The 1950s

It is interesting how am I drawn to the 1950s while dreaming of lights and shadows playing with the objects of architecture. How am I able to visualize the rays of sun playing hide and seek with the spaces. Why am I drawn to the places like karolbagh in my dreams? Is it the art deco or the modernist movement of New Delhi that draws my soul to itself? Or is it one of my previous lives?

The brave little boy

Dear Misha, today I want to tell you the story of a brave little boy. The boy used to live in a small village on a tiny island in the Mediterranean. His father was a poor man. He did not have a lot of money although he belonged to a royal family.  the boys name was napoleon bonaparte.
Though he was a royal he never felt ashamed  playing with the children  of the farmers.  he had often heard his mother saying that all men are equal. What napoleon could not understand why were some children called royal but others were not. So one day he asked his mother, ' mother am i a royal? And his mother replied napoleon no you are not a royal you are a boy. You are a human being this is the truth. Those who say that you are a royal as lying. God never meant some of us to be royals. God always meant us to be human beings.
And so Napoleon learned his first lesson that all men are equal.
Dear Misha I will continue this story after a while but I want you to learn the first lesson that Napoleon learned which is that all men are equal. Never trust anyone who tells you that some men are higher and some men are lower. This is a lie. Dear Misha I have met many people in my life many people from different countries many people from different backgrounds but I have always found all human beings share the same hopes and same aspirations. All human beings want peace and happiness in their lives. All human beings want to help others.
In your life you will find people who will try to scare you  of other human beings but you should always be careful not to believe these people because human beings are not to be feared, they are to be trusted. Of course there will be exceptions because exceptions are everywhere but we never learn our lessons on exceptions, we learn our lessons on generalizations.
I love you. papa.

Testing for voice post

I am trying to write using my voice isn't it great?  I never thought  that it could be possible.  i must thank google for this wonderful tool. It could be very useful. Perhaps this is my first post which is verbal in nature. I want to dedicate this post to Misha. My sweet little daughter. Thank you

When Papa went to France

Dear Misha
It feels really good to write my second post for you. You are very little right now, only 8 months and 12 days so you are not aware that I am not at home. I am in France Misha, in Paris and you are at home with your mummy and dadaji. I see you occassionally on whatsapp and skype and belive me, you are adorable. I miss you Misha as much as I miss your mummy.
France is a really nice country. I hope you'll visit France with your mummy and papa as soon as it is possible. There is everyting in Paris that you can imagine in a city. It has big avenues, wide roads, well maintained footpaths, buildings dating to the revolution, nice and friendly people, warm cafes and what all. Till now, I have not got outside Paris but I have felt that you can spend months just exploring Paris. It is so beautiful. On weekends, I usually go out to see the city. I have been to the basilicas like Sacre Soeur, Notre Dame and Saint Chapelle. I have been to the museums like that of modern art. I have walked along the river Siene. I have treaded the famous Champs Elysee. I have been on top of Arc de Triomphe from where you can see a magnificent view of the city. I have walked in the narrow lanes around Saint Paul.
Paris is so beautiful and lively and clean, Misha, that it attracts me to itself everyday.
And although I miss you and your mummy, the city brings back to life the long forgotten desire in me to admire the creation and to create for admiration. It is a very emotional feeling Misha, one that of art, of nature, of heart. It is an opportunity for me to soak in myself and reflect. It is important to be clear in your heart what you want in life. It is important to think about the direction where you want to move. They were some important projects that I did in past and they helped me gain confidence and understand the world as it works but that is over now. That road has ended for your Papa.
Now Papa is going to tread the path that he has always been desiring - the path of creation and the path of self sustainance. It could be a little difficult to start afresh but I think it will be okay in a few months. I pray that I do not go back again to another path, different from the one which is meant for me.
As your mother has realized, I have a number of traits within myself which are sometimes even contrary. But that is fine. Infact I am thankful to God for letting me experience and understanding so many things so far. And so many experiences on one hand while make me philosophical, they also help me to remain aloof from things which I do not really want. It is very interesting Misha, hope you'll experience many many wondeful things in your life too.
Paris brings to life that artist in me who was suffocated in last some years, perhaps partially if not completely. Art is an important Misha. It helps you to get beyond the cages of reason. As you will realize in due course, we are taught to be reasonable. To theorize, to argue and to prove with experiment and empirical evidence. But art is beyond reason. It is expression. Expression may or may not have reason. So an artist can either be reasonable or unreasonable. But being unreasonable doesnt make him less of an artist infact its quite contrary in many cases.
The problem is that people who judje with reason often ignore or even ridicule artsits. So an artist must be ready for this situation and think the people of reason as an ignorant bunch. It is okay. I sometimes look everyting unreasonable as a form of art, some sort of expression. You should observe people when they are not being watched, they do such interesting things. Imagine if a man who medidates gets the power of expression through not just words but, for example, through sculpting. How many marvellous sculputers can he create. It could be so good.
So an art needs a medium of expression. A harmless medium preferably. I was fortunate Misha to get introduced to the sphere of art in my architecture school although there wasnt much effort on part of our teachers to take it further. But it was my first lesson to appreciate art.
Paris has given me an immense opportunity to appreciate the works of so many highly regarded artists and so many other artists who chose to be anonymous. To appreciate art it is important to make your mind free from prejudice, established definistions of right and wrong. It is important to make your mind free from reason and past data entries. Then it will feel very satisfying and extremely touching the pieces of art. Sometimes I get very emotional looking at different pieces of art - paintings, sculptures, architecture, public spaces, furniture... everything. I feel I can experience the soul of the artist through his creation. And it reminds me that how important it is to put in your heart and sould in anyting you create. Otherwise why would you even create? If you create for others, then you are not an artist, you are an industrialist. There is nothing wrong being an industrialist though.
It could be cultural shock if you venture out in a foreign country and you could be tempted to judge people, places and events based to your own cultural background. But do not judge. Such a judgement is nothing but a blindfold on your own eyes. It also doesnt mean to change your own self under peer pressure. The key is to observe without letting it affect your core. Your core is your anchor in life. For me, my anchor is my family. So the priorities must be clear. I made a decision to choose my family before my person some years back. It has been a good decision so far Misha. Because for me, my family has a spiritual meaning to me, it has to do with my soul. Whereas my person is mortal.
Dont worry, I will try to tell you some good stories from Paris. Love you.
Papa
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नया सफर

