A rhythmic space for Hindi Poetry, Book Reviews and Travel Stories
Author: karanshorey
Karan is a passionate individual who constantly dreams of changing the world for good. An avid reader and a reluctant writer, he is a firm believer in Grace (and bit of sun signs too!). The name of this blog is reflective of his keen interest in the planetary influences on human behaviour. At 32, he has a bit of a many facets (Versatile!), among those, a human resource professional being the most prominent. This space is a reflection and collection of his thoughts, designed with an intention to foster more thoughts, some of which, hopefully, will fuel the engine of change the world deserves!
Professionally, Karan has trained and mentored well over thousand students and helped them in improving their communication skills, personality and readiness for job interviews. You can get in touch with him on shorey.karan@gmail.com for any assignments.
Connect with me on twitter @karanshorey
This ghazal reflects on childhood innocence and the transition to maturity. The ghazal captures the longing for the carefree days of youth, expressing nostalgia and the bittersweet loss of innocence.
This week’s post is Ghazal on childhood, बचपन. Whenever I talk to my 8 year old niece (Freya), I can’t stop wondering how innocent she is and it makes me feel protective about her. I wish that she never loses that charm, inquisitiveness and fearlessness. Yet I know, that she too will grow up, become an ‘adult’, a kind and mature human being. But on the way, she too will have to trade her innocence, to become mature and gather experiences which make her ready to face the world!
Today’s ghazal is an ode to the childhood and for all of us who have transitioned from being silly kids to mature adults. To all of us, who miss our childhood and the joy of ignorance and innocence.
Here it goes, Ghazal on childhood: बचपन
मासूमियत गवां बैठे तजुर्बे का खज़ाना कमाने में देर हो गयी, महंगे सौदे का हिसाब लगाने में
जो हंस कर, टाल दिया करते थे नादानियाँ मेरी आज मशरूफ हैं, मेरी बातों का बतंगड़ बनाने में
सब अपने लगते थे बचपन में, कोई बैर नहीं था मन में अब, हाथ की उँगलियाँ लगती नहीं गहरे रिश्ते गिनाने में
पेशेवर था मैं बचपन में, रो कर अपनी ज़िद मनवाने में डर लगता है अब, खुल कर जज़्बात दिखाने में
काश, लौट आये वो दौर बचपन का दुबारा खैर, मुमकिन नहीं मगर, अच्छा लगता है सपने सजाने में
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‘Mohabbat ki Ghazal’ expresses love, longing, and desire.
This week’s post is Mohabbat ki Ghazal. ‘Mohabbat ki Ghazal’ expresses love, longing, and desire. Sparks fly when two people with unfulfilled love meet each other. They hesitate, crave for each other’s attention feel overwhelmed, and torn between choosing the symphony of heart or rationality of mind.
Is it necessary to yearn of love? Does thinking about someone else makes you unfaithful to your lover, albeit a lover who doesn’t warm the heart like they used to. This ghazal is represents this dichotomy. Have you ever felt this way?
Here it goes, Mohabbat ki Ghazal: हम भी तुम भी
महफ़िल में नज़रें मिल गयी हैं उनसे कई दफा कहने को सही लफ्ज़ तलाश रहे हैं, हम भी तुम भी
जिनसे प्यार की उम्मीद लगाए बैठे थे एक अरसे से जाने क्यों इतने दूर हो गए हैं उनसे, हम भी तुम भी
काश पिघल जाये हमारे बीच ये रिवाज़ों की दीवार अब देखना चाहते हैं अंजाम शायद, हम भी तुम भी
माना दायरे लाँघे हैं ख्यालों में ही बेवफा तो कहे जाएँगे मगर,हम भी तुम भी
सालों फिसल गए बिखरे रिश्ते सँवारने में, खुद के लिए जीना चाहते हैं अब, हम भी तुम भी
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This Hindi poetry on victory, जीत, is inspired by the intense competitiveness of Formula 1. In this sport, winning is everything. The poem reflects on the relentless pursuit of victory, acknowledging the extreme dedication and courage it demands.
This hindi poetry on victory , जीत, is inspired by Formula 1 which is one of the, if not THE most competitive sport on the planet. In life they say, winning is not the only thing. However, it doesn’t hold true in Formula 1, where, winning is everything, and the only thing that matters.
Netflix’s series, Drive to Survive caught my attention and created a hook for me towards formula 1. The more I see it, the more I realize that those 20 drivers on the track, are fiercely competitive and victory is the only thing that matters to them. They put for their body on the line for that, every single race. Did you know, a F1 driver loses 2-3 Kgs of weight on an average, in every race!
