लौटके तू आयेगा रे शर्त लगाले!

लोक काय भन्नाट लिहीतात! जेव्हापासून 'चक दे' मधले गाणे ऐकले - 'मौला मेरे लेले मेरी जान ...' डोक्यातून जातच नाहीए! मागेही झालेले असे ... 'मै जहा रहू ..' ऐकलेले तेव्हा! नमस्ते अमेरीका म्हणायची फार लहर आलेली. पण खरच हेवा वाटतो या लोकांचा. कोणी ईतके सहज आणि कोणालही जवळ वाटेल असे कसे लिहू शकेल! गाणे ऐकताना काही नाही वाटत ... नंतर जो डोक्यात नाद सुरू होतो ... मजा त्यात येते.

बरेच दिवस ब्लॉगकडे वळायला वेळच मिळत नव्हता ... आज धुळ झटकावीच म्हणून बसलोय! कितीही नाही म्हणा... पण या काही गष्टींकडे मन वळतेच. :-) कदाचीत धुळ माझ्यावर बसलेली.

सॅन फ्रांसिस्को मधे परत येऊन तसे ८-९ दिवसच झाले असावेत ... पण ऊसंत नावाचा प्रकार नाहीए. मनात एक नविन ताजगी का काय म्हणतात ते आहे. कालच एका बीच वर जाऊन आलो ... रॉक अवे बीच. शेवटपर्यंत वाटत होते की रन-अवे बीच ... हे गोरे लोक ऊच्चारच असा विचित्र करतात ... की काय सांगावे. याला रन अवे का म्हणत असावे याचा बराच विचार केलेला ... पण शेवटी ते रॉक अवे नाव बघीतल्यावर जरा हिरमोड झाला. चालायचेच. कोणी कोणाचे काय नाव ठेवावे यावर कोण काय म्हणो...

बऱ्याच गोष्टी एकदम झाल्या. ईथे आल्यानंतर पहील्यांदा pacific ocean मधे पाय ठेवला ... परत एकदा मला समुद्राने आपल्या संमोहनात अडकवले ... परत एकदा तो अजस्त्र जलाशय काही बोलला मझ्याशी ... आणि परत एकदा तीव्र ईच्छा झाली काही लिहायची!

पाण्याशी खरच काहीतरी नाते आहे! की पाणी सगळ्यांशीच बोलतो की काय ... देव जाणे. पण काहीतरी वेगळेपण नक्की आहे त्यात. पाऊस म्हणा ... समुद्र म्हणा. हे ऊगाचच जवळचे वाटतात. आपसूकच. समुद्राच्या बाजूला एखादा कडा किंवा टेकडी असावी म्हणजे पर्वणीच. मागे bigsur ला गेलेलो तसे. ईथेही तसेच होते. मोठी च्या मोठी टेकडी समुद्राला लागून. असंख्य लाटा धडका मारताना खाली पायाशी आणि दिमाखात ऊभी ती टेकडी. त्याच्या एकदम टोकावर जाण्याची ईच्छा न व्हावी तर नवल!

कोणी बरोबर यायला तयार होईना ... पण या अशावेळी थांबतो कोण? अरे कुठे ती ऊंच टेकडी, ते पाणी आणि त्यासमोर ... "फार ऊंच आहे", "वेळ होइल", "वर काय असेल काय माहीत!", "ईथेच बरे वाटतय" ही कारणे! फारच तोकडी! या अशा काही वेळा खरच पुण्याची आठवण येते ... कोणत्याही क्षणी कुठेही यायला तयार असलेले मीत्र मैत्रीणी आठवतात. एका सकाळी वेड्यासारखे ऑफिसमधून निघून बावधानच्या मागे टेकडीवर गेलेलो. त्याही आधी NDA च्या ईथे पावसात टेकडी चढलेली! ईथे असे काही होणे म्हणजे स्वप्नवतच. पण असो. आई म्हणते ... काय 'आहे' ते बघा, ऊगाच 'नाही' त्यावर किती चर्चा! ईथे या अशा वेळी i-pod आपला सखा. घाला कानात डूल ... आणि व्हा सुरू. मनात तसूभरही नाही आले की पायात शूज नाही चप्पल आहे! पण आले जरी असते तरी फार काही बिघडले नसते. असे होते की जसे काही वर कोणीतरी बोलावत होते आणि जाणे अपरीहार्य आहे. नाही गेलो तर त्या टेकडीचा अपमान.

