twist in the tale

एक ख्याल आया कि
बालू भरे जूते
थोड़े साफ़ कर लें
फिर सोचा कि
रेगिस्तान तो अभी
कई और भी हैं

-------

कोशिश करते रहे
धूसर दीवारों में
बाहर देखने को
झरोखे बना सकें...
एक नज़र उठा कर
देखा भी नहीं
सर पे हमारे सतरंगी
आसमान ताकता रहा

wakey wakey!

सुबह आँखें मलते
मैंने पूछा सूरज से
शर्म नहीं आती जगाते
हर सुबह नींद से
माना कि नौकरी करना
तुम्हारी मजबूरी है
पर सपने देखना
भी तो ज़रूरी है!

folly story

Ingredients of the case:
A flight ticket that bears the correct time, both on printout and boarding pass.
A check-in counter attendant of the same breed as me.
And finally, stupid stupid me!

The story:
Flight at 6:30. Naween Kumar wakes up at 4:30. Gets ready. Cab arrives at 5:00. Leaves for airport. Arrives safely. Checks in a bag. Goes thru security check. 15 mins to boarding. Tries to take a short nap. Is unsuccessful though. Is the first in line at the boarding gate. Asks the lady if boarding for the mumbai flight has started. Lady asks for boarding pass. Naween hands it over. She smiles.
'' Sir, you are booked on an evening flight!''

Consequences:
Surprisingly, minimum. Corporate booking ensures no rescheduling charges or fare difference. Naween books himself on a 8 am flight. Reschedules cab in mumbai.

Embarrassment:
Unsurprisingly, maximum.

Things that could have happened:
Naween could have noticed the time on ticket in the one week he has had it for. The check-in attendant could have noticed the time on the ticket. Naween could have done without the mental translation of the 24 hour format time on the ticket.

Learning of the story:
Wake up!

Chances of learning getting implemented:
Dim. Since Naween had arrived at a similar learning when he had done a similar exercise for a train booking.

Two sides of the same coin

I hate you.

No, you don't.

No, I do.

No, you don't.

You are not the decision maker here.

I know. And still I say, you don't hate me.

You are being arrogant.

No, I'm not. Tell me, why do you hate me?

Because you make me feel miserable.

Define miserable.

Look it up in the dictionary.

I know what it means. I just want to know what you mean by that.

You make me cry.

Because I love you?

No, it's not because of that. I know no one could have loved more.

Then, why?? I could tell you why but you won't like the answer.

You are saying you know me better than I do myself?

That's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying that I could tell you things you are afraid to say to yourself.

Shoot!

You are afraid to lose control, you don't want to lose yourself in emotions that might get out of hand.

How do you know that?

Because for all this time I've been in love with you, you've kept me out of your inner world.

And you have been ever-insistent on barging in..

Yes, I have done that. Not because I wanted to interfere. But only because I wanted to share.

Share what? Your sense and understanding of the world ? And thrust it upon me?

If you had just given up that line of thought for one small moment, you would have seen that it's not much different from yours. It's a dream we've seen together. It's just that you refuse to acknowledge your share.

I'm not a dreamer.

In your own obstinate way, you are. You just don't want to share your dreams. Not even with the one the dream is for.

You are making me cry again.

I am just making you see the fact that I would NEVER want to change you. Because the way you are, is the way I've fallen in love with. Why would I ever want to change that?

Can you promise me that you will keep trying to drill some sense no matter how stubborn I am?

I will. And you know that.

Yes, I do.

Now, stop crying.

Yes, I should.

बातूनी बातें

तुम गए तो क्या हुआ
अब भी बातें करते हैं हम
अधूरे किस्सों को पूरा करते
तुमसे मिला करते हैं हम

पर ऐसे बातें करो तो
यादों पे शक होता है
कि जिनको गले लगाये बैठे हैं
वो मन का भरम तो नहीं हैं कहीं

अधूरे किस्से शायद
कभी शुरू ही ना हुए हों
तुमने कुछ कहा भी ना होगा
और हमने सब सुन लिया होगा

पर क्या करें, तुम संग बातें
तो कुछ और ही होती थीं
मिल पाते थे खुद से कहीं
वो रातें कुछ और ही होती थीं

सच हों या हो झूठ
बातों पे हमारा कोई बस नहीं
होती हैं तुमसे और होती रहेंगी
तुम यहाँ रहो या नहीं

तुम तो चले गए
अब बातों से ही यारी है
आदत ये हमारी
तुमने ही बिगाड़ी है

spring-cleaning

the brain is not an infinite dustbin
i have some spring-cleaning to do
memories that have taken root
grown into a labyrinth i get lost in

there's a carton of dusty photographs
grainy with specks of time
and there are some footprints
times when i stood my ground
stubborn, sometimes foolishly so

sepia-toned words and sentences
tomes i've guarded against time
laced with smiles and tears
people long gone, living in these words
still speaking to me

and the mind, i know
isn't ready to give up any of this
so the broom-work will be more of
wrestling and pushing and fighting
and explaining and cajoling

but the labyrinth is
holding me back
there are new memories to be made
new pictures to be taken
more smiles and tears

and i can't
just stay HERE

Photo by Basu.