अब खोलो उन सब पन्नों को और देखो क्या सब होता है,
जब रात को नींद नहीं आती और सुबह अँधेरा होता है,
            कुछ रिश्तों के पतवार सही
            कुछ नातों के आधार सही,
            कुछ भूली बिसरी बातों में,
            ज़िक्र तेरा कई बार सही,
पर तुझसे मैं ये क्यूँ कह दूं के हाल मेरा क्या होता है,
जब आगे बढ़ने की शर्तों पर साथ किसी का खोता है,
वह अपना ही होता है अपनों सा प्यारा होता है
जो अपनी आँखों में तुमसा कोई सुख स्वप्न संजोता है,
           किसी का अभिनन्दन तुम हो,
           जिस का वंदन भी तुम हो,
           इच्छा बस एक दर्शन की,
           हृदयगति का स्पंदन भी तुम हो,
उसकी खुशियों के लिए तुम्हारा सर्वस्व न्योछावर होता है,
वह प्राणों से प्यारा होता है आँखों का तारा होता है,
जब प्रेम आकर्षण को तजकर सनेह सरीखा होता है,
ह्रदय बाँध टूट ही जाते है आत्मा से विस्फुटित होता है,
          वह गीतों के यशगान यहीं,
          मन्त्रों के हैं आह्वाहन यहीं,
          सबसे महान सत्य है काल,
          हैं सब विधियों के विधान यहीं,
जो जीवन को एक स्वप्न समझकर सब दिन केवल सोता है,
उसका जीवन हर एक दिशा से मरुस्थल सम होता है,
जो जागकर कर्म की राह पकड़ नित कर्मभूमि में रमता है,
उसके ह्रदय में शक्ति करों में जगन्नाथ बल क्षमता है..

                                                                  - मौलश्री कुलकर्णी
                                                        

TECHNOLOGY IN A FLASHBACK

                                                      

         

Disclaimer---This work of mine is a complete work of fiction and any similarities to living or dead should be humbly passed over as I too am a human being and require inspirations from my ubieties.

We are in the age of inspiration. New and unique styles are out and retro is in. All the bold check prints of my mom’s college life are being utilised by me after giving it a tint of today.

Now, since we are too busy going back to old decades, following the strange makeup, equally strange wardrobes and horrifying hairdos, I have framed a scene from any other 70s movie but with a technologically different crew of casts. Here goes the list-

Himani, my younger sis- the zalim dad and a very rich landowner

(I was compelled to include her as she was the first online reader of my blog)

Our desktop (back at home) - DT babu,

Me, here at my place- the lead actress (off course, it’s my imagination after all J )

My laptop- lappy, the baby

                         Scene 1

Me to DT babu—mujhe apse kuch baat karni hai

Mai apke hardware ki maa ban ne wali hu.. mai apse bohot pya karti hu, mujh abla ko apna lo sahib...

DT babu—tumari himmat kaise hui aisa sochne ki??? Hum dono ke intelligence me zameen asman ka antar hai...kaha tera chota sa human dimag jiska tu 5% b nahi use kar pati aur kaha mai..2 GB RAM aur 180 GB hard disk...hum dono me zameen asman ka antar hai...slow processor nikal ja yahan se...nikal jaa...

Me—theek hai aaj to mai jaa ri hu lekin yaad rakhna ek din tu issi chaukhat pe mere pairon me gir kar mujhse mafi mangega lekin mai tujhe thokar maarungi...bohot ghamad hai na tujhe apne iss artificial intelligence pe. Dekhna kameene mai tujhe teri asli aukat dikha kar hi rahungi...

AFTER 20 YEARS

Ye aapka hi beta hai DT SAHIB...aaj se bees saal pehle aapne mujhe apne ghar se beizzat kar ke nikala tha..aaj mai fir ussi chaukhat pe khadi hun...

Lappy: nai maa mai iss zalim ki aulad hargiz nai ho sakta.. bhale hi meri rago me isska windows 7 beh raha hai lekin mera isse koi rishta nai koi rishta nai....(cries)

ENTERS THE BAAP OF DT SAHIB, THE THAKUR SAHIB..

THAKUR: khamosh ladke, apni had me reh...

Me- are aao aao thakur sahib..apki hi kami hai..

Thakur: khamosh ladki, tum logo ki himmat kaise hui yahan aane ki...ye kal ka chokra hota kon hai mere bête se is tarah se baat karne wala???

Me: ye aapke kul ka waris hai.. ye apke bête ki mujhse pyaar karne ki nishani hai..

