Fias Meae Vitam

If I could sit up,
with my favorite book,
by that dense, shady tree
a leisure, mea life, thou art be.

If I could hum that favorite tune,
as the river flows in rythm,
with birds to hum along and birds to see,
a pleasure, mea life, thou art be.

If I could love,
with bounds untested and unknown,
without a care and just be free,
a romance, mea life, thou art be.

If I could travel,
absorbing the magnificence,
of high mountains and many-a-deep sea,
a journey, mea life, thou art be.

If I could taste,
the different sugars and distinct spices,
that sweeten and sting, much like thee,
a delicacy, mea life, thou art be.

If I could live,
with tears more of joy than of sorrow,
with smiles not attached to the fulfillment of a plea,
mea life, well live, thou art be.

Khwaab Kuchch Khamosh Se

इन बादलों की पनघट ने
छींट चंद बरसाए तो थे
आखों पे थिरक कर वो
आंसू बन आये तो थे ।

हंसी को तलाशते ये आसूं
बेह रहे  मदहोश-से हैं
ज़िन्दगी को छोड़ ज़िन्दगी की आस में
मेरे ख्वाब कुछ खामोश-से हैं ।

चलता हूँ जिस रास्ते पर हर पहर
उस पर आज भी खडा हूँ
जाना कहाँ है ये पता है
फिर भी ज़िद पर अड़ा हूँ ।

ज़िद है तो हवाओं का रुख बदलकर
बादबानों में जोश भरने की
जिद है तो बुलंद उम्मीदों से
अपने ख्वाबों में शब्द भरने की ।

ये ख्वाब ही तो हैं
जो खामोशियों को ललकारते  हैं
ये ख्वाब  ही तो हैं
जो कल को पुकारते  हैं ।

उस कल के रास्ते पर
कई रंजिशों से जूझना अभी बाकी है
उन खामोश ख्वाबों से
कई सवाल पूछने अभी बाकी हैं

The People.

It is time again to work those creative juices in my head. However, this is not something I need to imagine. This one is about re-stating a fact; this one is about noticing one of the most important ingredients of my life. This one is about the PEOPLE around me. 

From the time I was born, to this very second, I have been surrounded by people - either in person, or in my thoughts. People have loved me, people have inspired me, motivated me; people might have even loathed me, hated me and I have reciprocated these feelings to the best of my abilities. It all dawns to one simple realization - out of all my emotions (positive or negative), all my memories (good or bad) - there are none that I associate with myself. They all go back and link themselves to the people who have been a part of my life. Come to think of it, I never see myself in any of my memories or dreams, all I see are the people. They have been and continue to be the driving forces behind the story of my life. 

My happiness is centered around my family and my friends. Whenever I think about long vacations in the lovely Edens of this world, all I am craving for is some personal time with the people I love and care about. I feel low when I do not have them around, and I miss them. Sharing a few laughs (sometimes more than a few) with some wonderful friends tunes up my day in the correct rhythm. Recently, a friend asked me as to why I cared going out for a movie that I wasn't enthusiastic about at the first place. I only smiled in return, but here is the real answer to that question- I figure that even bad situations, even the worst of them can be laughed at and made pleasant if you are in the right company and even a good situation is hardly enjoyable alone. This does not mean that I do not need time alone, for reading a favorite book or going for a walk. But I realize that I have me for life, so carving out that time should never be an issue. 

When I grow old, and if I am lucky enough to look back and say that I have indeed lived a good life, it would surely mean that I had the right people to share it with. I would like end with a few lines inspired from the same thoughts :

आओ हम चलें,
किसी का हाथ थाम लें,
किसी को दें  खुशियाँ,
किसी का ग़म बाँट लें ।

जो हंस दिए अकेले,
तो कौन सुन वो पाएगा ?
दुःख के भंवर से फिर,
भला कौन हमें बचाएगा ?

