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Sunday, February 19, 2023

Live your life - Jee le apni Zindagi - 4 days of my life in San Diego.

If someone tells you - you have 4 days to do whatever you want, what will you do? 

An invite to spend a few days with a poet and his brilliant wife and I packed my bag, flew to San Diego and lived my life with food, poetry, ghazals, sand and water, ice creams, sunsets, sunrises and conversations. 

In Amrit Begam’s hospitality and Farhat sahab’s company I learnt a lot about religion, culture, history and life in India and Pakistan.

We ate a lot, drove over 200 miles to enjoy Mexican shore and food and stayed up late listening to Ghazals.

This was a totally different vacation for me. I learnt things about me, saw life with different perspectives and made some changes in my philosophy. When a poet, who is a dreamer, talks about romance and reality, lives with a person with a different attitude, how they both take turns in giving in, taking care, argue, explain, let go, support, make peace with and keep each other grounded. Marriage, life and companionship makes you find a middle ground. 

I was very fortunate to have a private concert over video call a singer from India. Listening to some of Farhat Sahab’s ghazals was just the perfect treat for my last day in San Diego.

I went for  my musical get together and decided to recite a poetry from that time. 


Listen here - https://youtu.be/Y6keeRU-2f8


सोचने की तुमको आदत हो गयी है क्या करें 

क्या करें तुमसे मुहब्बत हो गयी है क्या करें 

क्या बताएँ किस तरह कटती हैं तुम बिन ज़िंदगी 

दिल को हर धड़कन क़यामत हो गयी है क्या करें 

ख़ुशबुए कहती हैं  तुम आग़ोश में थी बस अभी 

दिल बजिद है एक मुद्दत हो गयी है क्या करें 

एक लम्हे में इधर तो दूसरे पल में उधर 

नज़्रे पागलपन तबियत हो गयी है क्या करें 

हुक्मरानी थी हमारी जात पर अपनी कभी 

अब तुम्हारी बादशाहत हो गयी है क्या करें 

वो हया के बोझ से पलकें झुकाना आप का 

दरपये दिल वो नज़ाकत हो गयी है क्या करें 

जब से उसका नाम है शहज़ाद सीने में बसा 

दिल की हर धड़कन इबादत हो गयी है क्या करें 

- Farhat Shahzad 


https://youtu.be/Y6keeRU-2f8


Things I learnt from these two #Lifelessons

a day to remember 
Begam Amrit could make me hike
The sights - A dad with a kin in the back and a dog. A lesson in parenting, wish I had seen this 25 yrs ago. It was incredible 
The Gentleman couldn't see well, he had a stick and his friend/companion was wonderful. I loved seeing them taking small step - very carefully 
and Here I was hiking in shirt and jeans 
Ocean Beach in San Diego 
somewhere in Mexico - Ocean - the sight for my soul













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