साझाका एक वाचाल लेखक र केही मौन पाठकहरु समेतसंगको न्यूयोर्कको गएको सप्ताहान्त एक अविस्मरणिय सम्झना र शायद कुनै कठीनसदृश यात्राको सहजीकरण र विस्तृतिकरण समेत रह्यो मेरा लागि । काव्य, दर्शन, राजनीति र आत्मकथा- त्यो पनि ठट्टा र गम्भिरताका दुवैका दोभान पुन्टेजी र उनलाई लिटररी खर्लप्पै निलिदिने भाउजुको लेजेन्डरी आतिथ्य, स्वादिष्ट व्यञ्जन, रूचि अनुसारको पेय, सुरुचिसम्पन्न बन्धुबान्धवको जमघट, बेहद ठट्यौली र अनवरत हाँसोको फोहोरा बिच । त्यसको धङधङी अझै यसरी बाँकी छ, छुट्टिएको आभासै हुँदैन । वास्तवमा छुट्टिन यति कठीन थियो, एक रात अझै थपियो मेरो यात्रा योजनामा । भर्सेलामा जाओस् मलाई ल्याबमा पर्खिरहेका एक्स्पेरिमेन्टहरु, तर यो जमघट, यो माहौल, आत्मोदघाटनका यी आत्मिय क्षणहरुको मोह अहँ संवरण गर्न सक्तिन म । अनि रोकिएँ म एक रात अरु ।

तर पहिले पहिलो साँझको पहिलो कार्यक्रम, "मालती मङ्गले" । हाम्रा राष्ट्रवादी कविवर माधव घिमिरेको यो सामन्तवादी, भाग्यवादी दु:खान्त नाटक हेर्ने कुरा त एक बहाना थियो, नेपाली नाट्यकला र कलाकारहरुलाई सशरिर निकट दर्शन गर्ने । गरियो ।

नाटकलाई एक पूर्वकलाकारको आँखाले शायद मैले भिन्दै हेरें । मलाई छुने एउटै कुरो रह्यो । नायिका लक्ष्मी श्रेष्ठको अभिनय । अरुले खै के हेरे, के देखे, मैले त उनलाई नाटकभरि 'ट्रान्स' को स्थितिमा अभिनय गरिरहेको देखें । त्यो साँघुरो मञ्च, ती लिलिपुट आकारका सेटहरुले उनको अभिनयलाई अलिकति पनि स्वसचेततामा झारेन । अरुहरु सचेत थिए ।

नाटक पछि लक्ष्मीसंग भेट भयो । भनिन्, "चिनें, तर अलि मोटाएछौ" । मोटाईको कुरै छाडौं । मभन्दा अग्ला अग्ला दुई सुकुमार छोराका बिचमा उभिएकी लक्ष्मीलाई जमाना अघि जस्तैको पाएँ । उनिसंग मेरो निकटतम संसर्ग भनेको १७-१८ वर्ष काठमाडौमा "रोमियो जुलियट" को रिहर्सल र मञ्चन हुँदा हो । उनिले "जुलियट" को भूमिकामा र मैले चाहिं उनलाई "रोमियो" सित बिहे गराईदिने पादरीको भूमिकामा अभिनय गरेका थियौं, त्यस नाटकमा ।
contd

हात लागि नाटकका केही विशिष्ट दर्शकहरुसंग परिचय गर्न आफै तम्सेर गएँ । कुलचन्द्र गौतमजी जसका निस्पक्ष राजनीतिक विचारहरुलाई केही पक्षपाती विमतिसंग भिड्न उपयोग गरेको छु मैले, र डिसी -यालीपछि विशेष चर्चामा आउनुभएका मुरारीराजजीसंग । हालैका मेरा केही गणतन्त्रपक्षी ईमेल-गफ्फाजीहरु हाम्रा परिचयका सेतु बने । एउटा खुँखार गणतन्त्रवादीले उसले पाउनु पर्ने भन्दा अलि बढी नै कम्प्लिमेन्टस् पायो, भन्ठान्छु अब म । कुटनैतिक मान्छेहरु हुन्, म अकुटनीतिज्ञले नबुझेको पनि सक्छ ।
मेरा राजनैतिक तिकडमवाजीसंग परिचित अन्य पूर्वअपरिचित मान्छेहरुसंगको परिचय र नेपालीहरुको जमघटमा स्वभाविक हुने कुरा भन्नप-यो, धेरै अघि सम्पर्क छुटेका ईष्टमित्रसंगको पूनर्मिलन अर्को नाफा थियो, नाटकको ।

