Reflection....Copyright ©

What do u do when

You meet your reflection

When it’s not natural

But God’s selection






What do you do when

That reflection has the

Power to look right

Through you

When it has the audacity to

Shake your beliefs

To take away the sorrow

And all your griefs...





You sit near the water and

Let it flow through you

Let the placidity soothe

You

You dance in the presence

And you embrace it

Silently

And pray to the almighty...




What’s wrong with being

in love with yourself

When your reflection

Is what you revere

That reflection is what I met today

I wanted to embrace her

But it went away





Now

What do I doif I want her back

To gaze through her eyes

At myself...

I wait till she shows up again

Till then

I smile at the remains

And bathe in her soothing rain...




I know it will come back




Till then

Let the introduction to myself

Be the soothing rain

Be the soothing rain

हाँ भई …शुभकामनाएं Copyright © ( मेरे शिव हो गए परम मित्र के लिए )

हाँ भई …दरवाज़ा खोलो..

मिष्ठान लाये हैं

हार भी

हमारी बाहें फैली हैं

तुम्हे गले लगाने

हाँ भई…शुभकामनाएं

हाँ भई…शुभकामनाएं

बधाई जन्मदिन की

मेरी ओर से

और बाकी सब भी

आओ तुम्हे गले लगाएं

हाँ भई….शुभकामनाएं

हाँ भई…गुब्बारे लायें हैं

आप इन्हें फुलाएं

तुम्हारे मुख चन्द्र के

तेज से

आओ आज जग चमकाएं

हाँ भई…शुभकामनाएं

एक लड्डू मेरी ओर से

दबा भी लो अब मूह में

प्रेम की यह भेंट

स्वीकार भी करो अब

केवल शब्द और विचार ही हैं

जिन से हम तुम्हे पूज पाएं

हाँ भई….शुभकामनाएं

हाँ भई……तुम्हारे तो पंख थे

तुम तो दूर गगन में उड़ चले

हम तुम्हे यहाँ धरती से

अब बस ताक रहे

तुम्हारे पंख हमे भी दे दो

ताकि हम भी उड़ पाएं

हाँ भई….शुभकामनाएं

हाँ भई…..बड़े भई हो

दो आशीर्वाद

स्नेह हमारा स्वीकार करो

करो हमे भी याद

हम तो फट से आ जायेगे

तुम बुलाओ बस एक बार

आओ इसी उपलक्ष में

केवल तुम्हारे ही गीत गायें

हाँ भई ….शुभकामनायें

हाँ भई……

दीपक जलाया है तुम्हारे नाम का

और अपनी निष्ठां की है बाती

बस अपना लहू ही डाल पाए

तभी है वो लौ धधक पाती

तुम घबराओ नहीं हमारी

छाती तुम्हारी मित्रता के स्नेह से

तनी है

ध्वज तुम्हारा हमने है लहराया

तुम्हारा सन्देश जग में फैलाया ऐसे

जो जग पहले न समझ पाया

मुस्कुरा दो एक बार तुम हम सब पर

तुम्हारी हसी तो देख पाएं

हाँ भई…शुभकामनाएं

हाँ भई…शुभकामनाएं

तुम्हारे जन्म दिवस की

हम सब की ओर से….

हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं

हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं

Conquering the Summit: Victory or Loss?Copyright ©

English translation of a previously posted Hindi poem


my throat was dry
my mind was wary
my chest was full
and the incessant falling
was scary
i clearly remember my confidence
and the neighing of my winning horse
the undulating path and the uncertain course
my pace was smooth
and my concentration was
on the summit
this time i had to reach it
and not plummet
i had the flag in one hand
and was running alone and was bold
as i had to shine the "me"
from "me" to Gold



when i reached the summit
there was only sand
apparently ,
slipping away from my hand
there were cries and i was alone
my spine was chilled to the bone
they said
whatever you wanted to do alone
you have done
in your quest you have
deserted everyone
you have hoisted your flag
and inked your name in history
but how many are part of
your victory?
you never took anyone with you
neither your companions
nor your friends
you always ran after
setting trends




now look at you
you are all alone up there
the world sings your glory
but the life you could have lived
you never did
and now you are all alone
and haggard and
that's how you fared




