~ Dushwar hua hai … ~

~ Dushwar hua hai … ~

Labon ka yun kholna dushwar hua hai,

Dilon ka bhi ab  jodna dushwar hua hai ..

Baaten teri Kitni rezon jaisi hoti hain,

Ki unko sacha tolna dushwar hua hai ..

Rooh main utaar doon main khud ko,

Par tujh main gholna dushwar hua hai ..

Zuban par rayt se dheele hain ye kisse,

Ab munh bhi kholna dushwar hua hai ..

Jamti jaye kayi si seene ki gehrai main,

Tujhse ‘na’ yun bolna dushwar hua hai …

~ Sadia

Apki tang-dili ka andaaza yun hua,

Woh barhena chahat, chithde hua dil ..

Kal shikasta tha jo apke qadmon tale,

Sisak raha hai aaj bhi peband main!

O’ Miser you’re,

Bygone, never gone —

My naked love,

Heart once frayed,

Treaded upon,

By your velvety feet,

Meanly, then,

Are shabby, ragged,

Still, oh, still!  

~Sadia

~ Kashmakash ~

~ Kashmakash ~

Pata hai,

Woh jo meri wali deewar par,

Ek lakdi ki khidki hai,

Muskurati hawa,

Khilkhilati barish,

Sharmati dhoop,

Uss ko paar kar,

Mujhe choone aate they ..

Ek halki bhoori chidaiya bhi aati thi,

Usko main haath se daana chugati thi ...

Woh nanhi chidaiya yakayak gayab ho gayi ek roz,

Ab na dhoop, barish, na hi hawa mujhse milte hain,

Jaane kyon naraaz hain …

Uss lakdi ki khidki ki,

Lohe ki salakhon main zang lag raha hai ab ..

Jo bhi us ko choota guzarta hai woh zeher ho jata hai,

Maine kayi baar chakhi hai,

Zubaan par tezi uski ..

Uska toota paina kaanch,

Halaq main chubh jata hai jab kabhi,

Saans bhi nai nigali jati fir …

Ab —

Deewar tod doon,

Ya, saanson se naata,

Badi ‘kashmakash’ main hoon …

~ Majnun to Laila ~/ ~ Laila ko Majnun ka ~

~ Majnun to Laila ~

To wind’s ear, Majnun did whisper, longingly for only his Laila,

Wind, impatient, mindless, spilled the message, in the gush of air ..

Flecks of sand imbued, devotion of Majnun dribbling from them,

Two strings percolating his words, resound in surroundings afar..

‘What doth East, West would signify, North, South, much a lie,

Thy footprints in the direction I trace, on that trail I Prostrate’ …

~ Laila ko Majnun ka ~

Majnun ne Laila ke liye hawa ke kaan main kuch kaha,

Hawa ne nasamjhi main peghaam chaar su bikhra diya ..

Rayt ka resha resha bheega hai ab Majnun ke alfazon se,

Do dori se bandhe lafz, goonjhte hain yun fizaaon main ..

‘Mashriq kya, Maghrib kya, Shamal, Janoob, se kya khaiz,

Nishan tere paon ke pade jahan, Sijda mera zaroori wahan’ … 

~ I Wish ~

~ I Wish ~

Free, let me be,

I wanna feel the wind on my face ..

Fly, please may I?

Wanting my wings lash my sides ..

Swim, oh, I can,

Holding my sail, lone wanna be I ..

Diving, isn’t it fun!

Let me dive, free of ropes ‘n hooks ..

Life, but how to live?

A smile to each fall, alive be shall I …

~ Words, they once Walked ~

~ Words, they once Walked ~

Lo! They limp,

Self-inflicted ..

God Forbid,

The deaths before survival,

Scalding,

Scorching,

Challenging,

The route they choose, of no choice,

Before thy eyes, they shall float,

Black, bold, thick, thin, long, short, curvy, straight …

Broken … Unused …

Placidly, they may lie, may have to, for a while,

Before lifting their head in agony, in hope,

Prosing,

Preaching,

Probing,

Sniggering,

Puckering,

Prodding,

Bickering,

Plaguing,

Crawling on a limp, one-half of it, only even,

Screeching,

Leeching,

Prying,

Breaching,

Banging the door with head,

Cupped hands dripping with leprosy …

Throbbing door, painted in fresh red,

Does answer in a dry as a bone - No …

Repugnance,

Penance,

Self-Purged,

Death …

Strewn on the new blue rug,

Dead ‘untrodden’ leaves,

Never so dead!

~ Name ~ / ~ Naam ~

~ Name ~

What shall I call thee?

What doth it make me?

Thirst in me,

Maketh mirage of ye ..

Hath thee been morsel,

Whetting my appetite, again ..

If, hope thou art,

Dost kindly name me, patience ..

If, thee febrile dust storm,

Windswept sand is me ..

Bohemian, thy sobriquet?

I cometh from the tales, you traipsed and forgot ..

Zenith thee, Nadir me,

My beauty, evanescence, silhouetting thy flesh,

Reminiscences belonging to thee, doth mine …

Zilch my presence to thee,

Nigh shalt be the finale to me ..

Yonder — Oasis blooms of ye, if for me —

Hither — me, sans procrastination —

Shalt drink mine, and —

Dissolve in thy ‘Name’ ….

~ Naam ~

Kya naam doon tujhe?

Kya banaaun khud ko?

Saraab tu,

Pyaas main,

Niwala tu,

Bhook main,

Umeed tu,

Sabr main,

Tapish tu,

Raet main,

Musafir tu,

Bhooli ek kahani main,

Shuruwat tu,

Khaatma main,

Tere raishon, pathon pe meri jild,

Teri yaadon ko hi odha fir,

Na hona mera ‘gar teri zidd,

Parda kyon na gire fir jald hi ?

Par — jo tu —

Wahan, sabz panaah bane meri,

Yahan, bina der kiye, piyun, ghulun,

Tujh main hi, tere 'Naam' main bhi …