Jhele Jaa Rahe Hain

Khokhle shabdon se ek dhaacha taiyar kar,

Khud ko raahat dene ki ek saadharan si koshish,

Aur us koshish ki asaadharan niraasha,

Waqt ki syaahi me doobe kuch kisse,

Aur un khaate meethe kisson se uthti tees,

Kaagaz par gade kuch ghaav,

Aur unhe chupaane di hui chingari,

Sab zaruri, sab bemaani,

Naa phool ka ras, na saas ki garmi,

Naa sheet ki kampan, na khone ka dard,

Sab zaruri par sab bemaani,

Jaise kuch mehsoos hi naa hota ho,

Ek thela jo thelle jaa rahe hain,

Rumaani yaadon me jale jaa rahe hain,

Reet meet geet sab jaise arthviheen,

Arth dhoondhe ki bhi abhilasha jaise ab heen,

Vaani jaise rundhi si,

Gala jaise daba sa,

Saans lene me takleef,

Har lafz ruaansa,

Girte padte din badlate raaton me,

Aur raatein badalti dinon mein,

Thele jo thele jaa rahe hain,

Saansein bas phookon se sulgaaye jaa rahe hain,

Yeh pehle bhi kai baar hua hai,

Ab shaayd aadat ho gayi hai,

Ya shaayd taakat nahi bachi aur ladne ki,

Shaayad fitrat hi hai,

Kismet nahi kahunga, uspar bharosa nahi,

Naa hi kisi but mein,

Bas thele hain, jo thele jaa rahe hain,

Zindagi hai, jo jhele jaa rahe hain…

Meri Aatma Ka Mool

Meri aatma ka mool bolo kitna lagaoge,

Ab wo baazaaroo si jaan padti hai,

Dekha tha us roz boli lagte huye,

Toh socha tumhi se pooch lun ki kitna bhaav lagaoge,

Icha jaagi pata toh Karun, aatmaaein aakhir bikti hain toh kitne me,

Meri aatma ka mool kya hai?

Kya tum mujhe batlaoge?

Kya tum sach much iski boli lagaoge?

Bhaav bata hi rahe ho toh mere zameer ka bhi bata dena,

Mere rakht ka, mere ashroon ka bhi batla dena,

Me bhi toh jaanu ki zarurat me jab kuch bechna ho,

Toh kaunsa purza bechun,

Boli lagana tum tab, mujhe zarurat hogi,

Bik jaane ki jab meri koshish hogi,

Ho sake toh yeh bhi samjhaana, yeh purze kahaan jaate hain,

Kahaan aur kiske yahaan istemaal kiye jaate hain,

Jaanna zaruri toh nahi,

Man bas tassali karna chahta hai,

Aur jab sab bik chuka ho toh is man ka bhi bhaav batla dena,

Kuch iske badle bhi milega naa?

Tum mere purzon ka sahi mol laga lena,

Hisaab ka thoda kacha hun naa,

Tum hi sahi mol laga lena…

She wasn’t an Angel

There were angels on her wings,

Though she wasn’t an angel,

She was just human,

Plain, ordinary, nothing exquisite,

And there was where she was beautiful,

Her hopes, dreams, failures, pain,

She was so simple and there was where she was an enigma,

Dew drops in winter couldn’t touch her makeup less beauty,

Rose petals would be inadequate to describe her lips,

And nothing could compare with her honest smile,

Especially when she was in pain,

And smiled just so that people around her, even her trusted ones wouldn’t feel pained about it,

She would tell them later because they deserved to know and now wasn’t the time,

She was beautiful that way,

Civilisation couldn’t corrupt her,

Couldn’t dare to touch her,

She wouldn’t let it happen,

She was fresh that way,

Beautiful that way,

She was pretty, now I realise,

I just never was able to look past her beauty,

Others never looked past her prettiness,

Maybe some did, but lost their way,

She was that pretty!

And she took all that pain with a grace, only angels are capable of,

But she wasn’t an angel, just human,

She made you realise all that was beautiful and ugly about being human at the same time,

And she was beautiful that way,

She held everything by her stare,

And she could dip her eyes and turn your world upside down,

But she never did that,

She was beautiful that way...

She was pretty and beautiful, but human,

She was incredible that way,

Though she wasn’t an angel, she was an angel that way…

The Rose

You are the rose, carefully tended,

Am a lotus, born out of mud,

You ornate the wealthy duke’s mistress gardens,

I grow in the muddy pond behind the poor gardener’s shed.

You are the pride of Eleanor’s garden and gardener,

I float among toads, twigs and other dried up things,

You revel in praises carried from powdered lips,

I float among toads, twigs and other dried up things.

Each night, when the wild wind ruffles your velvet petals,

And you look across the grass under the starry sky,

I see you looking at me, and the gardener’s children,

Splashing in the pond side by side.

You long for the rough hands that caress my mud coated petals,

The soft gasp of a child’s wonder,

I see you and I see your pain,

No innocent, rough faced children are allowed inside the grounds.

So you go to sleep weary eyed,

Preparing for the pretentious day to come by,

I see you and smile inside,

I float among toads, twigs and other innocent things.

The Phoenix

Pulsating thoughts burning asunder,

Of gluttony, loot and plunder,

From the ashes a phoenix shall rise,

In a dark cavern of the mind; burn bright.

And the water shall try to run overboard,

Extinguish the flame before it is born,

As the wetness slowly creeps to the lump,

She shall raise her head, spread her wings.

Behold her in all her glory, as she takes flight,

Eradicating the numbness inside,

The water boils in her stead,

Once a foe turned to precious guide.

As the cavern cracks under rising steam,

She escapes through the fissured dream…

She escapes through the fissured dream.