Aandhi

Aaj bhi phulon ko kya tum mehkate ho,
Titliyon ko badmashi yun sikhlate ho.
Jo yeh mujh se kehti hai pagal hawa,
Mujhko chune se pehle tum inhe chu jaate ho.

Aisa koi waqt nahi tha jo tumhare hone se khushi na mili ho mujhe,
Aisa koi waqt nahi tha ki tumse kuch kahne pe mann sakuchaya tha,
Haan ye waqt kuch aur hai ye tum jaante ho hum bhi,
Jisme shabdon ki jagah nahi bas saans ka shor hai,
Thoda to rok liya tha tumne bundon ko kuch pal ke liye hi sahi,
Aage raasta lamba aur baarish bahut zor hai.

Kabhi kabhi ye sochta hun, jo aaj wo sapne hakikat se ladne lage hain,
Jo dur itne nikal aaye ho ki raaste alag se lagne lage hain,
Kuch tumne na suna hota,  Kuch maine na kaha hota,
Kuch maine samajh liya hota,  Kuch tumne samajh liya hota
Thoda aur chalna tha tumhare saath,
Kuch dur aur chal leta to kya ho jaata,
Thoda aur guzarna tha tumhare saath.
Agar saath hi guzar jaata to kya ho jata.

Rise

Someday I might wake up in a house up on a cliff,

on the curtains of green above the rocks so stiff.

when the sparrows tweedle as the seagulls cry,

as the twilight’s sulk turns into a dawning fresh birth,

and golden meadows tends to sly,

as dust from heaven spread over the earth.

As I open my arms wide with a measured yawn,

and feel the air that passes on,

the message to wake up, to rise, to run,

as to rise as knight from the sleep of a pawn.

As I open my eyes more and more,

clearly I see the distant shore,

less the men, much the sand,

free as bird, away from the land.

Someday I might wake up from this dream,

the humble laughs and my subtle screams,

the morbid world of truths which lies,

on a torn emotions with broken seams.

One day when I will rise….

Main (hindi poetry)

prashana:

main annth hun ya shuruat
main satya hun ya vishwasghat,
main mithya ya vishwas,
main aah hun ya shwas.

main kal hun ya main aaj,
main kamzor hun yaa aagaz,
main pathar hoon ya phir taaj,
main swayam hun ya mohtaj.

main shant hun ya chanchal
main dhoop hun ya aanchal,
main shaam hun ya savera,
main marubhumi ya basera.


uttar:
main hun kaagaz ki kashti,
jo nahi mahangi hai nahi sasti,
na koi kinara,
bas bahti ek dhaara,
dhaara wo hai jeevan,
dhara mera prangan
jispar astitva mera,
mera basera

No so long ago (at ISM Dhanbad)

There was a time not so long ago,

when i sat in a room, dark at night,

with a chirping door and flickering light,

and behind the window i could see no more,

than a twilit sea and a sleeping shore,

and the fan above was longing for air,

it went round and round like a whistle blow,

yet it was a time no so long ago.

But gone are those days and now there is light,

as the sun shines through the window so bright,

and the chirping door has finally taken a stand,

and the fan now runs magically on the flick of a wand,

the one who was dull is now so awake,

the one who was numb is now a vibrant as quake,

I wonder how the life around me has grown,

I am now happy looking at the merrier glow,

it was a time just a few days ago.

But now I am free..life is calling..

AlpViram

Subah abhi hui nahi, kuch samay baaki hai,
Abhi to wo soya hai, jiski neend ab saaki hai,
zindagi ke nashe se choor hokar hokar jo soya hai,
thoda sa hansa tha, thoda sa roya hai,
aaj zara aur sone do use jisne ek sapna boya hai.

Abhi na jagao use, abhi na chedo use,
der tak jaaga tha wo, abhi to soya hai,
na jaane in gardishon mein kab se wo khoya hai,
thoda sa hansa kabhi, thoda sa roya hai,
maile pade apne chehre ko ansuon se dhoya hai,
muddaton baad usne,ek sapna sajoya hai,
aaj zara aur sone do use jisne ek sapna boya hai. 

Tum Ho

Tum jo ho to hai khwabon pe yakeen mujhko,
tum jo ho to lagta ye jahan hai ab pura,
tum jo ho to lagta hai har pal khushi bhara,
jo tum na ho to hota hun main adhura...
tum jo ho to aur kya kahun...bada accha lagta hai !!!

Thoda aur sone do

Sab kuch khona hai agar to kuch paa to lene do,

Ek din rukna hai agar to aaj zara chalne do,

Honi hi hai raat agar to shama to jaalane do,

Hona hi hai andhera agar to thoda to use pighalne do,

Agar kal uthna hi hai mujhko to thoda aur sone do.

