Nagi's World

I got a book from Audible ... Star Wars - The Clone Wars - Wild Space (by Karen Miller).
Nothing too extraordinary, just another story involving Jedi, Sith, Senators, during the clone wars.

But I came across a very nice part of the book, which either the author is smart enough to understand the Star Wars mythos or she just inadvertently did something which created a nice piece.

Fieldwork first. Bail Organa, Leia Organa's adoptive father, seemed to gain step ups in fame during the Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. In fact the Jedi end up actually giving him one of the twins - baby Leia. He has been in and out of the prequel trilogy, but still how he became such an integral part where Jedi, the way Obi-Wan and Yoda trusted him so much, always evaded me. And that is where this book comes in handy. I have read (rather heard) of Bail's exploits in other books, but I think this is the book which actually shows how he becomes a trustworthy partner of the Jedi.

The incident in the book involves Bail getting an intelligence that Sith are planning something on some planet (I forget the name of the planet). Bail informs Ben Kenobi who finds that the planet ... does not exist. Bail's source will not talk to anyone else and he needs a Jedi (Ben) for the mission, so in a very wonderfully written scene, the two end up going on a mission.

But that's where the fun begins. Two very powerful charterers from the Star Wars universe - one the Jedi master and other one of the honest senators from Alderaan. They are stuck together for the duration of the mission. They mistrust each other (rather never have had reasons to trust one another). Stuck on a small plane, and hopping from one place to another over days, they are seen constantly bickering to respecting to trusting each other over the course of journey. This part is very well written, and the interaction between them is amazingly described. How they do not know each other to the point where they got to work together. The conversation is the highlight of this whole section. It also bridges part of the gap between how Bail from being a Senator from Alderaan became trustworthy partner of the Jedi that eventually leads to him becoming the father of Princess Leia.

An ordinary book with an extra ordinary section.
"Senator Organa"
"Yes, master"
"Rise"

Must read for everyone.

Tiger, Tiger, burning bright
In the forest of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?      

And what shoulder and what art
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And, when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand and what dread feet?

What the hammer? What the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?      

When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaven with their tears,
Did He smile His work to see?
Did He who made the lamb make thee?

Tiger, Tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

Long time back, two brothers came to a wise man to get their dispute resolved.
The wise man, being wise, asked each of them to relate their story individually and asked the other to keep quiet when one was speaking.
The elder brother started, "Our father was a crook and a thief". The other nodded at his brothers statement, but kept quiet.
The wise man asked the elder brother to explain his statement.

He continued, "We were a poor family when we were growing up. Our father worked in a train and locomotive workshop. After his shift was over, our father would take pieces of scrap metal like copper, brass, steel etc and bring them home by hiding them in his lunch box".
The younger brother, kept quiet but he nodded at the right statements, showing his agreement to what his elder brother was saying.
"The metal that our father brought home, was sometimes sold to buy food, clothes or other things for the family", elder brother said.
"Over time, some extra pieces of metal started accumulating in one of the old rooms downstairs. And by the time our father retired, the room was half full of scrap metal which was worth a fortune. Our father died few months back and we now have a dispute on division of the scrap metal. We would like you to help us".

The wise man looked at the younger brother and asked if he had anything to add to his brothers statement.
The younger brother said, "Nothing much, except that we would really like this to get resolved soon".

After much thinking, the wise man told them that it is up to them to do what they want. He added that they can divide using a third person to evaluate the worth and then divide accordingly or just divide on faith that even if one of them gets a bigger chuck, it is going to his own blood and not worry too much about the money.

The two brothers left and the wise man went deep into thought. After recollecting his thoughts for few minutes, he stood up as if made his mind about something and walked away. He never met the two brothers again.

Now, if you are with me so far, then this parable may sound incomplete.
I will complete it for you. This incident actually occurred circa 1977, and it deeply moved the wise man.
Years later, when the wise man's son grew up, he told him what decision he made that day.

He told his son, "The two brothers started their case by stating that their father was a crook and a thief. This is the most disrespecting way in which they remembered their father. Their father’s act may be wrong, but his intentions were selfless. He killed his conscious to make sure his kids do not see the hardships they would".

"That day, my son, I made up my mind that I want you to remember me in good light and never feel ashamed of how I led my life. I also made another decision that I will not let a single penny be spent on my son which I have not earned legitimately. My actions should never be cause of shame to my descendants. Through my actions, I want you to remember me with pride that I am your father and you are my son".

Allow me to add another twist to the story. The wise man I am referring to is my father (yes ... I think he is very wise).
Of course, you may have figured out, it was me to whom he said these things.
Who were the two brothers, you ask. Well, I will keep that to myself.

Every time I think about this incident and look back, I am filled with pride and respect for my dad as to how he made that decision and changed his entire life around me.
He has always (yes always) been my conscience - told me the right thing, whether I wanted to do it or not.

