An ode to our Saviours....

An Ode to our Saviours

This world,

This beautiful world,

Floats in a pain,

Thousands of pains,

And it never rains,

It’s just a rotten desert,

Happiness never falls,

Just darkness crawls

There’s you,

Like those saviours few,

You make us laugh,

Just laugh, laugh, laugh

So, we cough

Just cough, cough, cough

Cough out the burn,

And everything that hurts,

We jump,

We clap,

And Snap… the moment’s gone

But a smile,

An everlasting smile,

That stays,

And dismays,

The darkness that crawls,

The happiness falls,

As the curtain draws,

A saviour withdraws,

From the stage

No, you’ll stay,

In that random smile,

Of those reminded jokes,

As all this while

You prepare your next attack

To lighten up the world

To brighten up the world

With the laughter you bring,

And then we sing

‘An Ode to our Saviours’  

*wrote this for the stand up comedians*

We’ll live forever and never die...

Do you love me today?

Then hold my hand,

And come with me,

We’ll sit by the sun,

Staring into each other’s eyes,

We’ll erase all the lies,

Writing our own truth,

You see this world,

It’s not the one made for us,

We’ll run away,

We’ll hide,

Don’t worry, I’ll be by your side,

I’ll be there,

Maybe forever,

Keeping together,

Whatever,

We have left,

But trust me,

It’ll be enough,

As we’ll sit by the sun,

Watching the world float by,

And then in the night we'll look at the stars,

Shining for us in the dark sky, 

We can be like earth and moon, 

We’ll live forever and never die…

The girl I eventually fell in love with...

She was a girl who felt confident about herself, instead of craving for others' validations. Someone I'd eventually fall in love with.

Her skin was a few shades lighter, and her slender fingers gripped objects as if they belonged to her. Maybe, the world belonged to her, and I was just playing the role of being a part of that world.

At times, she used to phase out and stared into the empty spaces beyond us as we laughed at her. She searched for someone to call her own while glancing at her own hazy thoughts; I wanted to read those thoughts, and fill those empty spaces. Even though I never got a chance to do any of it, the twinkle of those eyes remained with me, in my memories. 

Whenever we met, I always noticed her bright eyes. They were full of dreams, and I wanted to fulfill them all.  I remember, I always talked a little less whenever she was around, sometimes just to make sure I don’t make a fool of myself but mostly I’d be guessing her thoughts about that passing moment. I always wondered if she ever thought about me. Maybe she did, but not like the way I wanted her to.

We spent a few evenings together, including some moments of privacy, but those were the most difficult for me. I always thought of the things I’d tell her, lines I could quote to impress her, only to be intimidated by her nonchalance as she wasn’t the one to be impressed. She wasn’t like all those girl I’ve met, she was one of her own kind.

She was the girl I eventually fell in love with. 

I saw her walking away...

I saw you,

I saw you walking away,

Into the stillness of a rainy night,

Into the darkness of the blinding light...

And you see,

You see I wanted to hold you,

In my eyes, in my dreams, in my arms,

But all I could do was muster a simple goodbye...

On a night,

Where you sat smiling,

And I sat wondering,

I wondered about the world,

And about a shiny star,

I wondered about all those closed doors,

And the one left ajar,

I wondered about us,

And a perfect world somewhere far…

But then I saw you,

I saw you walking away,

From me, from all my thoughts,

Beyond the boundaries I can’t cross,

Beyond the boundaries better left uncrossed…

Swaagat hai aapka mere sheher mein...

स्वागत है आपका मेरे शहर में, 
एक अनजाने एक अनचाहे कहर में, 
रात के आँचल में आज तारों को जलता देखेंगे, 
आज इन सुनसान सड़कों पर लाल लहू उबलता देखेंगे 
स्वागत है आपका मेरे शहर में 
बर्बादी की नाव को ढकेलती तूफानों की इस लहर में

एक ज़हर यहाँ रगों में मौजूद है, 
खुदा का न अब नामों निशाँ न वजूद है, 
लिए तलवार शैतान हज़ार बैठे हैं अब, 
स्वागत है आपका मेरे शहर में, जहां 
इंसानियत की इज्ज़त लूटने तैयार बैठे हैं सब 

काली रातों की यह दास्तान है, 
लाल सुबहों में तब्दील होकर दम लेगी, 
कटी ज़ुबानों से सुनी यह दास्तान है, 
आज न जाने कितनी माओं के दिलो पर ज़ख़्म देगी, 

स्वागत है आपका मेरे शहर में
जहाँ कभी आसुओं से भरी मुर्दा आँखें अब बस बेबस सुखी पड़ी हैं, 
स्वागत है आपका मेरे शहर में
यहाँ की ज़मीनें न जाने कितनी सदियों से लाशों की भूखी पड़ी  हैं, 