Subah uthna hi hai agar to zara khwabon ko to sajaane do,

Ki jab main kal sone jaaun to mujhe phir wo khwab mile,

Meri yaadon se bhari hui wahi sunahri kitaab mile,

Jis kitaab ke kuch panne maine bade pyaar sajaye hain,

Jin zindagi ki kore panno pe kuch nishaan banaaye hain,

Kal agar jaana hi hai agar to aaj kuch panne to kholne do,

Samay ka paimana agar bhar hi chuka to zara use tatolne do,  

Agar maut  khoj hi legi mujhe to aaj zindagi mein khone do,

Agar kal uthna hi hai mujhko to thoda aur sone do.

A candle for you : HAPPY DIWALI

When I entered my long dark dorm,

After my share of life’s endless storm,

I felt like a mile though I moved a few feet,

Thump after thump, the melancholy beat,

But the world aside was so new,

Blowing afresh my day now flew,

I rushed for match and soon luminance drew,

When I lit a candle for you.

I looked at the candle, yellow so bright,

Countering darkness with flaming might,

With swarming bugs who joggled as if prayed, 

As the grandma’s mystic fables, the flames swayed,

Sweet as sugar, tiny and true,

 When I lit a candle for you.

Thodi si Shayari

Thoda main bhi jala hun, par dhuan kahin nahi hai,
thoda main bhi mara hun, par sansen thami nahi hai,
muddat guzar chuki hai, aankhen ab bhi deedar ko taraste hain,
ek baar palat kar dekhna zara, abhi bhi pyar ki koi kami nahi hai.


Maangta hun tujhko, bas teri yaad ka sahaara hai,
doobti hai puri duniya hai meri, bas tu hi ek sahara hai,
dard-e-ashiqui ka bas yehi to nazaara hai,
meri har baat mein tera hi zikr gawaara hai.

Yaadein

Na jane jyun main tujhko bhul nahi pata,
jo dard hai mujh mein wo ghul nahi pata,
yun to hazaro chehre yaad nahi ab mujhko magar,
jo dil se nikla hi nahi usse kabhie bhul nai pata.

khwahishon ke toofan mein nishan mit te chale gaye,
channd sikke khushiyon ke raaston mein girte chale gaye,
humne jo samajh kar jhooth kiya darkinaar jise,
unhi raaston ki baaton ko ye dil bhul nai pata.

mana ki mohabbat mein mili saza humko,
ki har arzoo hi ban gayi hai aansuon ki wajah ab to,
jo toota tha khwab kabhie, ab aakhnon mein phir kaise sajaaun,
ab to sapno ke jhulon mein bhi main jhul nahi pata,
Ab bhi kuch yaadein hai jo main bhul nai pata.

Ticking Clocks

Life is blown out like a candle flame,

Future with-held in doors unclaimed,

Running away as to be tangle free,

Brings me again to the good old tree.

The tree with the knowledge of love,

Where tenderness bestows from above.

I may have grown a day to old,

Confident, grumpy or too bold,

But I don't want to remain in flocks,

Running around the same old blocks.

Tired of the haste and intangible locks,

As time's running out in ticking clocks.

I won't stop no matter what happens,

As the one above never defined my cause,

But it doesn't mean I could take a pause,

No matter what I am, It doesn't matter what i was,

I am ever-changing, persistent as time,

Even though the world shall mock,

And time still runs away in the ticking clocks.

A Heart-Hole : a small tale

"I hate hospitals."

Seriously, they make you feel more sick than you could ever imagine. Though a private hospital looks like the most cleanest place on the earth but its a fact that a hospital cradles high risk of contagious diseases. From the moment i entered the hospital that weird smile on the receptionist's face made me think over and again. As if her smile was was saying " Welcome sir. You are next. Prepare to get screwed for good."And believe it or not my toothache felt much worse than it normally did.

And what could I say about that long confusing walk along the hallway leading to the general ward. Man that place gives me creeps. People yelling, never ending visitors, smell of Dettol all over, the over efficient sweepers and the ever so uncomfortable Doctors running around. You know sometimes I look at these white apron-clad people I feel sorry for them that they visit this pain-in-the-a** place day in and day out, without any excuse, and to the problems of all those people who have some problem or the other.( I wonder if anyone comes back and thanks the doctor for their work). An here I was again with my basket of problems. Surely after paying the fat medical bills of my family, I think they owe some attention to me too. 

