7. शून्य की कश्ती में.

एक अनजानी सी तलाश में, मैं बरसो से लगातार था,
शून्य की कश्ती में, एक अकेला मैं सवार था,
थक गया तड़प कर, मरने से सपने सजाये,
लेकिन अंदर की आवाज़ को, आपका इंतेज़ार था.

आपके अस्तित्व की झलक ने, मेरी दुनिया ऐसी बदली,
तंदुरुस्त हो गया दिल, जो सालों से बीमार था.

आज आपकी मौजूदगी से, ज़िंदा है यह जिस्म,
इसे लाश बनने ना देने वाला, सिर्फ आपका प्यार था.

आपके स्पर्श ने मुझमें नई जान डाली,
वरना यह तन, मुर्दे की माफ़िक बेकार था.

इस दीवाने की गिनती हुई, आपकी मौजूदगी से,
आपके आने से पहले यह शून्य था, शून्याकार था.

गर आप ना आते, तो मिट चुका होता था इस जहां से,
मौत से इस रूह का, ऐसा मजबूत करार था.

6. Vegan on the Peak.

Vegan on the Peak – A sneak peek opening to the Voyage of a Life.

A twenty something dude graduates with an engineering degree and with no time to think on what next, takes up a post grad course somewhere in the United States. Two decades back, this was a dream-realized situation. Getting a job post that was even more than that.

The boy does, typically what others would do. A stereotypical life is really awesome and most awful at the same time. Awesome since it helps the mind slip into a comfort zone and further into a luxury precinct of life. One beautifully relishes the fancies of life in a utopian way. Most awful because of the same reason! Surreal? Indeed, but the facts are bizarre.

Leading a lovely life in the zone seldom has a scope of soul searching enquiries. Even if this vacuum crops up, either it is late or is overlooked. The chap in our story accidentally hits upon an opportunity of visiting the snow clad mountains in the northern province of his motherland. His heart strikes a feeling of his life; a sensation that naturally soothes him into the land of tranquillity for a while; for him this appears eternal. He loves the pacific vibrations so much that he packs those along with his bags and carries with him as he returns back to the city he dwells in.

The next morning he unpacks the bags and wants to travel to his work with the precious gift that he has experienced. Alas! The souvenir gets disappeared from the properly packed baggage like the soul vanishes from a perfectly intact body.

The experience of not being able to experience the feeling once again leaves him more restless than the thought of not being able to carry the experience alongside. He chooses to go back again.

Experiences and Feelings can be found anywhere and everywhere but Life is only in mountains. He shouts this to himself and adds – I am not here to keep transacting with various experiences in life; I am here to deal with life and to me, Mountains are synonymous to Life and Life is Mountains.

Juggling between making a living and living the inner making, he resumes the expedition of embracing numerous mountains in varied geographies. More than conquering them, he wants to hug them tightly to exchange the mutual love. Mountains also start loving him and sooner than later, the feeling of kissing the highest peak in the world sneaks in.

The young boy who is into a great shape from a career standpoint and has already turned vegan few years back for his immense love for animals is now dreaming of risking it higher.  As he makes few trips to the base camp of the mightiest, he gets the same calling each time. His feet are on the base but the soul including heart and eyes has already summited the peak. He just cannot wait.

The world is against him for his good. No vegan body has done this before. His folks are yelling – This is not a choice; it’s gonna be a nightmare and the last one. Fortunately, his ears turn deaf to these warnings. 

His entire body and soul gets into the mode of an impeccable groundwork. He starts training himself. His bread and butter is at stake but who cares when the call is from the divine. The pulsations in his heart have even overcome the thought of death.

I want to prepare, grow and walk towards the enormous. With such a strong will, he embarks the journey of his life. He fails. Comes back to the camp and looks at the peak. He cries but is not broken. He yells and quotes – I am gonna scale myself up and come again; I am afraid you cannot soar further O tall standing white statue.

After over a year, he is confident to step up and has to step back before reaching the peak. He breaks his wallet but the will is yet rock solid.

A year after that shines for him and the peak has no choice but to accept his kiss. He feels it easier to woo the peak in third strike than a beloved for whom umpteen attempts might be needed before she lures.

To be continued....Once I get to know the story further...

5. મારી વાત છે.

એક જન્મ નો અંત ત્યાં બીજા ની શરૂઆત છે,
આ તારી અને મારી વાત છે...

ચક્કર ચોરીશી ના, ચાલુ છે પુરજોશ માં,
દેવ ગુરુ જગાડે છતાં, આવવું છે કોને હોશ માં,
પોતાના ઠેકાણા નથી, પણ પારકા ની પંચાત છે,
આ તારી અને મારી વાત છે...

પરિગ્રહ ભેગું કરવામાં, વિતાવું છું આ જીવન,
નથી લઈ જવાનું સાથે, પણ માને છે ક્યાં મન?,
નશ્વર ની આધિ ઉપાધિ, દિવસ અને રાત છે,
આ તારી અને મારી વાત છે...

