Waakiye

Tag: india

  • Exploring Global Music Genres: My Personal Playlist

    Exploring Global Music Genres: My Personal Playlist

    Daily writing prompt
    What is your favorite genre of music?

    Hey…

    I hope all of you are doing well…

    Intro…

    Have you ever heard a track and went,
    I don’t know what they’re saying but,
    it feels good to listen,
    so,
    you end up having a few of them in your playlist,
    and one day when you’re scrolling your downloads,
    you find it yet again,
    and revisit those old memories…?

    Travelling west…

    That’s how I discovered “Nancy Ajram”,
    A Lebanese singer,
    “Jamila El Badaoui”,
    A Moroccan singer,
    And,
    “Nai Barghouti”,
    a Palestinian singer,
    composer and singer,
    with such talent that is nowhere to be found…!

    Finding these rare gems…

    These discoveries for a person sitting in India,
    is not possible unless a random one of these come on your recommendations,
    but,
    for that you should have heard them in advance or have someone tell you about them but,
    it never happened to me,
    it was always finding out on my own,
    hearing it someplace,
    like the background of an instagram reel,
    or,
    a soft tune playing somewhere,
    that’s how I found out about the legends “FAIRUZ”,
    And “ABDEL HALIM HAFEZ”…

    Returning to my roots…

    But,
    that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about my culture and the origin of my being,
    Panjabi folk singers like “Lal Chand Yamla Jatt”,
    and “Alam Lohar” “Ashiq jutt” “Amar Singh Chamkila” “Asa Singh Mastana”
    and their female counterparts,
    “Noor Jehan”, “Surinder Kaur”, “Narinder Biba” and “Amarjot”…

    Not forgetting the new Skool singers who are carrying the legacy forward that we got from our ancestors,
    “Arjan Dhillon”,
    “Sidhu Moose Wala”(Rip LLSMW🕊️),
    “Karan Aujla”,
    and many more who are working hard to bring up the level day by day..

    So,
    you see my genre focuses on my mother tongue,
    with exposure from around the world..

    About Bollywood…

    I don’t like Bollywood that much because most of it has become a copy and paste from other cultures,
    but occasionally,
    there will be tunes that stay on my mind forever,
    and they come back to me after a while reminding me to listen to them yet again,
    and break my stereotype yet again…

    Towards the end..

    That’s it for the day,
    hope you guys have a nice weekend,
    and listen to some nice tunes along the way…

    Your Recommendations…

    Is there something that you recommend,
    do let me know in the comments…

    Cheers🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

  • Influential Leaders: Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Legacy

    Influential Leaders: Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Legacy

    Daily writing prompt
    Who is your favorite historical figure?
    View all responses

    Hey…

    I hope all of you are doing well…

    Well,
    another day another great prompt it is,
    my favorite historical figure…

    Have you ever heard of Maharaja Ranjit Singh…?

    One of the most admired figures even this day in Panjab,
    with such a leadership that extended from near borders of Afghanistan,
    Khyber Pass in current Pakistan,
    to Panjab’s Satluj river in current day Panjab…

    The sole leader who had the power to unify Sikh factions,
    making the land of Panjab a secular empire where the rules of each religions were followed and respected,
    being a Sikh he was inclusive of all people,
    including keeping people from different faith in administrative and military positions,
    which were very important to give to anybody…

    The religious sites and their protection belonging to different faiths,
    to the point he ordered repair of Mosques and temples,
    Also,
    The credits of modernization the forces belong to him,
    hiring European mercenaries and military experts to train the army,
    Having a special branch called Fauj-e-khas,
    specializing in close order formation and bayonet tactics…

    Having invested in artillery,
    cannon foundries were built,
    and field guns were standardized,
    and that induced fear in the British Raj’s mind,
    which were also because of traditional Sikh fighters,
    called Nihangs ;
    known for their ferocious nature and tactics that brought enemies to their knees…

    Training men and equipping them with better arms than the rest of the states,
    while keeping British rule at bay,
    And his work and life were mentioned in British curriculum later…

    Respecting Hindu sentiments,
    cow slaughter was banned,
    and having a corruption free court even though diverse,
    that had wide focuses,
    and,
    living a modest life,
    He never took the title of Maharaja,
    But,
    he accepted himself as the Servant of Khalsa…

    Having a court in Lahore that became a center of culture and arts,
    Also,
    architectural marvel,
    Known as,
    “SHER-E-PANJAB”
    “LION OF PANJAB”,
    remembered till this day,
    with deep respect by Panjabi speakers and Sikhs worldwide…

    Imagine being alive at that point of time,
    to witness all of this…!

