HarPiyTravel

When Travel Is Life!

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Harmit, Piyush, and Aayansh chase, The golden light where highways bend. A shutter captures nature’s smile, On wild trails that never end.
  • Meaningful Song Lyrics That Resonate Forever

    Meaningful Song Lyrics That Resonate Forever

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    What’s a song lyric that has stuck with you forever?

    Music is the most beautiful discovery humans have made. It can touch the listener’s heart, breaking the language barrier. There are so many songs we don’t understand a single word of, but they’re still on our playlist. Examples include Despacito by Luis Fonsi and Manike Mage Hithe by Yohani, to name a few.

    I personally like meaningful songs, especially philosophical and Sufi ones. There are many such songs, but one song whose lyrics I sing frequently is:-

    अर्ज़ियाँ सारी मैं चेहरे पे लिख के लाया हूँ
    तुमसे क्या माँगूं मैं, तुम ख़ुद ही समझ लो

    दरारें दरारें माथे पे मौला
    मरम्मत मुक़द्दर की कर दो मौला

    तेरे दर पे झुका हूँ, मिटा हूँ, बना हूँ
    तेरे दर पे झुका हूँ, मिटा हूँ, बना हूँ
    मरम्मत मुक़द्दर की कर दो मौला

    जो भी तेरे दर आया
    झुकने जो सर आया
    मस्तियाँ पिए सबको
    झूमता नज़र आया
    प्यास ले के आया
    दरिया वो भर लाया
    नूर की बारिश में भीगता सा तर आया

    ओ एक ख़ुशबू आती थी
    ओ एक ख़ुशबू आती थी
    मैं भटकता जाता था
    रेशमी सी माया थी
    और मैं तकता जाता था
    जब तेरी गली आया
    सच तभी नज़र आया
    जब तेरी गली आया
    सच तभी नज़र आया
    मुझे में वो ख़ुशबू थी
    जिससे तूने मिलवाया

    टूट के बिखरना मुझको ज़रूर आता है
    टूट के बिखरना मुझको ज़रूर आता है
    वरना इबादत वाला सुरूर आता है
    सजदे में रहने दो
    अब कहीं ना जाऊँगा
    अब जो तुमने ठुकराया तो
    संवर ना पाऊँगा

    सर उठा के मैंने तो कितनी ख़्वाहिशें की थीं
    कितने ख्वाब देखे थे, कितनी कोशिशें की थीं
    जब तू रूबरू आया
    जब तू रूबरू आया, नज़रे ना मिला पाया
    सर झुका के एक पल में
    सर झुका के एक पल में, मैंने क्या नहीं पाया
    मौला मौला मौला मेरे मौला

    It’s a beautiful song that a devotee sings for his god or the supreme power he believes in. The meaning is –

    What do I need from you? I need not ask; it’s written all over my face. You know it. I have wrinkles on my forehead; oh lord, fix my destiny. I bow at your place; I was finished here, shaped up here.

    Whoever came to your place, with bowed head, became in harmony. He came thirsty but went away with an ocean after being drenched in the rain of light.

    I was chasing a pleasant smell for so long; it was like an illusion. When I came to your door, I realized the truth: the smell was coming from me. I became one with myself.

    I know how to break into multiple pieces. Let me live in you devotion, I wont leave you. If you reject me I won’t be able to recover.

    I had so many desires, but when I faced you, I couldn’t look at you; I couldn’t ask for anything. I just bowed down, and I got everything, my lord.

    Happy Reading! Keep Traveling!!!

  • Why I Won’t Change Any Book’s Ending

    Why I Won’t Change Any Book’s Ending

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    If you could rewrite any book’s ending, which one would you choose?

    Given the chance, I won’t rewrite the ending of any book. I respect the author’s view and the story he built after considerable research and time. Writers spend years coming up with the story, and it’s a privilege to read it. Maybe the ending doesn’t satisfy me, but it could be a perfect ending for other readers. What I think would make a good ending might even make it worse for other readers.

    So I won’t change any book endings, but there is one book I regret reading. I struggled a lot to complete it. I took almost 5 months to complete this masterpiece – Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov.

    My review on good reads-

    “Ahh! Finally, I was able to finish it- my longest read ever. It took 5 months (that too in lockdown), and it was forced since I don’t leave any book unfinished.