Thakur: nai.. aisa nai ho sakta...ye sab jhoot hai...tum log bus paise ki lalach me yahan aaye ho...waise bhi hamare parivar me to sabi bhari bharkam desttop rhe hai aur ye adna sa dubla patla neela sa chokra...ye hamare khandan ka ho hi nai skta...

Me: are jane dijiye sahib...jab apne hi kisi ko apnane se inkar kar dete hai aur use uske haal par marne ke liye chod dete hai to wo bachpan se hi apni sari bandishe sari peripheral devices tod deta hai... uske ander itna zeher bhar jata hai ki wo bachpan se hi neela pad jata hai...aur aaj ye tumse aur tumhare bête se kai guna behtar hai... 4 GB RAM aur 320 GB hardisk with additional features like Bluetooth and much more...

Thakur- begairat aurat, nikal ja mere ghar se...mere bête pe jhuta ilzam lagate hue tujhe sharam nahi aati...arre ye to itna pavitra hai ki devta bhi iske charan dho dho ke peete hi...

Me- aap sharam ihaz ki baat karte hai??? Maine barso pehle sharam ke saare bandhan tod ke aapke bête se pyaar kiya tha...lekin mujhe kya mila?? Zindagi bhar ka dukh dard aur meri kokh me ye mere pyar ki neeli nishani???

Lappy- maa ab tumhe pareshan hone ki zarurat nahi hai... mai in logo se tumari badnami ka badla zaroor loonga..

Me- nahi beta, ye tumhare apne hai, inse badla lene ke bare me kabhi bhul ke bhi mat sochna...inhone hame nahi apnaya to kya hua.. ham inhe kabhi nuksan nahi pohchayenge... kabhi  inhe inki memory ke basis pe neecha nai dikhayenge. Kabhi inke hazaron wires or bulky looks ka mazak nahi udayenge...samjha???

( suddenly tears start flowing from the eyes of thakur and wash away all the malice)

Thakur- bahu hume maaf kar do, hum apne khoon ko nahi pehchan paye lekin kehte hai na khoon bhi khoon ko dekh kar ubaal marta hai... itna tej kewal humare kul me janme balak me hi ho sakta hai...

(all crying and creating howling sounds)

Me- babuji!!!! Mujhe maaf kar dijiye mere katu vachano ke liye...

DT- priye mujhe meri galti sudharne ka ek mauka to do..

Me- esa mat kahiye swami mera sab kuch aapka hi hai...

(Screaming sounds like MAA, BABUJI, BETA, BAHU, and SASURJI......)

And after this saga of torture redefined, they lived HAPPILY EVER AFTER.........

-  

 -sincerely yours,

   Moulshree Kulkarni

तेरी यादें

शब्दों के कोलाहल में, बातों के साज सजाने में,
जैसे दम सा घुटता है मेरा आज ज़माने में,
यूँ ही बैठे खोली जब यादों की पोटली,
एक पुराना पत्र मिला है आज मुझे अनजाने में,
धुंधले अक्षर धुंधली यादें, धुंधला सा एक साया था,
जब तुम बसते थे मेरे मन में, एक दौर ऐसा भी आया था,
सोचो तो कैसे दिन थे वे, कैसी वो सारी रातें थी
निश्छल मन, निश्चल बंधन, निश्छल वो सारी बातें थी,
सारी खुशियाँ मिल जाती थी एक तेरे आ जाने में
एक पुराना पत्र मिला है आज मुझे अनजाने में
कैसे तुझको पत्र लिखे थे, खुद ही लिख कर फाड़ दिए थे,
जीवन के सारे सुख दुःख तो, पत्रों में तुझ पर वार दिए थे,
अम्मा के मन में इच्छाएं थीं, बाबा की आँखों में सपना था,
उन सपनों में जी थी मै पर तू भी तो मेरा अपना था,
वो सारी बातें, यादें, सपने भरे आँखों के पैमानों में,
एक पुराना पत्र मिला है आज मुझे अनजाने में.......

                                                    ..........आपकी मौलश्री

                               

90s NOSTALGIA

                                                        

About a week ago, while surfing through the TV channels and exasperated by the trash they show in there, my fingers suddenly skipped over a channel to which my mind responded in sudden secretion of Adrenaline. With a reflex and to my greatest amusement my finger switched back to that particular channel and a feel of high degree nostalgia ran down my spine. “CHANDRAKANTA KI KAHANI, YE MANA HAI PURANI ... NAUGARH VIJAYGARH ME THI TAKARAR, NAUGARH KA THA JO RAJKUMAR, CHANDRAKANTA SE KARTA THA PYAAR.........” Lords above! I cannot explain how deep it struck me. I flew back to the times when I was 6 or 7, when I not just watched these shows but also stretched my wings of imagination through them.

