Roti

बड़े प्यार  से खेत खलियानों में सींची गई मैं 

लहर लहर कर, मस्त पवन के झोंको में पाली गई मैं 

खुश हाल सी ज़िन्दगी में, खूब खिल खिलाई भी मैं 

और एक दिन, उस शीत लहर के बाद, सबसे अलग हो गई मैं 

होकर दूर सबसे, अलग, कहीं धूप में रही मैं 

हार सूख कर, बस ऐसे ही खो सी गई मैं 

पहुंची चक्की पर, सब सच्चाईयों में पिस भी गई मैं 

और मसल मसल कर गूंदी हुई लोई बनी मैं 

बेलन के ज़ोर के नीचे दब कर निशस्त्र पड़ी मैं 

और फिर जलते तवे पर, असली ज़िन्दगी भी जीली मैं 

उस आग के अंदर फूकी हुई, कुछ जलि जलि सी मैं
फिर तेज़ आंच पर भी सिकी मैं

उस गर्म कोयले की कालक में भी रंगी मैं
चिमटे की चोट खाकर कुछ नुचि नुचि सी मैं 

पर अंदर से अभी भी वही नरम, पर हार कर अब खत्म सी मैं. 

Friends 2014

And they say,

"So and so" are now friends.

And we were.
But when grounds were better than walls.
Hearts were connected, fake invitations not at all.
Even public announcements were private.
Poking a friend was so direct.
Tiny letters held the messages.
Sometimes emotions captured in long passages.
A hand drawn face with a crooked smile.
Cleared the misunderstandings held up for a while.
And today with 1000s with us, we feel alone.
So many familiar names but faces hardly known.
Unread messages waiting like nuclear stock piles.
20M requests sent from 200M miles.
Phone numbers lost.. Voices forgotten.
Just in touch with everyone not so important.

I wish I could still go to a park and share a bench.

And in 15 minutes of silence still have the best conversation with my 'friend'.

Happy Dreaming :)

And I sit happy, for it is Saturday afternoon – my happiest time of the week.

Happy because I am doing what I like to do the most.

Happiest because, I have tomorrow, to do this yet again!

I sit on the window porch and gaze at the clear skies and the white clouds and they ask me to write a poem.

I stare at the glass bottle toying with the idea of creating a creative space for myself and it asks me to replicate the bottle art designs, I saw yesterday.

I feel the want of a hot cup of tea and the urge asks me to learn to cook and to cook regularly, to make my family and friends happy.

I listen to the music, the beats make me drum the plastic bottle in my hand and ask me to learn the drums one day.

I smell the lovely incense in my room, and it transcends me to the thought of discovering new places and asks me to travel the globe.

I read a book with the imagery chalked out in my thoughts and it asks me to spread my words across, to people someday.

And as I sit looking at the clouds, reading the book, listening to the music, whiffing the incense, they all make me smile and ask me to dream, to dream more, to dream more often and fulfill one everyday.

Ambivert

Tacit I am for the world

But essay is what I am on the inside.

Like a droplet I look to all

But sea is what I am on the inside.

Blank is what my face conveys

But canvas is what I am on the inside.

An idea is what I have for all

But a book is what I am on the inside.

A Prayer is what I mouth

But hope is what I am on the inside.

Defiance is what I show

But rage is what I am on the inside.

Stoic is how I want all to see me

But rebellious is what I am on the inside.

Like an onion,

So many layers I am,

And I don’t want to expose all.

I am just the tip of an iceberg,

Still, massive and waiting.
Little is what I Look on the outside

But I am not and I hope I am never that on the inside. 

Untold..

There is so much in me..
Unknown and untold.
So much, that even I don’t want to know
Things hidden inside
Which make me what I am
For which I have no explanations
But inferences which matter to me
Whatever there is
Imperfection and oddities
Some I want to change
But mostly I don’t.
I don’t know how the changes might affect me
But those irregularities have been in me
They have been me
I don’t want to be the perfect person
I choose not to be
Cause I want to be what I feel from inside
At times dark, hidden & secretive.
But darkness also trumps one’s good side
As positive is not always true
And most of the times, what is untrue is what you want to be
Cause you continually think and aspire for it
I want to be, what I want to have
Cause sometimes, ends are more important than the means
Sometimes.

Mujhe pata hai...

बचा है अभी भी मुझमे, पर कहीं ग़ुम सा हो चुका है ,

पर वापस मैं ही ढूंढ कर लाऊँगी , ये भी मुझे पता है . 

हर ख़ामोशी की एक वजह है ,

लेकिन दब जाती है आवाज़ , छुप जाते है एहसास ,

पर वापस मैं ही लल्कारुंगी , ये भी मुझे पता है .  

हर ग़म और ख़ुशी घर कर जाती है ,

लेकिन हंसी और आंसू कहीं अन्दर ही रह जाते हैं,

पर वापस मैं ही खिल्खिलौंगी , ये भी मुझे पता है . 

रोज़ एक निर्णय, रोज़ एक निष्कर्ष,

लेकिन उनपर अमल करना, बाकी रह जाता है,

पर वापस मैं ही उन्हें पूरा करुँगी , ये भी मुझे पता है .   

है कई सपने आँखों मैं,

पर नींद के साथ ओझल हो जाते हैं ,

आज के फैसले, कल की बात बन जाते हैं, 

लेकिन अपनी ज़िन्दगी के लिए मैं ही हु ज़िम्मेदार,

और वापस मैं ही इसे सुधारुंगी, ये भी मुझे पता है! 

My Chequered Life

It is not important to fight each battle,

It is important to choose the right one to fight.

Because every day I win in an everyday battle,

But the victory is insignificant.

 

I sit back and ponder,

About the larger war that awaits me.

But in the hustle of each day,

I only fight the mere pawns.

Then I realize and wonder,

That I might be the king in my small world,

But in the big world outside,

Even I am a mere pawn.

But this has to change,

And I will bring it.

I will be the one to call out Checkmate,

Be the ruler -  the king,

And fight and win the right wars,

Because JUST winning isn’t everything.