સંસાર સુખ મીઠા, એજ હકીકત લાગે,
પરભવ ક્યાં જોયો, એની ચિંતા માં કોણ જાગે,
તણખલા ની આડ માં ડુંગરા છુપાવું, એટલી તો લાયકાત છે,
આ તારી અને મારી વાત છે...

જતા રહેશું છોડી ને, એવી હોશિયારી બતાવે,
બધું પાણી ઉતરી જાય, જરા અમથું જો તાવ સતાવે,
શરીર, સગા, રાગ, દ્વેષ, મોહ, અજ્ઞાન, બસ આજ મારી વિસાત છે..
આ મારી અને મારી વાત છે,
હા, અત્યારે તો આ મારી વાત છે...

એક જન્મ નો અંત ત્યાં બીજા ની શરૂઆત છે,
સૌની હશે કદાચ પણ જરૂર આ મારી વાત છે.

4. BK Shivani at RCP.

Excerpts from BK Shivani’ s talk at Reliance Corporate Park –

·         Reliance believes in Empowerment.

·         Who can empower?

o   The one who is powerful can empower.

·         How can one become powerful?

o   On a positive side, developing abilities and qualities that can help others.

o   Staying away from negativity – Stress, Depression, Tension, Irritation, etc.

·         What is Stress?

o   Some years back, no one knew the word stress. Some people started using it and it became a trend to use it.

o   Stress is non-existent. It is a play of mind and a way of staying away from mental happiness and peace.

·         How do I feel when I come home? Tired, Fatigued?

o   If yes, then am I powerful?

o   No, I am weak!

o   If I am weak, will I be able to empower my family?

·         How do people feel when I come home?

o   The reply will tell me if I am powerful or weak. If people are happy and waiting for me to come home, I am powerful.

·         What should be main agenda of any business?

o   If the business works on the benefit of its consumer over it’s personal benefit, the business is bound to grow and succeed.

·         If I got to cover a distance of few metres in a pre-set time, How do I walk?

o   With Anxiety, Stress and Hurry to reach the destination?!!

·         What if I got to walk with a glass full of water in my hand and reach the destination without spilling water? How will I walk now?

o   I will walk with patience and utmost care that the water doesn’t fall.

·         The water is happiness. If I do everything is my life with happiness-focussed attitude, I am bound to live my life fully.

·         Always do everything in life keeping the glass full of water (happiness) in heart.

·         Is there a point in being successful without being happy during the journey? Will that be real success?

·         We have companies with Smoke-Free campus or designated smoking zones but do we have Anger-Free Campus?

·         If we have anger free life, we surely can be happy.

·         Designated anger zones are the place that signify, don’t harm people by smoking in public. Go into the zone and harm yourself.

·         Similarly, if I cannot live an Anger-Free life and I still want to be harm myself, I should create Anger zone and do so.

·         How are the relationship’s in the today’s world built?

o   Each person in a relationship wants to get something from other – Love, Care, Support.

o   This has a potential to result in clashes, chaos and disturbance.

o   If each person cultivate the attitude of giving than getting, all the relationships will be so beautiful.

Additional Points by Chintan Shah -

1. Stress is Pressure/Resilience. Pressure is external and not in your hands. Resilience is the mental resistance which one can develop to ensure stress isnt powering you.
2. Saatvik diet: Refrain from non veg food. Also one should cook or eat when he/she is in a positive and happy frame of mind

Action points:
1. Refrain from using any negative language like stress, busy, hard etc which can create negative energy
2. Spare first 20 mins of morning and last 10 mins before sleeping with yourself or any positive energy like prayer, meditation to not get affected by external factors throughout the day.

ThanQ so much Chintan for covering these points.

3. आवाज़ कर्म.

बाढ़ आई तब मैंने आवाज़ उठाई,
भूकंप आया तो ज़ोर से चिल्लाया,
     पर क्या मैं किसीके काम आया!?!

सरकार को दोष देने में कोई कमी ना दिखाई,
शाशन के खिलाफ जाकर सब को बताया,
     पर क्या मैं किसीके काम आया!?!

पीड़ितों ने अपनी दुविधा बतायी,
उनका दर्द लोगों को बताकर मैंने अपना फ़र्ज़ जताया,
     पर क्या मैं किसीके काम आया!?!

कौन सही, कौन गलत, इसकी पर्ची बनाई,
किसे क्या करना चाहिए, उसका चिट्ठा बनाया,
     पर क्या मैं किसीके काम आया!?!

भुला दी यह घटना, और जब दूसरी आयी,
फिर वही वाकिया मैंने दोहराया,
     पर क्या मैं किसीके काम आया!?!

सोचता, बोलता रहा, क्या ज़बरदस्त विचारो का प्रदर्शन किया, करवाया,
     पर क्या मैं किसीके काम आया!?!

2. Aapse Dur.

Aapse dur, aankhon me ek nami si hai,
Saansen aur dhadkane to hai,
Phir bhi aapke bagair, kuch kami si hai...

Ye raatein jawaan hai par kuch sehmi si hai,
Ye mohobbat ki dastaan, barf ki tarah jami si hai...

Pighal jaaye hum, aap aa jao kareeb agar,
Sanwar jaaye ye zindagi, jo mehrumi si hai.

