Poem, Non-Fiction

Kabhi Sochna

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Jis hotel mein apni shaamein manaane jaate ho,

Zara gaur se dekhna kabhi waha maujood logo ko.

Apne table se nazrein uthakar,

Kabhi dekhna waha log aur bhi hain.

Uss shaam ko raushan karne mein,

Kuch log aur bhi hain.

Woh waiter jo apne ghamo ko bhula kar,

Bass muskurakar tumhari shaam ko yaadgaar banata hai.

Thodi si deri yaa choti si galti ho jaane par,

Tumse padi huyi daant ke baad bhi,

Nazrein jhuka kar, bass apna kaam karta jaata hai.

Na jaane kinn haalaton ko ghar par chhod kar,

Na jaane kitni khushiyo ke mauke bhool kar,

Apni rozi roti kamane ke maqsad se,

Bass tumhari hi khushiyon ko door se apna sa bana leta hai.

Kabhi sochna uske baare mein,

Jo tumhari shaamo ko, hass ke, apna sa bana leta hai.

Fir sochna uss boodhe aadmi ke baare mein bhi,

Jo puraani si uniform pehne huye,

Darwaaze pe khada tumhari jagmati surato ko salaam karta jaata hai.

Usne bhi kaha socha hoga ki saari zingadi, woh gairo ko izzat farmayega,

Magar fir bhi har subah kaam par woh bhi toh chala aata hai.

Kabhi sochna unn sabke baare mein bhi,

Jinke baare mein tumne kabhi sochna bhi zaroori nahi samjha.

Woh bhi toh aakhir log hi hain,

Jinhe tumne kabhi log samjha hi nahi.

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Poem, Fiction, Love, Relationships

Kya Papa Bhi Kabhi Boodhe Ho Sakte Hai?

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Dheere dheere unke kaale baal safed hone lage hai,

Baat karte huye achanak ruk kar kuch sochne lagte hai,

Chashmah khud maathe par tika kar; fir poore ghar mein dhoondne lagte hai,

Dhoop mein newspaper padhte huye; baithe baithe so jaate hai,

Log kehte hai umar ho rahi hai tumhare papa ki,

Par unhe kya pata mere papa kabhi boodhe thodi ho sakte hai.

Ab pehle ki tarah samose kachori nahi khaa paate hai,

Diabetes hone ke bawajood chupkar mithayi churate hai,

Chhote bacho ki tarah baat baat par zidd karte hai, ladte hai,

Bazaar tak jaakar bhi thakaan se choor ho jate hai,

Fir khud hi kehte hai “Ab umar ho gayi hai shayad”,

Par papa ko bhi kya pata ki mere papa kabhi boodhe ho hi nahi sakte hai.

Pata nahi aaj kal sabke insurance details kyu bhejne lage hai,

Chaahe gaadi chalana ho yaa bank jaana,

Ab mujhe aagey karne lage hai.

Baar baar bolte hai seekh lo ab yeh sab, samajho yeh sab,

Umar ho rahi hai tumhare papa ki, kal naa bhi hu toh tumhe aana chahiye,

Unki baat ko sune bina hi keh deti hu,” Papa aap kabhi boodhe ho hi nahi sakte hai.”

Agar bewaqt so jaaye yaa do baar bulane par bhi jawab na de,

Toh mujhe bhi ajeeb si ghabrahat hone lagti hai,

Gehri neend mein jab bacho ki tarah unhe sota dekhti hu,

Tab kabhi kabhi sochti hu ki kahi papa sach mein boodhe toh nahi hone lage hai,

Par fir yun hi khud ko firse mana leti hu,

Nahi nahi! Tere papa kabhi boodhe ho hi nahi sakte hai.

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Poem, Fiction, Love

Log Kya kahenge?

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You are wearing a skirt and holding a glass of wine,

Going out for dinner at 8? Better be back by 9;

Why can’t you be friends with just girls?

And what’s with these inviting curls?

Why have trouble with marriage prospects over higher education?