Now, I have my own kids. Every time I look at them, my heart fills with the fire that burnt in my dad’s heart. I am motivated to be like my him.
Barring the teenage years of my kids (where I am expecting they would hate me anyways), I hope they feel a sense of pride in me as I do for my dad, when they grow up.

A friend once asked me, "What makes you a good parent?"
After thinking about it for few minutes, I answered, "The fear. The fear that you may fail as a good parent, makes you a good parent".

Find that special little devil in your life, give them a hug. If you don't have one yet, remember ... they are little angels.

The title of this section is the dialogue from Akshay Kumar starrer "Singh is Kinng".
 
If I tell some of you to go watch this movie, many of you (as in the past) are going to criticize me for recommending such a brainless movie.
But hey, that’s the whole thing. If in today's stressful life, if you can get 2.5 hours of brainless fun and laughter, it is worth it.
Don't raise those eyebrows. If you do not agree to the above statement, check out the ka-ching that this movie has brought in.
Singh is Kinng is one of the highest grosser of this year in India. That’s saying something.
 
What exactly worked for the movie?
First, there are not many movies about sardars (no, I am not being biased, it is just an outsider opinion). On the contrary, Akshay may have started a trend – Salman is playing a farmer from Punjab in Heroes.
 
Second, the movie has this "fantastic" story - journey of a simpleton to come of age and bring an end to evil, one of the oldest formula in the greatest of stories (Lord of the Rings, Eragon, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Count of Monte Cristo, to name a few).
 
Third, the movie was made a little more authentically - in terms of the Punjabi language and the dialect that was used. You can easily get the feel for the “fake” dialect.
 
Fourth, an amazing marketing campaign. The marketing campaign reminds of Sony Picture's marketing of Spiderman which they did so well that the movie was the biggest hit of the year too.
 
Finally, Singh is Kinng never took itself seriously. The crew never aimed at making a critically acclaimed movie, they just made a fun movie.
 
And the Box Office collections speak for itself. Ka-ching.
 
As much as I enjoyed the movie, still I cannot watch it more than 50 times (which I have).
Yes … I have seen the movies more than 50 times now. The dialogs have become part of jokes between me and Gitanjali lately.
When Danish is always trailing Gitanjali, I tell her that Danish "chhoti moti nahin, badi waddi chipak hai".
 
So why did I end up watching it 50 times - because of Khushi.
If you have kids, you will probably know what I am going to tell you.
Give them a DVD, and they watch it over and over and over and over and over again.
If I am watching an hour long movie, it might take about 2 hours to finish since Khushi will skip forward, go back, repeat scenes over and over again.
Don't get me wrong, this is the way kids learn; in fact this is the way everyone learns - repetition (remember when your mom told you to learn the tables by repetition).
 
Back to our movie, some very memorable dialogues:
 
"Kar lai $%#@ kar lai, bhaaa"
 
"Angrayiyaan lai riha kanjar"
 
"Lai, kar lao gheo nu bhanda"
 
"Kinng, thonu nahin pata, eh koi chhoti moti nahin, badi waddi chipak hai"
 
To add to the whole mix, music is modern - reggae, R&B, rap mixed into Indian instruments. Daler Mehndi, Mika, Hard Kaur, Shreya Ghoshal, Labh Janjua and last but not least Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Snoop Dogg have provided some vocals to the soundtrack.
Movie is shot across three continents, some really nice wide angle scenes of Egyptian Pyramids can be seen.
 
I will close this with saying that if you are looking for a thought provoking film, please look somewhere else.
If you want 2.5 hours of fun, watch this movie.
If you have, you would know what I am mean. If not, maybe this email will make you want to watch.
 
Ayez un reste gentil du week-end et au revoir.

by Sir Walter Scott

Breathes there the man with soul so dead
Who never to himself hath said,
This is my own, my native land!
Whose heart hath ne'er within him burned,
As home his footsteps he hath turned
From wandering on a foreign strand!
If such there breathe, go, mark him well;
For him no minstrel raptures swell;
High though his titles, proud his name,
Boundless his wealth as wish can claim
Despite those titles, power, and pelf,
The wretch, concentred all in self,
Living, shall forfeit fair renown,
And, doubly dying, shall go down
To the vile dust from whence he sprung,
Unwept, unhonored , and unsung.

Will man one day have the ability to travel through time? Let us begin by examining the effects of such an accomplishment.

If we could travel to various time periods, we would most likely alter the entire time line irreparably. To put it simply, our existence would be a mess! There would be disruptions in temporal continuity. Many people would probably be "wiped out of existence" all together! There are still many other paradoxes that I have not yet mentioned, but shall explain in what follows.

If one was to travel back in time and meet himself, what would happen? Would this individual be divided into 2 separate, yet identical beings? Or would the person grow rapidly younger and maybe even loose his memory of the time in which he was originally living?