But hang on, the worse part is the patients. Sitting in the hospital I was waiting for the long queue of patients to end. I had a few "companions" in my previous "ventures". From broken limbs to running stomachs, i felt more and more miserable as each of them explained their quandaries and how-they-landed-here stories. Whether its the Aunty, who lives three blocks away from my house, suffering form loose motions or the salesman who broke his leg after he slipped on the doorsteps of Mr.Sharma's house, everyone had a not-to-do list for me to avoid such circumstances. They smiled when they told their silly moments of success of how they landed up here. They thought they warned me but instead they made me fear more and I could do nothing more than to console them. So I mostly ended up getting bored or devastated from the boring talks.

 I usually came for dental check-ups. But today something different awaited me. A small girl came from nowhere and sat next to me on the chairs. She slowly settled down with her yellow stuffed toy and she looked closely at my watch. I pretended I was not watching her as I allowed the kid to do whatever she wanted.
"Do you watch Pokemon or you like Mr.Bean" she asked me. I looked around and asked her  if she was talking to me, she nodded yes.
"But you didn't answer, Mr.bean or Pokemon?"she asked again.
"Pokemon, I guess" I saw the stuffed Pickatchu toy in her hand so I was kind of influenced.
"Me and my brother like Pikatchu and Vulpix. What's your favorite one?"
"Charrizard and Onyx, I guess." I said as I couldn't remember any more names.
"You know, Ash could capture an Onyx with his Vulpix" she exclaimed as I asked " Who is Ash?"
She said as she slapped her head and went loudly and said " The one who caught pokemon, how could you forget that?" I was guilty as a crook to her that instant as she shared as sweet smile with me moments later.
And then started a quarter hour conversation about the beasts and their special powers. I failed in front of the knowledge of the little one many times but i loved how she laughed at my every failure. It was so sweet.
She told how she could sing the Captain Planet theme song or the Shaktimaan  dialogues in the section called " Choti choti magar Moti Batein". She also told me about how much she dislikes the fat matron and the evening pills she is supposed to take and how they end up below her bed after her vomiting.
I asked " Why are you here, you look fine, aren't you?"
"You know these people around here are mad. I don't know why have caged me. They call me in a room and take Ghost-copies of my body(X-rays) and hang them on the white board. I asked my mother once but she is also confused. I tell you If she stays around here she would also god mad." and suddenly she asked "Are you mad Abhishek bhaiya?" and started laughing. I could barely control my laughter. This girl was a laugh riot no wonder they called her sick. Sometimes I would explain something to her and she would call me idiot or fool  explaining her version of the same story and laugh by herself as I made faces to react to her sweet criticism.
Suddenly I saw a nurse calling from a distance. " Come here" she said. She waved hands at us and soon as she saw me rising she called again "Not you, the little girl".
"I have to go now." She said and i nodded to agree.
As she started to leave i asked what her name was she replied "Ananya" and waved her hands to say goodbye. I was so pleased for the time which I spent with the little friend of mine.

 Later after my checkup I went around the ward to look around for her but couldn't find her. All of a sudden I saw the nurse who had called for her. She looked in a hurry as I asked the nurse about the about the girl.
"Which one..oh..Ananya...that poor girl suffers from ASD..Atrial septal defect"
"What's that?" I asked as it was a never heard term.
"A hole in the heart..the kid has hole in the heart and soon she would be operated somewhere in Delhi. Her parents came to fill up the necessary forms. She is being shifted from here to AIIMS, Delhi" She said and ran away as the doctor called for her.
I could say anything. Poor child. I wondered many times how could a child suffer from this. Even imagining the childhood of the girl gave me shivers. I looked around at people moaning and stuffed in plasters and now I could see their hope of being healthy and free. I could feel the freedom and the blessing as I was able to walk as a much more healthy person than many more around me. I was feeling a supernal blessing and I prayed for the others around me.This time as I walked away from the hospital I didn't utter a single word.
Suddenly the respect for the place had grew many-folds. As now it had become a sacred place where hope lies for the ones who need it most.

Sad about you

Aise nai karni thi baat koi,
par dil thoda bhar aya tha,
kuch galat na kah dun socha tha,
par kuch bhi na kah paya tha.

bina ek alfaaz kahe,
na jaane kya dohraya tha,
rona nahi tha mujhko magar,
dil thoda sa bhar aya tha

Aur tum the ki samjh bhi naa sake......!!!

Why are you sad?..please smile

If you feel alone just give me a call,

I’ll be there before you fall,

Before you think you are tired and broke,

When fear dawns and voice chokes,

When bad times gulp down your smile,

Call me, just talk for a while.

Lost in the world or burnt in the sun,

When you urge your life for fun,

When your ambitions are lost in despair,

I’ll be the there, just call and share.

We’ll talk and solve it out,

Trifles, troubles and paring doubts.

