उल्लुओं के पीछे

 In this day and age, many are becoming just “trend- follower.” And there are too many trends to follow.(social media trends, business trends, sports trends, political view trends and trends on almost all what matters or doesn’t). Even though many find a lot of these trends questionable. Then there are those who won't follow and will be considered "uncool." Many just feel forced by pure peer pressure to follow the trends. A confession, I might have toggled between being UNCOOL and forced follower myself from time to time. The lines below are just thoughts of  trend followers, forced or by choice.

हर शाख पे उल्लू बैठा था

तो हम भी उल्लू हो लिए

बर्बाद गुलिस्ताँ होता देखा पर 

उदास आँखे मींचे सो लिए 

फिर सोचा इन शाखों पे

कितने उल्लू हम जैसे होंगे

जो बाज की फितरत रखते थे

पर उल्लुओं के पीछे हो लिए

सोचो, बाज बाज ही रहते तो 

गुलिस्ताँ अब भी आबाद होता

Note: Didnt click any Owl or Hawk pictures so birds in pics are different.

Meet the Storyteller

 

If you and I are in a party, 8 out of 10 chances are you will not notice me even if I am right there, just like the fly on the wall. 1 out 10 chance you will notice me and would want to get rid of me, just like the fly on the wall. And then there is this 1 chance that you would like to know me, and you will end up having a friend to rely upon, and more.

 

That is me in 3 sentences. I am not unsocial or loner or anything, on the contrary I am always in awe of fellow humans. I just love to listen and observe. I am so interested in all the awesome things people have done and continued to do that I get immersed and live their experiences through their narration. I don't speak as I don't want to burden people with the mundane things that I can offer. I live a lot of my days on my desk, on my work and in my mind. There is a beautiful cosmos in there, decorated with the stories and anecdotes you have blessed me with from your life. Those stories make me know you so well.

 I don't bother that you don't know what my likes or dislikes are, as I am aware I could never share those with you with an interesting narrative for you to remember.

 

I have experiences and stories. All of them are real. Maybe 80% real from what happened in the world we all share and 20% real from the world that my mind is. But I would never mix them as the two sets should never be mixed. The basic laws including those of physics are applied differently in the two realms so mixing the two can never be fun. Being able to observe the two and be a part of both is a blessing. I try to share those through my writings. Again, keeping the storyteller mode on and not that of a seasoned author.

 The era of my kind is fading. Age of superiority and precision of all things dawned long ago. I did cling on to what I loved. And I will continue telling my stories, as that is what defines me. 

 I believe story is what defines us as humans. Our history, our Mythology, our religion, our scientific advancement; all of it would cease to exist if there were no story tellers. And when I say the Era of my kind is fading, I don't really mean the era of storytelling is fading; storytelling will always be there as long as the human race exists, although it will change ways like it has many times in past centuries. The Spirit of storytelling is immortal and will always stay

 And so, the storyteller will always be there. 

 To end this note I will say that now that you have noticed me, don't forget this; however uninspiring I may seem at the gatherings. Take that one chance out of 10, to know me. Just try and you may hear a story that warms your heart or may even change your life. Good news; there are many of me in all gatherings in all parties, somewhere in the corners immersed in a story while weaving a new one. Just say hello and ask and be ready to listen.