The last few days have been truly satisfying for me.No I didn't get a promotion,neither did I hit a jackpot.My boss is still not too impressed with me.My parents are still angry with me about not taking the marriage proposals seriously.My friends still think I am neglecting them.The good thoughts I had about myself while growing up of how I could achieve greatness are on the verge of fading away.As I keep on immersing myself ever so deeply in the daily grind I keep hearing myself saying the ultimate cliche Dude,get a life.
But I came across something truly extraordinary a few days ago.It was on youtube that while aimlessly searching for something interesting ,I stumbled upon this gem of a ghazal from Mirza Ghalib sung in the ultra soulful voice of Jagjit Singh.All my life I have had periodic love affairs with different genres of music be it 70s bollywood,Rock n roll,Hard rock,Metal,Pop and others.I was never too hooked on to the Ghazals somehow.But that was only until I heard "Hazaron Khwahesein Aisi".
hazaaron khwahishen aisi ke har khwahish pe dum nikle
bahot nikle mere armaan, lekin phir bhi kam nikle
I have no idea what Ghalib had in his mind while penning this but he sure has summarized my life in these two lines.Life is nothing but a series of never ending ambitions,that's all it is.
nikalna khuld se aadam ka soonte aaye hain lekin
bahot be-aabru hokar tere kooche se hum nikle
(We have heard about the dismissal of Adam from Heaven (the biggest disgrace)
With more humiliation, I am leaving the street on which you live...)
mahobbat mein nahin hai farq jeenay aur marnay ka
usi ko dekh kar jeetay hain, jis kaafir pe dam nikle
How true,how so true....Ever heard of the term Hopelessly in love.This is what a bleeding heart feels.(All my friends who have vere been through the tribulations of love will agree)
Khuda ke vaaste pardaah na kaabe se uthaa zaalim
kaheen aisa na ho yaan bhi wahi kaafir sanam nikle
(For god's sake, don't lift the cover off any secrets you tyrant
the infidel might turn out to be my lover!)
My heart goes out to him.I am sold on this line..........
kahaan maikhane ka darwaaza Ghalib aur kahaan vaaiz
par itna jaantay hain kal voh jaata tha ke hum nikle
(The preacher and the bar's entrance are way apart
yet I saw him entering the bar as I was leaving!)
Whatever your Ideals be,whatever lofty speeches you give to others sometimes you are forced to shed the mask and face the person in the mirror.That's life,the greatest leveller.
I don't know how long it will take to break the haunting spell of this Ghalib masterpiece.Wherever I am these days even if I am not listening to it ,I can still hear myself recite repeatedly.Don't get on it in a drunken state ,you might end up weeping profusely(as I did).
