इंतज़ार

कटे हुए सेब, अनार के दाने

अंजीर, खजूर और अखरोट

कटोरियों में करीने से

सजाते हुए

आपका इंतज़ार कर रहा था.

आप आये तो नहीं

पर, हाँ, एक नज़्म

ज़रूर आई

आते-आते ही बोली

यहाँ क्या करते हो

मैंने कहा- इंतज़ार.

बस यूहीं.

I Remember you

As the year draws to a close
I remember you
Your travails, your pain
Your happiness, your well-being
Your goodness and my shortcomings
I remember you
I remember you
As the moon traverses silently across
The foggy sky
I remember you
I remember you
As the stars alight the sky
I remember you
And as the passage of time
Continues unhindered, untethered
I remember you.
I remember you.

On Cold Winter Nights

On cold winter nights

When the fog roams

Over my head

I look at the stars.

I look at the long-standing trees

Throwing their long shadows around

I try to peep at the moon,

Hiding behind those trees.

Well, if you have seen

The stars, the trees, the moon

You will know that

The trees accept you

Just like you are.

They do not judge you.

They talk to you.

They listen to you.

Patiently.

They throw their dark and deep

Shadows over my head.

Enveloping me like a child

Letting me feel safe and sound

In their midst.

As the fog circles around my head.

On cold winter nights.

Such Boisterous Girls

Such boisterous girls

In the prime of their youth

Unshackled from the dreary routines

Of preparing for an examination

Laughing and shouting and singing as

If the world be damned

But their spaces secured

Dumping all the worries

Outside the rambling bus

Singing songs-

Of happiness

Of heartbreaks

Of separation

Of longings

Of desires.

Was it a cacophony?

Or a symphony?

Does it matter?

Relieved as if life had

Given them a chance

For redemption

For moving on

They laughed and sang

They sang and laughed

And I felt happy.

Such boisterous girls.

आँखें

कल मैं तुम्हारी हलकी पनिहाली

आँखों में देख रहा था

शायद तुमने काजल लगाया था

ठीक से पता नहीं

लेकिन उन हलकी गहरी आँखों में मैंने

कई प्रतिबिम्बों को उभरते देखा

चलचित्र वाली फ्लैश-बैक की तरह

कई चेहरे, शिकवे, शिकायतें, आशाएं

मुस्कुराहटें और घबराहट भी

ग्रीक नाटकों वाली

ट्रेजेडी और कॉमेडी की तरह

जीवन दर्शन के सूत्र उभरते जा रहे थे

तुम्हारी हलकी पनिहाली आँखों में

एक स्वेटर सा बुनता जा रहा था

ऊन के गोले सिमटते जाते  

पैटर्न उभरता जाता

तुम्हारी आँखों में देखते-देखते

पता ही नहीं चला

दिन कब का ढल चुका था.

शायद अंतिम दृश्य उभर रहा था.

धुंधलका हो रहा था

शाम हो रही थी

जाते-जाते मैंने एक मृग को देखा

फिर वह गायब हो गया.

और तुम भी गायब हो गयी

ध्यान टूटने पर सोचा

शायद यह सब एक

मृगतृष्णा का अंश था

मृगतृष्णा

छोटी-छोटी मुस्कुराहटें

छोटी-छोटी मुस्कुराहटें

फ़ैल रही है अधरों के छोर पे

मंदिरों के टिमटिमाते दिए जैसे

भीनी भीनी सी खुशबू की तरह

छोटी छोटी मुस्कुराहटें

हलकी हलकी सी फुहारें

मीठी-मीठी सी तान

कुम्हलाई, अलसाई, उन्नीदी  

हलकी सी शिकन

ख़ामोशी

और फिर वही

छोटी छोटी मुस्कुराहटें

Remembrance

As I walked the roads of this city
Taking in the convoluted smells
and polluted air
With PM 2.5 levels hovering above the danger mark.
I tasted some of its offerings.

Suddenly out of nowhere,
I recalled your round, little face and  the plump  shape of your body.
Your recognizable walk and quiet mannerism
Seemingly hiding boisterous energy inside.

I recalled that train ride
And how I scribbled in my notebook as the train started departing from the station.
Your memories that day
Filled me with sadness and emptiness
Creating a permanent void somewhere
Deep in my heart.

As I walked the familiar roads again
My mind goes back to the time
I first saw you,
Rather felt you
With the cold day stretching
Into the evening of uncertainty.

And then followed the days
Of agony and ecstasy
The joy of seeing you
Again
With the knowledge that I
Shall never see you again
Till serendipity works its wonder.

As I walked the streets again
I remembered you
For you had created a
Permanent void inside me.