In The Name of Orkut

9th Feb 2008

IN THE NAME OF ORKUT

This poem was written last year. Till last year I hade very rudimentary knowledge of computers and almost no knowledge of internet usage. Whenever I asked my son to show me how to use computers and he did show me, both of us lost patience with each other leading into tiffs and me into walking away in huff. One day I grumbled to my son that to call him I have to call out so many times that my throat gets soar.With a twinkle in his eyes, he teased me that I have a computer in my room and he has a laptop in his room, I have to just call him on chat and he will know that I am calling him. He knew very well that I do not know how to use internet. I told him okay show me how I can call you on chat. In a lighter vain, he created a profile for me on Orkut and showed me how I can chat on gtalk. I was excited because I was under impression that orkut is a site for youngsters and in my profile I had given my correct age, that is 52 years. Next day I was surprised to see an avlanche of friend's requests, mostly from youngsters from Hyderabad and Banglore( two IT hubs in South INdia).I was pleasantly surprised. I accepted the invitations but asked all these youngsters- are you sure you have not made any mistake, that you really want to be friends with a 52 year old lady(double their age) and that too a teacher..and they all said that age has nothing to do with friendship....when they kept interacting with me on regular basis, I was convinced that their answer was not just a polite reply, but they meant what they said....well, well, this came as a big surprise to me and something that changed me also from within.... It is on this background that I wrote the following poem....I am presenting English translation with original Hindi poem in Devnagari script also.

In the classes and in the corridors

क्लासों में,गलियारों में,

I heard lot of noise about "Orkut-Orkut"

ऑर्कुट ऑकुट का शोर सुना,

Out of curiosity, I decided to check it out

ज्ञिझासावश देख आने को मन बना,

I peeped inside the gate of this Orkut garden

इस उपवन के प्रवेशव्दार से अन्दर झांका,

There were children playing

बच्चे खेल रहे थे,

jumping, horsing around, singing and dancing,

धमाचौकड़ी,उछलकूद, हसतें गाते,

I thought of leaving the place

सोचा निकल जाऊँ मैं,

as there was nothing for me here

मेरा यहाँ क्या काम,

I was about to turn back

कदम पलटने को थी मैं,

when I heard somebody calling out

कि आयी इक आवाज,

"Come friend, where are you going"

आओ दोस्त,कहाँ चले,

I was surprised and turned back to see

आश्चर्यचकित सी मुड़ की देखा

there was a young child

इक बच्चा था,उमर का कच्चा था,

I asked in surprise "Who, Me?"

मैंने हैरानी से पूछा, "कौन मैं?"

yaa, yaa ! you too, came the pat reply

"हाँ हाँ तुम भी,"

I looked carefully

गौर से देखा,

there were many pairs of laughing eyes

कई हंसती आखें,

and hands up in air inviting me

नन्हे हाथ बुला रहे थे,

I laughed and asked "Son ! What can you talk with me"

मैं ने हंस कर कहा, "बेटा", मुझसे क्या बात करोगे,

"Won't you get bored?"

बोर नहीं हो जाओगे,

"Not Son! Friend" said they with a pout

तुनके वो, "बेटा नहीं,दोस्त",

Was it deindividuation or

ये था गुमनामी का बेबाकपन

was it the openness of the new generation

या युवा पीड़ी के मन का खुलापन,

or was it just a plain loneliness

या फ़िर कोरा अकेलापन,

that they were ready to absorb anybody

हर किसी को आत्मसात करने को तैयार

putting the sheet of friendship on my white hair

मेरे उजले बालों पर दोस्ती की चादर डाल,

holding my hand,

थामे मेरा हाथ,

these young friends

ले चले ये नन्हें दोस्त मेरे,

led me in these unknown corridors

अन्जाने गलियारों में,

sometimes joking,

कभी हंसी मजाक,

and sometimes borrowing my shoulder to cry upon

, तो कभी रोने को मांगते कंधा उधार,

sometimes spontaneously telling me their fiercely gaurded

secrets

कह जाते कभी मन के गहरे राज,

sometimes with mischevious eyes asking me hesitantly

कोई शरारती आखों वाला सकुचाते से पूछ डालता,

Tell me friend! Were you also in same predictament at sometime?"

क्युं दोस्त, कभी तुम्हारा भी था ऐसा हाल,

Me, a granny without wrinkles,

मैं बिन झुरियों की नानी,

used to laugh and say

हंसती, कहती,

"Yes friend! that's life"

हाँ दोस्त, यही है जिन्दगी,

I have understood the truth of this new life

समझ गयी मैं नव जीवन का सत्य,

the only true relationship is "friendship"

नाता सिर्फ़ दोस्ती का,

rest all relationships are illusions/false

बाकी सब रिश्ते मिथ्या,

in this relationship, there is no expectation, no bindings

कोई आस नहीं, कोई बांध नहीं,

you can get engrossed into it as much as you want

जितना चाहे रम लो तुम,

and leave it when you want

और जब चाहे निकल लो तुम,

all my doubts/dilemmas are gone

टूटे मन के सब संशय

Without any hesitation now

बेझिझक

I laugh with them, sing with them,

अब मैं इनके संग हंसती हूँ गाती हूँ,

correct them if they do any wrong

टोक देती हूँ,

and then dance also with them

फ़िर नाच भी लेती हूँ,

I live life a new every evening

रोज शाम एक नया जीवन जी लेती हूँ