bachpan se...

mujhe toh bachpan se aadat thi khone ki
toh kisi aur se kyun ho gila?
kisi aur ki talaash ka hissa hoga wo...
usne paa liya maine kho diya
yeh kya ki ik zara si baat par
tumne daaman ashkon se bhigo diya?
mujhe toh bachpan se aadat thi khone ki
raaton ko takiye bhigone ki
bewajah sapne sanjone ki
so ek beej aur bo diya
hariyali ka armaan toh tha
par ab galti na karungi baat johne ki
mujhe toh bachpan se aadat thi khone ki

ek os ki boond...

ek os ki boond ho...
na jaane kya kuchh kar guzarne ki khwahish hai
seep se nikalkar moti banne ki khwahish hai
abhi aasmaan khula hai,
zameen paas aa rahi hai
badalon ki taan par
hawa gungunaa rahi hai

neeche ki zameen saaf dhuli si hai
mitti ki khushubuen fizaon mein ghuli si hain
abhi toh aadha safar tay hua hai
yeh jahaan..
upar se bahut chhota dikhta hai
paas aate aate kuchh aur sanwarta hai
par bahut jald takraoge dharti se...sach se
kathor hai.
zara samhalna

maalum hai sarfarosh ho,
apne junoon mein madhosh ho
par raaste mein milenge
aur toofan josh se bhare
rokenge raasta tumhara beech mein khare
tab sirf junoon kaam aayega
issey bacha lena

khud mein badal se kam nahin tum maana
kaandhe pe uthaya hai saara zamana
par os ki boond ho tum
deh na jaana
hawa ke kisi andekhe jhonke mein beh na jana
kuchh bojha ho sake toh baant lo
itna kuchh khud mein samaye na chalo
jo kar liya bahut hai,
aage aur bahut kuchh karna
aasman se zameen tak ke safar mein
tum apna khayal rakhna

court kachehri

koi kusoor nahin
kisi ka gunaah nahin
zor zabran toh kuchh hua nahin,
phir kyun jaane jee chahta hai, tum par court kachehri kar dun

mukadma chale adaalat ho
katghara ho mujrim ho vaqaalat ho
kaale coat hon, hathaudon ki chot ho
sunwai bhi ho, ruswai bhi ho,
thoda jhooth toh thodi sacchai bhi ho,
geeta ki kasmein hon, rasmein ho, gawahi ho
baaton mein kuchh teri kuchh meri tabahi ho
ek raaz jo khule dooji paheli gehri kar dun
jee karta hai zaalim tum par court kachehri kar dun

daleelein ho par faisla na ho paaye
judge kitna bhi order order chillaye
muqaddma multavi karne ki naubat na aaye
sabooton ko maddenazar rakhte hue bhi
kanoon sachmuch andha ho jaaye...
aise mein sab ek shaam raat dopehri kar dun
jee karta hai zaalim tum par court kachehri kar dun

pesh kiya jaaye usko jiski barson se talaash ho
jo mil ke bichhda ho bas abhi abhi
saamne aaye par mil na paaye kabhi
daaroga ke saath khada ho sar jhukaye
iss par rehem khaun toh khule bandhan ko hathkadi kar dun
jee karta hai zaalim tum par court kachehri kar dun

insaaf ke taraazu ke dono paale barabar hon
saza ki ummeed aur rihai ka darr ho
faansi sunakar kalam tootne ki aawaz aaye
koi yun hi jeete rehne se toh baaz aaye
zindgi na sahi chalo aaj ek maut hi sunehri kar dun
jee karta hai zaalim tum par court kachehri kar dun...

roz...

काश तुम रोज़ भूलो मुझे
और मैं रोज़ याद दिलाऊं,
एक नए सिरे से शुरू हो जिंदगी रोज़
तो एक नई गरिमा से पेचान करवाऊं रोज़

हर मोड़ पर मैं ही मिलूं अचानक
कभी बेबस बेचारी तो कभी शोर मचाती
बस हर जगह मैं ही नज़र आऊं रोज़
काश तुम रोज़ मुझे भूलो
और मैं याद दिलाऊं रोज़

फिर एक बार तुम्हारी aakhein
chuen मेरा astitiv
तुम्हें देखे toh एक pal को dhadakna भूल जाए दिल
पेट में bal padein aakhein jhuk jaayein
तुमको ही अपना aaina banaun रोज़
काश तुम रोज़ मुझे भूलो
और मैं याद दिलाऊं रोज़
तुम्हें lagey की कोई और है
नया है कोई, तुम्हारी talaash का hisaa है कोई
फिर से प्यार कर बैठे हो
तुम्हारी हर talaash में ख़ुद को ही paaun रोज़
काश तुम रोज़ मुझे भूलो
और मैं याद दिलाऊं रोज़

