Never-Ending Story...

Remember when we used to go out in the rain,

And feel each other’s pain,

Remember when we used to go out in the sunshine,

Holding hands, keeping each other sane

Remember when we used to go out on those moonless nights,

And I used to find my soothing moonlight in your finger’s touch,

Remember when we used to roam in the autumn time,

When we loved each other so much 

Remember when you used to smile while dancing in the rain,

And I used to stare at you,

Remember when you used to lie down in the pleasant sunshine,

While every day I dreamt dreams new,

Remember when you used to count the stars on those moonless nights,

And I found mine sitting on the stairs,

Remember when we used to meet me during the autumn time, 

Making love in the isolated corners of country fairs

Remember when I tried to hide my tears in the rain,

And you smiled at me after years,

Remember when I stood next to you in that fortunate wintery sunshine,

While that nearness allayed my fears,

Remember when I stood under your window on those moonless nights,

And our love lost all its glory

Remember when I waited for you during the leafless autumn time,

Realizing unlike what you said, our love wasn’t a never-ending story.

Bachelor Ka Kamra

Kisi kone mein pada guitar,

Ek kone mein pade earphones bekar,

Kapdon ka kuch pata nahin,

Bistar se geela tauliya, na jaane kabse hata nahin

Khidki par ek parda hai,

Chupane ke liye toote seeshe

Bed per ek sundar si chaadar bicha rakhi hai,

Chupane ke liye coffee ke purane daag

Diwaron par makdiyon ka jaise

Ek sheher bana hua hai,

Wahin bathroom ke kone mein maujood washbasin,

Na jaane kabse dhool se sana hua hai,

Wohi dhool jo jooton se kabhi utri thi,

Jab football khel kar waapas aaye the,

Woh maile joote aaj bhi, darwaze ke nazdeek pade

Roz Lakshmi ji ko door se namaskar karte hain

Kehta hai, 

"Ma na jaane kitne mahino se aayi nahin,

Jab aayengi toh unhi se sab saaf karaunga,

Abhi se kya kisi naukarani ko laga,

Befaltu mein hazaar paanchso main nahin udaunga"

Issi soch mein Pappu hamara,

Apne ghar ka ujjwal sitaara,

Har hafte unn bache rupiyon ka

Ek pizza khaata hai

Aur pizza ke bakse,

Wahin bistar ke neeche chupaata hai

"Arrey sardiyon mein kaam aate hain,

Woh bakse"

Apna koi ajeeb sa logic fir humein samjhaata hai,

Aur kharaab pade heater ki oor ishara kar bolta hai pappu,

Ki inhi bakso ko jalaakar hi toh woh thand ko duur bhagata hai

“Dustbin?” Arrey dekhiye yahin kahin pada hoga,

Na jaane kahin kisi kone mein ada hoga,

Istemaal nahin kiya, uth ke dusre kamre mein jaana padta hai,

Par kya karein, laptop se uth kar wahan tak jaana usse khoob akharta hai

Lekin Pappu hamara bachelor bada sayana hai,

Kehta hai, real zindagi mein safaai ka kya fayda

Bhaiya, Ab toh virtual zindagi ka dekho zamaana hai 

Nisha, shayad yehi naam tha uska…

Baat kuch saal pehle,

Garmiyon ki hai

Jab bijli har roz chali jaati thi,

Aur roz raat chhat par fir hawa khane

Woh aati thi …

Main aur mera dost,

Har raat wahin chhat par baith

Usse dekha karte the,

Woh kya kehte hain,

Haan, aankhein seka karte the …

Mehrooni rang ki salwar,

Toh kabhi firozi rang ka kurta,

Kabhi jeans mein toh kabhi pajaame mein

Woh apni dost ko lekar chhat par aati thi,

Thoda aasmaan mein roshan chand ko niharti,

Thoda humein dekh muskurati thi …

Hum bhi kahaan shareef the,

Plan naye roz banate the,

Jaan bhoojh kar roz raat,

Naye naye romantic gaane gungunate the …

Fir hua yun,

Ki ek raat woh fir chhat par tehelne aayi,

Hamesha ki tarah hum bhi gungunaye,

Aur achanak, suna ki uski chatt se kuch awaaz aa rahi hai

Pata chala humare mukhde ka antra

Toh aaj woh gaa rahi hai …

Aur fir kya tha,

Dono chhaton ke beech jo thodi duri thi,

Woh humne ek chalaang mein hi puri ki,

Aur jaa pahunche uss paar….

Uss raat taaron ki chaadar tale,

Hum yunhi baithe rahe,

Baatein toh karne ko kaafi thi,

Par naa jaane kyun hum dono chup rahe ….

Woh kehte hain na,

Kabhi kabhar bin kahe hi sab bol jaate hain,

Shayad waisi hi raat thi woh,

Jiske pal aaj bhi aasmaan mein uss chaand ko dekh yaad aa jaate hain ….

