સાથે રહેવું નહિ ગમતું હોય… માણસને માણસ જોવા ગમે છે!

courtesy: Jaybhai's blog.

"Free"-dom of minds

Msg beeped today morning which made me awake.....which read "Happy Independence Day " (If u r married than plz ignore this msg :-D) All through the day SMSes thronged and all the ebullient spirits were suddenly awakened...(which will last for a day) Our patroitic and feeling of nationalism spurts only on national festivals. Being patroitic and remembering our national heroes on these days are in vogue today..It has became more of a day to flaunt tri colours on face,putting symbolic flags, wearing khadi clothes, attending I-day functions and playing prtriotic songs on gadgets.. (though just for a day) Hypocracy has always being in our blood whether we accept it or not.

I am not against any celebration for our independence day but the question is have we justified our freedom in true sense? There is no point in reiterating the same age old saga of our independence without converting it into a growth saga..It has became celebration of our freedom against colonialism..More than half of the world was colonialised & had their freedoms. Most of our generation had grown up in free India..There is nothing to be proud if after 64 years of freedom we are still in chukles of many barriers...The questions we have to ask ourselves and then celebrate I-Day are :
* Have I utilised my freedom in contribution towards progress of my country?
* Have I made myself civilised enough?
* Have I paid my taxes and aloofed myself from every kind of corruption?

* Have I given freedom to any new thoughts?
* Have I tried to kept my country clean and abiding my duties?
* Have I broaden my thoughts and given space to other's freedom.?
* Have I understood the responsibility that comes along freedom.?
* Have I made myself free from all discrimination in true sense?
* Have I made myself free ? (Quote from Jaybhai's sunday column aptly fits "Khari swatantrata e ke jyare bijane bahar 'HA' kaheti vakhate apani jatne andarthi 'NA' n kahevi pade!)

These questions intrigues me to no end. Freedom doesn't mean people can pee at public places or beside the roads..Freedom doesn't mean spatting in bus or train..Freedom doesn't mean prerogation to throw garbage on road. Are we proud of these freedoms??

Without any concrete growth of our thoughts to progress its not mere enough to celebrate independence day. I-Day should be a day to dust our old thoughts and make a way fro new outlook..Along with unfurling our national flag, let our mind also unfurls from all barriers..

On this day make a thought is India free from poverty & corruption? Are we free from rigidity & discrimination in true sense? Are we following everything what we are showing? Are we free from our selfish self centeredness? Have we raised any voice against injustice? Are we true to our conscience? Are we really always meant what we express on independence day?Are we free from hypocracy that I am free from above all?

If above answers are in affirmative then go on... my dear fellow countrymen...

"HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY"

Friends #: 2

Thanks Punit. Its once again proved that friendship and wine gets tastier with time. However apart we live, however different our lives are; I still smell the same bonding and best satisfaction in taking your words. Thanks ;-) U are best. Cheers to my oldest friend--Punit Oza.

Friends........in a way.

In cold winter night looking at the clear sky & twinkling stars my thoughts just travelled some 20 years of my life in jiffy moment. That's what it is amazing about our thoughts. It can go to anywhere & everywhere in a while without any restrictions.

I remebered all those friends who made mark to my life and was happy to know that I had such a long list but at the same time made me low when I realised no one was permanent. Most of them whom I loved are seperated either my distance or by situation. But they all are my best buddies without whom life would be very dull. It is said "Friendship should be like pendrive - easy to keep and difficult to search if lost" [Although pendrives also carry viruses easily is a different thing ;-)]

With broken family and being introvert & coy I never mixed up in relatives. From my early childhood my only companions were frineds. Through them I seen the world, through them I enjoyed, through them I learned, through them I made my persona. To begin with Sintu, u were my best neighbour. Punit oza, Jayesh, Karim, Jay, Parthav, Mitul u all are my friends since i used to pee in my half pants.

(To be continued.........)