" i have won the battle
and all alone
my eyes show the twinkle
of the victory done
when i started on this quest
i had asked you to come with me
but you chose to
remain in the calmness
and not challenge the storm
and now you have the cheek to
say these things about the
victory i have born?"




up here, my so called friends
the clear air is so refreshing
the sun smiles at me
and the clouds sing
and who says i am all alone
i am with "me"
and shining like no one shone
and this sweet sound of victory
is resounding in the foreground
and those like you, who cannot take it
are , as usual
cursing in the background
my laughter is defiance
but i am also bowed down
humbly in front of the creator
and reaping his blessings




whoever needs to be with me
is with me
and so is their smile, their joy
their happiness, their glee
those heads are bowed down before me
who once would roar at me
those tongues are tied
who never left a chance
to throw a brickbat at me
i have given birth to life
by the blood and sweat
i have shed
it makes me happy
no matter how much i have bled





so , hey you
who dreams of flying high
forget the oncoming winds
and just let your sight on the sky
the ones who ought to be with you
will be
and those who don't
let them be
you never let your eyes
of the targeted goal
remember the lion
walks alone
but the fish in a shoal
if you wish to climb
that mountain of victory
let nothing shake you
climb and be free
climb and be free
climb and be free

ज़रुरत Copyright ©

तुम्हारी ज़रुरत नहीं है

कहा उसने

तुम्हारी ज़रुरत नहीं है

कहा उन सबने

और कुछ पल के लिए

इसे हकीकत मान गए हम

हम ज़रुरत न बन सके

किसी की यह यकीन कर गए हम

तुम्हारी ज़रुरत नहीं

तुम्हारी ज़रुरत नहीं

हर दरवाज़े से खदेड़ा गया मैं

हर मंजिल से पहले ढेर हुआ

हर वादा टूट गया

हर इरादा नीस्त-इ-नाबूत हुआ

नासूर सी हो गयी ज़िन्दगी

केवल खून का घूँट पिया

रास्ते दर रास्ते

मंजिल दर मंजिल

हर राही ने फेंका पत्थर

किसी के मूह से न निकली दुआ

“तुम्हारी ज़रुरत नहीं”

मेरा नारा हुआ……

ज़रुरत नहीं?

इन हवाओ को ज़रुरत है

मेरे इरादे की

उन तूफानों को ज़रुरत

है कि कोई उसे ललकार सके

उस सूरज को ज़रुरत है

जिसकी आँखों में आँख डाले

कोई उसी की तरह चिंघाड़ सके

हवाओं का क्या मकसद

जो कोई उसे चीर न सके

रौशनी का क्या मतलब

जो कोई अपने तेज से उसे

न चौंधिया सके

तूफानों की क्या औकात

जो ऐसी चट्टान से न टकराए

जो उसे चौड़ा सीना दिखाए

और उसे ढेर कर जाए

ज़रुरत है..

भरोसे को

ज़रुरत है

उजाले को

ज़रुरत है

हकीकत को

ज़रुरत

है रूहों को

ज़रुरत है

सन्नाटों को

ज़रुरत है

जीत को

ज़रुरत है

तूफानों को

ज़रुरत है

फिजाओं को

जो कहते हैं

ज़रुरत नहीं तुम्हारी

उन्हें होश की दावा की

ज़रुरत है

जिन हुक्मरानों ने

इरादों की मीनारें गिरायीं है

उन्हें ज़रुरत है इरादों की

जिन लोगों ने पर काटे हैं मेरे

उन्हें ज़रुरत है

उड़ानों की

जिन्होंने मेरी कलम तोड़ी है

उन्हें ज़रुरत है

स्याही…

उन्हें ज़रुरत है अल्फाजों की

ज़रुरत नहीं?

ज़रुरत है

ज़रुरत है

ज़रुरत है..

“Bhai ji” Copyright ©

“Meri?, Meri khud ki?”