Could a person go back to a time before he was born? I believe that many problems would arise if this were attempted. First of all, how could the person exist, yet not exist at the same time? Here again is the possibility of growing younger while time traveling; going from your current age to a single cell, and then into NONEXISTENCE.

Let us say, for example, that someone CAN travel to another time. This raises another question. If someone was in another time for 2 days and decided to go back to the time period from which he came, would 2 days have passed in his original time? Or, would he "disappear", spend these 2 days in the other time, and "reappear" instantaneously? I believe that it would be NEARLY instantaneous, though there may be a millisecond or microsecond difference.

And what about the sensation of time travel? How could one handle the extreme conditions and sensations of it? Unless there is some sort of protective shield, I do not believe a human could handle the transient period from one time to another.

Another thing; if time travel WERE created, wouldn't this present time line be messed up already. It seems that there are no massive sudden disappearances of people or parts of the time line for that matter that I know of! Unless, that is, these temporal paradoxes that we're all so worried about never happen. Maybe there are people right now walking among us from other times, and not saying anything about it. Maybe Tesla & Einstein were from other times!

The next topic that comes to mind is the future. First of all, is/ are future events presently indefinite? I don't believe they are. I think that many major events in time are "planned" and definite, though we cannot know them now. Let's just say they WERE indefinite, just for the sake of argument. If we attempt to go into the future, we may just hit some kind of barrier. If we try to go past this barrier, we may be plummeted head-on into eternal non-existence in this plane. If the time line is planned, the alteration of it would have drastic repercussions.

In my opinion, I believe that time travel shall never come into being. Let's leave the time line up to the supreme being.

THE BEGINNING
Nagi – The New Sound

Music is a universal language. It crosses the boundaries of language, religion and race. This is a humble collection of sounds from around the world, inspired by situations, places, actions, elements and feelings. It is a small first step in creating an international sound, hence the name - The Beginning.

All the tracks listed below can be listened to and downloaded for free at
http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?AID=156858
The download may require you to sign up for a free account. If you do not wish to sign up, and still need the tracks, email me at jpsnagi@hotmail.com with preference of the format (MP3, iPod-AAC, WMA or OGG) and I can arrange to send it to you.

Track List and Inspirations

1. The Fire and The Water
Both Fire and Water are two very powerful and complimentary elements. These are awe inspiring. Sometimes they work against each other, sometimes they work together.
They are woven into the very thread of life’s sustenance. This composition I have tried to capture my sense and feelings for these elements. It has a lot of complimentary sounds and effects that work in harmony.

2. Getaway
The idea of a getaway came from the fact that I miss the idle country life around me. We are living in concrete jungles that we call cities. And then we look forward to run away to that special place where we feel complete. Getaway is my version of getaway from this jungle. The music is sharp and crisp that reminds me of running away from our busy lives and go to that special place we feel at home.
This is slow number and has a soothing notes in the background.

3. Deja Vu
How many times have we felt déjà vu.
We think we have lived the same moment but at a different time. The actions seems to be same and familiar. But the events are displaced in time. This thought led to this composition. It has notes that are displaced in time, pitch and scale.
It is like ... Deja Vu.

4. The Escape
I composed The Escape with a thought in my mind.
I was thinking of a man imprisoned (physically or mentally). And he wants to break away and fly from his cage.
The idea of a breakaway from this prison, with pursuit, resistance and run that is closely followed is what provides the visual images in this track. The variations in the composition follow the very essence of escaping. I was thinking of high speed chases and finally reaching to safety. But then … is he safe yet?

5. World Percussion
World Percussion is an experiment, a composition that uses the sounds from various countries, continents of the world.
It unites world in a universal language of music. I have used sounds of modern and ancient percussions sounds known to man.
I have tried to harmonize the beats of the native Congo drums with the modern Techno beat, the beats from the natives of Arabian and Thar Deserts with Jazz drums, Chinese Yang Chin with the Native American Apache Shaker.
You will get sounds from the Tibetan Drums follow the beats of modern Acid Jazz drums. All the various percussions when put together seems to create an atmosphere which seems so harmonious and speaks in a language that does not need words.

6. Mriga Trishna - The Illusion
Mriga Trishna - The Illusion: Mriga Trishna is the Hindi word for Mirage.
The inspiration is the thirst of a deer who wanders about the desert in search of water but all he gets is just mirages and illusions of water.
He sees a small pool of water and runs towards it only to find that it is nothing but sand. The pool is moved farther away. And it again runs for it.
It can't give up; as neither its thirst nor will will let him.

7. Club Groove
Club Groove. The name says it all. This is a mix with synths, drum and beats. Can be best enjoyed on a high volume and high bass.
 