People may have varied views and visions about the best decade of Indian Television but for me, 90’s have given me some of the unforgettable moments and the memories of my lifetime.

If you too, like me, are a late 80’s born person, you must have started your life’s first playlist with the songs like “I AM A DISCO DANCER” and “TAMMA TAMMA LOGE TAMMA” by default. My first ever song on this planet was “KABOOTAR JA JA” and my folks amusingly say that I sang it with a pleasure divine (don’t take a kid of 10-11 months too lightly!!!!).

 Talking about the songs of movies from 90s, for some of the best composition ever film industry salutes this decade. But apart from these melodies, 90s have given us a whole lot of different genre of songs too that have a massive fan following of Tempo and Auto drivers. If you are born and brought up in any small northern city like me, you must have been attacked upon by a whole range of broken heart songs while travelling in the autos (though Bhojpuri numbers of Manoj tiwari and others now being there priorities).

80s was winding up its tail and welcoming 90s wholeheartedly with an era of Mahabharata (though I don’t remember a tint and tinge of it). I have heard from people of that generation that they used to watch that show bare footed and actually joined their hands with devotion in front of the television (sounds interesting, isn’t it?)

I have my distinct memories of 90s from the era of “JUNGLE BOOK”, “CHANDRAKANTA”, “RANGOLI” and “SHREE KRISHNA”. I had a Sunday time-table which I still remember quite clearly. My Funday started with Hema Aunty in Rangoli at 7.30 followed by Jungle Book at 9.00, Shree Krishna at 9.30 and Chandrakanta at 10.30.

The wisdom of Bagheera and stunts of Moghli and Bhalu amazed me and, I actually used to pray to Lord Krishna (while watching that show) for the victory of Moghli over Sher khan.

I would go impatient waiting for “Chandrakanta”, not just because I loved that show too much but I had this huge crush on the Prince of Naugarh, Virendra Pratap. That crush grew even stronger later on with the onset of my new all time favourite “YUG”, in which the same actor played Veeru, a dynamic and brave freedom fighter. I once dreamt myself being assassinated by the British Police with all the characters of YUG by my side. That is one of my favourite dreams everJ.

Getting back to my funday routine, dreaming whole day, how would it feel to be with Moghli and Bagheera in Jungle and portraying myself as Shree Krishna, I anxiously waited for the 4’o clock movie which was then called “Hindi Feature Film”. Truly, 4’o clock was my Hero time as I pictured myself as Amitabh bachhan, Shatrughan Sinha, Anil Kapoor,Govinda and later on Shahrukh Khan. Aping Amit Ji’s dialogues and Govinda’s dance steps, I used to be an integral part of the movie and right then, on TV it would emerge “RUKAVAT KE LIYE KHED HAI”.

A few years later when I started identifying myself as a girl, I emulated almost all the actresses of that time from Madhuri, Juhi, Raveena, Karishma to Neelam, Sonam, Nagma and everyone. Here comes a little secret from my treasures box, I used to get astonished at their blissfully busty bosoms and wondered when would I have my own pair of theseJ.

 Nights on funday brought some countdown shows like “Ek se badh kar ek” and others and then would arrive another lot of my fantasyland time, the 9’o clock blockbuster constantly interrupted by some landmark add films like “MAAN GAYE AAPKI PARKHI NAZAR AUR NIRMA SUPER DONO KO”.

It was a time when we had these cable connections at our homes only during our summer vacations. The Black and White TV with manual channel selection filled my life with glitzy and gaudy colours of imagination. The burning and scorching noons of April, May and June brought soothing delights with the shows I still cherish the most, “TARANG” and “CHHUTTI CHHUTTI”. Dr NARLIKAR with his shuttle in ANTARIKSH KI SAIR , LAL BUJJHAKAD CHACHA with his RAHASYA KI POTALI and PREMA DIDI with her SUNO KAHANI GUNO KAHANI were the greatest people for me at that time and even today I owe a lot to them because they taught me to widen my horizon and deepen my thoughts.

With the initial phase of Star Plus, Zee TV and Sony TV, I met some of my favourite characters on TV till date. Uncle Scroodje with his three nephews along with Mrs. Beckley, Launchpad and Gulliver formed the plate of my favourite cuisine and Ballu and Chotu with their ever Spinning Tales added delicious flavours to it.

I fluttered on the magic carpet with Aladdin and dove down under the oceans with Arial. I wandered in wonderland with Alice and enchanted those magical words with Jennie of the lamp while bewitching with Samantha.

Down this memory lane how can I forget to mention one of my favourite shows “Alif Laila”, particularly the series on Sindabad, the sailor. Being a very loyal  fan, I disguised as Sindabad in a fancy dress competition in 2^nd std and brought the winning shield for my hero.

