Like

the fish finds the current, so should we. I don't know what that means. I just like the idea.

Self-doubt

aata theek jaata theek
mushkil tab
jab hai rah jaata

Hazy

The sun's brightness was hazed out by the mist; the trees appeared faint and more so the mountains. I drove up the familiar hill to work. This is the one place I always feel my car will never go downhill, just take off into the clouds. I had gathered speed, and chilly winds rushed in. It reminded me of the Indori mornings. In my final year at college, I used to wakeup early, 5:30/6:00 to go for a run. Myself, roommate and another friend of mine. We used to run for half and hour, then we would work out in the Nehru park nearby, and go eat sev-poha. The mornings then used to be like this then, chilly, hazy.

din-din-ki-baat

kabhi doston se baatein tamam hoti hain
kabhi jindagi akele hairan hoti hai
kabhi haseen subah hoti hai
kabhi gamgeen shaam hoti hai

This uplifted my spirits

What a wonderful world

what a lovely song

here

auns

aaj subah
mitti ki zaamen ke ek chote tukde par
subah ki narm dhoop thi khilkhilayi

wahin ek kone ki hariyali ke mukdhe par
auns ki ek boond
sahmi si thi jhilmilayi

Dammit

The tooth hurts a lot. Why weren't humans born with teeth which wouldn't decay. Why O why. And on top of that they made chocolates and sweets. And pastries and cakes and deserts. And ice cream. Tchaah.

jung

unhe har baar takdeer ne jab zameen par de mara
woh har baar uthe, har baar takdeer ko taraasha

armaan

yun kahe ki adhure
armaan aansoon hi sahi
aaj anmol hain
kal mitti bhi nahi

yun kahe ki jindagi
armaan na bandhiye
jo pure na ho saken

yun kahe ki armaan
bedahak bandhiye
jo pure na ho saken
na sahi
aaj yeh gum toh nahi
ki ji bhar chaha nahi

chuppi

lab par jo hai
andar nahi

kya kahen ki

hum logon ke saath ho kar bhi
unke saath nahi
hum kai baat kahte hain
lekin har baat nahi

jid

har baar ishq ne dil toda
phir bhi humne uska daaman na choda

ek ghazal

woh mere samne hi gaya
woh mere samne hi gaya
aur main raste ki tarah
dekhta rah gaya

jagjit singh ghazal, listen here

Tennis

I went for the first tennis lesson today. For that one hour, I forgot everything and was just hitting the ball. Of course it doesn't matter whether it landed in my court or the other. It is good to cultivate one activity where your mind is not chatterji, only the body moves. Gives you that much needed freshness, and relief from the other things in life.

kya kahen

ki hum wahi jahaz chadhe
jiska doobna tay tha

choo-mantar

jo toot rahe rishte
dil pathar na kijiye
nayi hawa aa sake
itni gunjaish rahne dijiye

nakamyaab

kal yeh baat maayne nahi rakhegi
woh samajh hai
aaj jo dard main hai
woh dil hai

Recycled

anjaan

log kahte hain
ki samay hamesha ek sa nahi rahta
lekin is pal se hum kaise aage jayenge
iska andaja na hume hai, na tumhe

mahsoos

ek dil ne kaha khuda salamat rakhe
ek dil chup raha
ki waqt dekhiye
phir wahi dard mahsoos ho raha

bebasi

man ne chaha ke ya waqt tham jaye
ya sans thum jaye
par na jaane unki humse kya thi dushmani
na waqt thama
na hi saans thami

phir sawal

kinare khade se na poochiye
tairna kya hota hai
tairte se na poochiye
doobna kya hota hai
jo doob kar aaya hai
wahi bata sakta hai
ki sanson main pani kaise ghulta hai

heh

pata nahi yeh samay tha ya main tha
main kisi paimaane par khara nahi utra

nasamajh

mujhe apni samajh samajh nahi aa rahi
auron ki kya samjhoon

lambai

log kahte hain jindagi char dinon ki
hume lage char yugon ki

rihai

kisi ke kahne se na hoye
apne aap hoye

vichlit

hum khade us chor par
jahan aage dharti nahi
piche rasta nahi
na badh saken
na laut saken

Dialogue

O ji, aundi marji hongi
toh sad singh happy singh ho jayega
nahi hogi toh sad singh su-said singh ho jayega
asi ke riyan, tussi dont chinta fikar not

mohi ki nirmohi?

uski jholi jo bhi aam
woh baanten subah shaam

A beautiful night

Half an hour ago I had driven up and made a random stop to look at the mountains. Even the stones looked softer in the moon light. It was as if a calm has descended the earth. The mountains were a wall of darkness and looked like a monster sleeping on it's back. Really. The valley was filled with the crickets creaching and the stars twinkled in annoyance. No there isn't such a word, I just invented one. So opened my hatchback and sat there staring at the sky, the mountains, the road and the moon. Wondering about all the things that have come to pass, in the realm of my knowledge. The breeze was cool after a hot day and flowed on the skin. Suddenly a tiny burning thing passed across the sky, leaving a smoky trail. It seemed really close. Shooting star. Lo, I've seen another one tonight. I don't make wishes when I see shooting stars; it does make your heart glad though, to see something like that. I thought of other times I had seen it, alone and with people I had seen it. The heart was filled to the brim. It is silly to be that emotional but then it is more silly to not be silly. Silly. I sat there for a few more minutes and then headed back.

The Thames

I like that name. Some day I want to sit at it's bank and watch it flow by.

algaav

sai dekh insaan ka dil
kis bebasi se dard janta hai
jise khuda par bharosa nahi
woh bhi dua mangta hai

samay

na mere haath main
na mere saath main

peed

jo hume de gai dikhai
woh kaise auraun ke samajh na aayi

One evening

The cotton twirls aimlessly
wandering where carry the winds
in the rays of the evening sun

I could hear thundering clouds, I figured it was a rainstorm. I had already been working late, so I decided to get out. I gathered my keys and walked outside to find a giant rainbow on the eastern sky. It was actually a double rainbow, one with deep colors and another faint one above. The sun had still some time to set, and there were quite a few clouds spread across the sky. To get a better view of the rainbow I drove up to the lake nearby. Now the colors could be seen end to end in a huge arc. It had rained moments ago and air had a fresh scent; now the sun was headed to the mountains in the west. Right above the head, there were smudged puddles of whites, as if a band of bunnies had rolled over their bikes. Bad analogy, agreed. The water in the lake had ripples. A gang of four stood at the bank fishing. I called my friends to let them know the colors were changing now, red was engulfing the eastern sky, and the puddles had turned pale orange. The trees waved a little and accompanied the ripples in the lake. The clouds, the rainbow, the sky, the mountains, the trees, the lake, all had come together playing a colorful orchestra, the music of the evening.

The rays of evening sun
sung a song unsung
The lake and trees
waved gently to the sky
The clouds had stolen the rainbow colors
and taken a run
The mountains stood still
awaiting the sun
One evening for a few moments
I held my breath, when this happened

radha

ek do ghadi
beeti prem se badi
ab jo bichdan aan padi
radha tadpe khadi khadi