8. The Himalayas
Imagine being on the top of the world - The Himalayas, the highest mountain range.
The place where the temperatures drop way below freezing point. Where survival becomes a challenge. But a place that is a wonder of the world, nothing but pure nature.
Take a deep breath and join on a ride that traverse through the Great Himalayan Range and appreciate the sheer geographic diversity - from the verdant, forested valleys to the tropical jungles.

9. Phoenix (Track from next un-named album)
Two beings did rise from the ashes of the Phoenix. They were the first two firebirds. All firebirds which are or were are their children.
So, love breeds its own immortality. All things considered, that's the sort of immortality I'd rather have ... Tabbe le Fauve, Xanadu: Phelia's Tale

Hum ne to nisaar kar diya dil,
Ab jane woh shokh, yaa na jaane.

Here I offer my heart to her,
To accept or say no is upto my sweet.
[Hasrat Mohani]

This was the ibteda (beginning) of my love. A very important phase of my life; for this will decide my fate. If my heart is accepted, then aafreen, otherwise my name will join the list of aashiqs whose love story ended before it ever began.

I have lost the count of days since I first saw her. It must have been years and years, I believe. I still remember when I saw that beauteous face for the first time. And all I could say was,

Aap ko dekh kar dekhta rah gaya,
Kya kahoon aur kahne ko kya rah gaya.

I saw you and couldn’t take my eyes off,
What other words can describe your beauty.
[Aziz Qaisi]

I have no words to tell you how beautiful she is. Her glowing face, her long raven tresses, her honey dripping voice, her graceful gait like a gazelle, and her hazel eyes.

Yeh jafaaen gham ka chara, woh nijaat-e-dil ka aalam,
Tera husn dast-e-isah, teri yaad rooh-e-mariam.
Teri deed se siwa hai tere shauq mein bahaaran,
Woh zamin jahaan giri thi tere gaissuon ki shabnam.
Yeh ajab qayaamaten hain teri rahguzr mein guzraan,
Na hua ke mar miten hum, na hua ke ji uthe hum.

This cures oppressive griefs, that delivers the heart,
Your beauty is the hand of Christ, your memory Merriam’s face.
More beauteous than you is the love awakened earth,
Fertilized by dew of your fragrant lochs.
Strange are the calamities in the path of love,
Nor we have will to live, nor the strength to die.
[Faiz Ahmed Faiz]

And not to forget those ruby red lips,

Gharq-e-shaqar hue hain kaam-o-zabaan,
Jab liya hun main nam tuj lab ka.

My palate and tongue get honey drenched,
Whensoever I mention your lips.
[Wali Mohd. Wali]

And in this way my infatuation began. A strange feeling was all over me,

Dil-e-nadaan tujhe hua kya hai?
Aakhir is dard ki dawa kya hai?
Mai bhi munh mein zabaan rakhta hun,
Kaash puchho ke mudda kya hai?

What ails thee, my silly heart?
What balm for your ache, at last?
I too have a tongue, I too can speak,
Would that you ask, what I crave?
[Asadullah Khan Ghalib]

I was surrounded by her. She was in my dreams. She still is. I was restless. I started looking forward to seeing her each day; Wali has rightly said,

Dekhna har subah tujh rukhsaar ka,
Hai mutaala matlai-anwaar ka.
Subah tera daras paya tha sanam,
Shauq-e-dil muhtaaj hai taqraar ka.

To see your face every morn,
Is to see the glorious flush of dawn.
I saw you just this morning, Love,
Lo, my heart yearns again.
[Wali Mohd. Wali]

One is highly intoxicated when in love. Radiance of light of love spreads its aura all around you. Iqbal farmaate hain,

Anokhi waza hai saare zamaane se niraale hain,
Yeh aashiq kaunsi basti ke yaarab rahne waale hain.

Strange are their looks, out-of-this world they seem!
Wherefrom, O Lord, do these lovers spring?
[Sir Mohd. Iqbal]

I then thought of expressing myself. And thanks to the “Benevolent Lord of the Three Worlds” who arranged that also,

Baam par aane lage woh, samna hone laga,
Ab to izhaar-e-mohabbat barmila hone laga.

She now comes on roof top, face to face we stand,
Love is now proclaimed without least reserve.
[Hasrat Mohani]

But these encounters were unable to put my restless heart to rest. I then pumped all my blood into my heart and approached her, one day. I stopped her. She stopped. Smiled. I opened my mouth and ark! nothing came out of it. Them I stammered & stuttered. Her beautiful radiant face and equally beautiful smile had left me speechless. And before she left, all I could think was,

Mere dil ko kiya be-khud teri ankhion ne aakhir kon,
Ke jion be-hosh karti hai sharaab, ahista, ahista.

