Betiyaan!

I don't know why, but I am a little embarrassed to share this piece with people so kindly be gentle. :)

Mitti se panapte paudhe ko 

jab dil se lagaya kirno ne

Kya samjha tha wo nanhi jaan

Ki jaan hai choti seene mein.

Jab kadam rakha iss duniya mein

Toh khabar na thi us chidiya ko

Ki aaj hai thaame haath jisne

Wo pankh laga ke udaa degi.

Jis beti ko kabhi Lakshmi kaha

Uski dharti nahi, na aasma hai

Ik din usko toh jaana hai

Ik anjaane ke raahon mein.

Maati ki banno kya jaane

Koi apna kahe toh wo maane.

Sab usko dharohar kehte hain,

Wo haath kisi ka kya thaame?

Mann mein sapno ki baati liye

Wo phirti hai har gaon mein

Koi toh bata de dagar use

Wo jag se parayi keh laye.

Ik reet purani kehte hain

Beti ko patang si kehte hain

Jab haath lage toh patjhad mein

patte ki tarah jhad jaati hai,

Wo sabse alag ho jaati hai.

How a Wanderer Found Home.

I traveled far too long.

From the land of gods, to

The underground dirty haunts.

And yet the wanderlust kept growing...

A minute longer than an hour and I'd go all wild.

Like someone possessed by a ghost,

Running back to the wilderness, 

Catching first flight.

I sure had a lovely little house

Full of sunshine & chatter of a crowd.

At the end of the day I would end up there

But with crack of the dawn I'd be off to somewhere.

With an empty heart

And a love for mother nature

I crossed rivers & oceans,

Climbed hills & mountains, in search for more.

And yet i knew something wasn't right.

The itch, the anticipation, an irritation to go anywhere

Searching for an enigma

in the middle of the night

Spotting Shining stars

In the early morning light.

Envisioning you in my dreams

With a heart that was never mine.

I would wake up all shaken

drenched in my own cold sweat

Jitters taken over my body

Only to realize i was just in my bed.

Until the very day

You fell into my life.

From that mango tree..

Which made for an amusing story.

The lust never halted

but something fundamental changed

While earlier i scooped for adventure outside,

With you my life was an adventure in its own right.

Miss You Tonight!

On nights like these

I miss the blanket of your arms.

The warmth dripping off

The back of your neck,

Your whispered words

In my ears, like psalms.

I don't say it out loud very often but,

I miss you the most tonight.

I miss the way your hands move around my body

The way you hold me close to your heart.

Down and out for a while.

Burden of the world

laden on my fragile mind.

If I had you still,

I'd feel so safe on your chest

Lost in our own wonderland.

I wish I had the courage to say this always

I miss you the most tonight.

I miss feeling home when you held me tight

Your thoughts shining in your eyes.

Oh, If you could embrace me now...

If I could hear your heart beating,

Under that checkered shirt.

Your lips softly surfing,

Gently blowing my tiny curls.

I would break down a little, with you I belong.

Truckloads of Aspiration!

With a rucksack on my back

Few pennies to carry along

I wanna make a trip

Round this beautiful globe.

I wanna hitchhike through the cities

And take a trail back to the skies

Atop that golden mountain

Where the Milky Way smiles.

My sun would rise at Giza,

Surf through the day at Bali

Grand Canyon will see my evening

And camp out in Death Valley.

I would sleep out in the open

Tell tales of exotic memories

New food to cook each Sunday

And dreams of aurora borealis.

I'll tickle baby kangaroos

And feed lil lions with my hands.

Hug a panda in China

Bring an elephant with me, back.

More magnets on my fridge

Than dosas in Madras

My storage full of souvenirs

The house full of photographs.

Those blue eyed boys in Turkey

And sexy Greek guys

True Love I find in Paris

And marry at Taj Mahal.

We all live for a passion

And mine is to travel well

Explore this magnificent world

With my best friend!

Meri Dilli!

Dilli, mere dil si.