    I really don’t know what to write about it; it is considered a classic, for what reasons, only god knows. I borrowed it from my sister and soon regretted it after going through a few chapters.
    The story is about a man who has a great interest in nymphs; he marries a lady since he had a crush on her daughter. He gets what he wishes for; his wife dies after discovering his extra-curricular activities, and he gets custody of his love – Lolita. From here starts his lust story, which is so difficult to read that I used to skip the book, especially on Monday (my religious fast), so as not to corrupt my mind.


    It’s not actually pornographic or erotic but immoral for sure. But the definition of immorality varies from person to person. One thing I could feel was that his love for his step-daughter (still inappropriate for me) was somehow real.
    This book was banned for its inappropriate subject matter, but I feel we should not ban any work; every creative work is art. It’s up to the readers whether they like it or not.
    At last, I won’t recommend it to anyone; it’s better to be away from this.”

    It is considered a classic; that’s the reason it landed on my shelf. Did I like it? No. I needed cleansing after reading it. But again, I don’t hate the author or want to change anything. It’s his story, his opinion, his work, and I respect it. It’s just that it was never for me.

    Happy Reading! Keep Traveling!!!

  • Exploring the Garden of the Gods: A Scenic Colorado Gem

    Reading Time: < 1 minute

    In continuation of our Colorado series, today we will sneak peek into Garden of the Gods. When we first visited Colorado (RMNP) in year 2018, heard …

    Great Garden of the Gods
  • The Power of Risk-Taking in Pursuing Dreams

    The Power of Risk-Taking in Pursuing Dreams

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    What’s your biggest dream?

    My biggest dream is to be financially independent before I turn 45. I have been in the salary trap for so long and never realized those invisible chains that are preventing me from growing. Now, for the past 2-3 years, I have been working towards a bright future where I need not depend on someone else to run my household.

    The job gives us security, but it also limits our ability to take risks and to have something of our own. I read this story somewhere recently.

    Lots of trees surrounded a lake, and there were monkeys everywhere. One day it was raining heavily, the water level was high, and monkeys were hiding in the tree bushes. With the continuous lightning and heavy rain, the water turned milky. Suddenly, there was a voice from the sky: “Whoever jumps into this water right away will turn into a man”. All the monkeys were silent and thinking when one of them jumped out and emerged as a handsome man. Everyone was surprised. One of the monkeys asked the man: “How could you make such a decision so quickly?” The man replied: “ I didn’t have anything to lose; it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a man. If it would not have worked, I wouldn’t have any regret, as I would still be a monkey. I just thought What if it works and jumped into the water.”

    This story explains the power of risk-taking beautifully. Life is nothing without risks and challenges. Sometimes we miss great opportunities due to a lack of confidence, doubts, or the inability to leave our comfort zone. When you try something new, you will either be successful or fail, which will teach you how not to fail. It’s a win-win situation. The only thing is to act.

    I am working towards my goal of achieving financial independence. Have you?

    Happy Reading! Keep Traveling!!!

  • The Power of Promise: My Long-Distance Love Story

    The Power of Promise: My Long-Distance Love Story

    Reading Time: < 1 minute

    What’s a promise you made to yourself that you’ve actually kept?

    Promises are hard to keep; sometimes I really struggle to keep them. But a particular promise I made to myself and my then girlfriend and now spouse, I kept well. I am proud of that.

    We were dating back in India, and both got our H-1 B visas from our respective companies at the same time. She got the opportunity first and came to the USA, and I was going through the corporate politics.

    This long-distance relationship became frustrating mainly due to the time difference between the two countries. I didn’t want to lose our beautiful relationship, so I made a promise to her and myself that I would be with her in a year.

    How? I had no clue. I updated my profile on LinkedIn, specifying my reason for the job change. I got two offers in a month, but both employers declined to send me to the USA immediately. I didn’t lose hope, and then I got this third offer from a company that needed someone who could travel within a month. I won’t go through all the technicalities I had to go through.

    The employer kept his word and sent me to the USA within one month of my joining. The funny thing is my girlfriend roommate was very confident that I won’t be able to come as her husband was trying to come for a long time. I proved her wrong and kept the promise to my girlfriend and myself.

    This shows the power of thinking and the law of attraction. When you badly need something and put effort into it, the whole universe will help you get it. You have to believe in it.

    Happy Reading! Keep Traveling!!!