Wonder years – Through the lens

November 15, 2011 Off By Fried Guest

Fried Eye says-  A S Jha one of our regular reader and fan has sent us a beautiful poem about childhood in hindi. That along with some brilliant photography from Stephen Styris gives  the perfect picture of nostalgia and childhood. We are presenting before you the gist of the poetry in english for those who are not comfortable with the language followed by the original poem.

 

Jha says – In this cut throat competitive world today we all are rushing towards an ‘unknown destination’. Nobody is having time to sit and introspect on the life and where we are leading to. Is this the same life what we all had dreamt of in our respective childhoods? Today ‘Money makes the mare go’ has become our sole war cry to win this battle of life, but in this ‘rat race’ we all have forgotten the real essence of joys and pleasure of day today life. A man has become nothing less than a machine and very proudly we say – we are the future. If this is the future then I wish ‘’O my Lord please send me to my past … that golden era of my life as a child. Today computer games have replaced those beautiful fables; an art called ‘story telling’ where a child used to get the wings to fly in the skies of imaginations. Every story had some hidden teachings for leading a life which the child used to decipher on his own. Those peculiar time pieces and their early morning alarm rings which not only used to wake you up but the neighbours also, are gone with the passage of time and  mobiles along with their harmful rays have crept under the pillows of innocent kids. The fragrance of the achaar-paratha in the lunch box was much tastier than burgers and aerated beverages. Kite flying and games likes ‘chupam chupai’ (blind man’s bluff) were more interesting than ‘popeye the sailor’ on cartoon network.

Those were the days when we with our parents and siblings in a family used to sit together for Sunday matinee show aired on DD1 unlike today’s 3G speed where we download our favorite stuffs and watch them alone. That was the time when pocket money used to be in coins unlike today’s plastic money. Piggy banks and gudda- guddi used to be prize-possession. We all used to enjoy watching our mothers haggling for the prices of different articles to the vendors no matter whether the amount was ones or in tens. These sky scrapers malls and branded show rooms have killed those pleasures.

Every year this 14 date in the month of November always reminds me of my childhood, so today I thought of scribbling few lines in the memories of my childhood and dedicate to all of you. Hope it touches the strings of your heart too …

 

The original poetry

 

Masheenon ki dunya hai ye,pathar kay log yahan,
Mujhay wo gaoon ki masoom suhani mehfilain laa day Jis ki aankhen mujhe andar se bhi parh sakti hon,
Koi chehra tou mere sheher mein aisa la day kishti-e-jaan tou bhanwar mein hai kaii barson se,
Ay Khuda ab tou dubo day ya kinara la day

Kyun mashino ki gad-gadahat un khilono se nahi milti hai
Ek yaadon ki mithaas toh dusri zindgi ko bezaan sa banati hai
Kyun mujhey wo mera bachpan yaad aa raha hai ,
Aaj mere beetey hue kal ki yaad dila raha hai
Jahan mera khawabon ke paron par wo sapne sajana,
Ret ke tiley pe ghar ko banana , wo raat ko dar se maa ke galey lag jana
Wo meri maa ka har subah mujhey mere sapno ki duniya se jagana
Wo school jane ke liye rijhana- manana,

meri choti si jeb main ek rupay ke sikkey ka dherey se sarkana,
wo mera muskurana aur bajuaon se apni num aankhon ka pochna ..
koi mujhey mera wo sunhari subah , wo sunhari sham la dey
maa ke aanchal ki bheeni si khusbhu mujhey koi wapas la dey

Wo janmdin ki khushi aur meri nayi shirt ka pehenke khush ho jana ,
Kisi cheez ko pane ki zidd aur maa ka is pe pyaar se samjhana,
Wo mere papa ka mujhey fusla ke sabjiyaan khilana,
Maa ka mujhey sotey hue se utha ke doodh ka gilas haath main pakdana,
Wo kitabon ko lekar sardiyon ki subah main razai main sotey hue padhne ki naquam koshishein karna,
Kahan chut gaya wo sab is zindgi ki daud bhaag main, is rozgaar ki

maraamar main …
koi mera wo naaadan, wo anzaan sa bachpan wapas la dey

Wo jin kay saath mil ker barishoon main bhigay hum,
Hajoom e dunya say mujhay wohi meray saathi laa day
Sham kay dundlkay main gharoon say uthta duaan,
wo nischal subah,chirioon ka cheh-cha-hana,wo titlian la day

wo school me kameejo per syahi ka failna,
jisko dekh maa ka chillanaa aur mera sakpaka jana ,
wo bikhrey hue baal, wo ghutno pe chot ke nishan,
wo mehmanon ke samne apni kavitayein sunana aur unka taaliyana bajana,
wo maa ki lori aur papa ka dullar , wo behan ka pyaar … sab wapas la dey

Kuch nahi chahiye tujh se ay meri umar-e-rawan
Mera bachpan, mere jugno, meri wo charrey wali bandook la day Jis say hazaroon yadain wabasta hain ay meri zindgani Tu mujhay bas mera wo khubsurat bachpan laa day

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