Your eyes,at last, have entranced my heart,
As wine benumbs our wits, step by step.
[Wali Mohd. Wali]

And all I could see was a drop of sweat, from her tresses trickled on her cheek and lo, how wondrous to see sun splashed over with dew. She again smiled and ran away. I stood there. Standing there. Still. And I told myself,

Ibtadaae ishq hai, rota hai kya,
Aage aage dekhiye hota hai kya.

It’s only the beginning, why dost thou groan?
O, wait and see what happens as you onwards move.
[Mir Taqi Mir]

I was captured by the long and deadly roots of love. More I tried to free myself, more I got entangled in them,

Yaad karna har ghari us yaar ka,
Hai wazifaa mujh dil-e-bimaar ka,
Aakbat kya howega maalum nahin,
Dil hua mubtla dildaar ka.

Remembering my Love all the time,
Is all the prayer my sick heart knows,
I know not how its going to end,
I’ve lost my heart to my sweet heart.
[Wali Mohd. Wali]

I was then avoided, tracks, streets, bazaars, changed on seeing me. I was sad,

Muddat hui sajan ne dikhaya nahin jamaal,
Dikhla apas ke kad kon kiya nahin nihaal.

For long hasn’t my Love shown her beauteous face,
Nor with her stately presence uplifted my state.
[Wali Mohd. Wali]

And I wailed,

Husn-e-be parwah ko khud bin-o-khud aara kar diya,
Kya kiya maine ke izhaare tamanna kar diya.

Beauty self-oblivious has turned self- aware,
O, why at all did I express my heart’s desire?
[Hasrat Mohani]

The days were tiring; the nights long,

Tum aae ho na shab-e-intzaar guzri hai,
Talaash mein sahar baar baar guzri hai.
Woh baat saare fasaane mein jiska zikar na tha,
Woh baat unko bahut nagawaar guzri hai.
Na gul khile hain, na unse mile hain, na mai pi hai,
Ajib rang mein ab ke bahaar guzri hai.

You haven’t come, nor has the night of waiting gone,
Looking for you the morn has called again & again.
What did not even figure in the tale entire,
To that he has taken very grave offence.
No flames, no wine, no sight of my friend,
In what queer way we’ve spent this spring.
[Faiz Ahmed Faiz]

Nobody heard my cry, but nothingness. All words were lost there. Days passed. Months passed. And even did the years. Nothing was exchanged between us. There was vast, immense, dark and dead silence. My heart was crushed, that was the first time I realized it.

Tujhiko jo yaan jalwa farma na dekha,
Baraabar hai duniya ko dekha na dekha.
Mera Guncha-e-dil hai woh dil grifta,
Ke jis ko kaso ne kabhi wa na dekha.
Aziat, musibat,malaamat, balaaen,
Tere ishq mein hum ne kya kya na dekha?
Kiya mujh ko daaghon ne sarv-e-chiraaghan,
Kabhi tune aakar tamaasha na dekha.

If here we see thee not immanent in thy grace,
What use then, our earthly pilgrimage?
My heart is such a crumpled bud,
None has ever seen it bloom.
Trouble, torture, reproach, disaster,
What all haven’t I suffered in love?
The scars within have set me ablaze,
Alas, you haven’t seen this sight.
[Khwaja Mir Dard]

I had initiated. She had taken a step back. So I coiled all my feelings around myself. Meetings became scanty. On those rare occasions when we used to see each other, I would often think,

Roya karenge aap bhi pahron isi tarah,
Atka kahin jo aapka dil bhi meri tarah.

You too shall weep for hours on end, if your
Heart, like mine, somewhere gets entwined.
[Momin Khan Momin]

Then the sky fell down on my head. She was in love with someone else. The sky had fallen over my head. The world must have reached qayaamat (end of the world). But, I could spare a smile for her,

Donon jahaan teri mohabbat mein haar ke,
Woh jaa raha hai koi shab-e-gham guzaar ke.
Bhule se muskra to diye hum aaj Faiz,
Mat puchh walwale dil-e-naakarda kaar ke.

Having lost both worlds in the game of love,
There goes lonesome man, ending his night in grief.
Today, Faiz, unawares you chanced to give a smile,
O what a swell and surge within my powerless heart.
[Faiz Ahmed Faiz]

Once, when I met her, I told her,

Mera ji hai jab tak, teri justju hai,
Zabaan jab talak hai, yehi guftgu hai,
Tamanna hai teri, agar hai tamanna,
Teri aarzoo hai, agar aarzoo hai.

Your quest is my objective, as long as I live,
Of you alone I talk, while I have a tongue,
For you alone I yearn, if yearn at all,
You are my desire, if I harbour one.
[Khwaja Mir Dard]

And I was reminded of Ghalib’s great ghazal,

Hazaaron khwaaeshen aisi ke har khwahish pe dam nikle,
Bahut nikle mere armaan, lekin phir bhi kam nikle.
Nikalna khuld se adam ka sunte aaye the lekin,
Bahut be-aabroo ho kar tere kuche se hum nikle.