एनिवे, जहाँ जहाँ नाटक मञ्चन हुन्छ, हेर्न जान म सबै नेपालीहरुलाई आग्रह र सिफारिस गर्न चाहन्छु । वर्तमान शाहीसत्ताले पक्कै यो नाटकलाई एक राजनैतिक सन्देशको रुपमा चाहँदा हुन् । तर नेपाली दर्शकहरुले यसलाई शुद्द कलाको रुपमा हेरिरहेका छन् । राजनैतिक सन्देशको छनक मात्र पनि भएको भए एकदुई राजावादी बाहेक मुसो चरो पनि यो नाटक हेर्न आउने थिएनन् । त्यसो भा' हुँदा कवि विमल निभाजीले कुनै शंका नलिनु भए हुन्छ (सन्दर्भ: हालैको कान्तिपुरमा निभाजीको व्यंगरचना)।

अब सप्ताहान्तको मुख्य आकर्षण: पुन्टेजी र भाउजुको आतिथ्य र असाध्यै रमाईला अतिथिहरुसंग बितेका दूई अविस्मरणिय दिनहरु । यो सुनाउँ कि त्यो सुनाउँ, गर्नै सकिन चुनाउ । ल केही फोटाहरु हेरम पहिले ।

Giving their best poses:

नेपे जी,
तान्डव नाच गर्ने चैं पून्टे दाइ जस्तो छ, हेर्ने चैं नेपे जी आफैं होला। लौ अरू पनि वर्णन गरौं न नेपे जी। तपाइँको लेखाइ सधैं पढूँ पढूँ लाग्छ।

haha

कस्तो महादेव पार्वतीको जोडि जस्तो देख्या त्यो माथिको फोटो ।।।
Mahadev Tandaving, Parvati watching... waah..!!

(Daro le bhutukkai) :S
Hoina tyo jodi dekhera bhutukka bhaa hoina, tyo BBQ ko photo dekhera bhutukkai bha...
eh...

विश्वमानचित्रजी,

हे हे हे शास्त्रिय नृत्यको पो मुद्रा बनेछ । खासमा त्यो हाम्रा घरपेटीको अत्यन्त प्रिय लोकगीतको नृत्य थियो ।

अनि लगाम्ला बेलिबिस्तार बिस्तार बिस्तार, पाल्दै गर्नुस्न ।

अहिलेलाई गोटा दुईएक फोटुहरु ।

A political cormer at the backyard. . .

No wonder, it was a popular picture spot for politically concious ladies. . .

कलंकी,

क्या हो पार्वतीलाई transvestite ठानिदिने ?

बरु यी दुईलाई चाँही शिव-पार्वती भनम् कि ? अब मुद्रा भन्या कुरा त्यस्तै हो ।

omg;
poonte da le kun geet ma dance garnu bhayeko first pic ma:P:D
looks like indian classical dance to meh:P

ramailo lagyo!

ल ल अरु नि सुनुम् न संष्मरण । फोटु त निकै राम्रो छ नि हो।
आबु अरु नि टाँस्दिम् न खिच्नु भाऽ होला नि भुसुक्कै।

अनि कुरोलाई छुट्टयाम् न बरु, आतिथ्य, नाटक, भ्रमण र राजनितिमा।

अनि मुरारीराज शर्मासित किन पर्या नि छलफल। अस्तिको पुस्तक विमोचन जुलुसमा भेटेर पनि फेरि नाटक हेर्न जाँदा किचकिच गरे कि क्या हो? रे क्या।

Uttam, Ati Uttam! aru ta khai ke bhanam...... afu ta ahile mahina ma ek choti nepali daju bhai didi bahini bhauju haru sanga ghet ghat huna pani garo gari basya belama yesto ramailo thread.

