A Walk To Remember

 The sun has risen from a place unknown,

Casting light where shadows had grown

I searched in you, in dreams I spun,

Only to find, the light was undone.

I gave, I hoped, yet found no cure,

Illusions shattered, the pain unsure.

Now I walk, the truth untold,

Chasing a light that’s finally bold.

Soz-e-saaqi

lazzaton k jaam may aise doobay hain hum saaqi
bhul gaye hum ulfat-eduniya, karwan-e-zindagi or roz-e-mahshar

dekhi jo nazar uthay k humnay ufaq k par
pai hum nay surkh chandni, kali ghatha or ashk-e-yaar

naam jo liya tarap k humnay tera, saaqi
budnaam huay koh-e-yaar may hum

Life As It Comes

Life is a complex chain of relationships that are interconnected but needs to be dealt separately. Once you try to engage them and it becomes chaotic. One has to separate his personal and professional life as per the expectation. But the story doesn’t end here, to live each life it has to be divided more, separated more in order to make it viable. The professional life in itself can be divided to two major sub-categories: social and work life and each demands different sets of behavior. These two categories are then further broken down depending on the intricacy and diversity of the network, job responsibilities and one’s own nature.

What pushed me to write this piece is the personal life which is far more multifarious and complicated. Here you have your family and friends. Now, in the family zone come immediate relatives and distant ones. Then there are gossip mongers and storytellers. There are also those who love to stay in limelight with their extra drama and overreaction on every petty issue. Family has also got some brilliant advisors too who have experienced and/or witnessed each and every situation of life. It is as if they know what it feels like to be on the moon. Sometime their “a word or two” can turn into lifelong autobiography that needs to be listened with utmost patience and silence.

Well, family also has those fun-loving people who don’t give a damn about life or family itself. You don’t care about them but yet you keep them near and dear to your heart. After dealing with all these kind of people, you still need to be introduced to whole different kind of people or rather say specie.

If you belong to Asian society then you are well-aware of these so-called in-laws. Life would have been much easier if your relationships end here. But no, there is one more relation that is highly delicate and most important; your spouse. Like every person, he/she has his/her positive and negative sides.  But the problem is you have to deal with him/her your whole life. Living in the same room and sharing each everything, starting from your hair brush to your bed, takes its toll. Sometimes you love it all more than anything else but it becomes unbearable when you have to handle that psychotic side. You feel like pulling your hair and start throwing things you can get your hands on.

I wish you could do that but what is practical is to keep your composure, your head high and the patience of the saint to deal with it. Otherwise, you can follow your heart which can only lead to breaking of the knot. But when does it become too much…which is that point when even the saint loses his patience? The answer depends on you and only. It is only you who can decide to live and deal with it or give up to have a life on your own terms. One must remember that every relationship requires few adjustments, a lot many sorry and thank you but this doesn’t mean that you get exploited. Always put your foot down when it becomes too much.  People say you should push your boundaries further and reach a level higher when you become parents. But I say not to live in a highly crazy relationship because it will negatively affect your child. Rather than giving your child a complete family you will end up ruining their life. 

Writing for myself again

Running a blog was fun for me...I love writing and all this started back in 2011 when a friend of mine encouraged me for starting a blog. I was all excited and inspired by what my friend said. I would not like to name her as I don't know she would like it or not.

Anyways back to the topic, I was all charged up for writing, searched for topics that people would like to read and ponder on. I was always interested in politics and society so wrote on such topics. I knew half of the nation loves politics and it is a dinner table debate inspired by various talk shows and news articles. Wanting to make a contribution and share my worthy opinions, I started writing on topics that interested me and [should have] affected the majority of the nation.

This was an unofficial start of my writing career that I used to love. Days passed by and I wrote one blog per week which got me some clients. People contacted me to write for them which motivated me more. I regularly started doing the thing that I enjoyed the most meanwhile earned some bucks. In the earlier days, I loved my new job that I could pursue from home. The client would tell me about his products and services, and I would use my imagination and creativity to talk about it. Gradually, it got redundant and same but to keep the life in writing, I continued writing my personal blog. I penned down my thoughts and shared my feelings with total strangers whom I had never met and had no chances of meeting. But still they understood my words and me which built an unbreakable connection that I treasure.