Thousand of desires tantalizing one and all,
Many a wish have I realized; yet I yearn for more.
Oft have we heard about Adam’s exile from Eden,
Humiliating much more was my exit from your door.
[Asadullah Khan Ghalib]

And, with what else can I end but,

Hum parwarsh-e-loh-o-qalam karte rahenge,
Jo dil pe guzarti hai raqam karte rahenge.
Ek tarz-e-taghaaful hai so woh unko mubarak,
Ek tarz-e-tamanna hai so hum karte rahenge.

We’ll keep on plying the pen on the page,
Record shall we the tale of our heart.
A style of indifference will be her way,
A style of submission will be our creed.
[Faiz Ahmed Faiz]

 

• Copyright 1995-1997, Jatinder PS Nagi. Originally written in April 1995, revised in May 1997.
• The English translation of the Urdu poetry is taken from the book "Masterpieces of Urdu Ghazals" by K.C. Kanda, Sterling Press, India.
• This was the first piece of writing I put together. I was under many spells, one of them being the Urdu poetry. So this was the result.

Heavy? Don’t worry, I’ll lighten everything up. The last time I wrote was when I fell in love … … with 'a book' … … and that too of philosophy of Plato. And my friend Ashu Garg, he wrote recently to me, saying so.

My falling in and out of love is a story that stretches far back in time. I have fallen in love number of times and (luckily) fallen out of it till I found Gitanjali.

Anyway, flashback. I recall one incident on the time-line during which my heart would skip a beat on seeing her. She was (and is) somewhat of a whizz-kid.

The settings this time are shifted to the beautiful and serene Chandigarh. And that’s here that I fell in love for the second time (yes, it was my second crush). The city is beautiful, the climate – just right and she was absolutely stunning. What else is required? … … Richard Bach? … …

Did I hear someone mention a name that sounded like some classical music composer of olden times whom my friend Misha would very often impress upon me to listen? And what the hell was this Richard Bach doing in my private and personal love story? Well, he was there. No way out of it and no denying of it. Richard Bach. The lines in the beginning of this piece are by him.

I was studying in the local engineering school and she was there too. my junior (I hope everybody has guessed her by now). I fell in love with her, not at the first sight or first bite (as my good friend Mols would put it). But this happened over time, with some encouragement from Mols and other. she was his classmate. Slowly and steadily, the poison of love entered my thought my heart and into my head. “What a girl!”

Lets skip some details of how I got to know her and all the stuff I did to make her notice me which she did, we’ll go directly to one incident of me with her. So flash-forward a little.

I was sitting with her at her place, and we started talking about books (Oh my God! Save me.). I became an avid reader after that encounter, but at that time I would say I was … not a great reader and was likely not very comfortable discussing about them books. But anything for her.

“Do you read?”, she asked. What a question. Of course I read. I did my schooling in a British Convent School, and yes ma’am I do read.

“Yeah.”

“What do you prefer in fiction?”, now wait a minute, what is fiction … … my mind was running its horses; fiction … fiction … yes - stories.

“I prefer pulp.” In my mind I silently thanked Quentin Tarantino for making Pulp Fiction. If many of you have not guessed, I’m a movie-buff too.

“Do you? What all authors have you read?”
“I don’t read much. I prefer music and movies. But sometimes I read. I’ll tell you about the first novel I read (apart from my school). That was Sidney Sheldon’s If Tomorrow Comes. One of our family friends suggested it.”

“So you like Sheldon in pulp?” Hmmm. OK, so Sheldon writes pulp … …

“Yeah.”

“Sonu, I’ve read many authors and many styles. Now I would like to read philosophy and some more meaningful writings. Have you heard of Richard Bach.”

That was the first time in my life I heard about Richard Bach. Who was this Bach. Misha would often come to my hostel and put Bach’s compositions at very high volume … boring the hell out of all of us. But same man cannot be a philosophical or meaningful writer and a great composer at the same time (or could be, you never know). Richard must be someone else.

“Yeah.” I was trying to be ecstatic, “Richard Bach. O my God! You should have told me; rather we should have talked about him earlier. Do you know my father reads a lot and Richard Bach is one of his favorite authors? Do you know that he has all of his famous books? I think 5 or 6 of them. But personally I would have skipped though 1 or 2, but his writing do not impress me much. Actually, I am more practical, so I prefer staying away from all that needs brains.” I was trying everything to win her.

Now that I have made an easy way out of all the discussions that I could have gotten myself into, I’ll tell you about my father. Well he reads a lot … he reads jokes, newspapers and his immense collection of advanced calculus books. If you would ask him, he would say who is Richard Bach. He is all logic and no philosophy. He doesn’t even know if a man with such a name ever existed.