Meri nafs mein ye basti hai.

Lahu ke laal rang jaisi

khaul khaul ke chalti hai.

Kabhi bijli si chamakti dhadkano par mor banke nachti hai

Kabhi sapno ki mahak ban kar, meri raah gulshan karti hai.

Kai subah halki dhoondh mein thandi aahein bharti hai

Kabhi kadakti dhoop mein wo loo se bhi ladti hai.

Kisi shaam wo ek bageeche mein baccho sang jhagadti hai

Aur baarisho mein mitti ki saundhi khushbu phenka karti hai.

Ye Dilli mere dil si,

Titliyon se zyada rangeen hai.

Pal mein tola, pal mein masha

Phir bhi meri apni hai.

Unki Raah mein!

Chalte chalte raah mein thokar lagi ek din

Chhil gaye ghutne dono

Kuch khoon bhi baha

Kaafi dard bhi hua.

Girte-sambhalte pahaunch gayi ghar.

Khabar pahaunchi door des tak.

Aaye bahaut chahne wale.

Kisi ke khat toh kisi ka afsana mila.

Dhoondh rahi thi nazrein jinko

Bas unka na koi thikana mila.

Peehd mein bhi ye hi ummeed lagi rahi

Ki ik baar toh palke mujh par aake rukengi.

Pal pal karte beete din-mahine.

Na zakhm raha na zakhm ka dhyaan.

Jis oar nazar ghadhaye baithi thi

Wo bhi dhundhla gayi raah.

Har shaam wahan bajti hai sapno ki shehnayi

Din mein kohra theherta hai.

Har din us gali mein

Mera saya tumhe dhoondhta hai.

चलते  चलते  राह  में  ठोकर  लगी  एक  दिन 

छिल  गए  घुटने  दोनों 

कुछ  खून  भी  बहा 

काफी  दर्द  भी  हुआ .

गिरते -संभलते  पहुंच  गयी  घर .

खबर पहुंची  दूर  देस  तक .

आये  बहुत  चाहने  वाले .

किसी  के  ख़त  तोह  किसी  का  अफसाना  मिला .

ढूंढ  रही  थी  नज़रें  जिनको 

बस  उनका  न  कोई  ठिकाना  मिला .

पीड़ में  भी  ये  ही उम्मीद लगी  रही 

की  इक  बार  तो पलकें मुझ  पर  आकर  रुकेंगी .

पल पल करते बीते दिन -महीने .

न  ज़ख्म  रहा  न  ज़ख्म  का  ध्यान .

जिस ओर नज़र  गढ़ाए  बैठी  थी 

वो  भी  धुंधला  गयी  राह .

हर  शाम  वहां  बजती  है  सपनों की  शेहनाई 

दिन  में  कोहरा  ठहेरता है .

हर  दिन  उस  गली  में 

मेरा  साया  तुम्हें  ढूंढता  है .

Ek Ghazal!

My bestie Sonakshi inspired me to write this one. Hope you like it. Enjoy!

Aap toh nahi

Aapki baatein yaad karte hain

Wo har muskaan

Har adaa ka dhyaan karte hain.

Ek khwahish thi dil mein

Aapko har-dum khush dekhein

Bas kabhi ye besabar aasoon

Apni tanhai bayaan karte hain.

Chehra ho gaya hai dhundhla magar

Aapki wo aawaaz 

har zubaan mein Suna karte hain.

Hum aaj bhi aapse pyaar karte hain.

आप तो नहीं 

आपकी बातें याद करते हैं 

वो हर मुस्कान 

हर अदा का ध्यान करते हैं .

एक ख्वाहिश थी दिल में 

आपको हर दम खुश देखें 

बस कभी ये बेसबर आसूं 

अपनी तन्हाई बयान करते  हैं .

चेहरा हो गया है धुंधला मगर 

आपकी वो आवाज़  

हर जुबां में सुना करते हैं .

हम आज भी आपसे प्यार करते हैं .