20 April, 2013

2.2

Dedicated to every 2.2 I've ever been on. Dedicated to the road which brought thousands of brilliant individuals together. Dedicated to the people I had the honor of sharing the campus with. Dedicated, to 2.2.

2.2

I walked my path, 2 km long
My destination came closer, but not quite there
I walked some more, towards my goal
I found myself once again at home

2.2 taught me, that life comes a circle
on this road, I found pleasures many
This road has seen me laugh, this road has seen me cry
this road has seen me, dancing in the rain wild

On this road, I found friends and foes
Allies to enjoy, antagonists for struggle
On this path, competition brought out the best of men
on this path, I saw the worst of them

In the centre lies, a lake undisturbed
A symbol of beauty, of nature of love
it imparts to me, the age old wisdom
the centre of all life is nothing but love

Other tracks branch out from this one
one strays for a while, but is sure to return
Possibilities infinite, the freedom of choice
the lesson that consequences, are results of my choice

Some patches lit and some patches dark
like life itself, this path offers it all
it doesn’t bask forever in the pride of triumph
nor does it always lament, in grief of loss

The circle of life is a circle indeed
for it has neither beginning nor end
It teaches us that life goes on
you may stop for a while, but the only choice is to walk

This path brought together
wonders of people I was blessed to chance
While leaving I say this with a smile
I was honoured to have shared with them the path

As seasons changed so did the path
as I evolved, so did the path
The path unfolded to me, all secrets it had
I never knew when, I told it all of mine

The path taught me, that everything changes
and living in the past is futile
Change must be embraced, with open arms
for it is only adaptation which survives

The path opened visions, earlier thought not of
the path taught perspectives, unheard of
the path told me to believe, in what I find right
and to respect someone’s right, even if it be my wrong

The people on the path changed too
beyond what I could have imagined
Yet, we shared the same road
perhaps this road held us together

Looking back, I see what I had
I have more I know
The path asks if I am contented
I say I have .2 more to go

Away from home, amidst greenery on both sides
the path put me in state when for nothing I wished to survive
It taught me nothing to lose was the worst place to be in
but the best, to start a new life

The path gave me courage, to embrace myself
for anything for not a taboo, within the boundations of this path
I never knew when I took the path outside with me
Now I may be gone, but every step I take will be one on 2.2

I take with me, all my learnings
and I hear 2.2 saying adieu
I promise to live each day, as it taught me to
smiling, moving, dancing and singing along the way

I have walked my path, 2 km long
My destination has came close, but not quite there
I will walk some more, towards my goal
.2 km away, I see my home

- Vishal Gupta
April 13th, 2013

16 April, 2013

अब कहना है अलविदा प्रिये

I write this as a sequel to a poem I read an year ago. I hope the legacy will continue.

अब कहना है अलविदा प्रिये

अब कहना है अलविदा प्रिये, याद आएगा ये समा प्रिये

वो First Year की Labs
वो देर रात की chats
वो Societies के selection
वो Mid Sem की Tension
वो NSS का camp
वो room पे आया damp
वो Vikramshila में class
वो wing की भाट
वो seniors वो professors वो बचे सभी curse

अब कहना है अलविदा प्रिये, याद आएगा ये समा प्रिये

वो पहले SF की हरियाली
वो लम्बी lines की परेशानी
वो पहली गर्मी की पहली बूँद
वो पहले Tempo shout की पहली गूँज
वो Illu की रातें
वो बंदियों की बातें
वो DC की speed
वो GC में lead
वो OP देना, देना, लेना, लेना

अब कहना है अलविदा प्रिये, याद आएगा ये समा प्रिये

वो intern के load
वो room पे घुसे toad
वो 2.2 की सैर
वो Halls में बैर
वो Poltu और Publi
वो Insti Diamond Jubilee
वो Cheddis पे सुबह बिताना
वो classes के बीच Tikka जाना
वो Sahara वो Heritage वो CCD

अब कहना है अलविदा प्रिये, याद आएगा ये समा प्रिये

वो पहले crush से पहली बात
वो फिर 2.2 पे दिखना हर रात
वो पहले birthday की पहली लात
वो फिर treat पे जाना wing के साथ
वो पहले viva का पहला डर
वो फिर end sem में जाना night out मार कर
वो seniors के funde
वो सोना पूरे sunday
वो Dep वो Hall वो Societies

अब कहना है अलविदा प्रिये, याद आएगा ये समा प्रिये

वो mess की बिल्ली
वो Gymkahana building लाल पीली
वो हर Dep farewell पे खाने जाना
वो Hall day पे रूम सजना
वो उधारी लेकर सुट्टा मारना
वो नहाते हुए गुनगुनाना
वो full speed पर cycle चलना
वो SN के बाहर धीमे हो जाना
वो TSC वो Jnan Ghosh वो Vikramshila

अब कहना है अलविदा प्रिये, याद आएगा ये समा प्रिये

वो देर रात को Kathleen जाना
वो पूरा weekend सिर्फ़ Maggi खाना
वो groups में cheer करने जाना
वो drams में पेड़ बन जाना
वो अच्छे grades वाले breadth चुनना
वो Faculty Feedback के समय भड़ास  निकालना
वो दारू पीकर टल्ली हो जाना
वो सुबह Hangover में क्लास जाना
वो Poker वो Rum वो धुआ