“O really? Do you have all the Bachs? Well that’s wonderful. Have you read Jonaston Livingstone Seagull? Oh, I have read it long time back. It’s beautiful!”

Jonaston Livingstone Seagull? Now what is this? Must be some seagull. “Oh yeah, it’s different. Unlike many stories we read in our day to day lives.” This is the most appropriate answer. For those articulate people who are very good in discussion, I think they would understand that at this point I must give discussion a new turn.

“Yes Sonu, this small book really makes a difference in one’s life. After reading the book, one thing has become pretty clear in my mind, we are not here for mere earning our bread and butter. Life is all about exploring new heights, think about them till you reel under the pressure, dream about them and nurture them.”

God help me.

“I read it long time back. I was younger. So I never perceived it like that. Would you like to read it? I can get it to you.” Let’s get out of this seagull business, I was thinking myself.
“I can get you the book. I have it in Amritsar.”

“Can you?” there was twinkle in the eye and a beautiful smile on the face. I could have done anything at that time.

“Sure. But its in Amritsar. Rather, I’ll get all his books, next time I’ll go to Amritsar. You can read them all.”

“Oh thank you, Sonu. That’s so nice of you”. Oh yes, I am nice.

And henceforth this man … … what’s his name – Richard Bach came to my young life.

Well I stayed for some time and had some pakoras (fried fritters) with her while I was being given this dhobi patkaa about Richard Bach. Before taking leave, I promised her that next time I’ll go to Amritsar, I’ll get all of Bachs.

It was 4’o clock in the afternoon when I left her place and it was Thursday. On my way back, I stopped in Sector 17 at Capital Book Depot. My friend Ajay’s dad is the owner of that shop (he became my friend after this Bach). I went to him and asked for Bach … Richard Bach. He looked at me from head to toe (“Don’t I look like one of those Richard Bach guys?”).

He showed me to the shelf and I could see was a rack in front of me with all the Bach. He suggested Kahlil Gibran, if I was about to start with this kind of writings but I told him that I’d buy only Bach. He went away and I counted that six of the titles of this author were lying there. I brought all the six of them on the counter and asked Ajay for the price of all. He said they’d all cost me around Rs 800. And I had none in my pocket. I told him that I have no money with me but I would like to buy all of these tomorrow and he can keep a set aside for me. He said that would be no problem at all and that I can come anytime to buy them.

Now to arrange Rs 800. In the evening, my parents called (they used to call me everyday, even today they call me almost everyday) and I told them that I was out of money and needed to pay some hostel dues and I also need to buy few books. My father never questioned me about money. He said that I can collect the money from the driver of a local bus service (Maharaja Travels) that runs between Amritsar and Chandigarh. Wonderful. The very next day around half past 10, I got the money. Two thousand rupees.

Hit Capital Book Depot. Ajay recognized me, I think it was easy for him since I was wearing the same clothes that I was wearing the day before. He was surprised that I have come back for Bach. Many people do not turn out after they have asked the bookseller to keep some books aside for them. I bought the books, made the payments. That’s when Ajay and me came to know each other. I have bought many books after that from him.

Over the weekend, I read Jonathan Livingston Seagull, One, There's No Such Place As Far Away. So now I knew who is Richard Bach. Then I started with Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah and then later after 3 days I started with Biplane. Well I was through with five of his books. And then the one that remained was The Bridge Across Forever: A Love Story. On Friday Misha came. Misha’s eyes twinkled at the sight of these books. He saw all the books lying scattered in my room. His expression was of a clown who gets struck by a baseball (or cricket) bat and passes out with the smug happy expression on his face.

“Sardarji, theek thaak ho (surdy, are you alright)?” was his instant question. After much dodging around, I ended up telling him the truth. Now it was easy to talk to him. Needless to say, Misha had read almost all the books. We had a nice discussion.

“After reading the book, one thing has become pretty clear in my mind. we are not here for mere earning our bread and butter. Life is all about exploring new heights, think about them till you reel under the pressure, dream about them and nurture them.” I repeated what she had said to me.

Misha had his own ideas, “ It also tells us that to follow freely the promptings of heart, one must not conceal from oneself that life is coarse and ruthless in its own wayward course. The book is a bid to rekindle the sleeping Jonathan Livingston Seagull in all of us. Through the seagull, the author explains this to us and takes us to the finer nuances of life. What does a man need? We always think of common things - bread, butter and a bed to sleep on. After reading the book, you will see that there is more to life than those. You don't have to simply live for them. How about bringing a pose of roses for your beloved from the stiff cliffs of Alpine, when roses are out of season. This book will teach and prompt you to do that.”

I was impressed. Misha, the great. Now I can talk about this author.

“This book packs into a few short pages a plethora of universal truths. It is a simply written tale of the nature of purpose and of perfection. It’s a story of freedom and thought and immortality that ought to inspire even the most stubborn pessimists and nay-sayers.”, I added as now I understood it better.