How are you even thinking of sending her alone on a vacation?

I saw her coming back late in the night,

Her parents surely didn’t raise her right.

And why is your make up so bright?

Why do you so often change your display pictures?

Don’t act too smart, meddling in mature fixtures.

Sending your girl for career to another city?

Poor parents! Won’t even know and she’ll soon start playing too witty.

And why are you strolling alone in the dark?

Don’t complain then, when those dogs bark.

Divorce? Oh she must have been an unfaithful, controlling wife,

He wouldn’t even know and she’d cut him with her sly knife.

Talks too much and smiles with red lips?

Trust us, these are just her alluring tricks and tips.

Standing with a group of guys?

Calls them friends? Huh! Just her lies.

You have no morals if you’ve dared to fall in love,

You are characterless if your dress too short or blouse too deep,

You must have slept your way up the ladder if you’ve tasted success,

And every step of your life you are asked, “Log kya kahenge?”

But girl, tell them you are a woman of unimaginable might,

Tell them you’ve learnt to give them a tough fight.

Walk on and be all you can be,

Unapologetic and unabashedly free.

The next time they say, “Log Kya kahenge?”,

Tell them, “Kuch toh kahenge, unka ka kaam hi hai kehna.”

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Non-Fiction, Coronavirus, Pandemic, Poem

Howls Of The Helpless

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It is spreading like fire with consequences that are dire,

There are screams everywhere and cries desperate,

Even precautions now are in vain; each escape going down the drain,

Let us live one more day; please now just go away.

Television brings fear and newspapers? Oh dear!

Lined up ambulances; cremation awaiting corpses,

Hospital lines are jammed; the world is damned,

Let us live more day; please now just go away.

We fear when our fathers go to work, cause we can really see you lurk,

Can’t see our people so helpless; God, how could you be so heartless?

Please, please don’t let anymore mothers cry who have to see their children die,

Our streets now smell of blood; is this the deads’ flood?

Let us live one more day; please now just go away.

The government too has turned its wits away; oh! there’s left no ray,

Our doctors are weeping; death rates are only leaping,

Ambulance drivers are now clueless; this virus is unbearably ruthless,

Let us live one more day; please now just go away.

Don’t take away parents from little children,

Don’t separate husbands from their wives,

Please don’t destroy any more families,

Let us live one more day; please now just go away.

We don’t have any beds left; vaccines are being lost in theft,

Our oxygen cylinders are almost empty; treatment costs too hefty,

Our nurses are now exhausted, tired; our youth unemployed and fired,

Please let us live just one more day, please now you have to go away.

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Fiction, Love, Poem, Relationships, Romance

The Love That Wasn’t Meant To Be Easy

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If loving you was easy,

I wouldn’t have been standing alone on a full moon night,

There wouldn’t be a constant, weary search in my eyes,

Sleeps would have meant tranquility and not just a means to escape,

And I wouldn’t keep hoping for you to come, knowing that you wouldn’t.

If loving you was easy,

I wouldn’t have felt pain watching those two lovers by the street,

My music wouldn’t be only about endless waits and betrayals,

The kohl in my eyes and the lipstick on lips would have looked merrier,

And I wouldn’t keep hoping for you to come, knowing that you wouldn’t.

If loving you was easy,

My laughter wouldn’t have sounded so full of fatigue,

My friends wouldn’t always be asking, “Are you okay?”,

Every time that I went to a new café, I wouldn’t have been scared of spotting you with her,

And I wouldn’t keep hoping for you to come, knowing that you wouldn’t.

The truth is if loving you was easy,

My heart wouldn’t grow strong and immune to enduring pain,

I wouldn’t have learnt to cuddle myself to sleep,

I wouldn’t have worn that dress for myself, knowing that you won’t even see me,

After that dark night alone, I wouldn’t have been able to wake myself the next day and make myself a cup of coffee;

And I wouldn’t have the strength to wait for you, knowing that you might never come.

Yes, loving you was not easy.

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