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

  • Exploring India ‘s Rich Heritage and Beyond

    Exploring India ‘s Rich Heritage and Beyond

    Daily writing prompt
    What countries do you want to visit?
    View all responses

    Hey…

    I hope all of you are doing well…

    It’s another one of those great prompts kinda day,
    what countries I’d love to visit,
    such an open ended and a great question…

    To be honest,
    the country that I belong to,
    India,
    has such a rich heritage,
    that as each and every state boundary changes,
    the culture,
    along with their language,
    a different dialect from the last one,
    also,
    the food with their differing preparing techniques…

    Within this country,
    there are oh so many things to explore,
    but,
    the responsibility of work has landed on my shoulders,
    which forces me to be there,
    at the place of my work,
    and due to that I am barely able to explore,
    explore this country of mine…

    The last trip I took,
    it was to Himachal back in ’22
    and nothing can beat it ever,
    That is where I first saw snow,
    and it stays in my memories,
    forever…

    I imagine for some of you it might be a common occurrence,
    but,
    imagine being a person who saw snow for the first time ever,
    it was such a heavenly experience,
    that the flashbacks still stay till this day,
    and the trip was executed in the last week of December,
    for this reason,
    so,
    me and my sister,
    along with a cousin of mine,
    and my best friend and his friend,
    we all went and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves…

    Well,
    there are so many things left to explore,
    Karnataka’s coffee,
    to Assam’s tea plantation
    Mumbai’s sea,
    to luscious apple plantations in Kashmir…

    There’s a lot to see,
    in this country of ours,
    until,
    I can be free or,
    make time from the responsibilities that bound me,
    one day or another…

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

    As far as eyes go,
    a wonder,
    the wonders of the world,
    within this country of mine comes to mind…

    As the clicking and clacking comes to rest,
    and the low humming of the devices come to a halt,
    An eerie silence surrounds me,
    without a clue,
    what’s causing this,
    and what’s the cure…?

    This life still continues,
    so does the work,
    but the life,
    that doesn’t…

    In a limited time frame,
    we have to find our happiness,
    something that makes us happy,
    something that brings us joy,
    something that we love from the deepest of our hearts,
    something that we can’t live or survive without…!

    But,
    this day still continues,
    as commute takes away another 45 minutes,
    and for those 45 minutes,
    I stare past these buildings,
    These high rises,
    a place…

    A place,
    a place without,
    the constant need to be available,
    available round the clock,
    at the disposal of the bosses,
    at a single phone call,
    but,
    a few moments away,
    Away from all this…

    “MONOTONOUS CHAOS”
  • Controversial Opinions: The Impact of Public Figures

    Controversial Opinions: The Impact of Public Figures

    Daily writing prompt
    What public figure do you disagree with the most?
    View all responses

    Hi….

    I hope all of you are doing well…!

    This question comes a time that is so fragile,
    with a fight that goes on the border region,
    turning into a full-blown war as each day proceeds,
    but,
    across this,
    the one who faces all of the heat are those who are in the region of crossfire,
    the people who existed and continue to exist within the 0 to 50 km range of the borders,
    and from their point,
    just existing,
    living their lives has become a problem,
    that won’t go anywhere anytime soon,
    but,
    the reason for this full-blown fight-off,
    the reason that some “terrorists”,
    took innocent lives at a place that apparently had no army presence which it needed to have being the sensitive nature of the territory that it is,
    but
    who had to make sure the enemy presence was there or nor?
    who had to make sure that the army personnel were already present there to ensure safety of the territory and any person who were to be there…

    What,
    do you have any answer than those whom we appointed,
    who became these ministers,
    who are at a place that we consider they achieve to serve,
    but,
    they’re there to fill their pockets,
    the immense greed that takes over their mind and body,
    and,
    let situations like this happen,
    where people like you and I become the one who gets caught,
    loses their lives,
    and then,
    hangs a photo of those whom we lost,
    considered as victims of the war…

    This post became dark really quickly,
    but,
    the type of person one becomes after joining politics,
    no matter how clean or good they are,
    they become the type of evil where things like these become,
    happening that are imminent,
    they can’t ever be avoided,
    But can’t they,
    If precautionary measures would have been there well in advance…?

    A thought…

    Love Waakiye 🤍

    From the comfort of your homes,
    The four walls within which you feel safe,
    The word WAR feels like something that should have already started,
    but,
    For you and me,
    it’s all in the news,
    not something that has bothered us even a single bit…

    But,
    What about those who are involved in it,
    Those who live in the area that has seen shellings,
    their sleep disrupted by constant bombings,
    As they’re awoken by a bomb blasting near them,
    In their vicinity,
    as they try to sleep their way through it all…?

  • From Scrolling to Creating: My Social Media Shift

    How do you use social media?

    Hey

    I hope all of you are doing well…!

    The use of social media has changed significantly for me in the past couple of years.
    From the outside perspective,
    it would look like a drastic change.

    Earlier I used to spend a lot of time on social media.
    I was just scrolling away from one app to another.
    but,
    these days it’s the polar opposite…

    Any spare time I have is spent jotting down ideas.
    I feel these ideas will hit the right bone,
    or they will help develop my consciousness.
    This will give me a better insight into someone’s life…

    Initially,
    I used it just to chat my time away.
    But
    this social media has helped me meet beautiful souls who aren’t just expressive.
    They are also much better writers than I am.
    Because of social media,
    we managed to connect with each other.

