Sitambari Dopahar

Wo ek sitambari dopahar thi,

Khidki pe rakhi, subah ke

Chay ki tashtari mein,

Barish ka ek tukda kaid ho gaya tha.

Khidki meri mez ke sirhane thi,

Sirhane is liye, kyonki

Is mez pe maine ghanton

Sote guzare hain.

Aur hamesha meri koi na koi kitaab

Takiye ke kaam aayi hai.

Un purani seeli kitabon ki khusbu mein,

Chay ka zayka jaan padta hai.

Kisi panne se adrak, kisi se tulsi,

Kisi se kali mirch, to kisi se

Us bahut khaas-

‘black tea’ ki yaad aati hai.

Tez hawa mein fadfadate,

Meri khuli diary ke pannon ki awaz-

Us hare parde ki yaad dilate hain,

Jo us khidki pe tanga hota tha.

Hafton us seeli khidki ke samne,

Mez par kitabon ka takiya banaya hai.

Zukaam lag gaya hai,

Har cheenk ke baad, haath khud hi

Mez ki ‘table cloth’ ki or uth jata hai,

Jo kabhi wahan hota tha.

Fir darwaze ki ghanti baji-

“Kapde le lo sahib…”

“…. Char kameez, do pant…

… ek parda, ek table cloth…”

Us nayi dhuli sitambari dopahar ki tarah,

Tumhare ghar lautne ki khushi mein,

Maine sab kuch dhulwa diya hai.

Shikayat

Shaam wo aana nahi chahti thi,

Kehti thi, roz aate aate ukta gayi hoon,

Aaj to bas, chutti chahiye.

Lakh kosish aur zid ke baad bhi nahi mili.

Maare gusse ke bade dheeme nikli,

Aur der se pahunchi.

So coffee thande hone ki shikayat,

Mujh se na karo.

Der se main nahi,

Der se shyam aayi hai.

Shoonya

Shoonya antar ka,
Aaj mujh se bol pada.
Mujhe sunai diya zaroor,
Magar pehchana nahi.
Uski awaz kabhi suni jo nahi thi.
Aur sunta bhi kaise,
Main to janta hi na tha,
Ek shoonya mere antar mein basta hai.
Woh keh raha tha mujhse,
Apni us srot heen, kaal heen,
Gambheer awaz mein.
Apna astitwa mujhe raas nahi,
Apne is banjar, bezaar, khalipan se,
Mein ukta gaya hoon.
Mein ab khudkushi chahta hoon.

Meine kaha-
Tum agar shoonya ho to,
Khalipan to tumhara jeevan saar hai,
Tanhayee tumhari zindagi ke mayne hain,
Aur fir kya us khalipan mein ek shanti si nahi?
Fir tumhe shiqayat kaisi?

Hai, shiqayat hai,
Wo shanti nahi ek bhayanak cheekhta sannata hai,
Aur wo jeevan hi kya jise baantne wala koi nahin,
Wo zindagi hi kya jiski shuruat kisika khalipan ho,
Haan, tumhare andar ka wo anth heen khalipan-
Jise tum apne andar jakde fir rahe ho.
Mera janm tumhare isi khalipan se hua hai,
Aur janm ke pehle pal se hi mein,
Apne anth ki rah dekh raha hoon.

Khud ko zara tatolo,
Apne antar pe pahunch ke fir,
Apni wo jakdan todo,
Us anant, aseem, khalipan ko,
Mujh shoonya ko ,
Us ghont te cheekhte sannate se,
Mukt karo, azad karo.

Kaise karoon mein,
Kis tarah karoon mein?
Uljha sa, pareshan sa baitha tha mein.
Shoonya ne fir bola,
Magar uski awaz uski nahi thi.
Usne kaha-
Chup na baitho,
Mujh se baat karo.
Pareshan na baitho,
Mujh se baat karo.
Kuch na chupao,
Mujh se sari baat kaho.
Apni wo jakdan todo,
Sab kuch mujh se aaj kaho.

Fir kaha meine,
Ek ek kar sab kaha maine,
Khud nahi janta tha mein,
Ke apne antar mein,

Itna sab jakad rakha tha meine.
Wo sab tod tod kar,
Kaha meine.

Aur fir tumhari awaz suni
Jo kuch der pehle shoonya ki awaz thi.
Tumne sirf ek lavs kaha-
Shukriya.
Bas ek shabd kaha-
Shukriya.

