हमारी सुबह कचड़े में बीते

हमारी सुबह कचड़े में बीते

तुम्हारी कक्षा और किताबों में

हमारे नंगे पैर सड़कें नापे

तुम्हारे नंगे हाथ भूगोल जाने

हम भी भारत के अंग हैं

फिर क्यों नहीं कोई हमारे संग है

हमारा जीवन नर्क है पर

होसला आसमान को छूने का है

कपड़े गंदे और तंग हैं पर

मंजिल हमारी साफ़ है

हम भी भारत के अंग हैं

फिर क्यों नहीं कोई हमारे संग है

मेहनत हमारी रंग लाएगी

यह हमारा विश्वास है

विज्ञान हमसे दूर ही सही

लेकिन ज्ञान हमारे पास है

हम भी भारत के अंग हैं

फिर क्यों नहीं कोई हमारे संग है

इतिहास के नकारे लेकिन

चुनौती यह हमने भी ली है

पदक हमें मिले न सही,

जीयेंगे हम भी शान से

हम भी भारत के अंग हैं

फिर क्यों नहीं कोई हमारे संग हैं

आखों में सपने लिए,

देश को हम भी बदलेंगे

दुनिया हमारे साथ न सही,

साथ हमारे सूरज, चाँद चलेंगे

हम भी भारत के अंग हैं

फिर क्यों नहीं कोई हमारे संग है

Finding Me

I failed to succeed or suceeded in failure
I lost the love or loved to lost
What I gained by losing or lost to gain
What I fought to win or won to fight

Matters of heart and heart of the matter
Are above logic, rules and control
Choices are made, promises are kept
Still life goes on to get on with life

Am I a failure or failed to be as I am
Did I got what I wanted or was it an illusion
A game that destiny plays with the dreamer
I won, lost, backed and thrown out but am still fighting

Nature gave me birth and alone I was
People around me are loners behind society's facade
Nothing lasts for ever and time stops for none
Memories are my wealth and now my only true friend

in search of LIFE

DO U KNOW ME
DO I KNOW U
DO WE KNOW LIFE
OR DOES LIFE IS LEADING US
AND WE ARE LOST BY LIFE
AS LIFE IS ALWAYS ON THE MOVE
AND IT ALWAYS WANTS ACTION
ARE WE IN LIFE OR OUT OF LIFE
FOR WHEN WE ARE DOWN THEN LIFE DESERTS US
AND WE CRAVE FOR LIFE MORE
WITH LIFE WE ARE LIVELY
BUT THEN WHAT IS REAL LIFE
BEING OURSELF OR SHEDDING SELF FOR LIFE
THE QUESTION REMAINS
BEREFT OF LIFE IT IS A MYTH
BUT WITH LIFE IT IS A MIRAGE
FOR AN ENTITY WHO IS AN ENIGMA
BY A SOUL WHO DOES NOT EXIST WITHOUT LIFE
I THINK I HAVE GONE MAD
BUT THEN THOSE WHO LOVE LIFE ARE NOT SANE

A year that will be new

A year that will be new

A year came by and went
With 365 days/nights of news
Some pleasant, some painful
Painting our lives in various hues

A child crawls to walk
A boy learns to cheat
A girl loses her innocence
A woman claims her feat

Poor finds solace in dirt
Rich turns pauper in spirit
Humanity loses soul in crowd
A candle of smile waits to be lit

Flood, quake, tsunami, drought
War, battle, violence, fight
Blast, terror, kill, murder
Facing all of it is our birthright

Waiting for a selfless smile
Looking out for a friendly hand
Missing hugs, praises, ovation
Yet to find on our earthy land

Where a person is treated equal
Where Osama will love to be Obama
I am searching for a worthy kingdom
Where Allah will sit together with Rama

So, before bidding goodbye to 2008
Let’s learn the fair of past years
And pledge to make the world a better place
Say yes to LIFE and no to tears

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009

A trail of warm thoughts

It all started in a train, and before I knew, it finished when I alighted at the station. I was returning to Bhopal from Kerala after attending the wedding of my friend who is now based in US.
My happiness knew no bounds when I got an opportunity to visit my hometown alone with my school friends. Being the youngest among three brothers, I was pampered but not allowed to even go out to the nearest shop to buy anything. My childhood years were spent in going to school, playground and church apart from the social functions that the family was invited to. Imagine seventeen years under the watchful eyes of big brothers!
So, the trip to Kerala with my friends was a dream come true in many ways. During our onward journey, since the train took the Konkan route we bought Fenny (the Goan Cashew Fenni). Life’s small indulgences and simple pleasures.
The masti and dhamaal that all of us (stags) had during our stay at a hotel near my friend’s paternal house in a remote village still gives me a kick even after ten years.
I was the odd man out during the marriage party because apart from my friend — the groom, only I was wearing a suit. The rest were wearing the traditional Kasavu Mundu and white or cream shirt. I was a bit embarrassed but my ‘groom’ pal was feeling proud to show off his ‘handsome’ friend to the bride’s family.
The party ended and soon I was back in the train for my return trip. There was this girl of about 17-18 years in the compartment who was accompanying her parents. I was reading a novel to pass the time when she, obviously bored of talking to her parents, started a conversation with me and soon a volley of questions and answers followed and the three days and two nights passed like a fast-paced movie. Her parents also found me a harmless soul and left us to our discussions.
As I was to disembark at 4 am, we were talking till late night. I told her that if she will be awake to see me off then I will gift her something (these words just came impromptu). She agreed even though I had nothing to give her. I do not know whether she slept or not but when I opened my eyes after my short nap she was smiling at me. I told her that I am going to the washroom and will be back. As the compartment was dark since I was the only passenger to get down, so I made my way to the washroom of the second class compartment and when I came out she was standing near the washbasin. I looked at her eyes that were searching for something and before we could grasp the situation, I planted a soft kiss on her right cheek.
She smiled and said that she will never forget this moment and my gift — a statement that I had already imprinted in my mind.
Soon my stop came, I got down the train and she waved at me. Both of us did not cry or felt sad. We did not even felt the need to ask each other’s address or made any promise of keeping in touch.
Even after so many years when I think of that incident, the feeling is still the same — a composed acknowledgement of the true emotion of togetherness.