भूल मत, प्यारे - रेवीदा भट्ट

Picture Courtesy: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain

  

भूल मत, प्यारे - 

A poem about Gratitude & it’s importance.

यूँ चलता है आज सिर उठाकर,

पीछे भी देखा कर कितनों ने हाथ बटाया है 

देखता है आज इस ज़मीं के ऊपर 

भूल मत किसी ने तुझे खड़ा होना भी सिखाया है। 

चलता बना घर से,

अब समय था विद्यालय जाने का,

वही बस्ता लिए जिसमें डब्बा माँ ने भिजवाया था,

तीन-चार घंटे के लिए ही,

झुण्ड से बिछड़े हए परिंदे जैसे रहना-

वह भी एक ज़माना था। 

धीरे-धीरे बनाये दोस्त जिनका साथ मिलना ही 

समय का खज़ाना था। 

भूल मत, ए परिंदे, वह भी एक ज़माना था 

जब घर से बाहर रहना भी 

लगता घर के प्यार में समाना था,

भूल मत उन्हें जिन्होंने तुझे घर से दूर तेरा एक और घर बनाया था। 

अक्षरों का ज्ञान नहीं,

कलम के इस्तेमाल से अनजान,

भूल मत ज्ञानी, किसी ने तुझे कलम पकड़ना क्या,

कलाम के बारे में भी पढ़ाया था,

तभी जीवन में आया ज्ञान का अभिमान था। 

कभी दोस्तों से लड़कर, घर आकर 

प्यार तो तूने उन्हीं बाहों में पाया था,

जिनमें तूने अपना जीवन सजाया था,

माँ की ममतामयी नज़रों और पिता के रक्षात्मक स्वभाव 

में ही पाया था। 

कभी झगड़ा सुलझाया तो कभी सही दोस्त चुनना सिखाया। 

बढ़ता गया तू आगे, लेकर अपना परिवार जब अपनेपन का आभास तूने 

कुछ लोगों में ही पाया था। 

आज पीछे छोड़ गया तू उन्हीं को जिन्होंने वर्षा में अपनी छतरी के अंदर 

खींचकर तुझे भीगने से बचाया था। 

यही तो इंसान की प्रवृत्ति है,

भूल जाता है कितनों ने उसे खिलाया है,

बस चलता जाता है उस राह पर,

यह भूलकर कि कितनों ने उससे हुई भूल को भुलाया है,

कितनों ने उस पर रौशनी बरसाई और 

कितनों ने उसे रास्ता दिखाया है,

जीने की चाह का उसमें बीज उगाया है। 

भूल मत, तुझे कामयाब होता देख

कितनों का दिल गर्व की लहरों से झूमेगा 

जब तेरा अपना, तुझ बीज को 

कभी एक हरे-भरे वृक्ष के रूप में देखेगा। 

यूँ चलता है आज सिर उठाकर,

भूल मत प्यारे,  कितनों ने तुझे जीना भी सिखाया है। 

Reveda Bhatt
Grade X || The Aryan School

The common humanity look through the night - Reveda Bhatt

Picture Courtesy: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=458675426302602&set=a.458675399635938&locale=sk_SK

So, creeping up and about was the full moon in the night skies above the small town of Nashville. The wind blew hard and soft simultaneously, for there was no hard and fast rule. The crackling dried-up leaves swirled around in the dusty wind when they dropped on the curled-up hairs of the little girl. Out in the lonesome night was she, dressed in an elegant frilled frock with chubby cheeks and a pink tinge on the skin as if she were a Barbie! Barring her from the mist falling was her small umbrella. Her name was Eleanor. 

Now, Nashville had supposedly never been famous for a "Night Life," but seeing the little girl roam about the town in the starry night, residents drew down their curtains so that their children could not see her stroll around, as every toddler craves to; otherwise, they'd blabber, "Oh, Mama! Oh, Daddy! Can't we walk through the night!?"