My social knowledge broadened with my mom’s favourite shows like Shanti and Swabhiman. Important to state, Shanti was the soap that made me perceive “Rape is some sort of a crime that somehow generates kids and when they grow up they ask for their rights”. Swabhiman on the other hand taught me “you can never stay happy if you snatch someone else’s husband and your family finally collapses” (more than enough for a kid of 8 or 9 to know. isn’t it?).

Oh Heavens Above! Slay me if I forget to mention our best friend on TV, who not just devastated the evil and entertained us but also taught us some “CHHOTI CHHOTI MAGAR MOTI BATI BATEIN”. Yes you got it, our very own “Shaktiman”. With utmost nostalgia I still remember that dumb yet cute cameraman “PANDIT GANGADHAR VIDYADHAR MAYADHAR OMKARNATH SHASTRI”, his ever exasperated head Geeta Vishwas, and my favourite villain ever on TV “andhera qayam rahe” fame KILWISH. Shaktiman was not a mere character, nor just a TV series but an era, that touched our souls and changed our perceptions towards Indian SuperHeroes and if possible I should be awarded with a special Grateful award as I hold a very significant share in the topping TRPs of that show. There were times when I used to skip my school by making thousands of excuses to mother, just to watch my favourite Super hero kill JJ or Cat woman and destroy the reign of Dr Jackal.

Think of Renuka Shahne with that shoulder length hairdo, sitting in front of a huge pile of letters and you too would reach the same show, Surabhi. I don’t remember much of its who’s or how’s but I just remember its opening song with all those visual graphics in it. I loved it.

And now,busy at studies and work today, long ahead that time I had forgotten it all but when you hear or watch or intuit (as in my case) something of that sort, there is no way out except, to recollect your memory, reunite your thoughts, reconstruct a state of mind and just pen it down.

Sincerely yours,

Moulshree kulkarni  

विसर्जन

हे प्रिय तुमको मुक्त किया अब
सारे बंधन पाश से,
कोई ऋण न शेष तेरा
इस एक अटल विश्वास से,
वो बीता कल एक स्वप्न सरीखा
जिसमे तुमको पाया था
जब से जागे उस स्वप्न से हम
जाना वह बस एक साया था
रात पड़े अंधेरो में जब साया भी साथ नहीं देता
वह प्रेम ही कैसा प्रेम है, हे प्रिय
जो हाथ को हाथ नहीं देता
कही भटक न जाऊं अंधेरो में
बस एक दिए की आस में
तोड़ दिया वह स्वप्न भी हमने ऐसे ही आभास से,
हे प्रिय तुमको मुक्त किया अब
सारे बंधन पाश से..........


                               --आपकी मौलश्री

sHiNiNg SpArKLiNg AnYwAyS

“Eeks! It’s so weird”, one of my friends exclaimed, looking at my nail paint colours. I had alternated burn red with metallic black and had given strokes of off white on each of them. “You’re turning into Gothica!!” She was finding it hard to believe. “Yeah sweetie kinda true. But that’s not all. I have some perky and peppy shades too”. “So keep them for your Grandchildren”. She walked out in disgust and I rolled on laughing watching at her petrified face.

People do find me and my nail paint collection a bit “out of this world”, pretty literally. My so called “wacko” collection includes all the shades any normal girl can’t ever think to possess. From gothic blacks to suave whites, stylish greens to soothing blues, fiery yellows to burny reds, metallics to matts, oranges, lilacs, orchids, corals, peaches, pinks, you name it and with all my pride and utmost delight, I have it.

Collecting these “glories of my nails” has been a tough task indeed. Going on shopping with your stereotypic friends who are “way too much normal”, withstanding their strange and horrified looks when you pick a nail shade of your dreams and hearing the words like strange, sick, crazy and bizarre for you all the while would be the last thing a nice and normal girl would do. But, it’s me, an extraordinarily abnormal creature of Gods. So all this while i kept my head held high did what I felt like and here I am the proud and honoured owner of the world’s strangest nail paint collection.

I am not being judgemental and it’s not that I hate the typical shades of nail paints but they definitely do not catch my fancies. These subtle colours would not make any one look “out of the crowd” and mine can be seen from a km or two.

A guy friend of mine once mentioned that my nail paints were one of the reasons that made him curiously anxious to know more about me. I liked that. “It’s not your appearance but inner beauty that makes people to fall for you”. True. But if spicing up your appearance a bit, attracts others to know the real you, I guess it is a profitable deal.

So what’s your take? :)

-Sincerely yours,

Moulshree kulkarni...