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

aansun

jo bahe jal nischal
woh hazaron khayalon se behtar