गाणे सुरू ...music वर पाय ही हलू लागले! केके नेही साथ दिली ... "तुमही तुम हो ... जो राहो मे, तुम ही तुम हो ... निगाहो मे" भन्नाट संगीत. याआधी हे गाणे ईतके आवडले नव्हते ... पण त्या वातावरणात मस्त जमून गेले ...! थोडे वर गेल्यावर कळाले की हा अजून शेवट नाही. अजूनही वरती आहे ... पावले आणि पढे सरसावली. केके बापडा गात होता ... "अब चाहे जो भी हो ... तुम हा या ना कहो!!" आणखी उंच ... आणखी ऊंच ...! ईतके की त्याच्या वरती काहीच असू नये. दरवेळी काहीतरी दिसायचेच ... शेवटी एका ठीकाणी पोचलो जिथून पलीकडे ऊतरण सुरू होणार होती. पलीकडचा दुसरा बीच पण दिसू लागला. खालून दिसत होते, त्याहून बरीच मोठी होती टेकडी. थोडावेळ थांबलो ... समोरच्या सगळ्या पाण्यच्या पसाऱयाकडे बघीतले. ऊगाचच वाटून गेले ... हे जे काही समोर दिसतय ... जिथेपर्यंत दिसतय. सगळे आपलेच आहे!

"केसरीया ... बालम ... आओ ... पधारो ... म्हारे देस ..." पुढचे गाणे! God Bless iPod. समोरच्या समुद्रातून येणारे सुसाट वारे सोडून आणखी कोणी येण्याचा काही चान्स नव्हता तरी ... come what may ... अगदी matrix मधल्या शेवटच्या मारामारीमधे neo ऊभारतो तसा त्या वाऱ्याला तोंड देत ऊगाच एकदम पराक्रमी वीराच्या आविर्भावात ऊभारलो. पण कोणी कशाला येईल? गाण्यात बिचारी बालम ला बोलावतेय आणि मी लढायला ऊभा. काही जमेना. क्षणात आमचा निओ पण समोर ट्रिनीटी दिसावी तसा पाघळला. बसला खाली! सुरेख गाणे! संपूच नये असे. मस्त जोर जोरात आवाज चढवून मीही साथ दिली! एक बाकी असते. एकटे असताना काय वाट्टेल ते करू हा वाला जोश पटकन येतो. तसा अमेरीकेत रस्त्यावर पण मोठ्याने गाणे म्हणालो असतो तरी काही बिघडले नसते म्हणा. तरी असो ... बाथरूमच्या बाहेर कुठेही गाणे म्हणणे म्हणजे थोडेसे धाडसच की!

वेळ कसा गेला कळालेच नाही! बऱ्याच चांगल्या वाईट गोष्टी झर्रकन डोळ्यासमोरून सरकल्या! अंतर्मुख होणे यालाच म्हणतात की काय माहीत नाही! पण बरे वाटले. धावपळ. अनिश्चितता. कुतुहल. चुका. अगाऊपणा. हाव. मत्सर. पाऊस. प्रेम. लोभ. माया. आणि या सगळ्यामधे असलेला मी आणि माझेच सगे सोयरे. आजू बाजूला तसे कोणीच नव्हते. पण त्या सगळ्यांच्या अस्तित्वाची जाणीव होत होती. वेळ तसाच आणखी मागे गेला. कॉलेज आठवले ... तिथल्या लोकांचा विश्वास आठवला. ऊगाचच वाटले ... ताडून तरी बघावे की मी अत्ता कुठे आहे आणि त्यानी मला कुठे पहीले होते. Newton बाबाने सांगीतलेय. आजूबाजूच्या सर्व गोष्टींचा force तुमच्यावर operate होत असतो. मधे हेच ऊदाहरण घेऊन मी कोणालातरी बोललेलो ... "तुझे आयुष्य केवळ तुझे नाहीए. आजू बाजूच्या सगळ्यांचे काहीतरी देणे लागतो आपण." पण या सगळ्या गावाला शहाणपणा शिकवण्याच्या नादात कधी स्वतःला तोलले नाव्हते. तसे सर्वांसारखी माझ्यापण आयुष्यावर बऱ्याच जणांची छाप आहे. मग त्याची परतफेड किंवा त्यांच्या अपेक्षांची परतफेड केली की नाही हेही बघीतलेच पाहीजे की! परतफेड म्हणता येणार नाही पण त्या दर्जापर्यंत तरी गेलो की नाही बघायला काय हरकत!?