Comments and feedback showed me how people think of me and am I according to the norms of the society. I have always wanted to be a part of the society...considered myself a block that completes the whole picture and binds the society together. But often I found myself odd one out...a resident of Mars who has a different perspective of life. Here I found like-minded people who can see the world as I see it or at least appreciate what I see.

As my professional life grew, I wrote more and more blogs and articles on things that I have never experienced. All I learnt was through a third person's experience which has its own charm. Now I am recreating things that interest a very small segment of society with which I have no common grounds. I liked doing it too, at least I am writing but my professional life demanded all my attention and time. But this bind my thoughts to very restrictive area that was all about business, money and technology. I forgot what life was all about...the meaning of life, my perception on various aspects of life and events that are affecting me and the people around me. It was the end of 2012 when I stopped thinking and when I stopped bothering and caring less about things. I was too lost in my professional world and became a part of rat race that has no end.

Today, I stopped and looked back with what I have done to myself and the life I am living....experiencing a lo of things but yet not experiencing them. Once a read life is like a speedy train which wont stop...all you need to do is to stand on a platform and observe its pace and effects and from today I intend to do it for a while. 

International cricket Reloaded

After the attack in 2009 on Sri Lankan cricket team, Pakistan became a “no-go area” for international teams but long before this the major cricket playing nations like Australia & South Africa became circumspect in touring Pakistan when the New Zealand team was attacked back in 2002.It was quite a blow back to the cricket lovers here in Karachi as it has been hosting matches every year at the very popular National Stadium.

It was a ground that welcomed the top teams like Australia, New Zealand, England, India, Sri Lanka, West Indies & South Africa from 1980-2002. The cheers and the roars of the crowed echoed in the ground and its reminiscence can still be felt. The city that was known as the “city of light” and for its famous “hippie trail” lost everything at the hands of religion except sports but the monster of terrorism succeeded in piercing its jaws deep into international cricket.

It was 21^st April 2002 when New Zealand team played its last ODI in Karachi. But since then Karachi could never host the black caps, Kangaroos, English &Protease again because of that ill-fated bomb blast attack on Kiwis during the same tour. Since then only four cricket playing nations named India, Srilanka, Bangladesh & Zimbabwe visited Pakistan till 2009. During this period Sri Lankans were the only nation who persisted with touring Pakistan regularly &tried their level best to keep international cricket alive in country until they were attacked on their way to Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore in the year 2009, putting an end to the glorious chapter of international cricket in Pakistan.

PCB and government did little to restore peace and convince the international teams to revisit Pakistan for cricket. Like its tourist destinations, the Pakistani cricket grounds were left barren not even attracting the locals to congregate matches. It was 2006 when hopes of die-hard cricket lovers in Pakistan went high, with the decision of ICC to announce Pakistan as the host nation for world cup 2011. Those hopes even died when ICC later on decided to shift the venues from Pakistan to India, Bangladesh & Srilanka due to security threats.

After that, even our countrymen lost the faith in the restoration of peace as well as cricket in Pakistan until October20, 2012. When under the captaincy of Sanath Jaysuria, top former and current cricket players from South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan played their first World XI match in the ever-known National Stadium.

The stadium attracted flocks of cricket lovers who fervently came to see the much loved sport for continuously two days.  It was a full house for both the matches as youngsters & families had come in large numbers to support their national heroes back to international arena. It was the effort of Sindh Sports Minister and the international players who did their utmost to revive cricket in Karachi and giving National Stadium its old status. We as a nation pay tribute to the international players from all the four countries with special thanks to Sanath Jaisuria who agreed to come to Pakistan with all odds.  We as nation hope that these matches will prove to be a new beginning for the revival of international cricket in Pakistan. We look for a comeback of those days when cricket was much thrived into the veins of every Karachiite and Pakistani with a promise of security for the life of every citizen and visitor, be it a sportsman or a hippie on his trail for enlightment.

The Pandemonium of T20 Cup

The T20 World Cup has ended with celebrations for West Indies as they rise to championship by claiming the victory on the day it most mattered. But has it left the same happiness for the rest of us. We could hear up stories of match fixing and Pakistan winning almost all its matches with some of its crucial players out of form.

Boom Boom Afridi failed to show any satisfactory performance by claiming only 4 wickets and 16 runs in the whole tournament was a bit of a disgrace for a player of his stature. With every fixture, our captain, due to immense pressure, lost his ability to make rational decision and we could see its outcome in our last match-the Semi-final.