जैसे इक घर से जुदा होना। कुछ ऐसा ही लगता है जब उस काम को छोड़ो जिसको पिछले छ बरस से करते आ रहे हो. और काम भी वो जो बेहद पसंद हो. तभी तो छ बरस गुज़ार दिए एक ही प्रोजेक्ट पर. रैपिड मेट्रो। याद है जब बेवकूफों की तरह कागज़ों पे यूँ ही नक़्शे बनाया करता था. क्या मालूम था था तब की ये मेट्रो बनेगी और ऐसी बनेगी जैसे सोची थी. मगर मेट्रो बनी. जैसा मैं ने सोचा था वैसी बनी. एक अजूबा जैसा लगता है. उन बदहवासी भरे दिनों और परेशानी भरी रातों का नतीजा अच्छा रहा. मन  को तसल्ली मिली।
अब इस कंपनी को इस प्रोजेक्ट को छोड़ रहा हूँ. दुःख भी होता है ख़ुशी भी. दुःख इसलिए की ज़िन्दगी के कई सबक इस से सीखे हैं. ख़ुशी इसलिए क्यों की अब उन सीखों का फायदा ले पाऊंगा।
नयी उम्मीद के साथ ये सफर खत्म हुआ और नया सफर शुरू होगा। घर पे ध्यान दे पाऊंगा ये उम्मीद भी है. आखिर घर है तो सब कुछ है वर्ना सब रेत. कहीं बारिश हुई नहीं की बह निकली।

ऑफिस ऑफिस

कभी कभी सोचता हूँ के जीवन में कई पड़ाव पार कर के आया हूँ. लगता है कि सब कुछ देख चुका हूँ, सुन चुका हूँ, कर चुका हूँ. क्या यही जीवन था या है? आगे क्या है? दौड़ में अव्वल आने कि इच्छा के अलावा? मानता हूँ कि सच्ची ख़ुशी परिवार के संग है, प्रकृति के संग है, देश-समाज  के संग है, कला के संग है, संगीत के संग है, परब्रह्म के संग है. सुकून तो इन्ही में है. तो क्यूँ इस दौड़ में हूँ मैं?
फिर याद आता है कि इन सबसे भी अधिक आवश्यक है ज़िंदा रहना। एक किस्म कि मजबूरी है ये. कहीं न कहीं कुछ ठीक नहीं है. ऑफिस में जी नहीं लगता अब. 

मिशा का आगमन मेरे जीवन में इस प्रकार है जैसे कि झरने के नीचे खड़े होकर आप आँखें बंद कर लें और यान्नी का संगीत आपके कानों में मिश्री घोल रहा हो. परब्रह्म तुझे आशीष देता है मेरी बेटी.