गलियों में आज कुत्ते मिमियाते हैं, 
तारे आँख मीचे हुए हैं, 
जो शैतानों का ये कहर आज वो भी न देख पाते हैं, 
आज की रात राख में तब्दील होना ही आखरी मकाम है, 
स्वागत है आपका मेरे शहर में, 
जहाँ एक मनहूस मौत ही आपका आखरी अंजाम है

Swaagat hai aapka mere sheher mein,
ek anjaane ek anchaahe keher mein, 
raat ke aanchal mein aaj taaron ko jalta dekhenge,
aaj inn sunsaan sadkon par laal lahoo ubalta dekhenge,
swaagat hai aapka mere sheher mein, 
barbaadi ki naav ko dhakelti toofaanon ki iss leher mein 

ek zeher yahaan ragon mein maujood hai,
khuda ka na ab naamon nishaan na wajood hai,
liye talwaar shaitaan hazaar baithe hain ab, 
swaagat hai aapka mere sheher mein, jahan
insaaniyat ki izzat lootne tayaar baithe hain sab 

kaali raaton ki yeh dastaan hai, 
laal subahon mein tabdeel hokar dam legi, 
kati zubaanon se suni yeh dastaan hai, 
aaj na jaane kitni maaon ke dilon ko zakhm degi 

swaagat hai aapka mere sheher mein, 
jahaan kabhi aansuon se bhari murda aankhein ab bas bebas sookhi padi hain,
swaagat hai aapka mere sheher mein, 
yahaan ki zameenein na jaane kitni sadiyon se laashon ki bhookhi padi hain

Galiyon mein aaj kutte mimiyaate hain, 
taare aankh meeche hue hain, 
jo shaitaanon ka ye keher aaj woh bhi na dekh paate hain, 
aaj ki raat rakh mein tabdeen hona hi aakhri mukaam hai, 
swaagat hai aapka mere sheher mein, 
jahaan ek manhoos maut hi aapka aakhri anjaam hai...

Ek Akeli Chappal...

एक अकेली चप्पल, 
मुझसे अपने घर का पता पूछती है, 
और मैं चुप चाप सा, 
उसे देखता जाता हूँ, 
खुद को इलाहाबाद स्टेशन के, 
उस प्लेटफार्म पर खड़ा पता हूँ, 
जहाँ वह एक अकेली चप्पल, 
मुझसे अपने घर का पता पूछती है...

पूछती है मुझसे उस पाँव का पता, 
जो उसे पहन नए जहान घूम आते थे, 
जो यादों के निशाँ पीछे कहीं छोड़ जाते थे, 
वह पाँव फिर कुछ निशाँ छोड़ गया है, 
खून के उस चप्पल पर, 
और वह एक अकेली चप्पल मुझसे पूछती है, 
की कौन मिटाएगा वह निशाँ ...

पूछती है मुझसे उसका पता, 
जो यूँ तो भगवान कहलाता है, 
पूछती है मुझसे फिर क्यों, 
वह खुद ही बेक़सूर इंसानों को निगल जाता है, 
मैं क्या जवाब दूँ उसे, 
मैं खुद इन्ही ख्यालों से घिरा हूँ, 
मैं क्या जवाब दूँ उसे, 
जो मैं खुद इन्ही सवालों के बीच मुंह झुकाए खड़ा हूँ ...

एक अकेली चप्पल, 
आज खून का संगम देख चुप चाप आंसू बहाती है, 
किसी की लाल जमुना से किसी और की लाल गंगा, 
मिली थी उस दिन, 
जिस दिन से पाँव की तलाश में, 
वह एक अकेली चप्पल इस अजनबी ठण्ड में कंपकंपाती है, 
और मुझ जैसे नादान मुसाफिरों से, 
उस एक पाँव का पता पूछे चली जाती है ...

एक अकेली चप्पल,
आज फिर उसी सवाल की आड़ में, 
दो आँसू और बहा जाती है ...

ek akeli chappal, 
mujhse apne ghar ka pata poochti hai,
aur main chup chaap sa,
use dekhta jaata hun, 
khud ko alahabad station ke, 
us platform par khada paata hun, 
jahaan wah ek akeli chappal, 
mujhse apne ghar ka pataa poochti hai...

