Geetanjali Shree > Quotes

“Once you’ve got women and a border, a story can write itself. Even women on their own are enough. Women are stories in themselves, full of stirrings and whisperings that float on the wind, that bend with each blade of grass.”
― Geetanjali Shree, Tomb of Sand

“Anything worth doing transcends borders.”
― Geetanjali Shree, Tomb of Sand

“don’t you think youth comes at the wrong time? When we haven’t lived at all. It comes and then it’s gone, and we don’t even notice.”
― Geetanjali Shree, Tomb of Sand

“That which is torn develops an increased capacity for insight and forbearance. A capacity to experience sensations that escape the notice of others.”
― Geetanjali Shree, Tomb of Sand

“आदमी अपनी बनाई मूरत की पूजा करता है। भगवान ने जो मूरतें बनाई हैं उनकी नहीं।”
― Geetanjali Shree, Ret Samadhi

“Man worships the idols he himself creates. But not those that God has made.”
― Geetanjali Shree, Tomb of Sand

“Life exists because there’s death, and joy because there’s sorrow.”
― Geetanjali Shree, Tomb of Sand

“Daughter. You love her. You fear her. Now you see her. Now you don't.
All women, don't forget, are daughters.”
― Geetanjali Shree, Tomb of Sand

“You could say, Oh, what a horrible time this is! and then it will go ahead and make things even more horrible. And no one will say, but these are good days, acche din! Except for the government, that is.”
― Geetanjali Shree, Tomb of Sand

“ये कथा बगिया है, यहाँ दूसरी ताब और आफ़ताब वर्षा प्रेमी ख़ूनी चरिंद परिन्द पिजन कबूतर उड़न फलाइ लुक देखो आस्मान इस्काई।”
― Geetanjali Shree, Ret Samadhi

“When you’re quiet, you’re polite; but when I’m quiet, I’m wily.
If you did it, it’s good etiquette; if I do, it’s fawning flattery.
If you say it, it’s candid; if I do, it’s just rude.
If I ask, it’s obscene curiosity; when you do, it’s sympathy.
If I do it, it’s for my own convenience; if you do it, you’re most beneficent.
If I do it, I’m being stingy; if you do it, you’re being thrifty.
If I’m quiet, I’m acting proud; if you’re quiet, you feel bashful.
I’m extremely secretive, but you’re just reserved.
And my fashions are faux, whereas yours are cutting edge.
And if I lose something, what’s the big deal, but if you do, you’ve been
robbed, woe is me!”
― Geetanjali Shree, Tomb of Sand

“but the sum total of the thing is this: life is life and death is death, and what is dead is dead, and gone is gone, and busy is busy. The gist being that if great beings and treasures and memories depart, never to return, what happens to ordinary everyday items? Nothing.”
― Geetanjali Shree, Tomb of Sand

“In school, we often picked up ungrammatical English spoken in conventy accents, became snooty towards Hindi, and in the process ‘lost’ both Hindi and English.That is how most people of my background have grown up, surrounded by at least two languages, unsystematic, skewed, uneven in both, continuing to believe in the invidious colonial divide between them. Yet, at least for some of us, this lopsided education has meant freedom from the incubus of conventional training and a chance to learn anew, in adventurous ways and inventively, either or both of these languages.”
― Geetanjali Shree

“Koi zid thee ki kya kaha aur likha, kara gaya, usse zyada zaroori lagne laga ki kisne kaha aur kisne likha ya kiya.
sabke naam bhari matlab rakne lage the.

A willfulness (in me), that more important than what was said and written or done was who said it and who wrote or who did.
All our names came to be loaded with meaning.”
― Geetanjali Shree

“Saamne jo stengundhaari khada tha, uski sangeen se phootee shaan, uske seene ko gubbare kee trah phulaa gayee thee. Aur uske maathe par chandan ka tilak tha.


The stengunner in front of us, the one with majesty bursting out of his muzzle, whose chest was puffed up like a balloon. And he wore a sandalwood tilak on his forehead.”
― Geetanjali Shree, हमारा शहर उस बरस

“So nature became habit.

Habit is custom.

Thus ended the speech.