I screamed with joy when my cousin gave me my first ever good news. I was in Grade II when my younger sister was born. Those tender legs didn’t stop; I just ran a whole kilometer up the hill to the hospital. My happiness knew no bounds. More than anything it was the “mine” which pumped the adrenaline. On entering the ward, I didn’t even look at my parents; my eyes were looking for her. She was angelic, I remember me touching her to see if she was for real. The memory registered. At that pliable age of seven, I was more proud of having a “living doll” to play with while all my friends played with their plastic ones. I would touch her face at least one hundred times a day to make sure she was there; I even started changing wet diapers at that young an age. It was simply the purest of feelings.

Growing up with her in the beatific town of Mussoorie was blissful, just as my own child I wanted to teach her everything I knew. I started with “Ninja training”. Young boys have this obsession with martial arts, they want to be like the characters in cartoons, movies and comic books, and I had a trainee. Spending almost every possible minute with her gave us the opportunity to know so much about each other, she still does know the best and the worst of me, like no one will ever know. Happiness anger and all possible emotions were expressed with such ease and with no fear of being judged.

She was a devout “follower”, I was God to her.

She would ask questions in the strangest of ways proving her unsaid allegiance. On being asked by some relative one day,” beta, do you like to eat son-papdi?”, this angel comes running to me , with a mass of yellow sweat meat clutched in her little hand and blurts , “ bhai-ji, do I like to eat this, what should I tell mamiji?”. Her innocence and her unrelenting trust in me was simply unbearable at times. I said “go tell mamiji that you like it, but your bhaiji loves it,” she gave the entire thing to me and held my hand saying, “ when I grow up like you, I will also like it, then you can give some to me too.”. Children unknowingly act mean at times, just like I did by eating the entire thing. I have wept many a times, now thinking of it. She is such a darling.

“Bhaiji ‘repac’”, she came running to me shouting her lungs out. Scared, that maybe she had seen something scary and wanted to draw attention, I held her hand to go to the other room. I burst out laughing. The cry of excitement was to let me know that the television was airing the soap which I loved and the “RECAP” of the previous episode had just begun. I just could not stop laughing, and her face lost color, thinking that she had embarrassed her God and went into hiding. I hugged her till her sobs died out, and explained to her the reason. I was also her Data bank; I was always right for her. A few days back, while chatting on g-mail, another question was shot at me; I replied “try Google”, snap, came the reply, “it is still slower than you Bhaiji”. The confidence shown in me, still keeps me alive.

Certain Indian families have a custom of elders giving money to children when they, either come to your house for a visit or are leaving it after staying. My sister taught me a very lucrative lesson one day. Some relatives had come over to our house for the summer and were now leaving. I overheard her saying “No-No” and taking the money happily. She had made Rs. 500 that day and I was nowhere close. Upon asking her, she let out the “trade secret”, “Bhaiji, just say no a couple of times and let others see it and you will be rich”, and chuckled. We were now in business. The younger siblings are sharper than the elders, they see things in a very different perspective, they “learn” from their elder siblings’ mistakes. “I would make her my business partner”, I had thought.

Many such moments have been shared with her and many memories still keep both of us alive in this constant rat race which we have let ourselves into. The only door to some purity and innocence left in my life is her. Having left the house for undergraduate studies to a different city and then to a different country for a “better” future, I missed out on her growing up. Being an elder brother is such a big responsibility, it surpasses the “raksha” in the “bandhan”. Being able to protect, guide and love and yet not acting as a parent but a friend, is complicated. You want her to come home on time, yet provide her with the opportunities to have fun; to be able to guide your sibling in the right direction and yet doing insane things with her so that the insipid life becomes eventful. I have tried my best to be by her side in all of her endeavors, and will always do. Staying away from her has not been easy. Telephone calls, emails, chats, face books and other mediums of communications do not provide the “option” of hugging each other yet. I miss that. Miss the smile, the innocence and the sharpness of mind.

Though miles apart, and not having seen her in three years, it has been a unique privilege to know this amazing individual. I have no better friend, no better guide and no superior companion, than her. I wish those memories are relived once again and many more are created.

“Let this reach you when you need me the most, my love”

“Remember, I am always there for you.”

…………………………. waiting for a ‘REPAC’,

Love,

Bhai-ji