205. Security Check

No,
I should not have packed them;
and now the guards
are going through
my luggage-
scanning through all
the unfinished conversations
I stuffed in my suitcase

I can sense their smirks
behind their straight faces

I should not have packed them-
all those embarrassing conversations
But I did!

I was in a hurry!!

-----------------------------
Until a while ago
my city of yesterdays
was sequestered

the city
where
I stood by the tracks
and waved at trains passing by -
trains of thought
full of stories
with blurred faces

the city
where
the sky was wide
and wept too much;
and words flew down
to dance on my terrace

the city
where
I sowed smiles
by the side of blue evenings
and by dawn,
the streets would be abuzz
with laughter

the city
that knew
no ketchup
or aerated drinks
or accidents
or running water

yes,
the city was sequestered;
but now
it is open for me to return.
---------------------------------------------

I had to hurry
in my bathroom slippers
and an unpressed shirt;
but in my city,
they never notice these things!

So I hurried,
only to find all the tickets
to yesterday are booked
All the roads are jammed
All the flights are full

So yet again,
I booked
a round trip to noise

I will drown in the din again
and maybe this time,
discover my pseudonym

If only they let me go

A few sighs more
and the flight will take off-
but they are still scanning
through my unfinished conversations

-------------------------------------
Culture Shock - the much needed vacation!

204. All in the name of...

I think I will charm
the maverick moon –
the one that hangs high
when he is in the mood

I will roll him a joint
and sit with him on a branch;
I will wait for him to pass out,
but then you know why?!

I am in love with a werewolf
& so I have not a choice,
but to pin up the moon
on my bedroom window sill.

So I think I will charm
the maverick moon -
the one that hangs high
when he is in the mood
--------------------------
:) :) :) :) :)
Are dinosaurs extinct?
Are werewolves mythical??!
:) :P :D

203. Khat

sochta hoon
khat me ik nazm likhke
tumhe mere khayaal
tohfe me bhej doon

likh doon

kaise
har subah
main tumhare sapne sambhaalke,
utaarta hoon aankhon se
aur takiye ke neeche
chhipa deta hoon
(haan,
wahi khaab,
jo betaab se kaanpte rahte hain
aankhon me raat bhar
aur kabhi kabhi
din ke beech-o-beech)

kaise
intezaar me
lamhon ka hisaab lagaata hoon
to pahron pe shikan se ban jaate hain

kaise
main ajnabi lafzon se
rishte jodta rahta hoon
judaa se lahje pahanke
nikalta hoon
aaj kal har kahin

kaise
khwahishon ke kaafile
ummeed liye mere dar khade rahte hai
jab din ke paar utarta hoon
to us paar bhi mil jaate hai

kaise
hawaayen saazish kar jaate hain
aur jab main bekhud sa baitha rahta hoon
baraamde me
to tumhari mahak sa bikher dete hain

kaise
muhabbat se fursat nahin milti

kaise
rooth-ne ko jee karta hai
ke tumhare khayaal
ik chote waqfe ko bhi
tanha nahin chodte mujhe

sochta hoon
mere haal-o-harkat
alfaazon me baandhke
bhej doon tumhe ik khat me

mujhe pata hai
tum mujhse bandhi
lafzon ke gaant
khol nahin paaoge

mujhe pata hai...
tum bas mujhe phone karoge
aur udaas sa chehra banate hue kahoge
"Sweetie, you know I can't read Hindi"

par mujhe ye bhi pata hai,
ke tum apne fridge pe lagaake
yaa apne jeb me rakh-ke
is khat ko dekhoge
baar baar shab-o-roz;
aur chuu-chuu ke
is peeli si kaagaz ko
mera naam loge
aur muskuraaoge...

bas isi liye sahi,
sochta hoon
aaj tumhe ik khat likh doon
-----------------------------------
Like I said earlier,
Bezubaan bhi nahin, hamzubaan bhi nahin
guftagu kya kare tu yahaan bhi nahin!!