Partner Rounds

Doghlapan

Tumne kaha

Brashtachaar kee lat hai isko,
Jebon mein noton kaa aafeem hai
Annkhon par satta ka charas
iska na kuch hua hai..na kabhee hone waala hai

Maine kaha

Iska? Kiski baat kar rahe ho tum?
Kisi bhoole bisre dost kee?
Kisi gair kee? Kisi graahak kee?
Bada door ka rishta lagta hai isse tumhara

Tumne kaha

Are tumhare desh kee baat kar raha hoon
Mailapan iska naheen dikhai deta tumhe?
Rengtee hui iskee raftaar naheen kachotti tumhe?
Isiliye to chhod gaya main isko

Maine kaha

Tum to khamakhah gambheer ho baithe
Khair chhodo, suna hai obama bada pasand hai tumhe?
In dinon aayaa hua thaa yahan
Desh ko superpower kah ke gaya hai

Tumne kaha

Haan Obama hastee hee aisee hai
Leader hai-leader.laalu sa chaarebaaz naheen
Chalo ye sab hatao, ek baat bataao
Koi acchee ladkee hai nazar mein tumhare?

Maine kaha

Suna hai amreekee ladkiya patakha hotee hain
Raat mein kaam aur din mein sotee hain?
Koi item naheen pakda tumne wahan ?
Desi ladkiyon mein kya rakha hai?

Tumne kaha

Ghoomne firne ke liye theek hain amreekee
Khaanaa to koi desee hee pakayegee
Baba ne baat chala rakhee hai
Amma to koi ameer grahalaxmee hee laayengee

Maine kaha

Soch kar ke batati hoon, par tum ye batao
Infosys kee naukree kaisi hai?
Suna hai videsh mein bhee uska khaasaa bolbaalaa hai?
Desee hai par mncs ko behaal kar daalaa hai?

Tumne kaha

Sahee sunaa hai tumne, desh mein to kam izzat hai
Par u.s mein kaafee guroor waalee baat hai
Greenfield ke maze hain bhaiya
Desi salary aur visdeshi bonus donon haath hain

Maine kaha

Accha main chalti hoon,
Desi aatmiyata pak rahee hogi ghar mein, kha ke jaana
Amreeka mein tumhara green card bakayaa hai
Par desh ne to tumhe ab bhee apnaaya hai..

Brashtachaar hataaana zarooree hai
Par desh ko gair banana kaun see majbooree hai?
Obama to gandheevaad ke kisse suna gayaa
Par tumne to poore desh ko hee laat maar diya

Desi biwi aur desi naukri pasand hai
Par yahan kee raftaar se anbani hai?
Kabhee socha hai tumhari shaksiyat kya hai?
Desh ke bina tumharee haisiyat kya hai?

Dost ho! Socha tha kuch boloon naheen,
Par kya karoon desh se doghlapan kaise sahoon?

clockwork

Thought, knew it all.
The verses, the colors, and the stories.
A day, long gone. Perhaps, a September.
Thoughts were left to pickle,
In a tightly shut jar

Yesterday smelled a whiff. Pungent.
Not what I thought was brewing,
Like finding stale broth in a freshly heated oven.
Looked away. Other senses reigned havoc.
Yet again. Clockwork. The turn of events.

Silks.Flowers.Scarves.Wine.
Oysters, the pearl left behind,
Floating away, keeping the mirage alive.
Drank from it. It pretended to quench thirst.
Believed. Tick-tock. The turn of events.


Untitled again

In slumber am awake, thinking these thoughts
Dreaming those dreams, packed away for future use..
Am crawling out of me, touching the peripheries
Of the impossibles, of the could have beens

Rubbing my eyes, I let the morning creep under my skin
The dew on the grass unsettles my feet
I stay and move. I share and withhold. I shut my ears and listen
A beat. A whisper.A murmur.A breath. A word

I sense sensuousness devoid of sensibilities
I wander to that place I have seldom been
I wait for the dawn and the dusk
I shrug the sun away

I touch. And again
It has been. And never been
I hear a retort. My worldly self
Its here. And am awake

Untitled

Angeethee thandi padi hai
Bahot dinon se kuch paka nahin hai
Joothe bartanon par dhool chipak gayi hai
Darwaza bahot dinon baad khula hai

Padosi khidkiyon se taakne lage hain
Kuch uth kar ghar tak bhee aayein hai
Gali ke bacche gilli chhod idhar daud aayein hain
Is makan mein bhoot rahte hain, aisa suna tha

Khidki ke pat akad gaye hain
Lohe ke chhad abhi bhee tainaat hain
Pair patakti, oonghti hawa kamre mein fail gayi hai
Manjhi see roshni dhumil se farsh par chan rahi hai

Kursi tirchi, toote sirhaane ke saath khadi hai
Ek adhkhuli kitab mez se giri pad rahi hai
Aisa maloom padta hai jaise koi jaldi mein tha
Shayad achanak hee bahar jaane kaa bulaawaa aa gaya tha

Sab kuch thama sa lag raha hai

kisi kee zindagi ka saar

aaj kuch log mere ghar aaye the
do ne mukhaute pahne the
aur baaki do ne chaashni zabaan par chipkayi thee
charon kee jebon se kuch nikla pad raha tha

maine thoda jhuk kar dekha, thoda mudi bhee
shayad laal rang ke rumaal the
ek kursi khaali padi thee, khidki ke neeche
us par baith main unhe dekhne lagi

sabki nazarein poore kamre me daud rahee thee
aisa maloom padta tha jaise main bhee uska hissa hoon
ek ne meri aankhon mein dekha aur nazrein neechi kar lee
baaki teen use sakhti se dekhne lage

main saham gayi.mausam kuch badla sa lagne laga tha
maine unse poocha, "bahot door se aayein hain..?"
Wo shoonya me niharte rahe
maine socha shayad suna na ho, to maine phir dohraya

unme se ek utha, aur darwaze ke bahar kadam rakh diya
doosre ne kaha, "main bhee chalta hoon"
teesra muskaraya, aur daudte hue seedhiyon se utarta gaya
chautha kuch der baitha raha aur phir chal diya

maine dekha mez par wo laal rumaal rakhe huein hain
"bhool gaye shaayad", kahkar main unki oar badh gayi
ek mein anh ke tukde the, doosre mein matmailee see lalak
teesre mein raakh thee, shayad kisi rishtey kee

Chauthe ko kholne ka man nahin kiya
Kisi ne apni zindagi ka saar meri mez par bicha chhoda tha

Sukoon

Khidkiyon ke sheeshe ke paar
Bauchaaron ke beech
Tharrate patton ke galiyaaron mein
Mera koi ehsaas simta baitha hai

Hawa ke rukh se behaal
Raaston kee geeli fislan par ladkhadata
Chal chal kar rukta wo ehsaas
Ab kuch samajh me aaya hai

Kisi yaad ko pakadkar
Kal ke kalpurzon se nikal
Aaj kee safed chaadar odh
Phir koi saamne aayaa hai

Feeki see muskaan shuru hui hai
Hothon se nikal
Aankhon kee palokon se chipak
Us ehsaas se jaa mili hai

Is chhat kee munder par bahot baar aayi hoon
Bikhree hui rahti thi humesha
Aaj ek tinka nahin hai
Wo bhi sukoon mein lagti hai