Khwab...

Kabhi kabhi aisa hota hai
Aankhon ke samne ek sarmad roop dikhta hai
Kuch dhundhla, pila-narangi mila jula sa
Ek khush, munavvar shaistah chehra
Par choone ko jab haanth hoon badhata
To pal mein dhuan hota hai

Sochta hoon usey, dhondhta hoon usey
Khwabon mein, khayalon mein
Saahil pe bichi khamosh ret ke har kan mein
Aasamaan mein udatey khush badalon mein
Baarish ki tapakti har safee boond mein
Aur, sahn-e-chaman mein khile har phool mein

Chand ko muskurane ko bolta hoon
Khamosh hawa ke saath paigaam bhejta hoon
Khhuda se yehi fariyaad karta hoon
Usse roo-ba-roo hone ka intezaar karta hoon

T(h)ree-some ...

I am a witness to their renascent love for each other

Bonding as strong as iron, smooth as fur

To the infinte ruminatory moments they have shared

and to the honest sentient hearts they have bared

One day waiting for her, he found

A sharp edged blade on the ground

Thinking to express his love, it didnt take long

He engraved her name, bold and strong

Though I was hurt, deep to the core

But the weight of his love was more

Responsibly, I dropped a flower as a gesture

To empathise with him without a fetter

She was thrilled to see their love painted artistically

And I bloomed when they kissed each other passionately

Seeing their sempiternal love, I vowed to treasure

On my bark shall reminisce, their love forever

:)

Reflection...

Sitting in one of the GOAn shacks
I witness the sea, lined in tracks
With sequences of waves lashing in crests and trough
Similar to Life, in patches both smooth and rough

The golden reflection of the Sun in sight
Illuminates the heated water, dark and bright
Exposing the ruffle and movement inside
Against the cool and unmoved - unlit side
The shimmering and rumblings in highlight
In life, reminds me of the constant fight
We put, to get ourselves noticed with a gong
Missing the happiness in simply swaying along

Cool breeze whizzing through gives a feel
Inviting to witness the beauty, sea has to reveal
To enter the vast unending expanse of the sea
Identify yourself around and set oneself free
And explore its shades and depths
With both smiles and deep breaths

Those were the days...

Today when I turn around, I find
Loads of memories in the hind
I would bring them back if I could
The days of school, college and childhood

Going to school in uniform, ironed and neat
If un-polished shoes, then its mom’s beat
Screaming and halting the bus for he is late
Discussing what’s in tiffin without any wait
Realizing that I forgot to do my homework
Finishing it while others behave as dork
Exclusively enjoying the rasna in her water bottle
Singing songs together in the library in full throttle
Those summer vacations with months of chutti
Reading comics, playing and cycling around the city

Career planning in college and growing-up talks
Sharing of secret dreams on those long walks
Unclear on which career path to tread
Everyone sprinkling gyaan on how to earn bread
Eyeing a girl for long not knowing what to say
With everyone pulling-the-leg for play
Lending clothes and borrowing their bike to ride
Zooming in style round her with pride
Bunking classes and taking her out for movies
For unedited stories, friends covering me with proxies
Toiling through the night before exams, thoroughly harrowed
With copies of xerox-ed lecture from friends, that too borrowed
Playing football under the street light
Chatting and making up spooky stories in the night

Those would be the days, if I were to choose
Full of anecdotes and moments to muse
Filling the spaces of time with lovely memories
Of masti, laughter, emotions and certainly vagaries

:)

Pine-Apple

It keeps me guessing with wonder
On the erstwhile blunder
As to who’s at fault to blame
Which burnt the thread to flame
Leaving behind a trail of fumed emotions
Calling them out as concoctions
Of lonely situations and a frail mind
Solemnizing ignorance with confusions to un-wind

It would be easy in life for us
At convinience, to ride the bus
Boarding at the station of choice
And get down at another without a noise
But unfortunately, life has no threads
To stitch relationships as one pledges
And then cut them loose once washed and old
Building new, leaving others dried and cold

:)

Ps: The cloth above is called Piña or PINEAPPLE preparing which is an extremely laborious job...Thanks to Farl

One WORD...

While reading a novel
I came across a word unheard, unknown
Searching the word in google
It struck me, how about one for own

Relevant minimal words have maximal impact
Will a single word keep the sense intact?
Sounds strange for a single word
To paint a personal world
An individual, character and soul
And draw lines on the person whole

This interesting thought got me excited
Jotting down words, I got started
Missing a single one made me frown
Categorizing them as adjective and noun

Lot many words touched my periphary
Gosh! I realized a few were contrary
High-spirited yet lazy
Even-tempered yet crazy
Extrovert yet Diffident
Naif yet independent

These words did describe me in some way
But still were like an act of the play
With incomplete justice to all the characters
Not capturing the spirit which really matters
Continuing the search, I pinged my friends, colleagues
With the question that to few I guess, intrigues
Some were really excited and prompt
rest mocked with funny words of contempt

I got - Funny, alive, trustworthy, upbeat
Initiator and sensitive, got me on my feet
Chaman, a**ole also brought the heat
One that brought in my eye a glint
Was a close friend who called me "Mint"
At first I couldn't get the meaning
She detailed - its cool and refreshing

Unable to converge to a word so genuine
Insatiated, I decided to coin and maintain - Jainuine!

Do let know your views, if only for fun!
:)

Me n my Solitude...

All around, I see a group of smiling faces
But when alone, just chunks of empty spaces
Not sure where to go, whom to knock
It all seems empty at every block

These smiling faces are like a sunflower
Spreading warmth and cheer, till you water
After sunset, on the field is left
Just memories of the paddled soil at best

After meeting them, on way of return,
In my mind, I have many a concern,
The streets and corners all seem parting
Open and hardened, as if mocking

At the end of the day when am back
I find the place empty, dark and black
In my heart, desires sometimes burn like fire,
With the world full of fakes on hire

I guess, time shows the rainbow of life
Songs and laughs at times, mostly cries
Hoping sometimes it’ll be a celebration cake
Am trying to live it, for happiness sake

:)

PS: Photo credit goes to my friend Saurabh Rungta