1. Kerala Flood.

☑ Disclaimer: This is a long post. Kindly read through and connect with me on DM if you want to ask any queries and/or like to contribute. ThanQ.
-----------------------------------------

🌊 Disastrous Floods of Kerala – The Inside Story and An Appeal 🙏🏻

🙇‍♂ While the debate and blame games are going on, the survivors and the families of the victims are yet in a state of shock and awaiting support for their sustainability in the days to come. I get shattered by the thought of sleeping and surviving without a roof that has been taken off my head. My dear friends over there are actually experiencing what I am merely thinking about.

🤕 The recent visit to Kerala was indeed shocking but had an inner relief in the subconscious that I am safe (Ironical, but true). I can only feel a little of what they must be actually going through, but it is experienced only by those and hence, I can no way express the pain and suffering.

⛈ Backdrop: It began to rain heavily on the 15th of August and this is normal for the inhabitants. What went crazily wild was the high tide, unstoppable rains and the opening of the dams that resulted in a disaster for many parts of the state. Fire can be controlled by Water but how can one control the persistent flow of water? ⛈

🌌 Situation: Thousands of families got affected, of which a huge number of people lost everything and for many, most of the stuff in the homes got damaged. The farmers and the ones who rely on the agriculture oriented income encountered a significant setback as the crops and trees succumbed to the untiring attack of Water. Vehicles were damaged and Animals got washed away. Besides, a terrible loss to the public infrastructure viz. Roads, Schools, Offices and Vegetation was experienced.

➡ Immediate Action:  Firstly, the villagers came to each other’s rescue and it was a great display of unity. Navy extended a great help by getting into the affected areas through boats and saving human beings and animals. The fishermen community triggered prompt action from their end and most of the people I met conveyed that this act actually saved thousands. The NGOs all over the nation became active and a huge amount of food, medicines, groceries, clothes, utensils and other relief material was sent in by all the possible modes of transport.

⚓ Execution: With a detailed plan, the team initiated work in all the directions. Firstly, a crew of 5 members travelled to Cochin where they met the local Jain community that has 800 members. From Mumbai, a fund of 10 lakh rupees was mobilised to the community. More than 100 volunteers started working on the survival kit for the nearby areas that were heavily affected. They travelled in tall vehicles to the nearest possible location and from there they took boats and reached out to the houses for the relief activities. In one week, 32 tons of stuff – Groceries, Medicines, Clothes and Utensils – was purchased and collected through the participation of few NGOs and direct contributions. Everything was loaded in the parcel wagon of the train that flagged off on 25th of August with 5 more members from the NGO. This train reached on the next day and through multiple trucks, the distribution activities were resumed. A team of 3 people (including me) reached Calicut on the 29th of August.

1⃣ Waynad (29/Aug): One of the most affected areas, located at 700 metres above the sea-level. More than the water, the disaster was due to the landslides through the muddy mountains. Waynad district is a home to tribal community of Kerala. They drink mountain water that would run through their taps. With this calamity, the pipeline system was broken. We met few people in village who have become homeless and moreover, lost their source of income as the taxis they were driving were damaged and crops on the fields on which they were working got washed off. On immediate basis, they need the pipeline system with overhead tanks to be made. Also, they are looking for a small set-up wherein women can and are willing to work to earn some income to gradually recover the losses incurred.

2⃣ Trichur (30/Aug): We visited the 3 most affected areas of the district. The river that barely had few feet of water had scaled up to tens of feet and the water embraced the entire area including several villages and settlements. We got into many houses and the condition was shockingly painful. Many lost their cattle too. Cattle is the source of income for a maximum residents of that area. One of the bigger villages was home to 1300 families, and over 1000 families were shattered badly. The main requirement there was cattle so that they can get back to the business at the earliest. Also, due to a lot of damage in vegetation, fodder for the survived lot of cattle is a dire need for their sustainability. Schools need to be reconstructed and the kids need stationery kits.

3⃣ Trivandrum (31/Aug): The primary agenda was to meet the representatives of the administration. We had quite an insightful multiple rounds of discussion with the Chief Minister, Minister for Agriculture, several other ministers and the Principal Secretary for General Administration. The discussion was around the actual calamity, preparedness, failures, rehabilitation, support and current proceedings. Most importantly, had a word with the Principal Secretary who focussed on the requirements related to the education. Approximately, 3 lakh kids are affected, of which nearly 1.5 lakh kids come under the poverty line. We need to channelize our effort for helping those kids with the school related kits.

4⃣ Cochin (1/Sep): We had a similar experience like what we encountered at Trichur. A lot of damage to the houses and their lands has happened. We did visit a couple of schools that were in a deadly state. All the furniture and equipment was extremely damaged.

📢 Appeal: Our main focus currently is on sustainability and hence we want to make a sincere request and a humble appeal to come forward and support for the reconstruction of water supply at the Waynad district and the school kits for the kids. You may want to help with sponsorships, contacts, sharing your wallets, sharing the experience and spreading the word. 📢

Please contact me for more details. ThanQ so much.