Straight from the Heart

The other day i got a message on facebook, Someone had sent me a friend request! The name seemed unfamiliar But his picture, though a little altered, By the receding hairline, Or the mark left by the passage of time On his countenance, Left me in no doubt that Here was my long lost friend of yester-years!   Twenty years had flown by, Leaving us separated by miles! He had settled on the west coast while I had set up shop on the eastern frontiers of India.   The phone rang and both of us, Delighted at having found each other Impatiently Kept interrupting   and cutting into the other’s words!   We filled each other up With what had kept us occupied   in the last twenty years. And then we both agreed to one thing, That life had not been as interesting As it was twenty years back!   Twenty years had failed to yield moments, That match those we had in our childhood! Those e...

Wee was the space, A yard or two arm’s length at most, A space created between the bumpers Of the Corolla and that of the Mahindra; Two amongst the many that stood at the traffic intersection waiting for the light to turn green. Suddenly like a flash, The girl in red and baby in green made a dash. Weaving their way through, The cars standing in serpentine queue, they swooped down on this empty space. Then began a race, To grab attention of as many eyeballs Before the lights turned green! To the rhythmic beats of drum, The baby’s head stirred, slowly picking momentum, Till the nut attached to his fez swirled in a smooth circular motion. Then he bent back Till his body was flat and rested on his fours. Summersaults and twists were next, Displayed in grace and perfectness. Till they realised that it was time, To beg the onlookers for a few dime! So the drum beats ceased, And tapping the car w...

 फेसबुक पर देखा था उस दिन  एक दोस्त के जन्मदिन की सूचना। याद आ गया तीस साल पहले के वोह दिन, बचपन के दिन, जब किसी दोस्त के जन्मदिन पे बहुत ख़ुश होते थे हम। स्कूल में खाने को मिलते थे टोफ्फी , और शाम को एक तोहफा लिए पहुच जाते थे दोस्त के घर। आंटी जी के हाथ का बना केक, मिठाई और पूरी-छोले खाना और दोस्तों से कुछ देर खेलने के बाद जब घर वापस जाते थे तो नन्हा सा मेरा दिल हो जाता था बाग़-बाग़। आज दोस्त से बात करने की फुर्सत भी नहीं। किसी तेज़ रफ़्तार से दौरती हुई रेल - गारी की तरह मुझे सिर्फ भागना है, किसी के इशारे पे चलना है। जो जाने पहचाने थे, वोह पीछे रह गए! सुना है की आंटी जी की तबियत भी आजकल ठीक नहीं रहती। दोस्त का  जन्मदिन अब सिर्फ फसबूक पर ही मनता है!  

It was tucked in between others. Unimpressive compared to those that stood out because of their eye-catching colour combinations or the thickness. It lay on the shelf, thin, like a withered mal-nourished child. I found it and plucked it, from between a hard-bound book and a colourful traveller’s guide! In my hands the book felt so light. As if it was devoid of the knowledge that provides gravity and....weight? A book of poetry, the written contents on the pages were few, But each word sparkled against the white background, As if they were invaluable gems and other precious stones! I opened the book and discovered, its worth in weight of gold. Be it the poem on the desire of the longing heart for days and nights of solitude. Or the poet's expressed inability to pen a few lines in praise of his beloved! From the comparision of the frolicking rain-water to the hordes of children back from a cricket match, To the lament of the poet in his inabilit...

Her eyes lit up with a spark but before Raju could notice it, the spark had been replaced by uncertainty and doubt. “What’s the matter,” snapped Gunjan as she took the stem of roses from Raju’s hand. “Why did you have to bring flowers?” “I didn’t bring them. I had to, sort of, buy it!” “I knew it! It’s certainly not your nature to bring flowers back home! The days of gifting flowers are long gone! These things only happen in movies! Anyway, you can throw these flowers away!” Gunjan was trying to continue the fight that had been left incomplete because of Raju storming out of the house in frustration. Although he could sense his tempers rising, Raju was too tired and in no mood to pick up the fight from where he had left. It was sultry and the humidity made him sweat profusely from every pore of his body. Frustrated and tired of fighting, he had gone out for an evening stroll thinking it would cool him down. Midway, he had stopped at a shop to buy some items for their daily r...

सुबह की धूप की गर्माहट में है आज कोई बात . हर पेड की डाली पे है कैसा फूलों का बहार . लाल , पीला , नारंगी , हरा , हर रंग का है विस्तार . ख़ुशी मनाओ , नाचो - गाओ आया बसंत बहार ! हवा की लहरों में है आज , मन क्यूँ जाता डूब ? चार दीवारों का बंधन तोड़ , नाच उत्ता है खूब . छोटे - बढे , नर - नारी , हर चेहरे पे ख़ुशी का सार . ख़ुशी मनाओ , नाचो - गाओ आया बसन्त बहार ! पिचकारी से निकले रंग , भर देता है किसी का दामन . पीले हो गए हाथ किसी का , रंग गया किसी का आँगन . हवा में लहराती चुनरिया , गोरी का रंग गया है निखार . ख़ुशी मनाओ , नाचो - गाओ , आया बसंत बहार ! होली - है , होली है , नारों से गूँज रही हर गली . झूमते , गाते , मौज मानते हर गली मस्त मौजों की टोली. और अमवा की झार पे बैठ कोयल कहें पुकार ख़ुशी मनाओ , नाचो गाँव , आया बसंत बहार !

On board the express named “Dhauli” For a sojourn by the Bengal Bay. I flew past stretches of green. And mud houses populated with life-unseen. The birds are up, early at dawn. And playfully race the train-in motion. Gliding swiftly along, in the train’s direction, Suddenly diverging, in a sweep of a wide arc. The mellow winter sun looked like a ball of fire, Fleeting through the foliage—sometimes far and at times near! Through the misty net, shone the sun’s rays, Warming my face with the softness of a baby’s caress! Then there was peace, spreading through me like sweet song. Lulling me into sleep as the train sped along!