अब कहना है अलविदा प्रिये, याद आएगा ये समा प्रिये

वो Placement का “What the Phuck!”
वो TV series की लत
वो movies देखने Cal जाना
वो सड़कों पे गाने गाना
वो Assignments में सर खपाना
वो फिर पूरा assignment copy मारना
वो Place होने के बाद deregister हो जाना
वो Prof के सामने अपना रोना सुनना
वो फ़चपन वो OP वो POR वो आख़िरी साल

अब कहना है अलविदा प्रिये, याद आएगा ये समा प्रिये

वो छोटी आँखों से बड़े सपने देखना
वो हर छोटे बड़े मौके को परखना
वो कुछ अलग कर गुज़रने की हिम्मत रखना
वो देश की ज़रूरतों में ज़िंदगी के अवसर ढूँढना
वो दूसरों की खुशी में नाच लेना
वो हर कदम पर साथ बढ़ना
वो डरना झिझकना
वो अपने पर भरोसा करना
वो दोस्ती वो सपने वो यादें

अब जाने का हुआ वक्त प्रिये, कह चले हम अलविदा प्रिये

09 April, 2013

The Song of Sun and Earth

The first time Sun saw Earth, he did not like her
she was nothing like he’d seen before
no heat no fire, yet she seemed to be brimming with life
Sun saw her for a while, not knowing what to say
while she innocently danced around
By the time Sun realised he was staring her
staring her was all he knew
and he did so at every opportunity he had
for the sheer joy in her beauty
to see her flowing like the rivers within her
were too much for Sun to take off his eyes

Not that there weren’t other beauties around him
He had Saturn’s rings and Jupiter’s moons to gaze
But somehow this little lady with blue eyes
sometimes who saw him and sometimes shy
captured his imagination
Sun was in love, before he knew it
and if there was joy, it was in Earth’s smile

Earth, unsuspecting, danced along with her life
she took life from Sun, but knew not what he had in mind
Sun waited, to be a little brighter
so that one day his rays could shower the love he had for her
Sun waited, perhaps a bit too long
for by when he was ready to proclaim his love to the world
She’d fancied a new partner
one, who’d hurt her in the past
one, who’d sprung out of her
one, whom Earth fancied and Sun fancied Earth

Earth smiled, in moonlight
Moon, showered his love on Earth every night
Every day, Earth would talk to Sun
every evening, when Moon arrived, Earth would bid goodbye
Moon waxed and waned, Sun remained constant
but now he knew, he was to be a friend
Earth’s happiness lay in moonlight
and her smile was Sun’s joy

One day, unable to hold his feelings
he let her know, he wished to be near
But could not, for he would burn her
He could neither go too far, for Earth needed him for her life
His curse for his love was to stay
to watch his love choose another way
To watch forever, as Earth moved on
To never come near, yet not too far
They danced along, in a heavenly trance
circling each other, never seeing
Earth knew not, he still kept a watch
for now she waited, for moonlit nights

Sun wondered, if on moonless nights
she remembered him, and silently cried
if she ever wished, to speak to him again
if she knew, moon blotted him out on some days
if she knew, he still stays close
and would come, at her slightest haul
Sun wondered, and got used to crying
he shed no more tears, just watched them fly

He once thought he had time
but then from nowhere, came night
Our lives, the same, we think we have time
we live each day, hoping to work the night
and night we know, tomorrow comes
and live another day, waiting for the night
It’s the night which deceives us, yet that’s for what we wait
Our dreams our hopes, silently walk by
while we wait, for the right time to arrive

Perhaps if Sun was first, she would’ve been his
perhaps she would’ve said no, and asked him to leave
but now was too late, for him to go
and now he was surrounded by loved ones, yet utterly alone
For his eyes would not leave the one he once loved
for he still lived in hope, she might return
she never did, could never do
and Sun waits, for the day in his pain he erupts
engulfs her, makes her his, destroys himself
and leaves generations who see from a distance the splendid tale
there once lived a man who loved someone
spent his kips, in dreams of someone
lived like a star, and died like one
found no love, but loved someone
‘Was my life a waste?’ the final question he asks
or was it a testament to my love, which beyond me lives on


- Vishal Gupta
February 19th, 2013

08 April, 2013

कल रात मेरी आँखो में सपने की एक बूँद आई

कुछ इस कदर दीवानी हुई वो हमारी, के हर रात सपनो में चली आती है
कभी आँखो में सपना, कभी सपने की एक बूँद बन जाती है
ऐसा प्यार भी किस्मत वालो को ही मिलता है
कि हमने तो उसकी गली छोड़ दी, पर उसकी आँखें हमे छोड़ पाती है

कल रात भी वो मुझे ढूँढते आँखो में चली आई
कुछ बातें की उसने, कुछ बातें दिल में छुपाई
गम उन बातों का नही, जो उसने मेरी नम आँखों से की थी
गम तो उनका है, जो बातें वो कह ही पाई