End of an era?

Seldom is a script so perfect that one would want to forget the power of the great divine force behind moments of joy. Nothing beats the ecstasy of that moment when things happen just as you wished them to. I was hoping for such a moment last evening when Roger Federer was playing Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for a semis berth in Wimbledon 2011. Needless to say how avid fan I am of Roger. Readers may recall one of my earlier posts on this gentleman.

I rushed from the office just in time to watch live telecast of this quarter final match. To my delight, it was a perfect start for my moment of joy in waiting. Within blink of an eye, Roger flew with the first set 6-3. Though Tsonga’s serve and volley became better in the second set, Federer as usual looked pretty much in control and as always it happens, he upped the ante in tie-breaker and won second set also very comfortably. Till the tie-breaker, none to them looked like breaking the serve of the other.

It was most pleasing to my eyes and I was relishing super exhibition of play by the classy Federer. Someone thought that he became complacent at that juncture. I thought that I became more complacent than what he would have. Tsonga seemed invincible in following sets with his big serves and Federer was not able to find even a small opening to break him. It just needed three break points for Tsonga to get better of Swiss that kept Roger at bay still waiting for his seventh Wimbledon title. To my dismay, my complacency was the reason that I could not witness Federer winning the match and make it to semis.

Moments after the match was over, one thought kept coming to my mind: is it the beginning of the end for this unmatchable genius of the game. Has he lost that Godly touch which has handed him sixteen grand slam titles over the last decade? It has been six grand slam tournaments since he clinched the title – a gap which is the maximum since he first won a grand slam. He has failed to make it to last four in three out of last six occasions. He is about to turn 30 – an age beyond which it is difficult to maintain that invincibility in tennis.

A fan is a fan however! This is still a last wish that before fading away, he holds on to that Wimbledon title once again. That he regains that no. 1 seed at least for a day for which he holds a record (237 consecutive weeks)! That he beats Rafa in his own den in a Roland Garros final once before he fades away from today leaving an almost impossible vacuum in the game of tennis!

भोला बचपन, सच्चा तन मन...

कई सपने बुने थे हमने हाँ हम सब ने,
नन्ही पलकों में भी जागे थे अरमान कितने,
अपने भविष्य को कल्पना के झूले में संजोगे,
परिश्रम और सच्चाई का पथ चुना था हमने,

विघ्न आयेंगे पथ में इतने सोचा था ये किसने,
पागल मन में एक जोश सर चढ़ के बोल रहा था,
ये भी न सोचा के पाने की होड़ में त्याग देने होंगे,
कभी दोस्तों का साथ तो कभी सच्चाई से समझोता,

सपने के इस दौड़ में, पाने की इस चाहत में ,
क्यों मोहरा हम बन गए, शतरंज की बिसात में,
वो भी एक जमाना था जब राजनीति से थी हमें घृणा,
फिर क्यों हम उस राजनीति का एक हिस्सा बन गए,

इसे डर कहू मैं या कहू जीने की एक सहूलियत,
एक एक समझोते से पनप गयी एक कमजोर आदत,
कहा बिछुड़ गयी वो सच्चाई वो कर्मठता वो झुझारुपन,
बर्बर इस जनमानस के बीच खो गया वो भोला बचपन....

बंदगी सरहदों की

बेबस आँखों में हमारी नमी सी थी,
गुज़रते लम्हों में जैसे बेरुखी सी थी,
जब से तुम्हे फ़र्ज़ ने आवाज़ लगाई थी,
मायूश रहती हमारे हम की वो गली थी,

सरहद पर वो बन्दूको की आँख मिचोली,
जहा खेल रहे थे तुम खून और मौत की होली,
और यहाँ मैं सहमी सी एक टूक आस लगाए,
सोचू कब खेलु तुम संग रंगों की होली,

मुट्ठी भर ज़मीन पर कब्जे की खातिर,
खड़े कर दिए तुमने फौजों की दिवार,
टकराती है ये दीवारे, होते है बेतुके जंग,
कभी उनके कभी हमारे बुझते है दिए चंद ,

हार जीत के इस खेल में टूटती है ज़िन्दगी,
गुमनामियो में खो जाती है कितनी ज़िन्दगी,
काश सरहदों पर ये जंग ना होने पाते,
अमन से हम इंसानियत का परचम लहराते...