Yes I am not afraid, but I am scared....

I'm not afraid of being alone, but I am scared  of loneliness...
I'm not afraid of loosing people but I am scared of loosing friends...
I'm not afraid of traveling but I am scared of going too far...
I'm not afraid of death but I am scared of cessation of thoughts...
I'm not afraid of change but I am scared of annihilation of me...
I am not afraid of love... but I'm scared of being betrayed...
I'm not afraid of being failure...but I am scared of being defeatist

No I don't have vertigo....


But I am scared of being at the height and of being avaricious
I don't even have any phobia but  scared of living in a known crowd which seems unknown...

Yes I am not afraid, but I am scared....

On 9^th May 2016 the very same day I flew to New York.

It was my first trip via air plan and I went to a place which I always wanted to go and visit.

It was in my bucket list to visit Statue of Liberty’s island and to click some beautiful pictures of NYC from the other side of the city.

I landed in USA on May 9, 2016 (acc to US), spent a week (8 days) and got the opportunities to create the best memories or I would say one of the best chapters of my life book. Through different experiences like meeting lot of amazing and inspiring people such as Gouri Didi, Paul Sir, Xerxes Sir, Fally Malkani, Shikha Bhakoo, Girish Bhakoo, Kaitlin Fusco and many other…..(please forgive me if I missed out your name).

By visiting places like, first my favorite Statue of Liberty’s Island or Liberty Island and Ellis island, to 9/11 Museum, Central Park to Grand Central Railway Station to The Museum of City of New York, Brooklyn Bridge to Empire State building….. ohh Haa ! how can I forget TIMES SQUARE….the heart of Manhattan or New York.

From food to shopping, and had lot of fun with my other family (Gouri didi, Paul Sir, Drew , Maya and Joe , Tula and my buddy Chewie.)

The trip was funded by Akanksha - a non-profit organization works with a dream of “ one day all children will be equipped with QUALITY EDUCATION”.

Thank you so much Akanksha and all for supporting and working with Akanksha and for your contribution to Akanksha directly and indirectly.

I was called as one of the speakers at the 25^th anniversary of Akanksha’s Gala event to talk about my life.

My journey, right from a book seller at traffic signal to tour guide of Mumbai is nothing but just small example possibilities of positive changes. People believe that I have an inspiring story and I believe, because I have been helped by many inspiring people that’s why I too have an inspiring life.

Thank you so much everyone for supporting and guiding me in my journey. This is the beginning, I have to go a long way please do support me the way you have been doing.

To you Bro "Sharukh"

Kitna janta tha kitna pahechanta tha....

Nai janta mai kitna usse manta tha...

Kandho pe jab uska ZANAZA leke jaa raha tha.. 

Tab ahesaas hone laga ki vo mera bhai tha...

Paheli baar kisi bina kapde ki maiyaat ko apne haatho se uthana...

Or paheli baar kisi ke liye QABR me utarna ...

Kya ye sab ek ittefaaq tha...?

Ya mera Ahesaas tha...?

Samay ne bhi ajeeb sa khel khela tha...

Muje janm din ki Mubarakbaad aa rahi thi or mai kisi ki maut ke gam me khoya tha...

Samaj nahi aa raha tha ki khud ke paida hone ka jashn hai yaa...

Yaa, kisi ki maut ka shok...

Har taraf dikh rahe the aankho me ashq liye hue log..

Na maine marne waale se itni baat ki thi apni zindagi or na itni mulakat....

Par fir bhi kuch to tha... ha tha jo rakha tha hame saath...

Shayad vo bachpan ke jhagde...ya shayad vo badepan ki tareefe thi...

Warna kya tha aisa jo muje kheechta hua le gaya jaha tere hisse ki mitti thi...

Tuje khone ke gam ka to pata nahi par tere na hone ka ahesaas aayega...shayad tu bahot durr chala gaya jaha se teri khabar ki to koi ummid nahi hai par teri yaad jaroor aayegi........

Pata nai kya tha hamare beech me mere bhai jo mai ye sab likhne pe majboor ho gaya... jane kitne bhi din hum bitaye saath me...chahe kitni bhi kam baat kare hum...tu hamesha mera bhai tha, hai or rahega...

Galti se bhi galti hui ho to maaf kardena ...

May allah bless you with all his mercy and  you enjoy the lights of the heaven.

Wrote this words to express my feelings for my brother...whom we lost just one day before my birthday. I don't know whether it is right to write this or not, but if  I don't then I will loose my self withing me..

A small achievable DREAM

"I have a dream..."

Actually I have many dreams...

I have a dream of lineless Circle... 

A place where life is not baffle,

I have a dream of a world where there is no IMAGINARY BOUNDARIES in the name of borders or national security...

A world of acceptability and not division of MASCULINITY or FEMINITY,

I have a dream of a world where SHE is not considered as tasty FOOD MAKER...

and HE is as a BREAD WINNER,

I have a dream of a society where SOCIAL EXPECTATIONS are not put over personal choice...

Means atleast no personal SACRIFICE,

I have a dream of a SOCIETY where PEOPLE are allowed to express their dissent towards social institutions...

Freedom for UNUSUAL IMAGINATIONS,

I have a dream of a company or a firm where MY DRESSING should not define my ability or character...