ऊगाचच वाटले की या ज्या भावना, अगतीकता जे काही होते किंवा आहे ... ते सगळे आधी कुठे होते? ते आधी नव्हते तेव्हाचा 'मी' हा खरा 'मी' होतो की यांच्यासकट जो 'मी' बनलो तो खरा 'मी' आहे. गोची आहे राव! यात हे बाकीचे लोक कुठून आले. त्यांचा का म्हणून देणेकरी!? लोकाना सांगताना बरे असते - बस ग्यान बाटो. तसे आपण खरच शिकतोही आजूबाजूच्या लोकांकडून. चिकाटी ... जिद्द ... या गोष्टी मी माझ्या मित्रांच्यात फार प्रकर्षाने बघीतल्या. मग एके दिवशी त्याना follow करणे सुरू केले. मौज मजा आणि एकूणच येणाऱ्या घटनांकडे बघण्याचा दृष्टीकोन हाही कॉलेजमधेच अंगीकारला. एकूण काय गावभरच्या भरपूर गोष्टी आपल्यात आणायचा प्रयत्न. या सगळ्या लोकानी दरवेळी विश्वास दाखवलेला ... एकदम रंग दे बसंती मधल्या डायलॉग सारखा - "कुछ करके दिखायेगा डिज्जे!". पण ईथे डीज्जेने काय केले? बसलाय टेकडावर समूद्राचे ऐकत. पण मजा ईथे आहे. अजस्त्र समूद्र. विराट जलसमूह. आणि या सगळ्याने आलेला आत्मविश्वास. ईथे कोणीही शेर बनेल. कदाचीत म्हणूनच देवाने या अशा जागा ईतक्या ऊंचावर तयार केलेल्या असाव्यात. पण असो ... परत तोच जोश आला ... सगळे करू. सब कुछ. आहे काय त्यात. काय होईल... कसे होईल ... वगैरे विचार कधीच आले नव्हते आधी. मग आतातरी का यावेत? कदाचीत यामधे खरा 'मी' आहे. दररोजचे रुटीन होणारे दिवस. एकदम साच्यातून कढल्यासारखे. कोणी दुसऱ्याने दाखवलेली किंवा बघीतलेली स्वप्नं. त्यासाठी झटणारे तिसरे लोक ... आणि केवळ विचार करायला वेळ नाही म्हणून सर्वांमागे पळणारे आपण. स्वप्नं बदलतात. आवडी निवडी बदलतात. कशामागे धावतोय तेही त्याचाही काही वेळा विसर पडतो. मग कहीतरी माफक खुशी देणारी स्वप्न बघायची. तिच पुर्ण करायची. आपणच खुश व्हायचे. आणि मग असे कधीतरी पुर्वीचे दिवस आठवले की वाटते की काहीतरी खरच मागे सोडून अलो आपण. हे विचार एरवी येणे तसे शक्यच नाही ... जरी आले तरी "जाऊ दे ... निरर्थक आहे" म्हणुन पण सोडून देऊ. पण या अशा वेळी आले की एकदम भलतीच energy! आणि असे विचार अशा वेळीच यावे rather! कारण मग वाटते ...

"लौटके तू आयेगा रे ... शर्त लगा ले!"

खरं तर 'चक दे' बघायचे भाग्य अजून काही लाभलेले नाही. हे गाणेही बघायचा योग आला नाही. पण मला आपले असे दिसले हे गाणे. समुद्राच्या बाजूला ऊंच कड्यावर ऊभे राहून विजयी मुद्रेने (की आत्मविश्वासाने) समोर बघत रहावे जसे काही कोणी energy pump-in करतोय. सगळे साठवून घ्यावे. गाडीत पेट्रोल भरल्या सारखे. आणि माहित असावे ... कुठे जायचेय ते! rather कुठे यायचेय परतून ते.

गाणी सुरू होतीच ...