म पनि बडो ध्यान पूर्वक पढ्दैछु है नेपेजी यो धागोलाई । अव क्रमशः वेलिविस्तार गर्दै जानुहोला। अनि पुंटेजीका अनुभव पनि सुन्न पाइएला नै।
सवभन्दा खुशी लाग्दो कुरा समान लोकतन्त्रवादी सोंच भएका नेपाली युवाहरु बीच यसरी आत्मीयता बढ्दै जानु अति नै सकारात्मक छ। पठित, प्रगतिशिल र सिद्धान्तनिष्ठ युवाहरुबीचको एकता र आत्मीयता झांगिदै गएर देशमा वास्तविक परिवर्तनको सम्वाहक वन्न सकोस।

Poooooo dai ..... ma pani aunney ni dance class lina!!:D

Nepe,

Looks like the ladies are oblivious of the sign behind them. They are just smiling to have their picture taken.

I'm sure some in the picture are of a different political orientation than you and your host.

Thank you, Nepe for your kind words to me and my better half.

It sure is always a pleasure to host friends for fun, food and some politics. After few days of scare of rain, the weather also took a dramatic turn around and contributed much to the fun. I was ecstatic over the fact that everyone seemed to love the food. Nepe ko ghazal recital was no less powerful -- even the ones who always might have believed they loathed shayaris seemed mesmerized with his powerful presentation.

Dances...oh, well! I could not have done without indulging in my eternal love of jhyaure dancing. The above "taandav" was actually a Bharatiya Nattyam synchronized with Nepe's shayeris...lol...just kidding! I believe the song playing at the time was "Beli ra Chameli".

As for the people, no, not all of them were poltically charged, let alone be leftists. Of the 45 or so at my backyard that day, most were my friends from NY area, many of whom came just to have fun. However, I had taken the opportunity to invite quite a few of my friends from my "political" circle (mostly the like-minded pro-democracy-walaas) so that I could at least have them talk more to each other. I thought further discussions on some politcal aspects in a fun environment might help generate new ideas on how to proceed with a common agenda. Of course, being so far away from home, whatever we decide to do would be limited to a great extent. This should not, I believe, however, discourage us from trying to do whatever we can do. Everyone, EVERYWHERE can contribute to the cause of democracy in Nepal in their respected ways in these times of repression.

There were a couple of monarchists in the crowd too. My original intention of involving our opponents in the discussions so that BOTH camps can learn something from eachother, or, at least, hear the other side, seemed to have been successful.

So much for politics. The day was great. The food was finished. Some danced their guts out, while others talked their hearts out about politics. Many got introduced to new friends. All in all, Ihope everyone had a great time.

BBQ Chicken and Pork (besides the chhoila, alu ko achar and chap pat murahi):

BTW, as nepe mentioned, Malati Mangale on Saturday evening was great too! I was particularly taken hostage by Malati (Laxmi Shrestha)'s performance. Unlike many other Nepali functions, this one was run very professionally, with on-time-starting record, good auditorium with excellent lightings and superb sound systems. Kudos to Nepal Center for doing such a fine job!

Anyone vegetarian? you might have liked tofu, shitaki mushrooms and peppers:

Who said politics and fun don't go together?

Ah, ha! nepe is not only about republicanism! His mesmerizing shayeris...

Now, is this more like a JHYAURE?

लौन कस्तो रुन्चे फोटु टाँस्देछन् पुन्टेजीले मेरो !

But, thanks. As a matter of fact, it was a sublime moment for me personally. First for a technical reason. This was the first time in my life I ever attempted to recite a ghazal in melody ('तरन्नुम के साथ' भन्छन् नि लय हालेर गाउने, हो त्यही ) ।

Secondly, the ghazal was my personal story. Let's say my own ROAD MAP to the destination I beleive in. And my explanation as to why I am on that road, my awareness of the difficulties and why I believe I can overcome them and exactly how I have prepared myself for that and so on.

So, at that moment, I was not reciting a poem but pouring my heart out. They were my cries, literally. My closed eyes were wet when I was reciting the shers. And it was an intensely satisfying moment.

By the way, that particular ghazal is the one I first posted in Sajha when some well wisher Sajhaite inquired about me when I was absent from Sajha for a while some time ago.

आँधीसंग मीत लगाएँ, आगो मन पराएँ . . .

Dada, Guna, Newuserji, thank you for stopping by. I will certainly share more stories and interesting (!) pictures when I have more free time.