As I am a worker... DO NOT MAKE ME AN AFFECTER,

I have a dream of a hospital or a house in which a child is not killed because of its "UNEXPECTED" ORGAN...

This is the beginning of life... LET IT BEGIN,

I have a dream of a society where I shouldn't be judged through my NAME...

It is all socially constructed... WHOM SHOULD I BLAME?

Today, I dream of a world, a world without discrimination, a world with determination full of ambition with freedom of imagination, Today I dream of a world with affection, where people are more focused on the solutions than corrections.

BADI AJEEB HAI YE ZINDAGI......

Badi ajeeb hai ye zindagi .....

Kabhi hasaati hai to kabhi rulaati hai,

Kabhi dur rah kar bhi aata nahi koi yaad...

Or kabhi paas ho kar bhi sab bhula deti hai,

Dikhati hai kabhi raato me pyara sa sapna ....

To kabhi bhari dhup me kala andhera sa kar jaati hai,

Badi ajeeb hai ye zindagi .....

Kabhi hasati hai to kabhi rulati hai,

 Kabhi dard me muskurani ke liye mazboor karti hai...

To kabhi apno ke liye khushiyon se dur karti hai,

Bhaagta raheta hoo din raat iske rango ko samajne ke liye..

Or Shayad inko samajna hi meri kamjori ban jaati hai,

Na jaane kab samajh paunga iske rango ko.....

Har rang ek naye dhang se dikhati hai,

Badi ajeeb hai ye zindagi .....

Kabhi hasati hai to kabhi rulati hai

This was the first poem I wrote in my life. I wrote it just after my 12th standard examination because I had nothing else to do,
I was cashless, I was jobless and even homeless too.
The place where I stayed for almost 2 years , suddenly, the owner asked me to leave ...
My boss suddenly told me that now he doesn't need me anymore...
And my bank account was almost 0...

I had nothing...

No no I'm sorry..... I had something...

I had the  determination and passion to do something, to overcome the challenges and I had the quality of believing that " the difficult times are just the opportunities to prove one’s self".

It was a Friday morning....

It was a Friday morning....

And for me Friday was the luckiest day at Signal...

I not only began my career as a book seller on Friday...

But also sold highest number of books in one day on Friday...

Broke my own records of selling books on Fridays...

My one day highest earning was also, happened on Friday...

Some were good and some were not…

But most of the Fridays I enjoyed a lot…

Yes! It was a Friday morning and I was doing my regular job…means I was selling books at the traffic lights at Haji Ali.

The traffic was high till National Sports Club of India (NSCI), the people in the buses, in cars or on the motor cycles were honking, I think they were exhausted, were getting late and were not familiar with this kind of traffic like us.. the book sellers.

During this time at signal, “The argumentative Indian by Amartya Sen, Maximum City by Suketu Mehta and The World Is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman”, were some of the best-selling books.

I went to a car in which a foreigner was sitting with an Indian man.

I showed my books and tried to convince him for a purchase.

He was ready to buy but didn’t had any Indian money to give,

I asked the Indian man to pay on behalf of him, he refused….

The foreigner was ready to give me the British Pounds…

I thought, How could I take it, I haven’t seen such kind of money in my life and what, if this would turn as fake money….?

Who would pay me for the book at least the cost price ??

I had two options, One I would take it and two refuse it,( The unknown foreign money)

If I take it then I would also have to bear the risk of losing, both my money (the cost price) and the profit which I usually make by selling in Indian rupees.

The foreigner told me this is 10 Pounds, you would get at least Rs 800, now the choice is yours

I thought again and again and this entire dealing took approximately 30 to 40 minutes and from NSCI I reached Jaslok Hospital by running behind that car…

 Finally I took that money.

I took the risk of losing my input as well as my profits.

I took that risk which no one had taken since that time, the risk was just accepting the unknown money.

At Haji Ali signal, I was the FIRST person who accepted the foreign money, And

after that I sold so many books in Dollars, in Pounds, in Euros and even some other unknown money.

Due to which my friends started calling me the ANGREZ meaning the FOREIGNER. I never felt bad about all these things I think I loved that.

Now today, almost every one accepts all sorts of unknown money, I don’t know because of me or not but I think, maybe, somewhere I stared something new for everyone.

THANKS FRIDAYS

Do you think our DREAMS change??

How our life and dreams change…. Same happened with me too.

At first I had a dream of joining Indian Army and later I decided to start my own NGO to support the children on street. Both dreams aimed to serve the society and that’s how with the help of Akanksha (http://www.akanksha.org/ ) and Gouri didi (one of the staff at Akanksha) We made a video which was released at AGM 2013.

 

The video talks about my JOURNEYS and My DREAMS. 

Some of my DREAMS have changed whereas some are still same.

Today I have a desire to start my own tourist company called SOCIAL TOURISM. The aim is still same to serve my society but in a different way. I want to work with the students and children who want to study as well as want make some form of earning to support their family or their education. I want to take these friends to join (in Future) my company as an offbeat or city guide, or a driver or any other kind of work they know, so that they can get good amount of money for their need and can also support my company to grow and help other children like them.

I know it is little hard and difficult to do but one thing which always pushes me is that my understanding of difficulty.

"I believe that difficult times are the opportunities to prove one’s self" .