dil dhoondhataa hai, fir wahee furasat ke raat din
baithhe rahe tasawwoor-ye-jaanaa kiye huye

jaadon kee narma dhoop aaur aangan mein let kar
aankhon pe khinch kar tere daaman ke saaye ko
aaundhe pade rahe kabhee karawat liye huye

yaa gamreeyon kee raat jo poorawaaeeyaan chale
thhandee safed chaadaro pe jaage der tak
taaron ko dekhate rahe chhat par pade huye

barfilee sardiyon mein kisee bhee pahaad par
waadee mein gunjatee huyee, khaamoshiyaan soone
aankhon mein bheege bheege se lamhe liye huye

Movie: Mausam
Singer(s): Bhupendra

PS: Photo taken at around 3am in the night, around 6-7 months ago, back in India.

Courtesy, a true blue nostalgic Bhopali, who love’s John Denver’s soulful lyrics and shoots photos at the drop of a hat -

All my bags are packed I’m ready to go
I’m standin’ here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin’ it’s early morn
The taxi’s waitin’ he’s blowin’ his horn
Already I’m so lonesome I could die

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you’ll wait for me
Hold me like you’ll never let me go
Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane
Don’t know when I’ll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

There’s so many times I’ve let you down
So many times I’ve played around
I tell you now, they don’t mean a thing
Every place I go, I’ll think of you
Every song I sing, I’ll sing for you
When I come back, I’ll bring your wedding ring

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you’ll wait for me
Hold me like you’ll never let me go
Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane
Don’t know when I’ll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go …

- John Denver

…and if you have not already heard this song, you can catch it on YouTube.

Well, I am still packing my bags, but the time to leave is not so distant. I’ll leave for Stanford on morning of (not so spooky) Saturday the 13th. I still got to buy my $$$$ and wind-up my act here. Ever heard of being happy and sad at the same time…?

PS: Above lonesome, melancholic and romantic photo is a continuation of the “parting-shots” series of Upper Lake, Bhopal that were taken by me on August 31, 2008. I have a few more of them coming up..

Lyrics of the song “Dock of the Bay” by Pearl Jam (originally by “Otis Redding”, but I never heard the original version). Suits me well, especially when am headed for ‘Frisco myself.. and the time just seems to be passing me by. I wish I could somehow stop time and remain in this state of eternal bliss. This song makes me strangely nostalgic, sentimental and romantic… strangely.

Sittin’ in the mornin’ sun, I’ll be sittin’ till the evening’s done
Watchin’ the ships roll in, then I watch ‘em roll away again
Sittin’ on the dock of the bay, watchin’ the tide roll away
Sittin’ on the dock of the bay wastin’ time…

I left my home in Georgia, headed for the ‘Frisco Bay
I’ve got nothin’ to live for, looks like nothing’s gonna come my way, yeah…
Sittin’ on the dock of the bay, watchin’ the tide roll away
Sittin on the dock of the bay wastin’ time…

Looks like nothing’s ever gonna change, everything still remains the same
I can’t do what ten people want me to, so I guess I’ll remain the same
Oh, sittin’ on a roll in my bones, this loneliness won’t leave me alone
Two thousand miles I’ve roamed, just to make this dock my home, yeah…
I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay, watchin’ the tide roll away
Sittin on the dock of the bay wastin’ time…

I left my home in Georgia, headed for the ‘Frisco Bay
Sittin’ here restin’ my bones, this loneliness won’t leave me alone, yeah…
Two thousand miles I’ve roamed, just to make this dock my home, yeah…
Sittin’ on the dock of the bay, watchin’ the tide roll away
Sittin on the dock of the bay wastin’ time…