Don’t just think..give me a call

JGD

IN DEPENDANCE

IN DEPENDANCE

Fascinating isn’t it, the way we can look at this word. When read as two different words it conveys a meaning as being in “the state of relying on or being controlled by someone or something else”. On the contrary we all know the meaning if we combine both the words. 

Today on this patriotic occasion, I feel quite happy for the 1.2 billion people around the nation and salute the martyrs who made this day possible. 

But apart from all the celebrations around do you feel any guilt inside you? Yes, I am talking to you. Do you feel any guilt?

Let me clarify, I give you a set of examples 

1. Do you feel sad when you see any poor child around your neighbourhood?
2. Do you feel sad when you see children younger than your age working at Dhabas or as a street hawker?
3. Do you get disturbed when any disabled comes to you for any financial help(begging for alms) in trains or bus stands or even outside big temples?
4. Do you feel bad about the farmers committing suicide due to starvation?

I think these many examples are enough to invoke the idea inside your mind. And believe me, though it has and will be repeated a billion times in the future, ‘this was not the INDIA which the freedom fighters had dreamt for us. On a lighter note, “These are dark times there is no denying”. 

So, are we slaves? I think we are. We are slaves to corruption, poverty, female homicide, scandals and inflation. But more than any of these we are slaves to ourselves. Luckily, we don’t need a national movement to change ourselves. But we need a bigger force on our side, our own willpower, with a pinch of inspiration and a touch of enthusiasm.

As Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple spoke in one of his famous speeches at Stanford University on June 12, 2005 for the graduation commencement.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

And believe me we can make a change in the ever changing world. Speak what you think is right, express your thoughts. Let’s not make it freedom for the ‘free-dumb’. Learn to be free and make everyone aware. And soon you would be free from every guilt inside your heart and that day every day of your life will be celebrated as “INDEPENDENCE DAY”. 

I leave you with these eternal words of wisdom by beloved BAPU.

Baarish

Baarish ke mausam mein jo khush hote hain patte,

Har vriksha par hariyaali ka nazara hota hain,

Halki si thandi lehar jo chukar nikal jaati hai,

Har patta jo yun machal uthta hai.

Par ek baat hai jo patton ki wo samajh nahi aati,

Jo  aasman mein baadal niharte hain,

Baarsih ki thandi un madmast boondon ke liye,

Apni makhmali chadar bichaye rakhte hain.

Chahe kitna sambhale patte par bundon ko rok nahi pate,

Par har nayi boond par aas lagaye rehte hain,

Yaadon ki tarah chhu kar nikal jaati hain boonden,

Aur woh apna daaman phailaye baithe rehte hain.

Kaun samjhaye unhe ki har boond bewafa hai tere liye,

Wo chanchal hai, matwali hai,

Chahe jis patte ya daal ko chhuti ho,

Anth mein mitti mein mil jaani hai.

Par shayad yahi zindagi hai,

Jo har waqt zindadili sikhlati hai,

Har chalakte boond ki tarah,

Dheere se hamein yeh samjhati hai,

Ki yeh na thamti hai baarish ki tarah ,

Na ye patton si murjhati hai,

Yeh behti hai, badhti hai,

Aur saagar mein mil jaati hai.

Jiyo to zinda ho kar jiyo,

Har boond ke sang masti se jhoomkar jiyo,

Socho nahi, ek gayi to dusri aati rahengi,

Tum nav pallav ho iss vriksha ke, har mausam jhoolkar jiyo.

my friend...

Yesterday night when i was alone,

I ran to my room to pick up the phone,

Yesterday night, i was so weak,

I could barely feel the echos when i could speak.

But i could dial no other number,

as my world seemed to plunder,

i had tears in my eyes, and sadness all around me

yesterday night, i was so alone.

And i looked back in time for a while,

I remembered your face, your lovely smile,

I remembered the times you stood by me,

I remembered the times you made me free,

As my life without you, and i know its true,

Is one hell of a big leafless tree.

That your my best friend i could ever wish for,

Cause you are the love i could ever dream for,

And you’ll be there, and i know,

Clearing hurdles and protecting from foes,

Cause you are my best friend for sure.

Baadal

Wo raat ke baadal jo bade gumar mein itraate hain,
mast mausam mein jab chaand ko wo chupate hain,
to dil ke armaan phir se jaag jaate hain,
ek jhalak uske dikhne par hum machal jaate hain,
Kuch baat hai chandni raaton mein jo kuch yaad jagate hain.

Wo raat ke badal matwale se,
Thode ghane ghungrale se,
Lukchup kar Chand churate hain,
Aaj bhi wo itrate hain,
Aur hum chandni raaton mein,
Mand mand muskate hain,
Kuch naya raag gungunate hain,
Jo suna nahi wo sunate hain,
Akele hi ab gaate hain.