बांवरा मनं...!

मन , ऐ मेरे मन...
थोडा ठहर , ज़रा सा थम...
कैसे कैसे छले मोहे, ओ निर्मम...
यूँ तो कहने को है यह मेरा जीवन...
पर जाने क्यूँ और कैसे जीता इसको मन...!


तुझ से ही बनती क्यूँ सोच मेरी....?
क्यूँ तुझ पर आश्रित सब सच मेरे...?
तू ही करे है सब झूठ किनारे...
कैसे रखे है मुझको भटकाए.....!


है बड़ा ही बेबाक और बेशरम...
न कोई दुविधा , न कोई भरम...
न कोई सीमा..न कोई रेखा....
सब कुछ करता यूँ अनदेखा...
जब लगायी कोई रोक-टोक...
तनिक भी न हुआ गति अवरोध...
छलआंगे मार जो बनता हिरन...
फिर न चलता इस पर कोई जतन...!

तनिक ठहर, ज़रा सा थम...
मन, ऐ मेरे मन...
अब समय है, तू मेरी सुन...
अब जो ऐसा हो की :
तू है - कह ,
और मैं हूं - सुन,
और मै ही - चिंतन,

यूँ तो कभी न रखा कोई बही-खता...
फिर ऐसा हो की कुछ समझ नहीं आता...
अब किया जो दर्ज इस नए खाते में...
कुछ बदल छटते और हुई रौशनी इस अहाते में...

अब जो तुझको जीता हूं...
तो लगता है वाकई जीता हूं...
यूँ न समझेगा तू यूँ ही...
क्यूंकि तेरा मन तो होगा नहीं...!

Thank You.

"May I come in teacher", he asked, with his one hand stretched out, and the other, behind his back. She, like a perfect teacher, chose not to be disturbed in her work, carried on with her lecture, just caring enough to suggest him to come in. He in absolute guilt, his head down as he walked to his designated seat, right in the back. Perpetual back-bench-er he was, just by the location though. Through out the lecture, he could not dare to look at her, at least when she was looking at his part of the class.

She was her favorite teacher, so much that it never occurred to him that this needs to be certified. So even when he did not look at her, listening to her was just very fine with him. Being late for her class, was bothering him a little to much. It was something he would never let it happen, but it did.

Being late for the class should not have been a cause of a serious bother, but if one were him, one could have lost his sleep and appetite to it.

Apologizing for the late coming, was absolutely not required and neither it was expected, in the normal course of conduct. But he was already working out possibility and opportunity to apologize. She was his favorite. He was annoyed that he was late, and more so, late for her class. But he was defense less this time.

It took him a little more than he thought to get something for her.

He has been working on this assignment almost for a week now. He was just not very sure, how it should be, eventually. After-all, it turned out to be a card made out of paper, with some color pens, and some delicate writing, inked purely by thoughts and an assortment of emotions. And finally, when it was the day to present it to her, he was late.

Throughout the lecture his brain was stormed by the thoughts of the card, the delay, and other similar derivative thoughts. All this time, while he invested so much effort and time into the preparation of this card he simply did not care for any proportionate reciprocation, it never crossed his mind.

The lecture ended on its time. And the bell rang. On a normal course of action, the sound of the bell would have set students on a stroll, but in her class no one moved, and fear was certainly not the reason. It was something else. She said, "You can leave, if you want to". Still no one did. So She said, "I have some work, I think I should stay here and finish it, unless you want me to go to the staff-room and do it". Everybody started to leave. She had her own style, a unique one. As everyone was leaving, she said to him, "Can you come here". It was like his complete soul replied in affirmation. She said, "I know why were you late and that is just fine". He asked in astonishment, "You knew ?". This time she asked, without any smile, "So, what have you brought me for the Teacher's Day ?". He shyly brought the card out, handed it over to her. He could not even utter "Happy Teacher's Day" properly, while she said, "Thank you" and left the class. It was the last class of the day, the day at the school had ended.

Back at home his mother asked, "Why are you so very late today, is everything all right". In reply, all he could do was smile. He smiled.

यूँ ही...!