    I would be here writing, editing, and making images just for my social media handles.
    Also, I would also be working on my blog.
    It was like shooting arrows in the dark…

    I still haven’t got used to the type of change it has brought.
    I have had to undergo many changes to become a better version of myself.
    All for the best,
    isn’t it …?

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

    What we see here is an effort to grow from a point where even the mere thought of existence is a threat,
    but here we still are,
    still trying to make the best out of the situation that this life throws us in,
    and just like this bud growing from a crack in the wall,
    this seed has had a life too,
    and,
    I wish to hear his side of the story too…

  • How My Cousin Inspired My Writing Journey

    Describe a positive thing a family member has done for you.

    Hey,

    I hope you all are doing well…!

    This is a basic idea
    The relatives (from your extended family) are the absolute worst people because they pray for your downfall, just because you’re doing a bit better than them..

    But,

    There’s a cousin sister that I have;
    She has been an absolute blessing for me because she has been there for me at times when I couldn’t write or do anything..!

    It was her who pushed me into this direction;
    to write to be expressive to read more books,
    To write random scribbles that come to my mind,
    I still have that old notebook with me where all of this began…

    It was her in our family who pursued English honors and masters and has a good job educating students,

    To be honest even I became a student of her’s in this way,
    and learnt a lot,
    She bought me G0d knows how many books some of which are still left unread,
    but all of this-
    Planting a seed of this writer belongs to her and the nurturing of it belongs to yours truly…

    It has been quite a while that i sent her some of my work that i wrote these past few weeks
    sometimes i upload it on platforms other than this blog,
    but this is a place i can certainly call mine and be truly expressive without any boundaries;

    And i really thank the powers involved and my curious mind for being on the toes and always ready to learn something new,
    just for the heck of it…

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye

    A canvas blank this world is, the thoughts and ideas that exist beyond the horizons of our mind, always a quest to conquer, this ever going conquest called our life…

  • “Iss Chehre Se Muskaan Naa Jaaye”

    Iss chehre se muskaan naa jaaye…!

    Jabh se paaya unhe,

    Jabh sunay woh meri har baat,

    Mere khyaal,

    Mere iss choti se dunya ko chaar chand jo lagaaye…

    Iss chehre se muskaan naa jaaye….!

    Anjaan thay,

    Thokar khaa kar tootay baithe thay,

    Dekhte thay ek doosre ko,

    Kose’tay thay apne aateet ko,

    Mar kar kaat rahe thay apna vartamaan,

    Naa thee ek aache kal kee ummeed,

    Jeen’ay ki aas jo bhula baithe,

    Naa jaane kitna kuch peeche chord aaye;

    Magar aaj,

    Iss chehre se muskaan naa jaaye….!

    Toot ke bikhar’ne par,

    Kisi ko apne paas naa paa kar,

    Dil ko apne aap behlaa-fuslaa kar,

    Naa jaane kitne pal karwaton main gawaa’ye,

    Uss kamre kee deewaro ko raaz maaloom,

    Aur,

    Uss takhiye ko jisme samaaye woh jo mere hisse aaye,

    Par aaj…

    Iss chehre se muskaan naa jaaye….!

    Intezaar,

    Iss dhoop kadak’tee main,

    Thand kee ek lehar banke aaye,

    Jabh bhee unki deed aaye mere aage,

    Chede aaj mujhe meri sakhi’an,

    Naam leke woh ko kareeb mere,

    Gaal surkh laal ho jaaye,

    Pasina aane lagay,

    Chede jabb mujhe meri sakhi’an,

    Subeh aur shaam yaad jabb aaye woh,

    Mujhse raha naa jaaye..

    Iss chehre se muskaan naa jaaye….!

    Aaj milna jo humne,

    Dekhu main apne aap ko,

    Kapde badal badal ke,

    Kisme khoobsurat lagti main,

    Maa baba dono pareshaan,

    Kaise aaj iss chehre par dukh nahi,

    nirasha ka aansh nahi,

    Kaise aaj iss chehre par ek muskaan…?

    Dill-lagi jo hisse aayi mere,

    Kaise iss chehre se muskaan jaaye,

    Ishq,

    jisko bhula baithi thee main,

    Badnaam kar gaya thaa zindagi meri;

    Par aaj,

    Shar-e-aam,

    Main mujh se kahu;

    Pyaar,

    Hisse aaya jo tere,

    Jiss’se samsaar dikhe ek naye rang se:

    Ek naye rang main paaya apne aap ko;

    Khoye jo mere raaz,

    Dil jo mera gaaye jaise ek raag,

    Uss naam,

    Woh jo mere kareeb,

    Uska saaz,

    Toh phir kyo naa ho,

    Iss chehre par ek muskaan…?

    Love Waakiye 🤍