Only the first time is there a spontaneous reaction. After that, it’s all habit. Habit is just another word for repetition. Repetition becomes empty and meaningless, but it is also routine. If you hear a sound, then what do you do? You duck in fear. The Sparrow of the Red Forest still continues this custom. For this is now her culture. These are the rules for her behaviour.”
― Geetanjali Shree, Tomb of Sand

“फिर जबरदस्त मंचन होता है। ऐसा चुस्त दुरुस्त मार्शल डांस जिसका दोनों टुकड़ियों ने खूब रिहर्सल किया होगा। रिहर्सल करते में कोई दुश्मन नहीं हो सकता। हँसी ठट्ठा चला होगा।”
― Geetanjali Shree, Tomb of Sand

“Words. But what are words, really, hmmm? They're mere sounds with meanings dangling from them. That have no logic. They find their own way. Arising from the quarrel between a sinking body and a drowning mind, they grab hold of antonyms. The seed planted was a date tree; what blossomed was a hibiscus. They wrestle with themselves---wrapped up in their own game.”
― Geetanjali Shree, Tomb of Sand

“naamon mein itna matlab bharnewali pravritti ke khilaaf bolte-bolte hum khud usi pravritti ke hote jaa rahe the. Aise baat karne lage the ki jaise sach mein do hee pehchaanein rah gayee thee aur sab-kuch ho gaya tha—Hindu ya Musalman.
"..the strain of going on speaking against the tendency to imbue names with such connotations was turning us into people with that tendency. We would talk as if there were only two identities left and everything was either Hindu or Musalman.”
― Geetanjali Shree, हमारा शहर उस बरस

“बहन को हवाई अड्डे बुरे लगते थे इसलिए बार बार वो खुद को हवाई अड्डों में ही पाती । वहाँ उसे लगता वो कीड़े के बराबर का कीड़ा है, किसी ज़बरदस्त प्रयोगशाला में बंद। नकली बत्तियाँ, नकली गर्मियाँ, नकली धींगाधांगी जहाँ है। उसी की तरह के कीड़े हर दिशा में भरे हुए हैं, सब बेहद व्यस्त और बदहवास, निकास का रास्ता ढूँढने को चारों ओर भागते हुए। सब को चकाचक पहनावा पहनाया है और सब को एक जैसी पहियों वाली अटैचियों से अटका दिया है, जो उन्हें खींचती ले चल रही हैं। और इस जगर-मगर रौशनी में उनकी हर ज़रा सी हरकत पे नज़र है, कैमरे में क़ैद हो रहे सबके ब्योरे हैं।”
― Geetanjali Shree, Tomb of Sand

“Nandu kyon bol kar bura bane? Unke nire dost baithe hain na, unke man kee bolne ko.

Why should Nandu speak and become bad? His friends are sitting there to speak what his heart wants.”
― Geetanjali Shree

“लगा मैं गयी तो लगा कि जा रही हूँ तो रोते हुए क्यों जाऊँ, हँसते हुए जाऊँगी ।”
― Geetanjali Shree, Tomb of Sand

“Kahani bewaqoof ghatna ke byore mein nahin hoti. Usse upajne wali nayi aur alag duniya mein hoti hai. Wah nahi gadhi, to kuch nahin.

The story lies not in reportage of a stupid incident. But in the new and different world it gives rise to. If that is not constructed, it's nothing.”
― Geetanjali Shree, हमारा शहर उस बरस

“uff! dikhao. Shrutikitaab kheenchti hai.
Hamara Pramanik Itihaas. Cover par ishtihaar ke taur par kavitanuma panktiyan hain. Yon:

"Islam kee buniyaad pe yah desh Hindustaan mit raha hai.
Aa hee jaayega ek din yahan Islam ka dastoor.
Ho jaayenge ek din yahan se hindu Kafir kafoor
Bandhuon chet jao.""

"Bhari-poori Industry chal rahi hai." Shrutiab kitaab pakde hai.
"Ekdum se to yeh Industry nahin ban gayee. Hum kahan the, jab yah ban rahee thee?"Hanif poochta hai.


Uff, show... Shruti snatches the book: "Our Proven History."

On the cover, by way of advertisement, are lines of a rhyme.
"Foundation of Islam is wiping out Hindustan
One day they will take over
And Kafir Hindus thrown out
Wake up Brothers"

"This is a full-fledged industry," Shruti holds the book.
" This industry did not come up just now. Where were we, when it was being put up?" Hanif asks.”
― Geetanjali Shree, हमारा शहर उस बरस