इधर कुछ दिनों से...
सब एक अर्जी दे जाते है...
कहते हैं सब मुझसे...
यह बदले मिजाज़ तेरे...
कुछ ख़ास समझ नहीं आते है...!

इन शिकायत-ए-रश्क को देखूं...
तो मै भी सोचूँ...
यूँ अचानक हुआ क्या...
जो मुझको नज़र भी नहीं आता है...
बस कुछ है जो, होता जाता है...
घटता जाता है...!

एक नज़र को जब देखा आइना...
रोक कर पूछा मुझसे...
ऐसे तो तुमने पहले कभी न देखा ...
जो न मिला जवाब कुछ मुझसे...
तो पूछ ही बैठा...
कहीं किसी को ढूँढ़ते तो नहीं...?
बोला मैंने, हंस कर, नहीं...!
देखा तो वो भी हंस ही रहा था...!!

एक शाम...
शब् ने संकोच छोड़,मुझसे पूछा...
यह शब्-ए-गम, कहीं मुझसे तो नहीं...?
मैंने बोला, तुम तो पहले भी थी...
और आगे भी रहोगी, फिर..?
शब् ने कहा, हैरान हूँ मैं इस पर...
की यह आता तो मेरे साथ है...
पर न जाने जाता कब है...?

इससे पहले की कुछ कहता...
तारों ने झांकना शुरू कर दिया...
बादलों की ओट से छुप कर बोले...
पहले तो न ढूँढा करते थे, यूँ शिद्दत से...
अब क्या बात है जो हमे गिनते हो...
कहा मैंने कुछ सोच कर...
जिन्हें देखा...
क्या पता वो आज हो, न हो...
यह दिखने ओर होने का फ़र्क समझ...
वोह सारे भी हंस ही पड़े....!

LN4.

कल दिन भी क्या खूब गुज़रा,
तेरे साथ जो वक़्त बिताया मैंने,
तुझे साथ रख जो सजाया मैंने,
वक़्त को भी इंतज़ार कराया मैंने,

यूँ ही उसे जाने न दिया !

गम नहीं जो पूरा न किया...
तूने आने का वादा...
तू नहीं...
तेरा दीदार भी नहीं...
पूरा दिन बस तेरी आस में गुज़रा...!

Dance, Shall We.

The party was surely on. Some with clearer objectives / motives, were through with their dinner, while some had preferred drinks. The set up was a traditional small town one. A spacious banquet hall was the venue for the occasion. The music was in place. The gentry was turned out at its best. And what everyone was waiting for, The Dance, was on.

Some were flaunting their latest moves, some were pretty happy with their traditional but limited maneuvers. Everyone was alight. The venue was populated with smart boys and beautiful girls. The smartness and beauty, were enhanced or may be augmented, for sure.

It often happens, during a dance stunt, the Circle-Concept. Sooner or later you, in the midst of your own dance, will find yourself a part of the circle. Its like a monster, it grows and it won't be satisfied until it ropes in everyone, every single one on the floor. Now, if you resist, you will be re-approached until you submit to it.

So as it was, the dance was on, in circles, of course. The flashes of some antique-performers was up an bright. I, as expected, was right at the edge of the monster circle, and she was right at the center, for obvious reasons. It was like epi-center thing. And if everyone's eye and to what it was seeing, were joined to be a straight line. All such lines were to be converging at Her.

So, there was a time, my line converged at the epi-center as well. And she, then, faced me, raised her fist to her face, took out out the index finger and beckoned me. Offensive it was, that's the first thing came to mind and so I stared, conveying how I felt. And she, then smiled unapologetically. I, then started my walk towards her, making my way through the crowded circle. And as I stood in front of her, yet again, she smiled, and said, "So, you know how to dance". I said, "Well, lets see". Contrary to the mood and probably to her expectation as well, I just held her palm and placed the other one on her waist. I precisely don't know how long it lasted, but as it ended...the music was still loud, but everyone was almost still, the circle too was in place, perfectly in shape, and in the center, it was just two of us. "Thanks for the dance", I uttered, and made my way back to the edge of the circle.