ज़िन्दगी अगर है कहानी,
तो होगा आरम्भ और अंत भी,
आएँगे कई पात्र इसमें,
बनेंगे किस्से अनंत भी ।

इन किस्सों से चंद लम्हें,
हम उधार लें,
किसी को दें खुशियाँ,
किसी का ग़म बात लें।

Starring Me

If I ask you to find one thing, just ONE, which we as the homo-sapiens race have enjoyed, do enjoy and will continue enjoying till eternity, what will it be? Something that has evolved with times as we have, is unique and can only be created, used and understood by us?  I was pondering over this very thought, whilst keeping my novel aside and preparing to sleep. Just before I turned my light switch off, it struck me. I took a good look back at my novel. The answer comfortably sat there on the table - Stories ! Yes, we enjoy stories, all of us, albeit in different forms and formats - some enjoy reading them, others enjoy watching them as movies and there are still others who would turn an ear to any piece of gossip, which is again - yes, a story.

So I wondered, why is it so? What is so special about stories? Why are we so interested in them? This time however, I did not have to look around much. This time, I just stared at the mirror. I was looking at myself - the one person who I think about the most, and will possibly think about the most in my lifetime is me. My life too, is a story, as is yours and I play the lead in mine, as you do in yours. I am the eternal central character of my life story, destined to do something worth mentioning, if not great. The plot unravels around me, you see my world as I see and tell. When I was born, I became a part of some life stories, and my first chapter began. When I made friends, when I fell in love, their life stories got linked to mine and mine to theirs. And when I marry, I will share my life story with my wife, and the cycle goes on, or if I may, the story goes on. In the process, I get inspired by life-stories of others, real or fictional, and at the last chapter of my life story, I hope to leave behind something that inspires others. The 'me' in 'my' story will remain constant, and I conclude that all I do should be directed towards one objective - to make my story worth reading. 

ये कहाँ आ गए हम?

आगे बढ़ते बढ़ते ,
कुछ पीछे छोड़ आये,
ये कहाँ आ गए हम?

पन्नों  को पलटते,
जो कहानी भूल आए,
ये कहाँ आ गए हम?

रास्तों से लड़ते,
जो मंजिल खो आए,
ये कहाँ आ गए हम?

दूसरों से मिलते हुए,
खुद का हाथ छोड़ आये.
ये कहाँ आ गए हम?

एक दुनिया

कुछ रंगीन धागों से बुनी
एक दुनिया मेरी भी है


कुछ हसीं यादों से जुडी 
एक दुनिया मेरी भी है


कुछ अनदेखे पलों के इंतज़ार में
एक दुनिया मेरी भी है


कुछ लम्हों के बाज़ार में 
एक दुनिया मेरी भी है


कुछ सच्चाइयों से जूझती 
एक दुनिया मेरी भी है


कुछ सवालों को पूछती 
एक दुनिया मेरी भी है


कुछ लोगों से जुड़ी 
एक दुनिया मेरी भी है


कुछ राहों से मुड़ी
एक दुनिया मेरी भी है


कुछ अंधेरों के बोझ में 
एक दुनिया मेरी भी है


कुछ उजालों की खोज में 
एक दुनिया मेरी भी है

दौड़

ज़िन्दगी की दौड़ में
भागते रहो तो क्यों?
ये भला कि वो बुरा
सोचते रहो तो क्यों?


इस असीम दौड़ की
रेखा तुम्हे क्या दिख रही?
या तुम्हारे माथे पर
चिंता है कुछ लिख रही?


क्या दो पल रुकने से
दिल सेहेम सा जाता है?
या की खुद से मिलने से 
मन तुम्हारा घबराता है?


दिल की सुनो तो कुछ सिक्के 
तुम भी खो जाओगे
मन की व्यथा में झाँक कर 
भी भला क्या पाओगे?


ये दौड़ है
कुछ अजीब सी
इसमें जीत भी
कुछ गरीब सी


कुछ पाने पर भी
बहुत पीछे छूट जाएगा
घडा है बना तो मिट्टी का
आखिर ये टूट जाएगा 


ज़िन्दगी की दौड़ में
भागते रहो तो क्यों?
ये भला कि वो बुरा
सोचते रहो तो क्यों?