EXPECTATIONS

"Expectations" - Dictionary told me it is "a belief that something will happen". And I interpreted that this "belief" as the root cause of lots of problems. Expectation is an monster to any relations. It is said by famous gujarati poet...'Harindra Dave' if i m not mistakened " Koi no prem Kyare pan ochho nathi hoto, apani apekshaoj vadhare hoy chhe" Humm.. looks good in listening. Equally true, if it's implemented, one can never feel low in his/her relations. But unfortunately its an character of saint which no laymen can apply it completely. If anyone is claiming he is an hypocrite or he is ignorant about his hidden self. (Check out Johari window-Again, an MBA Jargon)

Where there is love expectations are bound to peep in knowingly or unknowingly. Yes, its magnitude may differ from person to person. Parents expects from their children, wives from husband, girlfriends from boyfriends, students from teachers, bosses from employees or a devotees from their God. Even the purest relation friendship is no free from expectations. However unselfish your friendship might be at the end even atleast for the sake of happiness or good company there comes expectations. And in a way looking radically having expectations are logical too.

Expectations only dries up when love withers away or when one is no more related to us. And if we are not living to the expectations of others again & again either the other is showing excess love or we are indifferent towards his/her love. That does'nt mean one should be overburned with our expectations. Its an mutual understanding and abstract cordination between any relations. Good correlation builts up strong base of relation.

No matter however practical & educated we are we can'nt resist ourselves from expectations completely. However harsh the naked reality is we all are selfish to some extend.

P.S : The topic is drafted as per my stand & any counterviews can be commented.

IT HURTS....

• It hurts....when u realize you could have done better in your life.


• It hurts.... when you find the trusted ones breaking your trust.


• It hurts... when u realise you are surrounded by selfish influences and your friends are no exception.


• It hurts.....when u find your stupidity is been considered and chuckled as your foolishness.


• It hurts..... when u find yourself in a fix grappling whether to hold on something or to move ahead.
  
• It hurts.....when u u are not upto the expectations of your dearest one.
  
• It hurts.....when u find the person whom you loved solemnly contemplated you always as an option.
  It gives pain and bruises when........."IT HURTS".

CHILDHOOD NOSTALGIA

For every person his/her childhood is special in its own way. Everyone loves to cherish their golden old happy days and we often hear people always like to "Re-Live" those moments. But for somehow this doesn't go with me. I for varied reasons believe I am much more happier than my childhood days. Ofcourse there are some sweet memories lingering like time spent with childhood friends and living with lots of siblings. Apart from it there is nothing really worth to cherish.

I don't want to become that small kid who used to lost in black hole every evening staring at the sky with zillions of questions in its eyes, sometimes dejected with shy, stammering speech & horrible atmosphere around.
Subject & title goes oxymoron.
Check out two of my favourite snap of childhood....I also do not have many.....:-(

Enjoying Failures

For somehow principles of "The Secret" never applied in my life. When I wanted something desperately, it never turned up. This time same thing is repeated. And yet another failure is knocking on my door. Universe somehow don't conspire me to get that thing. These failures are always hard to swallow specially if it's irreversible. Sometimes we have to accept our failures because of its "TINA" effect. ("There is no alternative"; HR Jargon) We also cann't learnt from such type of failures or can make it success in future, as it doesn't involve any mistake & its just depended on our fate.

But anyhow willingly or unwillingly we have to accept it. We cann't get everything we wanted. If it is, life would have been soo dull. There should be some motivation to run. Easily achieved things are never valued. Isn't it ???? Or if sometimes is achieved naturally we taken it for granted. It is also equally true after achieving our dreams/ desires we feel "Is this all I wanted???" This is life sweetened but not stirred well. Hence start enjoying the strivings and efforts to reach goal. Your happiness will get guaranteed. :-)))

Love -o- Meter

Life is stuck up with lots of problems to add this new one --"Love". Yes, my loveometer soared right on top to 180 degree & its decending down to complete the full circle.
Introspecting the feeling further, many things can be churned out from it. You can call what call love when your mind is preoccupied with her thoughts almost 24 hrs a day (yes even in ur sleep), when you get smarter how to find new reasons to remain in her touch, when your heartbeats runs faster on finding her accidently, plan your talk with her & ending up with goof ups and all such things crazy...(Jesa filmo mein hota hai, ho raha hai rubaru..) Its when all the good looking girls on this planet fails to attract you. Nothing excites except her thought and even your sexual desires go into hibernation...Strange...but sweet torture.

