Moment

Drenched from head to toe,
beads of sweat begin to show,
the heart beats faster with every breath
exhorting the limbs to fight the flow.

The sky bright and the shining sun,
clouds embellished at the horizon,
the chirping birds, the dancing trees
by a watery gloom were overrun.

The feet moved at a frenetic pace,
the arms extended wanting to raise,
the eyes open wide to catch glimpses of life
as the colour runs off the face.

And as the breath turns into a gasp,
the fists close tight in a bid to grasp,
the thread breaks and the ties are snapped,
from the lap of Life into Death's clasp.

The Big Bang

One fine day I was told

that the universe is finitely old.

That it was born in a flash,

spawned large clouds of dust and ash.

It was called the Big Bang

and it made a lot of noise.

For some strange reason, I was told,

a matter for everyone to rejoice.

Science called it a triumph

of human mind and intelligence.

The Church pointed to the Bible -

Genesis was divine interference.

I was however perplexed

‘coz there were doubts abound.

If everything emerged post the Bang,

then what before was there to be found?

Indeed if there was something before

from which came everything,

then who put it there, tell me,

or how did it come to being?

Was it a divine creation,

or matter that already existed -

joined together in a tight embrace,

forces of separation that resisted?

If nothing preceded the Bang,

then wherefrom did God appear?

What put Him there in the wilderness,

gave Him our responsibility to bear?

If everything existed as it is

and only modified its state,

then why, pray tell me, must we

this grand catastrophe celebrate?

And so the doubts remain -

agnostic and critical.

Ridiculed by science

and sentenced to burn in hell.

A mirage or an illusion,
or just my imagination
of a light so distant
that exists for a moment
and quietly fades away.
Sometimes I feel I may
grab it, hold it, or clutch it,
extend my arm and touch it
to feel it's warmth soothing
and the joy it'd bring.
As hard as I try to reach,
"come to me", I beseech,
it mocks me and teases,
does what itself pleases
seeding a doubt within.
My optimism runs thin
and I wonder should I
push myself to try
to catch it and make it mine
it's glow and enchanting shine.
The light fades into dark
to reincarnate as a spark.
A world so surreal
a dream so real.

ख़ुशी का ग़म

होठों में मुस्कराहट है
आँखों में घुली शरारत है
फिरता दुनिया के मेले में
अपनी तो ऐसी आदत है

रस्ते में हमसफ़र मिले
हँसते हँसते हम संग चले
फैलाते बरसाते सदा
खुशियाँ जितनी हमको मिले

लेकिन जो कोई झांकता
दिल की गहराई मापता
टूटा फूटा सा कोने में
टुकड़ा मिलता एक ख्वाब का

चुभता दिल की दीवारों पर
कर देता घाव दरारों पर
जलता भुनता है दिल मेरा
रखा जैसे अंगारों पर

उम्मीद यही कि हट जाए
ये दर्द कभी तो घट जाए
हर चाह तेरी हर ख्वाब तेरा
दिल से मेरे अब मिट  जाए

ऐसे ही अब जी लेता हूँ
खुशियों से दिल भर लेता हूँ
और परदे में इन खुशियों के
अपने आंसूं पी लेता हूँ

Rules are for fools

Drive on the left, they said,
and let others move ahead.
Be patient at the red light,
respect the pedestrians’ right.

Someone tell them please
to keep their own peace.
Why should I suffer the traffic
when I can break rules at ease?

And if that’s not enough
they say more crazy stuff.
Throw garbage in the pit,
don’t stain the walls with spit,
don’t ever litter on the road,
keep it always clean, I am told.

Why would I even look around
when there is plenty of ground
to throw my stuff on or litter.
And who cares I’m called a spitter!

Stand in the queue, they dictate,
stay patient until your turn and wait.
It will lead to chaos if one strayed
from the procedure well laid.

But what is a little inconvenience
if I get my work done at once.
The chaos, if any, is a small cost.
Either I win or everything is lost.

So, the moral of the story
in all its simple glory
is to forget what’s taught in schools,
break the rules at will
‘coz, my dear, rules are for fools.

तमन्ना

सुहानी शाम के आँचल में
एक खूबसूरत से पल में
झुकी पलकों के परदों से स्वीकार कर ले
पल भर के लिए कोई हमें प्यार कर ले


साँसों की महकती गर्मी से
होठों की सुलगती नरमी से
दिल के उजड़े उपवन में बहार कर ले
पल भर के लिए कोई हमें प्यार कर ले


मीठी मीठी बातों में
लिए हाथ को हाथों में
शहद में घुली हंसी से इज़हार कर ले
पल भर के लिए कोई हमें प्यार कर ले


जहां उसके नाम करूं
ज़िन्दगी तमाम करूं
मुझसे गर ज़िन्दगी में एक बार कर ले
पल भर के लिए कोई हमें प्यार कर ले... ...झूठा ही सही