174. Kaafir Nigaahen

uljhi khayaalon ke kaayal teri kaafir nigaahen
galiyon me jaan phoonke musaafir nigaahen

.............................................

kitne shaharon me pahrein tatole hain tune

kya pata kitne koochon me kharchein lafz kitne
chand safhon ke badle saansein bas ek din ki

kitne chehre yun thahre batore hain tune

pata pooch-ke peecha karti hain kiska
wo mile jo thahar le muntazir nigaahen

....................................

kahaaniyaan yeh kaisi bichhake rakhi hain

kal ko khaali kiya, aaj phir bhar chala tu
kaale konon me khone chale, chod bhi de

nishaaniyaan kyun aise bachake rakhi hain

badgumaani bujhaa den zaraa kah de inhe tu
syaah kar den ye manzar musavvir nigaahen

173. Troubadour

Of werewolves
and dinosaurs

Of tigers
and troubadours!!

------------------------------

Have you ever watched evenings leave tattoos
on vermillion windows?

Have you ever patched your walls up with blue words
talking of
the skies in some eyes on restless days
the storms in some gasps on turbulent nights?

Have you ever pawned pieces of your thoughts;
Have you ever gambled moments away
to send smiles
flying out
each dawn?

Have you ever tried out faces
Have you ever tried on places
and left creases
on wild stranger winds?

Have you ever lived
in checkered hearts?
Did you like them?

Tell me all this
Troubadour
and tell me some more

Maybe,
you can help me find
my share of silence!

----------------------------------------

when one borrows pieces of yesterday...
like I said...
shuffling memories!! :)

Because some questions do not change!!

172. My Share of Silence

-----------------------

Blow life into...
Have conversations with...

Wild gusts
of dusty wind

A flickering screen
of fairy tales

The raw potato
and the bent knife

Strange friends
Friendly stranger

Old yellow pages
crumbling to pieces
under a light touch

The never-ending flight
of stairs

Obstinate visions
Seductive beats

Smiles flying by
on busy streets

------------------------

The last time
it took three days
to spot a tiger in the wild

------------------------

Was I asleep when
he walked by me
while my share of silence
left dancing freckles
on his skin?

-------------------------

Once upon a time
not too long ago
in a land not too far away

-------------------------

Sometimes
I wonder
if
my life is an anagram

Maybe
I have already seen
the vermillion stains and the camouflaged stripes
the grand ending

Maybe
I am just living
some white noise

Maybe
all I need to do is
shuffle my memories
to find my share of silence

-------------------------

171. Maa

Maa,
aaj-kal rahne ko itne ghar ho gaye hain
ke main be-ghar sa ho gaya hoon

yaad hai mujhe
ik woh bachpan ka ghar tha

jahaan chimney se rah rahke eent baraste the

chat jab jab tapakta to
ham saare ghar ko
bartan se sajaate the

raaton ko jab bijli chali jaati
to tum koi puraani akhbaar se hawaa chalati thi
taaki ham jaag na jaaye

kabhi kabhi chuttiyon ke dopaharon me
ham ek rupaye - aath aane wali kulfi khareed-kar
ghante bhar uska mazaa lete the

aur itvaar ko
teenon
bistar pe lete lete
radio suna karte the

wahi radio jo baaki dinon
hamari ghadi ka kaam karta tha
kya tha woh
saat baje - 'paadi pantalu'
saade saat - 'vaartalu'
aath baje - 'archana'
aur phir - 'janaranjani'

bewaqt barsaatein hoti thi
to ham bhaagte the
woh kapde laane
jo chat pe sukhaaye the

deedee aur main har raat ladte
bistar ke daaye aur sone ke liye
tumhare paas

mahine me ek baar
ham palang ka 'navaar' theek karte

tumhe report dikhaane ke liye
ham donon kitna darr jaate the
----------------------------------------

sochta hoon -
is dafaa jab ghar aaoon , Maa,
har raste ka ek sira
tumhare edhi ko baandh-ke
lautoon!

Phir har shaam
jo bhi rasta pakdoon,
bas ghar pahunch jaaon
tumhare paas!!

Deedee

yun mahakti nigaahon se dekhe
sunaaye koi saundhi khabar
sooni aankhon me bhar de bahaaren
har subah

kabhi baaton me din ye utaare
aur ladaaye gappe raat bhar
badgumaani se mujhko pukaare
bevajah

woh gila bhi kare to mazaa hai
har gali khaamiyon se bhara
aise andaaz se maare taane
kya kahen

beech baazar ye jashn kar le
jo dikhe jooton ki dukaan
edhiyaan gungunaaye taraane
kya kahen
-----------------------------
:D :D :D