Its strange to mention it in a blog but its good to love someone isn't it?? And after all its for some few people only.. When we hate someone we can easily blow trumphet against him/her but when we love someone its even difficult to tell the loved ones. How strange and intricating our nature is...My arguments to defend my feeling can be jotted as follows:
• Its a natural feeling (Atleast to common persons like me) You cann't put it in logical way. Somebody cann't be entered into your heart with careful examination/ test checks. If it is it's not love its ur "corporate recruitment".
• Its not needed one should love back to u. Its not a business of give and take. Still if u cann't stop loving, you are certainly in love.
• This not at all mean one should not even try to woo your love. Remeber the quote "whenever in doubt...DO IT" comes to my mind. Don't repent for rest of life just because you hesitated to express your feelings...
Her simplicity, cutness, ignorance and innocence (that's what atleast I would like to believe) perfectly darted right in the centre of my heart. Just got clicked....Lets see what the fate has in store......................

"Fictional Work"

Contrary towards my Title line, All character in this work are ficticious. It doen't relate to any person living or dead, any resemblence of charcter is co incidental & unintensional.

From several days Slok felt an unusual uneasyness in his body. Some kind of mysterious curiosity was fluttering from his face. Normally he was just a next door ordinary young boy but from last Monday, he is not in his full swing & looks perplexed most of the times. No, he already passed his puberty age long ago and it was definetly not physical hormone change he was worried about. Then, what was the thing that troubled slok??

He use to get up early (which he normally hates), always seen in circles of matured people to gather courage to clear his confusion and was having some wild dreams...(Don't misunderstood with "wet dreams"). His symptoms were corroborating his fear. And at last he gathered his full strength & put his confusions, doubts & questions to one of his experienced collegue. Verdict came out within fraction of time which "jolted" him............

"PILES"
Yes he was diagnoised without any guess. It was as fearful as some monster with creaking horns & nails to him. To him the disease was more abhorable & shameful than AIDS. Never in his clan got such disease. Slok was shattered with utter grief and the world to him came to an end. God punished him for he used to laugh, conceit and make fun of people with this disease.

Stories about excruciating pain & plethora of advice was flown towards him whoever was intimated with the disease. People told him never in his life he can enjoy mouth watering spicy foods. He must now have to restrain outside junk food also. It was like an end to Gourmet's paradise. He was also cautioned with the perils of disease....From 1st stage to 5th stage of the disease. That day Slok realized that there can also be more than 3 stages of any disease...And most pitiable part of the disease is not curable completely. You always have to be bound with restrictions. And the worst part is when you have to go to doctor for check ups. Its like being raped by a gay. Resonating images itself was aghasting for Slok.

With these worries (ofcourse playing bigger war in morning) he started eating less. Observing his weak body it looked he will get vanished alive. People near him began to ask about his weak body & pale face. Girlfriend started doubting his faithfulness being reclusive towards her. Family started doubting his conduct. His disastrous face could'nt be cam'ouflaged into smile.
Amidst all these, disease began to worsen and finally insecure prick decided to tread to doctor for help. With heavy heart & utter failure he bagan his slow but careful steps to hospital. His name was called and doctor to his worst expectation told him to put his pants off..............And then..............

Suddenly eyes lides were opened and he almost jumped into his bed. Hertbeats ran @ Kms per hr & sweat drops rolled from his face even in the cold morning. Yes, thanks a ton to God it was a dream...A NIGHTMARE rather. He bubbled and thank God for he was all perfect. He felt as if life is full of blessings. And he got up to ready for office and smiled scarstically for he was saved from a "rape". ;-)