Not to be sardonic, but I really cheer the performance of Umar Akmal and Nasir Jamshed, had the latter been not sent back to the pavilion in his last semifinal innings due to poor (may be fixed according to indian recent reports) judgment, he may have been declared man of the series (just to exaggerate).

For us, the T20 series ended here but it seems our neighbors, with whom we not only share border, culture but also the ancestors-“Mera Baharat Mahan” could still find something interesting. The humoristic Indians could always find something funny in our loss and that I truly appreciate.

But things soon turned sour and our Indian brothers became mudslingers. They have started blaming a total of six umpires who were ready to be bribed for spot-fixing and match-fixing. Had not been the two Pakistani umpires be involved in this blame, I would not have bothered to write this piece.

 But my dear brothers, you are playing with my patriotism. If these umpires were ready to make wrong decision then I would like to point out to the Indian media that an umpire made a wrong decision for one of our players Nasir Jamshed that cost us the loss of an important match. I would like to ask the Indian media their take on this poor judgment, as the mistake was very clear. 

Death of Lehri

My first blog on Express Tribune
http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/13900/a-day-from-the-life-of-lehri/

Letter To Mohd. Ali Jinnnah

Happy Death Anniversary or perhaps should I say quite sad at your demise.

Whatsoever, I am writing to you again so that you can excuse me and my 'like-minded' patriots for not dedicating their day to you. Well we really planned to show our love for you by posting all your visionary quotes and sayings but Allah showered us with His blessing "RAIN" 

I and my friends who are staunch Muslims and are part of Islamic Republic of Pakistan find it obligatory to thank and praise the Mighty God...oh no....I meant Allah for His showers of blessings. No matter if I am updating my status of having pakoras and pani puri (aka gol guppay, though I don't like the to be called "gol guppay") in this rain or I may have shared quite a picturesque image of my city when it's raining. Mr. JinnahI am thanking my Allah for giving me the chance to have the pakoras, gol guppas and the long drive. Had Allah not opened his sky for the rainfall, I would not have been able to enjoy the treats.

Quaid-e-Azam, please forgive me for not sharing posts related to you but you should give me the credit that I gave you much more importance than my "Mahi Baap" which my conventional media failed to do. But as a true believer, it is my responsibility to talk about rain and its treats. 

Well, I and my patriotic friends promise to remember you again on December but no! We have got this soft side for the minorities. Oh! this is what we learned from you...it was you who years back supported the cause of the minorities and gifted us with an Islamic homeland where we, only "we" ( I don't know, if shias and quadianis come under the banner of "WE") are free to practice and preach our religion. By the way, I was telling you why won't I be able to dedicate 25th December to you. I will be celebrating Christmas with my Christian sisters and brothers. So, please Mr. Quaid, I hope you understand....but I tell this a year from today I and friends are going to dedicate our whole 24 hours.

To be precise, it is 11 months 2 or 3 days, I guess when I will be praising your sacrifices and will show all my love for you. I guess 24 hours of praise are enough for your years of struggle and loss of life. You should feel honored for all the sweet and emotional words that we as a nation utter in your eminence.

I hope you would have excused me and my patriotic friends for making a false promise. Inshallah or should it be Insha' ALLAH ( I don't want a mullah with his follower raising slogans of me being a disbeliver or worst an alley of you-know-who. Well! the nightmare could be they getting thirsty for my blood), I will write about you after 11 months and 2-3 days. So, I end my letter here with all my apologies.

Regards,

Your Nation

The Pakistan Day for Me

As I was on my way back home, I saw people celebrating the Pakistan Day...playing songs and putting up disco lights. It was a kind of a shock and surprise to me as this was the first time that I had experienced it. A rush of joy grasped me and I was quite enjoying the songs and the spirit of being GREEN! A thought struck me that we are the nation who celebrate independence twice a year without even realizing it. And I felt great about it.....this is our first independence.....the independence of thought when we were able to conceive the idea of separate homeland. 23rd March was the day when Pakistan was born for us....a day when we started to think apart from what was obvious.