The town had always been prone to theft and dacoits, so that was a significant reason for not allowing their children out at night. Oh! But there was our robust and fearless toddler out in the dark, for she was not like the others! Really! But as every strong person has a story, so does she. 

Having had a "good" life for approximately two years, which she hardly remembered, later comprised of her parents having problems with each other, days of arguments and violence, and as though that weren't enough, she was asked by each of them personally, "You sure do like me more for the other's not worth!" The child, up in confusion, looked at them with wonder-waiting eyes, for she wished for them to stop soon.

Well, they did, when one morning, when the girl was old enough, she woke up and saw her Mother's stuff gone, for she had stormed out and left the house at midnight, leaving her just a note, saying, "Mama loves you!" by her pillow. And just like that, she, who had been her Mom's part, had been left behind with just a note she carried everywhere. Even on that chilling night, it had been in her coat's inward safe spot. Let alone the father, for he, who was involved in drinking and making merry so much, that Eleanor had given up on him and ran through having nowhere to live but at least somewhere, away from her life otherwise. 

Now, probably, you know the reason why she "strolled" around. As for the fear of dacoits, nothing scared her; she had become fearless, seeing all she had seen, doing all she had done. But life has its ways of making the brave one feel better every night, for even she, who was fearless, had a heart like any other, which may be hard on the outside but was still that tender one on the inside. 

Well, that's what binds all of us together in life, Common Humanity!

Reveda Bhatt 
Grade X || The Aryan School

Peer Pressure: What's Its Future? - Oshi Singh

Picture Courtesy: https://images.app.goo.gl/MuaNBWFQoBKXUt5b7

Thinking about how the human race started has always intrigued me but do you know something that intrigued me even more? 

It's thinking about the future. Will there be flying cars? Will there ever be robot teachers? Will we ever live in an AI-dominated world? Well of course these are all questions that I often think about but how awesome would it be if all of this turned into reality? 

However, this would only be possible if today’s youth or may I say ‘Gen-Z’ is ready to face the future. When I say face, I mean they are in a healthy condition, mentally as well as physically. We were all teenagers once. 

Teenage is the period where a child builds his/her character and it is also the period when everything hits us all at once. We experience a lot of changes. During this time it can be hard to keep up with stuff now be it academically or in any other field. That is when we hear phrases like, ‘You only live once’, ‘You have one life, live it.’ or ‘It’s now or never.’ Phrases like these are what make us want to try something new every day. 

We follow these phrases with blindfolded lyrics and they become our mantras. Not to mention the constant fear of being left out if we don’t do ‘exactly’ what others are doing. Forget if it’s good or bad we have to do it because if we don't we’ll be left out. I believe it is safe for me to say that teenagers undergo a lot of pressure. Doing well under academic pressure, thinking about future pressure, doing co-curricular activity pressure and all this adds up to the pressure of fitting in. 

At this very moment, we get introduced to all kinds of bad stuff. Alcohol, drugs and whatnot! “Try a little bit”, “A little won’t harm you.” Well, trust me that little bit is what harms every single time. Peer pressure has become a growing concern in today’s generation. The day-to-day reduction of “Self-Control” in youngsters is often what takes them on a trip to heaven. 

I strongly believe that a lack of knowledge is like a crossroads with no signal and once learned it is very hard to unlearn. Many youngsters start drinking to become what they think is cool only to realize later in life that they have become addicted. Which in turn takes them on the road of cancer and mental instability. 

The family environment & communication play a considerable amount of role in a child's future. Imagine the life of a child born into a very respectable family. He/She will automatically learn good virtues and how to present himself/herself in public. Although, living in a world with about 8 billion people you can’t guarantee on behalf of everyone but we ‘can’ guarantee for ourselves. 

What if we become a good influence in someone’s life? Their temporary conscience. After all, it is always the little acts of kindness that make a difference. 

So let us all step up and help each other rise. I am sure if we do this we will be living in a developed world instead of a developing one very soon. 

Oshi Singh
IX-C || Gyanshree School