It seems that we all love to win, more than we care to acknowledge and accept. I love to win, or hate to lose, I don’t know yet if there is a difference between the two. But to win anything at all, it takes extreme courage and commitment, and this poetry is an ode to that. Hope you enjoy reading it!
Here it goes, hindi poetry on victory: जीत
कुछ ही पलों का फांसला काफी है हार जीत के मायने समझने के लिए
जीत, जीतने का जुनून लाज़मी है बहुत तेज़ रफ़्तार से आगे बढ़ने के लिए
सालों की तपस्या मांगती है तकदीर बस एक मौका देने के लिए
किसी कीमत पर मंज़ूर नहीं हार मुझे ज़िंदगी भी दाँव पर है, बस रेस जीतने के लिए
लाखों आते हैं उन नीडरों की रेस देखने सिर्फ एक ही गलती काफी है जहाँ मरने के लिए
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My Story, Author: Kamala Das, Genre: Autobiography
“Daring and Outspoken”
My tryst with work of Indian authors continues. This is my third Indian authored read this year. Earlier, I really enjoyed reading the light hearted and fast paced Days of my China Dragon by Chandrahas Choudhury. I also re-read a hard-hitting, peculiar and yet a favorite The Lesson by Sowmya Rajendran. The next in line is These Errors are Correct, by Jeet Thayil. But today, we will explore the literary world of Kamala Das.
I keep looking for hidden gems. Do you have any recommendations for interesting books by Indian authors? Please share in the comments.
Kamala Das
Kamala Das (later Kamal Suraiyya) is one of the most notable Indian woman authors/poet. A PEN Asian Poetry Prize Winner (’63), she dared to be straightforward and candid. She shared the story of her life in what could be described as a defiance of societal norms. ‘My Story’ presents a free flowing account of her intriguing and non customary life. Beginning from her childhood days in a Nalapat Nair household in Kerala, to her adolescence in Kolkata and her married life in Mumbai and Delhi, she traverses through each part with finesse.
Her writing garnered a lot of attention, bad press and yet it also got the admiration and the acknowledgement which the renowned author longed for. Through her writing, she brought the spotlight on the varied emotions of woman in her role as a mother, daughter, wife and a lover. More importantly, she highlights her quagmire as a human being who doesn’t wish to be tagged to any of these roles.
Why should you read My Story by Kamala Das?
Seeing the world through the eyes of Kamala Das for the length of this book, helped me to build a different perspective. The life in pre-partition and post independence early years of India, especially from a lens of a woman in a well off, traditional and educated family is well captured. You can look forward to:
Finesse of Writing Craft: The quality of her writing in this book is awe-inspiring. As someone who loves to write, I felt a lot of admiration for the savvy and crafty writing style. As a reader, I felt mesmerized with the experience of flowing through vivid descriptions of people, emotions and situations.
A Woman’s Perspective: This book is by no means prescriptive or patronizing. Kamala Das does a fine job of baring her soul and while at it, she manages to create a connection with the reader. Her emotions, reactions and idiosyncrasies feel relatable. She comes across as vulnerable while she goes through her share of domestic struggles and yet strongly maintains her strong individuality.
Hard-Hitting and Bold: Kamala Das challenges norms and laments the class based and societal inequities. She unapologetically talks about her flings, romances, attractions and intimate encounters with men (including her cousins) outside her marriage. She doesn’t celebrate it, nor does she sound regretful.
Content Summary
All of 200 odd pages, this book is neatly structured into 50 short 4-6 page chapters. While the content flows organically from her childhood to late life, it would be naïve to think of it as an uneventful chronology of time.
The progression of this book is best described as a hue of myriad emotions. The emotions symbolize innocence at the start and then transform into a set of complex, volatile, unhindered and entangled mess by the end. The last 2 chapters are titled “A Freedom to Discompose” and “Death – a Reality“. These titles aptly capture the darkness and loneliness that engulfed her throughout and more so in the later part of her life.
Some powerful lines which stayed with me:
“A poet’s raw material is not stone or clay, it’s her personality”
“How the essence of the writer eludes the non-writer, as the writers reveal to them only their oddities of dress or their emotional excesses”
In the later chapters, a few of her significant poems have found a place. These poems are a good introduction to the quality of her writing and her thought process.
Recommendation
Kamala Das’s work is by no means conventional and by virtue of that, it isn’t suited for a conventional reader. If you choose to read this book, you could end with an expression of ‘wow’ or quite the opposite (bordering on boring)! I enjoyed reading it, not so much for the story of her life but for the exquisite writing style and intense wordplay.
