A Million Times

“I got thunder & drizzle with your favourite flower blooming in our garden,
But I let a summer pass by (a million times),
Feeding what it required to grow, nurture and bloom,

I got to see this sunset holding the most content moment,
But I let the afternoon pass by (a million times),
Filling & Creating colours on the palette
et a million times in my head with the colours of your choice

I got to feel what good that calamity hold for us,
But I let the autumn pass by ( a million times ),
Holding on to your promise that the wind whispered to me,

I got to sleep like there is no Monday tomorrow
But I let the years pass by ( a million times ),
Saving words to utter one last poem eye to eye

I got to say I Love you by not saying it
But I let the nights pass by ( a million times )
Watching the moon grow again & again to new & full yet be noticed among the shining sky

A Million Times, you see!”

said Grandpa the one last time

अच्छा नही लगता

अच्छा नहीं लगता..

जब काम करते करते कोई बिन बुलाये ख़याल मुझे सैर पे ले चलते है
तो मेरी ज़रूरतों को अच्छा नहीं लगता

मगन होकर जब उसकी ऊँगली थामे मैं निकल पड़ता हुँ बेवजह मुस्कुराते उन रास्तों पर
तो मेरे दिन से जुड़ी अनजान लोगों की उम्मीदों  को अच्छा नहीं लगता

लापरवाह, नकचडा कहेते है वो मुझे
कमाल कह लो इंसानी फ़ितरत को
मैं निकलता हुँ अपने ख़्वाब पूरे करने
तो उन नाकारो को अच्छा नहीं लगता

दस्तूर ही ये समाज का
सीधी राह पे कोई पहचानता तक नहीं
हम टैडी राह क्या चला
किसी को हमारा चलना अच्छा *नहीं* लगता

कहेते नही हम तो क्या हुआ
सहते तो है?
हम अपने काम से काम रखे
तो भी किसी को अच्छा लगता

कैसे करना चाहिए और क्या करना चाहिए
किसी ने नहीं सिखाया हमें
जब ख़ुद से सीख कर आज क़दम बढ़ा रहे है
तो उन आदर्शवादों को अच्छा नहीं लगता

बस बुरा इसी बात लगता है
जब काम करते करते बिन बुलाये ख़याल हमें सैर पे ले चलते है
तो हमारी ज़रूरतों को अच्छा नहीं लगता.....

A word with myself

Is this a maze or a matrix of thoughts?

I went up there to trash down all of them with me; they were biting down the curves on my face. 

Does this happen quite often? I said introspecting.

Well, you don't enter this until you allow yourself to enter.

So the very first thought was just a bait by the heart to make you enter this?

No I mean yes I mean I don't know you only tell me. I feel something is holding me down here.

What do you think? Is it your fear or your attachment or is it just your over thinking nature?

Don't question me back why don't you understand that I don't know what it is!

Are you sure that you don't know?

I know but I don't want to tell you 

But you just told me. Ok listen,

it's not a maze nor it is a matrix of thoughts it's you trying to hold moments in your hands hurting yourself..

Some where in the universe!

"Sorry I got late and Thank you for standing by!", said the Moon taking its position in the sky,

"Hello! Are you even listening?" 

The Sun was adoring the earth from a distance. This made the Moon more curious.

"And I thought you are still here because I didn't show up!"

"Ssshhh!", the Sun pointed one of its rays towards the Earth for the Moon to experience the moment he was admiring.

"Can you see that happy glowing face of that boy in blue?", said the Sun.

Moon nodded and the Sun continued, "He wouldn't have been so content if you were on time today and if I would have gone early. He wanted her love to see me setting down the horizon & say out those words he had written for her. I am so glad that it happened. Thank you for coming late."

The Sun went away and then the moon stood whole night adoring the earth and the love that persists around it.

Love does tend to infinity.

साँसें

मिलती होगी तेरी मेरी साँसे हमसे निकल कर

कही दूर उन बादलों के पिछे,

वरना सिर्फ़ हमें हि क्यों 

उसमें एक दूसरे कि तस्वीर नज़र आती हैं?

घुलती होगी उसकी महक,

अंदर छुपी बूँदों से लिपट कर,

वरना सिर्फ़ हमें हि क्यों,

बारिश के पानी से प्यार कि ख़ुशबू आती हैं?

आती होगी शाम भी,

उसमें घुल कर,

वरना सिर्फ़ हमें हि क्यों,

बिन बाती एक दूसरे के चेहरे पे वो लाली नज़र आती हैं?

मिलती होगी तेरी मेरी साँसें हमसे निकल कर,

कही दूर उन बादलों के पिछे,

जो हर रात हमें ऐसे ही,

एक दूसरे के ख़यालों से जगाती हैं।

Summer Vacation

I woke up like somebody had switched off the oxygen supply in my room but the matter of the fact was my phone was out of battery. Even weekends can wake you up like this when you stay away from your home. Finally, gathering all the courage, I crawled out of the bed to reach charging slot and switch on the oxygen supply.

"You have to manage the smallest of thing when you stay away from home." I always say this line to myself when I have to walk down the street to the other corner just to have the morning tea. And it took me too long to reach there because this is how it began. 

I came down my block just when I was about to scroll the notifications I saw 3 children playing cricket and having a sweet fight on who will bat first. This scene took me few years back when this period from April to June used to be the happiest time in our lives. When mornings were spent calling friends from the neighborhood, watching cartoons, playing cards instead of running late for the office, searching charger for the dead battery, reading google news.

The moments which used to giggle around the lanes soothing the eyes of the parents have faded away with the passing time. 

And I felt that the Summer Vacation which was screening in my mind is lost somewhere in the race for building a better future.

You can't hang around with the children in the society for more time when their parents are standing as CCTV camera in the balcony. I had to move towards the tea stall with a kiddish desire in my mind.

Bring back the Summer Vacation to our lives,

For I can't go back to that time,

But I can see and re-live those moments,

That were once created by me! 

The One

Clouds will keep lingering around you,

You need to shine bright to make your presence be felt among the stars,

Sun isn't called 'The Sun' just like that!

Distractions will keep sparkling around your eyes,

You need to spot the difference in the reel and real,

You won't Shine among 'The Few' like you just like that!

Fears will keep tinkering around your mind,

You need to get rid of the real culprit bringing them around,

One won't be called 'The One' just like that!