Poochti hai mujhse uss paanv ka pataa,
jo use pehen naye jahaan ghoom aate the, 
jo yaadon ke nishaan peeche kahin chod jaate the,
vah paanv fir kuch nishaan chod gaya hai, 
khun ke uss chappal par, 
aur wah ek akeli chappal mujhse poochti hai, 
ki kaun mitayega wah nishaan 

poochti hai mujhse uska pata,
jo yun to bhagwaan kehlaata hai, 
poochti hai mujhse fir kyon, 
wah khud hi bekasoor insaanon ko nigal jaata hai,
main kya jawaab dun use,
main khud inhi khayaalon se ghira hun, 
main kya jawaab dun use,
jo main khud inhi sawaalon ke beech munh jhukaaye khada hun...

ek akeli chappal, 
aaj khoon ka sangam dekh chup chaap aansoo bahaati hai, 
kisi ki laal yamuna se kisi aur ki laal ganga, 
mili thi uss din, 
jis din se paanv ki talaash mein, 
wah ek akeli chappal iss ajnabi thand mein kanpkanpati hai,
aur mujh jaise nadaan musaafiron se, 
uss ek paanv ka pataa pooche chali jaati hai...

ek akeli chappal, '
aaj fir usi sawaal ki aad mein, 
do aansoo aur bahaa jaati hai...

Take my dreams, and give me your nightmares few...

Come,

Sit next to me,

And tell me your story

Yes,

I’m here by your side,

Yes, he said the same I know he lied

No,

I won’t, you won’t be alone this time

Here, take my hand, knot your fingers through mine

But,

Still if it makes you happy, and makes you smile,

I’ll sit beside you, and listen to you all this while

So,

Just be with me, we’ll walk slow,

Yes, I too felt the same once I think you know

And see,

A bunch of flowers, a box full of sunshine for you,

Here take my dreams, and give me your nightmares few…

Tired of being heartbroken...

Tired of being heartbroken,

Let me mend your heart,

Here’s to a new start…

Tired of crying those tears,

Here, some smiles for you,

See I got you a morning new…

Tired of these lonely nights,

I got some sunshine today,

These golden beams are here to stay…

Tired of seeing those nightmares,

Can I share my dreams with you?

And fulfill some of your wishes too…

Tired of being alone today,

So just take my hand,

And we’ll slip through the fingers of darkness,

Like those specks of sand...

So darling, 

you won’t be tired of being heartbroken now,

Don’t worry, I’ll mend it for you somehow…

Dilli ke doston (tum milo toh sahi)...

दिल्ली के इस हसीं मौसम में,
तुम मिलो तो सही,
कुछ यादें कुछ मुस्कुराहटें ढूँढेंगे

इस शहर की संकरी गलियां,
और उससे भी संकरे दिल,
उन्ही दिलों के बीच बाकी बची एक रंगीन महफ़िल ढूंढेंगे

दरियागंज की उन पुरानी किताबों,
के पीले पड़े पन्नों पर किसी की उँगलियों के निशाँ के बीच,
एक यूँहीं गिरी आंसू की बूँद में बसी किसी की याद ढूंढेंगे

पर तुम मिलो तो सही,

पूनम की रात,
सुनहरे जगमगाते लाल  किले की,
दीवारों पर रंगी लाली लूटेंगे

चांदनी चौक की चमक में,
खो जायेंगे फिर हम दोनों,
और फिर उस रात के किस्से हमारी यादों से कभी न छूटेंगे

कमला मार्किट में,
सन्डे की सुबह मैगी नूडल्स के बीच,
बाकी बची फिर थोड़ी ज़िन्दगी ढूंढेंगे

ऐ दोस्त,
बस तुम मिलो तो सही...

I squinted into the dazzling sun...

I squinted into the dazzling sun,

It wasn’t just another Sunday,

‘cause it didn’t seem like a bit of fun

I shivered in the wintry chill,

It wasn’t just another me,

But someone who wanted to go for the kill

Last night, I dreamt another dream,

It wasn’t just a set of same old strangeness,

Now, something in me wanted to run, wanted to scream

I felt like living a new life,

It wasn’t just another sensation,

Someone had sliced off my skin with the help of a sharp knife

The pain was there,

While I smiled too,

The dream was still fresh,

But this time I carried a determination new

I squinted into the dazzling sun,

And the life was still wintry,

But I knew I was going to have some fun…

I want that Lone Star !!!

I see a shining star,

It’s quite far,

But I don’t care,

I want it here

Near me,

I want it to be

Hey, lone star,

Why are you so far?

The star in the sky,

It looks down to me,

And frowns,

Uses some nouns,

Then some verbs,

Then both,

Mixing them like herbs,

Herbs that leave a bad taste,

When someone sprinkle them,

On your pizza in haste

Don’t you hate that man?

Feeling like murdering them,

Baking such a plan

I too hate that lone star,

Because it's so far...

I see the lone star,

Shining above the street light,

And nothing else is in sight,

Just few dogs walking around,

Protecting the world,

When everyone sleeps,

When a child weeps,

Only to wake up the mother,

Who thinks to herself,

“Ok, this is the last time,

I don’t want another.”

But she will want one,

Just like that lone star,

Just like the night wants,

Few stars more,

And keep producing them,

From its womb,

She asks me to choose any,

There are many,

But I want my lone star,

Oh lord, why is it so far?