How you see the world is a reflection of who you are, and books aren’t immune to that principle! I am curious to know, which side are you on? Happy Reading!
Like reading Book Reviews, Poetry and Travel Stories? Versatilistaqua is your space for interesting content in these areas of your interest. Follow VersatilistAqua on Instagram here.
Book Review of The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
The Power of Habit, Author: Charles Duhigg, Genre: Self Development
“A priceless gift”
This book, The Power of Habit, is a gift I got from Guddu. She is the human who nurtures my soul! While I got this gift a few years ago, it lay unread yet comfortably in my favorite space at home (a double door book cabinet with four shelves).
In hindsight, what prompted me to read it this year (April’24) is connected to a key concept covered in this book i.e. ‘Implementation Intention’. Usually, I go with the flow and pick up books to read at random. However, at the beginning of this year, I shortlisted a set of books to read for 2024. This is my first attempt at being more deliberate, structured and intentional about it. Did you notice what I did there?
Implementation Intention
Implementation intention refers to the act of writing down your approach on how will you go about an activity, with specifics like steps to follow, when, where, with whom etc. Scientifically proven, this small act of writing down an approach massively increases the chances of the activity happening and hence leads to amazing outcomes. I have been setting and writing goals for years, and I know it works but I didn’t understand the science behind it. The secret to achieving your goals is to create an ‘Implementation intention’. If you are wondering how this works, then this book is just the right start for you.
In this book, Charles Duhigg uncovers the science of how our brain and habits work. While at it, he makes sure that it isn’t a boring scholarly research article drowning you in statistics or peppered with complex medical/biological terms. This book is simple to read, and that’s where it draws its power from. For a book which covers complex and transformational content, The Power of Habit is powered by simplicity and the author deserves high praise for that. No wonder it has sold more than 3 million copies!
Why should you read The Power of Habit?
There are several compelling reasons which justify investing time in reading this book, none of those however are more important than quenching the thirst for reading. In addition, what you can look forward to is:
Excellent Information: The 285 pages in this book are a treasure trove of relevant, highly useful and distilled information around habits. I felt excited with the awareness of how individuals and corporations can, and do utilize the power of habits.
Compelling Stories: Each concept is explained using a story. Starbucks, hospitals in America, Pepsodent and Civil Rights movement in America – all these prominent organizations and events feature in this book. These entities and events are viewed through a lens of habits and offer unique perspectives. I could inspire at least one friend to buy this book just by sharing one of the stories in this book.
A Practical Guide: This book offers significant guidance and inspiration to understand: the ‘why’ of habits, ‘what’ is the profound impact of habits, and ‘how’ can those be transformed or further strengthened. I have tried using a few tricks and those seem to make a difference. That’s incredible!
The Dark Side: Habits can make or break people and institutions. The examples which highlight how habitual behavior can create chaos made me shudder a bit. Would your stomach churn if you get to know that a habit lead someone to unintentionally murder their loved one?
Content Summary
The content is structured in 3 parts and 9 chapters. The concept of Habit loop explained in the first chapter caught my attention as it brought back the memories of Atomic Habits (another significant book, read review here).
This simplicity offered allows the reader to decipher their complex habits, which can feel exciting. The case studies of Pepsodent, Febreze and Alcoholic Anonymous viewed through the lens of habits make for an engaging read.
Thought provoking concepts like Keystone habits and the ability to change habits using a simple act of maintaining a log of actions stand out. The real life cases highlighting the success of these principles subtly encourage the reader to participate in what would otherwise seem a daunting behavioral change endeavor.
The chapters dedicated to Walmart and Ceaser Palace (Casino) are eye-openers. These paint a scary yet powerful picture of how organizations like Walmart and Ceaser Palace deliberately cash-on the habitual behaviors of their customers to supercharge their revenues. A detailed narrative of the notorious incident, wherein Walmart knew about a teenage girl’s pregnancy before her family made me twitch!
Recommendation
I strongly recommend this to anyone looking for an informative, engaging read and dare I say, a transformative read. As a reader, you will feel more aware and informed about your habits and the ‘why’ behind those. Surely, a bare act of reading this book will not make a significant impact however, it is extremely likely that you will feel empowered to act and change your habits to align with your purpose.
Combined with the principles of Atomic Habits (read how Atomic Habits powered my transformation), this book has given me the power to make informed choices and take deliberate actions. I think it can do so, for you too. Happy Reading!
Like reading Book Reviews, Poetry and Travel Stories? Versatilistaqua is your space for interesting content in these areas of your interest. Follow VersatilistAqua on Instagram here.
This ghazal, “कांच के टुकड़े,” reflects sorrow and vulnerability attributed to Karuna Ras, evoking melancholy. It explores the relationship between sorrow and hope in a poignant way.