This was a new and bizarre idea at the first. With strong determination and true dedication, this thought became the reality in the form of Pakistan on 14 August 1947. Days progress and we anticipated to reach new levels of development but the history changed its course. Rather, we had improved with time, we started shrinking ourselves into a box. We had chained our mind, thoughts and have divided ourselves into sects and creeds.

Every year we celebrate the independence of thought on 23rd March but we forget to broaden the horizon of our thinking. I may be sounding a little pessimist to say, but this is what I had felt throughout my 30 minutes drive. A part of me was happy to see all this celebration but on the other hand I grieved for our narrow thoughts.

A documentary made by me

It is my first attempt and i need your comments and feedback to further make improvements in my work. Looking forward for your feedback

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX-72WnF2A8

Seeping through the seas

No one to hear my whispers

No one to call my name

Jumped in the pit of love

I have become a part of you

But yet so alone

Wandering through the corridors of memories

I fall deep into those moments of joys

Sharing the delights of life

I have become a part of you

 But yet so alone

Whipping the tears of my desolation

Walking past those circles of happiness

I still  see you in the mirror of my eyes

The call to peace is futile

I am restless and so am I alone

The Daughter of the East

Benazir Bhutto aik awaz aik tehreek

Aik soch, aik falsafa

Benazir Bhutto aik umeed, aik kiran

Woh jis ne jila bakhshi

Woh atish-e-zan, woh roshan khayal

Woh aik rahbar, aik manzil

aik mohum ,  aik tareekh

Explore the leader in you

To lay down the options or choosing one of them for others is one of the most enjoyable activity that one can do. But the funny thing is it is most confusing to choose for oneself from the maze of alternatives spread out around us. One is then overwhelmed and dozed off by the flood of opportunities that is at bay. To make this chore as easy as a pie one must develop the courage to face the consequences. To become decisive, all one needs is:

THE DESIRE

To opt for something one must have the desire to achieve it. The level of interest drives us towards the decision. One has to have a certain level of interest in the subject and application of the decision that he intends to make. Motivation is necessary because nothing can happen itself.

FAITH

To make fair and firm decision, you need to trust yourself because naturally we are born with instincts that we have towards a situation. One must believe in his gut feeling, after analyzing all the possible outcomes, and make a decision. One should pay keen attention to his inner voice and listen to what his heart says.

ANALYZE

Jot down all the concerns, pros, and cons of a decision. This is the oldest and most effective method of reaching to a decision. Try to imagine what impact your decision will have on your life. Lay down all the possible choice and once you have pen down the entire positive and negative outcomes that your decision is going to make, it will help you better analyze the influence that your decision will make.

PRACTICE

Make decisions in every walk of life. Whether it is to choose a dress for the party or a house to live, one must make decisions for himself. One has to be confident and definite of the decision he makes because no matter what you decide there will be things that you would be grateful of and other that you will regret. So be decisive and stand firm for what you choose to be because the world respects and promotes a decisive man.

Keep learning from your past mistakes and hone down your skills of decision-making.

Being Indecisive: the youth’s dilemma

As the phrase, being indecisive implies to lack of firmness in decision-making; made Hamlet a tragic hero and the same fate lies for the youth of today. Indecisiveness results because we fear the consequences of being responsible. As our decisions not effect only our fate but also those related to us. Even if one is independent, he fears that his decision may badly affect the future and that is why people look out for someone’s advice but one should remember:

“too many cooks spoil the broth”

As we go forward we can also see that the more choices we have the more confused we become. The variety and diversity of options does not ease the task of decision-making but creates chaos in one’s managerial process. To limit and draw boundaries over all the possible choices available, a step towards making oneself determined enough to stand for his decisions is taken. As it is said:

“the confidence of ignorance will always overcome the indecision of the knowledge”

Indecisiveness is a flaw that is disastrous unless one copes up with it. The law of ignorance is better if one is determined in what he decides. I would like to share an experience of mine from which I learnt to take the responsibilities of my decisions even if they lead to a disaster because even mistakes teach person a lesson. I was working at an ad agency and I got another job offer from a rather bigger ad agency but as my power to decide is equal to zero I just spent all the time on to reaching a decision. Then came a time when someone else was hired in my place as they couldn’t wait for me forever and I missed the opportunity of growth and development, later losing that job even. As the poet says:

the indecision brings its own delays,

And days are lost lamenting over lost days,

Are you in earnest? Seize this very minute;

What you can do, or dream you can, begin it;