What if you said sorry

What if you said sorry?

The days would still be burning,
Heat in the sun, dryness in the air,

The sky would still be as vast,

The nights still dark,
Long and lonely,
But that’s not the point.

What if you said sorry?

The tasks would still be as mundane,
Dreary and devoid of purpose,
‘Those’ people would still be as ruthless,
Opportunistic and manipulative,
But that’s not the point.

What if you said sorry? 

The life would still be a challenge,
Broken dreams and yet full of expectations,
The unknown pain-Of what, for what?
Remaining an elusive search.

What if you said sorry?

I would still long those moments,
Which would’ve been,
The teasing and inviting smile of yours,
The longing comfort of your bosom,
Melting away all worries,
Of present and future.

If you said sorry,

The world would still remain the same, 

But not for me,
Things would appear for a purpose,
All designed perfectly to be in order.

If and only if you said sorry,

This indescribable anguish, the pinch,
This directionless hurt and complaint,
Which is just there,
Would go,
And you would appear,
Even more beautiful to me.

If you said sorry,

I wouldn’t hear anything - Your repentance, my vengeance,
It would tell me, 
That you are, and you care,
There would be tears in my eyes -Looking intensely into yours,
And it would tell you,
You don’t know how much I……?
That we are here,
To be together,To love,
And live happily ever.

बेबसी

बेबसी ये कि चलना ही है,

न सफर का मकसद, न मंजिल की खबर,

एक बेकसी सी है, न जाने कैसी,

खुदी के तलाश की, या हसरत तेरे साथ के सुकून की?

मादकता

सुखकारी प्रणय की मादकता,

मय के प्यालों से कैद नहीं,

फिजां में बिखरी है इसकी खुशबू हर सूं,

रूह की खलव्तों में इसे महसूस करो |

I am a girl

The real perception is to look at the whole,
Would the garden be as wholesome,
If all the flowers were of the same color?
And would it even be worth looking,
If those were not allowed to flower in their gay abandon?
Tell me!
Would it be a rainbow but only for all the colors?

And when it has rained,
And the thirst of scorching earth has been quenched,
Standing on the drenched earth,
Swelling its contented scent,
Watch the picture,
Which all colors,
Together in their playful intercourse,
Paint on the horizon.

It requires patience of mind and fullness of heart,
To look at the sensuousness, cuteness and charm
Of the things of beauty.

I am not that body part,
I am not even the sum of the body parts,
See! It is the individual in that skeleton,
Who fills it with a life.

I am a sentient being, just like you!
With those same frailties and strengths,
Those same desires and passions.

I also want to explore the world,
To know myself, my own body
And you!

Let me blossom and bloom,
I am a girl,
Don’t scare me,
Talk to me and understand,
I want to walk with you.

मैंने तुमको देखा

मैंने तुमको देखा,
देख के कुछ हुआ,
क्या हुआ, कैसे हुआ,
जानने की जरूरत नहीं,
क्यूंकि मुझे भी नहीं पता|

तुम cute हो,
स्टाइल भी मार लेती हो ठीक ठाक,
इसलिए तुम्हारा मुझे hot लगना,
कोई rare event नहीं था|

But, था तो ये एक accident ही,
सच बताओ, क्या मेरे सिवा,
किसी और ने कभी लाइन मारी है तुम्हें?
मुझे क्या पता था,
आगे मेरी लगनी वाली है,
खैर सुनो! कैसे लगी|

लव चरित मानस के अध्यायों की भांति,
मै chapter by chapter,
Standard mistakes करता गया,
मेरा तुम्हें coffee पे invitation देने के पहले ही,
तुमने उसे pre-empt करते हुए,
Summarily reject कर दिया|

Corridor से गुजरते हुए जब मैंने
नज़रें ऊपर उठा के, तुम्हारा दीदार किया,
तो मुझे वैसे सुकून की अनुभूति हुई,
मानो India को UNSC की permanent membership मिल गयी हो|

किसी न किसी बहाने से,
I came to your seat,
पर तुमने 'I am busy' & 'What do you want?' जैसे bouncer,
दनादन मुझपे throw kar diye|

मैंने सोचा ठीक है चलो,
तुम्हें boys के साथ date करना पसंद नहीं,
तुम शालीन, सुल्ल्जिनी, girls only के साथ hangout करने वाली,
Simple girl होगी |

परन्तु जब मैंने उस दिन काल वर्णी, fatty dude के साथ तुम्हें देखा,
तो मुझे समझ में आ गया कि तुम,
stock market की वो equity share हो,
जिसके movements को predict करना,
मुश्किल ही नहीं, नामुमकिन है|

Hottie (No, No, you are not so much)
Dear (Hmm, what have you done to be so?)
Miss (Haan, this is ok), अपनी हरकतों से तुमने मुझे इतना आतंकित कर दिया है,
कि तुम्हारे बारे में सोचते ही दिल में टन टना टन की जगह,
दन दनादन होने लगी है|

मैंने सोचा कि कुछ नहीं - ये तुम्हारी अदा होगी,
दिल ही दिल में तुम भी मुझ पे फ़िदा होगी,
और मन में ऐसा विश्वास लेकर,
Numerology के हिसाब से,
अपने और तुम्हारे birth dates को match करके Fit होने वाले दिन,
मैंने तुम्हें ये बोल डाला,
हाँ, वोही - Oldish, Creepish, Cliche sentence,
जिसका भावार्थ था – प्रिये मै तुम्हारे स्नेह एवं सौंदर्य की छाँव में,
अपने जीवन की Mattress बिछाना चाहता हूँ|

लेकिन करुणा, आर्द्रता, सहिष्णुता, स्नेह व प्रेम जैसे भाव,
तुम्हारे हृदय पटल से उतने ही दूर हैं,
जितना की Islamic Republic of Pakistan से Democracy,
और इसीलिए तुमने मेरा प्रेम प्रवाच सुनकर मेरी ऐसी धुलाई की,
कि आज भी तुम्हारे कर्कश शब्दों की non-stop firing,
मेरे दिल-ओ-दिमाग के borderless territory में होती है|

अब क्या ही कहूं? और कैसे कहूं?
करूँ भी तो क्या?
तुम्हें भुला पाना आसान नहीं और तुम्हें पाना,
Dawood Ibrahim को India लाने जैसा है|

मेरा क्या होगा dear - I don't have any clue,
लगता तो ऐसा है कि I am screwed and gone,
But when I think with my cool head,
I see it and
See it clearly,
कि आने वाले समय का होने वाला ये नारा है,
Sweeto! कटा मेरा नहीं, कटा तुम्हारा है|

I Wish

I wish I didn’t wish so much,
To be is to wish,
To wish is to be expectant,
And,
When expectations are easily realized?

I think if wishes were horses,
They could run afar and,
Fetch us the things desired,
But then, this also is a wish!

How difficult it is not to wish,
To wish is to be driven - to be moving and successful,
It is fear of stagnation - of being left behind,
Which makes us wish,
Not to wish is frightening - it isolates you.

There are hindrances aplenty in fulfillment of the wishes,
Yet, how vicious is the working of the wish,
That we still wish!

The Journey

The goal in sight,
I was moving steadfastly,
oblivious of the immensity & light of beauty around,
Many a trips undertaken, the time gone by,
Now I realize,
The journey itself was the destination.