This ghazal , कांच के टुकड़े, is a manifestation of the emotion of sorrow and vulnerability. In the Navras, this theme is attributed to Karuna Ras that evokes a sense of melancholy.
The emotion of sorrow has an intricate relationship with hope. When a hope is fulfilled, it alleviates the sorrow and in contrast, when the hope starts to fade, the sorrow becomes deeper.
I wish we continue to hope and channelize the intensity of our emotions into powerful drivers for our actions, as actions are the best companions in our journey to propel ourselves ahead.
Here it goes, ghazal : कांच के टुकड़े
ठहराव से मन घबराने लगा है बेचैनी को बेचैन हो कर ढूँढता हूँ
उम्मीद ज़िंदा है सही राह पर चलने की मगर अपनी कोशिशों को नाकाम होते देखता हूँ
जज़्बात दफन करने का सिलसिला रुकता ही नहीं लाखों कब्रों की राह से गुज़रता हूँ
आने वाला कल बेहतर होगा बीते हुए से हर सुबह उठ कर आँखें मलता हूँ
कांच के टुकड़े गिरा गए रास्ते में मेरे वो जो जानते हैं मैं नंगे पैर चलता हूँ
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‘Indians don’t read books’, said a Russian traveler whom I met in Goa last year. I felt a little awkward and defensive about her comment. However, I quickly realized I wasn’t going to convince her otherwise and steered the conversation towards her favorite ‘The Master and Margarita’. Before our goodbyes, I recommended an Indian author’s book to her. It was my way of saying, ‘we not only read, but folks around here also know how to write amazing books!’ For the curious souls, that book is Ghachar Ghochar. It’s one of my favorites and I have gifted to at least 10 people, including some friends from Poland. Try Ghachar Ghochar – review here
I keep looking for hidden gems by Indian authors. Do you have any recommendations? (Please share in comments)
The quest for good Indian author writing led me ‘Days of my China Dragon‘. How I discovered this book eludes me, but I am glad I did. Reading this book was a new experience for me. As it was not the usual ‘be with yourself and read a book’ set up. In fact, my partner (Guddu) and I read this book to each other, taking turns. This was the first time we read a book together (rather to each other) and it was fun! Guddu generously discards my new ideas, like my advice to plan which books she wants to read this year! Fortunately though, looks like this one is approved as she on board to do this again. Woo hoo!
Have you tried reading a book to someone else? How did it go for you?
In this book, Chandrahas Choudhary has done a splendid job of crafting an intensely easy going, entertaining, realistic and engaging story. The plot revolves around China Dragon, a Chinese restaurant in Mumbai owned by Jigar Pala. This restaurant’s existence and ongoing operations are intertwined with absorbing stories which surpass the confines of a specific theme, capture the reader’s imagination and yet bring them back beautifully, like a perfectly presented plate of long smooth Hakka noodles garnished with fresh spring onions.
Why should you read Days of my China Dragon?
There is a strong indigenous appeal to this book. The nuances are relatable and reminiscing. There are several things to look forward to:
Romance with Food: The author has romanticized food in a pleasingly gripping style. The vivid description of food, ingredients and cooking has the potential to make an otherwise ‘non foody’ feel a craving for food, Chinese or otherwise. Fancy reading a chapter named ‘A Meditation on Fried Rice’?
Thought Provoking Yet Subtle: The story subtly touches upon a lot of important and key themes like religious riots in Mumbai, India-China war, train accident in West Bengal, politics and political parties etc. The author makes a point, doesn’t digress and craftily comes back to the China Dragon.
A reader’s Delight: The writing style imbibes simplicity, is sprinkled with humor and satiates readers who like reading at pace. There is a momentum to the story and there are quite a few interesting characters who are relatable and quirky.
Informative: After reading this book, I am more informed about restaurant trade, food business, Chinese cuisine and its history, an entrepreneur’s life and about the city of dreams, Mumbai.
Content Summary
214 pages of neatly structured content touch upon a variety of themes and coalesce around China Dragon. The descriptive writing style creates a credible visual of the story for the reader. The language is simple, font size is easy for eyes and the reader can pace through with ease.
The first part of the book focuses on the restaurant’s birth, history of Chinese food and Jigar Pala’s ambitious dreams. Then it transitions neatly to the day to day life of China Dragon and Jigar’s struggle to make it a successful business which entails training and retaining the staff while trying to improve the restaurant’s fortune through bizarre means like, finding a dragon statue as a good luck charm.