"मेरे मन ये बता दे तू ... किस ओर चला है तू ... क्या पाया नही तुने ... क्या ढूंड रहा है तू!"

अचानक कळाले ... की बघता बघता मी खाली येऊन पोचलोय. समोर लोक ओरडतायत की किती वेळ लावला म्हणून. पण who cares!

म्हणालो डीज्जेको पेट्रोल भरना था! ;-)

Wish You a Happy Journey

My every journey had some or the other story to tell … Each of the VISA stamp on the passport has a story attached. May it be haunted apartment in Seoul, may it be a real tiger sitting on my lap in Jakarta, may it be me delaying the international flight, may it be Amitabh Bachchan in Bangkok or may it be lost laptop at Singapore. Every time, it was happening. This was the first time, things happened in Pune and not abroad.

Not sure where to start from, however if I decide to restrict this to the journey only then it would start from Saturday Morning. My mom discovered that my passport and other documents were wet … badly. And it was equally surprise to me! But soon realized how all that might have happened. What else one can expect after spending almost 6-7 hours in heavy rain. It could be another interesting topic to write about those 6-7 hours. But anyway … VISA was big concern that time. Damn! Even that photograph on the VISA stamp was half wet and the colours were like about to fed. Someone scared me saying, they might send you back from SFO airport if the VISA thing becomes an issue. I had and I have no wish to come back again! At least not that immediately.

This was the beginning of journey. Though I explained my mom the whole story (which again was not very pleasant for her) how the passport got wet, it was not going to help the passport! It was the slight hint towards the happening journey ahead.

With all the herculean efforts, finally we managed to settle (cool!) down all the docs, passport everything and with the fingers crossed, I started the journey to Mumbai airport. This time there were bunch of 14 people with me traveling to the airport in that mini bus. There was some missing link … and it was making me restless. I requested the driver to stop the bus at one place …

"Dude, where are you? I have stopped the bus near your home… want to give you something."

"I am not home, am near Bonsai!! Should I come back?"

"No … go ahead … enjoy! Can't wait that long … "

Honestly I was big time angry, pissed off, frustrated and lot more things at the same time … for various reasons! But realized soon, have no time for that, also have no time to go back home n sit n relax to come back to normal.

I called her back. She said immediately.

"Where should I come?"

"… would stop near the signal at the chowk … be there in 30 minutes, might not be able to hold the bus for long!"

"Ok."

"Bhaiyya, want to give something to a person near the signal at chowk … would you stop there for a while?"

"Girl friend hai?"

I wonder, why the heck it was his problem! Why do I have to explain this relation to each and everyone every time? But as always, had no time to sort out his queries. He had already done a favor to me by stopping there.

"Can you stop or not?"

"Yeah …"

"Thanks … and yeah … she is girlfriend … but not mine! (happy??)"

Well … he did not look happy with the way I answered.

Things started happening pretty fast … It was a small thing. Had we not gotten chance to meet that time, perhaps it would have always made a mark in my mind. What did we do after meeting? - nothing! But still wanted to do that. The Bus stopped at a place hardly 5 minutes away from that chowk. The driver had suddenly remembered something, perhaps. I saw an ATM center there and got down to withdraw some cash. Driver knew about it. I was thinking about that 5 minute meeting at the chowk. With these thoughts I entered the ATM center … got some cash … came out … and boom!!

The Bus was not at all there!! Vanished!!

Boy!! For a moment I thought, if I was in dreams. I asked a fellow there and he said …

"it went straight just now."

"How can it go that direction?? Rather … how can it go anywhere?"

That fellow smiled and I also was not expecting him to answer anyway. :)

I was totally clueless and with no luggage. Hand went in to pockets automatically but there was no mobile phone. Useless pocket!! You are truly disconnected when you are with no mobile and no internet! (reminded me of all those events when I used to comment on someone's affection towards mobile!). I had no contact numbers of that driver, their travel agency and neither my company travel desk person. Everything was stored either in my mobile or laptop and neither of which I had that time.