Misha made himself comfortable in my room (as he always used to do). Many ideas were exchanged over lunch and over evening tea. Misha wore the same smug expression and was also enjoying every moment of it.

He started another thread of discussion, “There's No Such Place as Far Away, now that is an amazing piece. When she was about to turn five, a little girl named Rae Hansen invited Richard Bach to her birthday party. Though deserts, storms, mountains, and a thousand miles separated them, Rae was confident that her friend would appear. There's No Such Place As Far Away chronicles the exhilarating spiritual journey that delivered Rae's anxiously awaited guest to her side on that special day – and tells of the powerful and enduring gift that would keep him forever close to her heart. Richard Bach's inspiring, now – classic tale is a profound reminder that miles cannot truly separate us from friends ... that those we love are always with us – every moment of the infinite celebration we call life.”

I was getting ideas too. as I said, “This is one of those rare books that has a timeless message and a simple beauty which belie its brevity. You can read this book in ten minutes. And, you can re-read it a hundred times and feel differently about it each time. Consider it the abridged Jonathon Livingston Seagull or Illusions, but don't think of it as leaving out anything of importance. I particularly like this book because, in a few minutes, it helps me remember some of the simple truths of life – that time and space cannot separate us from the one's we love. Besides that, it has some fantastic water-color illustrations which I found enjoyable to simply view.”

“Yes, exactly. Very true, very true”, Misha said sipping his tea.

I wanted to explore more. “And Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah. In the cloud-washed airspace between the cornfields of Illinois and blue infinity, a man puts his faith in the propeller of his biplane. For disillusioned writer and itinerant barnstormer Richard Bach, belief is as real as a full tank of gas and sparks firing in the cylinders...until he meets Donald Shimoda--former mechanic and self-described messiah who can make wrenches fly and Richard's imagination soar.... In Illusions, the unforgettable follow-up to his Richard Bach takes to the air to discover the ageless truths that give our souls wings: that people don't need airplanes to soar...that even the darkest clouds have meaning once we lift ourselves above them... and that messiahs can be found in the unlikeliest places--like hay fields, one-traffic-light midwestern towns, and most of all, deep within ourselves.”

Misha had something to say too. “The best part is the thought-provoking dialogue between a guy named Richard and a real Messiah. This story will change you if it ever get into your head.”

Misha left for home later in the evening. That night, I finished Biplane. It was first time in my life I felt there is more than Sidney Sheldon to life. There is Richard Bach. Oh what a writer. I was doing it all because of her. Did you guys think I forgot her, talking about Misha and Richard Bach? Of course not.
And all these days, I must tell you, I was meeting her everyday and we talked and chatted a bit – but not Richard Bach.

During the next weekend I finished with The Bridge Across Forever: A Love Story. Bach wrote of a man haunted by the ghost of a wise, mystical, lovely lady who lived just around the corner in time. This story tells of his quest to find her. His search for his dreamed-of soulmate, his detour into wealth and success, and his ultimate meeting with the woman with whom he has found love and enchantment. If you've ever felt alone in a world of strangers, missing someone you've never met, you'll find a message from your love in this book. Isn't it amazing how our life is so in our faces yet we are too blind to see? This reconnects to the hummings from my inner self and not the moaning of the outside world. When we are finally at one, awake, and aware who knows maybe we can all have it. We get the answers all the time but we push them away for whatever reason. An inspiration to love beyond this life.

Well, I had read it all and was ready to talk to anyone about this author. All this to get the attention of that someone special. Over the next weekend, I went to Amritsar to meet my parents. Spent some time with them. Met couple of friends. Missed her. Travelled back to Chandigarh.

On Monday, I met her in the department. After daily greetings, I told her that I had brought the books she wanted. She was happy to know that and seeing her happy, I was happy too. That evening I took the books to her place and gave it to her. And even suggested the one’s she should read first and the one’s that are to be savored last.

She read them in about 10-12 days time. I had continued to meet her wherever I could and even discussed the books individully with her (thanks to Misha). She was happy to know that I had read them all. She was impressed by my versions and understanding of these writings (I think). Afterwards, she suggested many more books to me and many more she demanded (the one’s she wanted to read and Ajay happily supplied me with them (of course not free).

And that how I came to know about Richard Bach. As I write this, I see that set of books in front of me. As I look back, sometimes I think I was making a fool of myself, and at other times, I think that she has to be thanked at some point for making me a more ferocious reader. I have read hundreds of books since, needless to say even more heavier than Richard Bach. But these books have a special place in the time line of my life. It was fate, destiny or her, but in the end, she did make a difference in my life, and my reading.

Wherever she is in the world, I hope she is reading some new book, or maybe she is reading the ‘life’ itself.


June 1999, February 2008
Copyright JPS Nagi, 2008