The story moves smoothly from one crisp chapter to another although some chapters could have been sharper, like the story of Shivbhakt Pintu Masarkar. The last few chapters induce pace and manage to create an emotional churn in the reader.
Recommendation
I recommend this book as a light hearted quick paced indigenous story. I enjoyed reading it and liked the writing style which is enticingly descriptive, makes you laugh with the wordplay and romanticizes the concept of food and restaurants appropriately to create a tease and a pull! I encourage you to fix your date with the China Dragon.
Like reading Book Reviews, Poetry and Travel Stories? Versatilistaqua is your space for interesting content in these areas of your interest. Follow VersatilistAqua on Instagram here.
This poetry titled “Karuna Rasa Kavita मुकाम,” delves into the theme of Karuna Rasa, one of the nine emotions represented in Natya Shastra. It captures reflections on life and embraces the value of moments amidst sadness.
This Karuna Rasa Kavita, मुकाम, is the first post on my website tagged to this theme. As I delve deeper into the world of poetry, I now feel more confident about tagging my work to specific and clear themes.
Navras
Overall, as you might know, Rasa’s represent the nine emotions (Navras) described in Natya Shastra. Altogether, these rasas represent a multitude of emotions ranging from love, anger, hate, friendship, disgust, sadness, peace, fear, wonder etc. Similarly, Karuna Rasa is one among those and is associated with sadness or melancholy. Some posts on other Navras elements are below for reference.
This poetry below captures the reflections of someone who has seen it all and looks back at the events of their life with a touch of sadness or incompleteness. It’s hard to accept that most of us go express this emotion at various times, sometimes for a large period of time.
Karuna Rasa is a contrasting emotion which accentuates the value of happy moments in our lives and the only wise option is to embrace it while stopping our futile attempts to escape this emotion.
This one is for all us, more so for those among us who feel lonely and don’t have their loved ones around to share their emotions. Hope you enjoy reading this!
Here it goes, Karuna Rasa Kavita: मुकाम
जो मुकाम पाने के लिए बेसब्र था मैं मिल गए हैं मगर खली पड़े मकानों जैसे लगते हैं
कई साल बचे हैं ज़िंदगी की चिंगारी बुझने में जाने क्यूँ बेवजह जीने के बहानों जैसे लगते हैं
बहाए तेरी बेवफाई के गम में जो आँसू अब खोटे सिक्कों के ख़ज़ानों जैसे लगते हैं
पीछे छूट गए रिश्ते और दोस्त कई जो ज़रूरतें पूरी करने आए इंसानों जैसे लगते हैं
खुद से किए थे जो वादे पूरे करने के वादे वो इरादे अब अधूरे लिखे गानों जैसे लगते हैं
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This is a veer rasa (courage) poetry is about bravery, challenging norms, and celebrating individuality. It emphasizes the importance of courage in the face of adversity and societal conformity.
This Veer Rasa Poetry, सितारों से पूछो, is the first post on my website tagged to this theme. As I delve deeper into the world of poetry, I now feel more confident about tagging my work to specific and clear themes.
Navras
Overall, as you might know, Rasa’s respresent the nine emotions (Navras) described in Natya Shastra. Altogether, these rasas represent a multitude of emotions ranging from love, anger, hate, friendship, disgust, peace, fear, wonder etc. Similarly, Veer Rasa is one among those and represents the sentiment of courage, heroism or bravery.
This poetry below is an expression of courage, a salute to people who thrive despite challenges and barriers and never give up. It also celebrates the courage to be different from the society that appreciates conformity. New thoughts will never be allowed to flourish and gain acceptance if not for some among us to challenge with intent and keep persisting!
It’s unlikely that someone is courageous by default. At times, this niche virtue is instilled by the environment and at other times, it is nurtured in the company of courageous people.
Given that courage is misunderstood often, I always remember a quote I once read:
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak, Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen!
Hope you enjoy reading this!
Here it goes: Veer Rasa Poetry, सितारों से पूछो
सर उठाकर जीता हूँ कायर ज़माने में कैसे कंधा मिलाकर खड़े निडर मेरे यारों से पूछो
क्या अहमियत है उनकी हासिल किए हैं मुकाम जो मेरी तरफ देख कर जलने वालों से पूछो
मानता नहीं मैं क्यूँ रिवाज़ों के रिवाज़ को पढ़ी जो किताबें मैंने उनके लेखकों से पूछो
आता कहां से है ज़िद्दी जिगर चट्टान सा मेरी मां और पंजाब की मिट्टी में पलने वालों से पूछो
किसकी शह पर करते हूँ अक्सर मौत से बगावत रब ने जड़े मेरी किस्मत में जो उन सितारों से पूछो
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