ਸੌ ਵਾਰ ਦੁਹਾਇਆਂ ਦਿਤੀਆਂ
ਤੇ ਸੌ ਵਾਰ ਅੰਬਰ ਵੱਲ ਤੱਕਿਆ
ਕੰਡਿਆਂ ਵਰਗੀ ਜਕੜੰਣ ਸੀ
ਸੌ ਵਾਰ ਲੜੀਆਂ ਤੇ ਹਾਰਿਆਂ
ਹਾਰ ਜਦੇ ਮੈਂ ਤਾਕੀ, ਅੱਖਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਅੱਖਾਂ ਡਾਲ
ਆਪਣੇ ਹੀ ਡਰ ਨਾਲ ਰੂਬਰੂ
ਅਪਣਾ ਅਮਲ
ਤੇ ਅਪਣਾ ਹੀ ਅਖ਼ਤਿਆਰ
ਹੁਣ ਫੁਰਸਤ ਨਾਲ ਚਲ ਬੈਠ ਕਰ
ਇਕ ਇਕ ਭੈ ਦੀਆਂ ਗੱਲਾਂ
ਮੁਕ ਜਾਣ ਦੇ ਇਸਦੀਆਂ ਉਡੀਕਾਂ
ਆਪਣੇ ਹੀ ਹੱਥ ਫੜ ...ਕੰਡਿਆਂ ਕਰਾ ਪਾਰ
Must have been angry on some
Or on lost expectations, perhaps very invested
Or was it on the fears of losing a future
That I chose to poison my words
Must have been some disoriented horizons
Or some misplaced priorities, perhaps very delusional
Or my own inactions, and slipping opportunities
That I chose to poison my logic
Must have been something ...
Must have been something ...
That instead of taking a breath
And, breathing in all that I had
That I chose to poison the moment
After a long career gap, I am back and I am back teaching the same dreaded subject - Management Information Systems from Laudon. In the past two years - I have broken all career stereotypes and taught courses ranging from Generative AI to Ethics. Loved teaching each one of them because I believed in them, loved each bit of them...but MIS using Laudon, I wondered why it was more bitter than ever this time!
The sequence of events of my single day might reflect this ecky feeling!
And conspicuously, the day started with a wish to find a nice silk fabric in South Delhi without much wild goose hunting. Multiple friends had recommended me the "Nalli Saree Shop". I was reluctant - I had heard of its price range! And the time constraint was steep. So one night before, I visited Nalli online website and found I might just use it instead of wasting my time visiting the store. And then, the next morning - I don't know why - I just put "Nalli Sarees" on my map - and off I went. The map made me go merry-go-round of South Ex until I realized - Nalli was right in front of me from where I parked my car and started revolving around the market using my map thereafter. Nalli had shifted ...but never bothered to change their location online! Bravo!
In I went... and was instantly taken over by warm salespeople smiles and received a very reasonable understanding from them on which floor I needed to be on just a look at my bag full of sarees. Parking myself on the right floor for the right product, it took me a few light and friendly conversations on my saree color matching exercises - my fellow ladies discussing their to-buys or not-to-buys with anyone in a close radius - I getting clues from a young girl in how I could use those fabrics to create cheaper-than-fabindia Dupattas. They knotted my saree tassels for free - even though they were aware my sarees were not bought from Nalli. No issues at all - just smiles. Billings were all modern - but the Nalli's dos and don'ts on returns etc were all old and bold style written placards. They dictated the rules and customers never seem to complain! I ...smiling all wide there...just didn't want to take the lift back. In slow motion...I chose to tread the old mahogany stairs down each floor with all the Indianness and smiles and hullabaloo.
I realized it was such a happy experience only after I opened Laudon's first chapter at night and read about the smart shelves, presumably in trend among big retailers! And I wondered, why it was more bitter than ever...
Laudon has a habit of showing moonshot technologies view at the most typical of places! Smart shelves- equipped with wide angled low lying cameras - cashierless counters - smartphones guiding customers to the right aisles - object recognition to alert when did we park our cars in the parking - Gosh, you are killing me! Literally! Of course, it is Generative AI written all over the "smart shelves" and that is why, my love for GenAI also ends at its Maths!
I wonder if my students will ever know what they will be missing in the future! Wish I could unteach MIS to them after teaching it!
Swirling myself in the air
To the song I sing in my hair
And throw my arms open to a thousand miles view…Sometimes
Sometimes, I unfetter the loved
redeem the feared
close my eyes to the whirls of life
and just open to the whole good sky....Sometimes
Sometimes, I wish to hold whats with me
and cherish whats within
grow what I am without
and just keep living in the woods...sometimes
आज़ादी रिश्तों को तोड़ कब मिली
आज़ादी सब छोड़ कब मिली
आज़ादी तो मन की थी, जैसी मांगी वैसी मिली
आज़ादी पढ़ लिख कर कब मिली
आज़ादी पैसों से इज़्ज़त से कब मिली
आज़ादी तो हर पल में थी, जब चाही तब मिली
हाथों में पकड़ यूँ जग बटोरा
इधर उधर सब सुन यूँ बोझ बिठोरा
आज़ादी जग बटोरने में कब मिली
आज़ादी तो हलकी सी थी, बस सांस भर छोड़ा ___और मिली
पर क्या आज़ादी से में खुश थी?
या पिंजरे में बंद, रिश्तों की ताल में बँध
सोने की चमक से चुंध्याई, या आन बान से सिकुड़ी
या फिर __खाली सी, कुछ हलकी सी, और कम सी
आज़ादी ___
जब चाही तब मिली