तुम jaano मुझे एक नए सिरे से
एक नई जगह में
और मैं एक नए तुम से मिलूं
तुम्हारे सवालों के रोज़ नए जवाब dhoondhun
तुम्हारे jawabon के लिए नए सवाल banaun रोज़
काश तुम रोज़ मुझे भूलो
और मैं याद दिलाऊं रोज़

तुम्हारी kalpana भी मैं, तुम्हारी कविता भी मैं
हर रचना का आदि अंत मैं
तुम में बसे कवि की aatma में समा जाऊँ
या तुम्हारे khayalon की syaahi में badal jaaun रोज़
तुम्हें कभी paaun तो कभी न paaun
कभी jiyun तो कभी मर jaaun
आज की ही तरह guzar जाऊँ रोज़
काश तुम रोज़ मुझे भूलो
और मैं याद दिलाऊं रोज़

its a normal evening

1. - its a normal evening…he’s just gotten back from work. she opens the door like everyday, they exchange a look for a second…no stories told. soon, they’re at the dinner table, she puts the dal for herself in two katories, suddenly realizing what she’d done. quickly makes up with pouring it back and putting some dahi instead. things seem fine now. except, that at the end of the dinner after wrapping up she clears the last thing for the day…three tea cups, freshly used in the evening and a wrapper carelessly or rather carefully left by somebody in the tray, stares back. she cant move her gaze, its locked. with trembling hands, she gathers the courage to put it in the bin. things seem fine yet again.
   - her gynae always tells her – you have a trust problem…someone just made it worse? forever? the battles were manifold at all levels and now…one with yourself? you know you will never win it, coz this win only mean a loss. ‘loss’ the word hits today…especially when one hasn’t learnt how to break relationships. its like having to face the reality of ‘death’. to face the fact that this person isn’t just a phonecall away…you will love them as much but they aren’t anymore. except that one doesn’t know who’d dead in the bargain…
   - she made a call to her mother-in-law in as mundane a manner as possible. luckily, she didn’t have to do the talking today, she was hearing everything, the usual story with a deadpan expression…just an unstoppable array of images flashing across her head…words ringing in her ear, a mess of things creating unbearable noises inside…of something that could have completed a year…had it survived this…
   - time to pinch oneself…hoping it’s a bad dream. just one of them, yet again. it cant be true. can someone not prove that this is a lie? could it have had a better end…rather than a ruthless riotous breach of trust?? butchering of that emotion…bloodshed! but this time, no one is seeing red…it’s a slow death. it cannot manifest itself in the form of tears or anything for that matter. it’s a normal evening
   - he was her god. nothing more need be said…she knew he was cast in stone. like an idol that she could spend hours with and get nothing out of and yet feel loved, probably she was imagining it. she imagined that it made a difference to her life, she imagined a hand of god around her, trusting it with as much blind faith as it takes. a good deed done would just make her smile inside and think of him…selfishly enough in heart she’d say – if it ever has to pay off, let it pay off in the form of HIM. she has been robbed today…of all that she ever earned or thought that she owned. realization – it never belonged to her, so why complain?
   - nine is his lucky number…and luckily enough, after 53, she rests at 54. epitaph reads as – poor thing, she really loved me, like noone could! a kick for a lifetime...in either sense.
   - he moved on many steps, while she would take the same way…may he always be very happy, may all his wishes, dreams, ambitions come true. may he be the biggest achiever of his times. may he never go through a low phase, may god take care of his foot, his teeth, his soul. may he always get love. that’s all that she prayed for…now…no hard feelings. may god take care of her god. may
   
   - its all over today. worst has happened. life will never be the same again. she will never be the same again. a soul lies murdered and everyone’s going about with their chores, including her. one sai baba idol, one conversation, one shock has changed her life forever. she will never come alive again. the passion is lost for good. she will never trust anyone ever ever again. ‘love’ is just a worthless, cheap word today…she will never hate him. she will hate herself for still always loving him. In this bargain…she has decided to punish herself, for good. nobody will ever get close, ever again. she’s never needed anyone to remain sane…she never will. volunteers unwelcome. the wall just got higher. it’s a normal evening.

bisleri

Pure from the heart of himalayas, precious and vital to human existence. it has undergone so many quality checks. if only...we treated love with as much sanctity, if only we realised that its an entity thats as pure and vital and is fast depleting. i strongly feel that it needs to be preserved, protected from getting contaminated or from going waste...coz i dont see a day when we'd be able to bottle it and sell it off the shelf!

shiddat...

wo shiddat se kisi ko chaahna...
bhool gayi hain aankhein
ab samajh aata hai, kyun takra takra kar
kinaare se laut jaaya karti hain lehrein,
kyun raat bhar tik nahin sakta chaand
kyun ek saal beet-te lag jaate hain saalon
kyun ek lamha bhi rukne ko tayyar nahin
kyun sadkon ki apni koi manzil nahin hoti,
kyun manzilon ka khud nahin koi thikana
wo shiddat se kisi ko chaahna...