These moments teach you a lot. I mean, we do nothing but start realizing some big time gyan which generally is of no use that time to help us out. I did learn something … mobile, laptop etc all these gadgets make you big time handicapped! Ok … ! Nothing great. I was still in bad fix. But next fact rather than gyan was even more interesting. How was I supposed to reach airport and even if I reach how do I get my luggage?! And again that wet passport/VISA was another concern anyway. I tried to call mom so that she could find the numbers from my cell phone but in vain. I knew my cell was too complex for her to handle. Same was the case with dad. I soon remembered that I had asked someone to wait near chowk for me! Damn! I again spoiled her plans. I do it every time. Now even if we meet … I had nothing to give since everything was gone with the luggage. I called her up anyway, asked to come as soon as possible where I was standing. I really wonder why every time 'something' has to happen when we decide to meet! Maybe we realized that late that we were not meant to meet at all.

I was back on the road with mischievous smile on face. Life was thrilling, happening and painfully kool for last several weeks. The trend was not over. And I was happy about it. I suddenly saw the bus! Alas …! They came back … perhaps they realized something had spilt out of there bus. Whatever! I was about to go to the bus but then again, there was another mess … I had asked her to come to that place. I called her back … she had reached already. I ran into the bus … the driver tried to start some argument - "where had you gone" n all … but I was in no mood to listen, I pulled out some stuff from my bag … n told him to wait and I'll come back in 2 minutes n then we can finish that argument at length. He again did not look very happy at my gesture. But really had no other option. There was someone more than that driver, bus, ATM, argument standing outside with no hint of what is going on.

She was standing there on the other side of the road, perhaps with no clue what had happened in last 5 minutes. I gave her what I wanted to give, she had also something for me. She said, "Happy Friendship Day". That's it. Few more words here n there and we were done. Not even 2 minutes. I ran back to the bus and was all happy. Perhaps she was too. Journey continued towards Mumbai … and it started raining again. Well, this time, these stupid rains missed the drama by just few minutes. My leg had one open wound. It had started paining, but who cares. All those rain droplets, that open wound, my thoughts and lots of memories - everything was forming a beautiful rhythm, music … Guru ka music!

Journey was still happening, heavy rain on the express highway, land slide and then a big time traffic jam. Somehow reached the airport in time though it took 2 hours more than usual. Every new such obstacle was making me more n more happy … life was still happening. Nothing had ended. There was another surprise waiting for me at the airport though.

HRITIK ROSHAN!

Damn … I saw him there. Just few meters away. Why the heck all these stars come across me when I am in no good mood. But one thing for sure … boss … what a personality!

Happening Journey, it was. It was just the beginning. I was perhaps back to Good'ol messy days.

Before leaving home, I had an intuition, instinct that I might forget my jacket somewhere. All the while when I was enjoying the time convincing myself that I am back in those Good'ol days, I realized that I actually did not take my jacket back from baggage checking. I was literally waiting at the gate for an hour and when final boarding announcement was made, it struck to me that I forgot the jacket way back at the baggage checking! Thrill continued … I ran back again to the counter. I got the jacket back … reached back and got the privilege again to be the last person to enter the flight. :-)

Somehow God made sure that my mind is always occupied by something or the other and the journey becomes happening. Otherwise … empty mind is always devil's home. Perhaps God was either fed up or scared of my Davil's home.

The new journey has started but in a same old happening way. Maybe somewhere in my mind there is a desire of doing something good for a change for someone somehow. Maybe it is a feeling of compensating for something wrong, I might have done in past to someone. This is the spice of life … you find things in a way you want them to be. Now when I look at it, it is actually about what you want to feel rather than what you feel. And today I want to feel it in this way. Things always happen in a way you want them to see. Is it really about the wet passport, missed bus, traffic jam or that jacket mess that made the journey happening? Perhaps not. Things might anyway had happened in the same way. But today the way I am reacting to them is what I have decided for myself.

Things might just go off if we react by saying what a mess! Wet passport! But perhaps today I have decided to enjoy each n every bit of it. Someone has taught me to live the life as if it is the last day. You never know if you would get chance to react to such scene again. So react in a best possible way - we are actually on the spree of creating memories. These are the things, we might remember a few years down the line. Why spoil them now?

At times nature throws some very interesting riddles which when you solve, you realize in very straight and hard way that even you are human and no great. More you struggle to digest this fact, more ordinary you become.

Yes … journey has started …! Someone once said to me … "I am done with my life" and I had hated that sentence a lot! Somehow it is still there in my mind. And not I am just making sure that nobody would say that ever again after meeting me.