Garmiyon sang woh bhi chali gayi thi,

Aur pehli baarish ki khusbu sang,

Apni kuch yaadein hamesha ke liye chod gayi thi …

Nisha, 

shayad yehi naam tha uska…

A collection of short ones

Sometimes I just want to cry,

so that she could smile.

I hope she’s smiling right now.

 ********

Hey friend,

I know you’re there

Hiding behind the desk, aren’t you?

Hey friend,

I know you’ll come out anytime.

Look I am hurt, and I need you.

Hey friend,

I know you’re coming out anytime,

I know you’re going to comfort me now.

Hey friend,

I know you’ve died but your memories are still there,

you’re still by my side; you’re still making me smile.

*********

The old pine tree,

it still stands there, behind the park.

It still remembers our first conversation,

and it still recalls the story of our first kiss.

That water fountain at the city center,

it is still the main tourist attraction.

But it misses our small fights,

at 2 AM during the starry nights.

The last desk in the class,

yes our names are still carved on it.

The scent of your shampoo is still present there

where you kept your head down,  just to stare

at me.

That house is still empty,

where the tears which fell from your eyes

when we made love for first time,

are still flowing down the slanted and creaking floor.

That bicycle is still rusting in my backyard,

which I once used to bring flowers

to apologize for every mistake I made.

I still use that cycle to carry those same flowers

every day at 9 AM to the grave,

Where from past 10 years,

you’ve stayed.

*******

Those memories,

I’ll burn them all and smile.

I don’t want to cry anymore,

I don’t want them to be my

emotions’ turnstile.

Those memories,

they’re all gone.

Now I don’t cry,

but I also don’t smile.

Smiling doesn’t make sense,

now that the emotions don’t

have any fence.

********

My guitar and me,

I don’t know how to play it.

But it still loves me.

I just strum it and hum a random tune,

it loves my fingers caressing its strings,

it still hopes that I’ll learn its tunes.

My guitar and me,

we have stayed together during hard times.

And now that the good times are near

it looks at me and smiles, whenever I sing.

My guitar and me,

it wants me to learn a new song today.

It says to me, “I know you love that girl.

Won’t you play a song for her.”

My guitar and me,

we’re the best friends.

We might not know each other perfectly

but we’re still auto tuned to each other.                 

*******

Bless them all,

Bless the smile on his torn lips,

Bless that eye which can’t see

Bless that tongue which can’t speak

Bless that ear which can’t hear

Bless that knee,

which misses its other partner.

But most of all,

Bless those who still smile,

despite their fears and troubles.

Just bless them all, God. 

Hey beautiful soul...

It’s early morning,

With a cup of coffee in my hand

I look at the foggy streets of pune.

A gust of cold early morning wind

Touches my neck, and along with it

Brings some memories of her.

I saw her in the dream last night, yes again

Like an angel, she walked towards me

Amidst all the insanity, the only one sane

And then this thought hits me, like bang

All my fears and insecurities come rushing.

As somewhere deep in me my deepest worries,

Again sang.

They whisper about all those failed relationships,

About all those failed moments of my love intense.

Will I be successful this time?

Will I be again shedding tears once she’ll fade away,

like a soothing fragrance?

The black clouds of tension

Cover me

And slowly the droplet of doubts

Start raining.

Is she the one? What should I do?

And in this mess of thoughts I didn’t realize,

When the cup of coffee left my hand. 

Boom, came this loud noise of shattered glass.

And near my toe were lying broken pieces few,

With the warm liquid flowing freely towards,

A destination, it wasn’t intended to.

As I pick up a shattered glass, the thought hits me.

Who are we? A combination of star dust fallen from the sky.

We’re just souls trying to meet our another end,

Without any reason, we never ask why? 

We just roam around, in search of the perfect one,

She is that one, I am that one.

We’re just two souls, who’re just half way,

From being the perfect one.

She’s sleeping right now,

And maybe lost in her beautiful dreams.

She has her wishes, she wants to fly high

She wants to soar through this big blue sky.

Who am I to stop her? Who am I to worry?

It’s just that she shared a part of her life,

With me amidst all this hurry.

Who knows if this time no one leaves?

Who knows if we’ll stay together,

till our last breaths.

I won’t stop her from dreaming,

I won’t stop her from fulfilling her dreams.

I like her, or maybe love her somewhere inside me,

I won’t be the rock in front of her violet streams.

I’ll be that wind which will flow with her

Till the time she’ll want.

And I’ll be thankful once even if she’ll decide,

To part ways,

Thankful till in her heart this man stays.

Then past this horizon, she’ll fly,

Like a vagabond in search of that perfect landscape.

I know one day she’ll find one,

When her waters will touch a beautiful Cape.

I like her for who she is, I like her for being a beautiful soul,

I don’t like her as a trophy I won,

Putting her in a showcase is not my goal.

She’s just a wandering soul,

who tried to mingle with mine.

Like two dancers,

in each other’s arms our souls entwine.

We’re on a journey to find if it’s

The most beautiful dance of our life.

And then she might fly away, if she wants

To achieve that mesmerizing high.

Because hey beautiful soul,

You belong to me as much as you belong to this sky.