Tum fir chali gayi,
Mera shoonya, tum
Ab chali gayi.
Mere antar mein ek,
Khud se bada shoonya chode,
Tum chali gayi.

Kaai

This was inspired by the moss (kaai) growing on the window frames of the place where I currently stay.Kaai

Ghar ka sab se purana kamra mera hai,
Us se ab umra ki mehek aati hai.
Kamre ki pichli deewar par barson ki seelan jaise theher gayi hai,
Kaai jam aayi hai us par.
Putaai ke peele par ab neele hare dhabbe ban gaye hain.
Apne kaam se hatke mera dhyan kuch der se,
Unhi bemaani lagte dhabbon par hai.

Yahan ek khargosh uchalta nazar ata tha,
To wahan hawa mein lehrata ek ped.
Ek kone mein ek hara sa Kashmir jaan padta tha,
Aur wahan farsh ke pas kuch oont jaisa chal raha tha.
Us seeli kai ne jaise apni saari kalpana,
Ghar ki us pichli deewar pe utaar di thi.

Kaai shayad ye sab na janti hogi,
Us se shayad ye sab anjaane me hua hoga.
Uska to kaam hi hai nami ka peecha karna,
Uske saath saath badhte rehna.
Par zara farz karo, ke wo sab jaanti hai,
Hum jaise wo bhi saans leti hai,
Hum jaise usme bhi jazbaat hain,
Wo bhi sochti, kalpana karti hai,
Ek nanhi bacchi ki tarah-
Masoom aur bejhijhak,
Apne mann ki kehti, apne mann ki karti hai.

Kitna maza ata hoga na,
Bedhadak apni kalpana ko manchaha roop de dena,
Bejhijhak apne antar ko yun sab ke samne rakh dena,
Bina kisi sharm, kisi dar ya kisi rok tok ke,
Apni zindagi sirf apni tarah jina.
Jaise ye duniya ek theatre hai,
Aur aap stage pe akele, apni hi dhun me mast,
Apni zindagi ka sabse behtareen kirdaar nibha rahe hon,
Khud me itne masroof ki taaliyan bhi na sunai den.
Saari duniya se anjaan bas khud mein gumm.

Kaash….
Main bhi us kaai jaisa hota,
Meri bhi ek seeli deewar hoti,
Aur us deewar pe ...
Meri kalpana ke bedhadak hare rang hote.

अब जल्द ही फुहारें आएँगी ....

It was an extremely hot Ahmedabadi summer day. I was chatting with a friend yearning for the first rains to come. And she typed- " जल्द ही फुहारें आएँगी ...." that started a flow of lines and this is what emerged. :)

अब जल्द ही फुहारें आएँगी ....

गगन श्याम हो जाएगा,
पवन तीव्र हो जाएगी,
मोर करेंगे नृत्य और,
सुगंध धरा से आएगी,
मेघनाद की गुँजन के बीच,
िकरणें भी िवलीन हो जाएंगी,
िफर माँ के गंगाजल की िछडकन जैसी,
चंचल शीतल बूँदें बरस जाएंगी

अब जल्द ही फुहारें आएँगी ....

“…aaj office mat jao.”

Chashme pe mere chay ki bhaap chadh gayi thi,
Sab dhundla dhundla sa dikhayi pad raha tha.
Itne mein pairon pe kuch mulyam sa, resham sa chua,
Chasmeke kaanch pounch ke dekha,
To tumhare paon razai ke bahar aa gaye the.

Kitne chote paon the tumhare,
Meri hatheli pe yun samajate the,
Jaise bacche apni maa ki god mein.
Ungliyan jaise talwon ke kinare moti jade hon.
Aur unpe tumhara man pasand kala nail polish.
Thand se gulaabi hue tumhare paon-
Yun lagta tha ki os bheege gulabon par chalke aye hon.


Hath me khali pyala liye,
Wahan bistar pe baithe baithe,
Apni hi duniya ki sair kar raha tha.
Os, moti, nail polish, gulaab…
Aur na jane kahan kahan gum tha.
Itna ki apne moonh ki taraf ate takiye ko bhi nahi dekha.
Garam rui ki chot aur kamre mein gunjti khil khilahat ne,
Mujhe wapas apne bistar pe khinch liya.
Mere tede chasme ko sidha karke,
Mere bal pure bigad diye.

Night suit ka collar pakde,
Mujhe apni taraf khinch liya,
Masti bhari aankho se mujhe dekhte hue kaha-
“Bada acha mausam hai, aaj office mat jao”