walk with me

"Its like we know another language" he thought...
"Its like we've built
a street between our hearts
and we sit on the footpaths
from moon to moon
and noon to noon
leaning,breathing,sighing,laughing
as the traffic passes by
disinterested, perfectly so"...
"stay" he said as she glanced at the time
"I will," she said "as long as you never promise...
to never let me go."

Ghalib ki Galiyaan

Ye ghalib ki galiyan hain janaab
Yahaan chaubaron pe kapde jhaado
Toh paani ki boondon ko chooriyon ki khanak se ishq ho jaata hai
Jo khidki ke peeche se chaunk ki tez tarrari sunaai padh jaae
Toh aankho ko mirchi ki tees ka chaska chadh jaata hai
Har subah tauliye se chalakte bheege baal Baarishon ke mausam ka sa ehsaas chor jaate hain
Yahaan araam parast kone, shamon ko dhua karte ghazalein gaate hain
Dhool ko gaur se dekho... Dhoop mei khwabon si chamakti dikhai padegi
Shhh gaur se suno rickshe ke pahiye pe bandhe kisi ashiq ke dil ki aah sunaai padegi Yahan bazaron mei kaudiyan nahi chalti
Tute hue dil, galon ke til, thande armaano aur ghungraale baalon mei khareed hoti hai
Ye berehm beparvaah kilkaarion mei hasti hai Ye chameli ke gajron ki khushbu mei sajti hai Ye tute masruf dilon ki doobi kashti hai
Ye pehmaano se tapaki boondon si dassti hai Ye ghalib ki galiyan hain janab ye ishq ki basti hai

"Acha Ab Mai Chalta Hun"

ab toh…bas saansein chal rahi hai
zindagi toh usi din tham gayi thi
jab tumne kaha tha "acha, ab mai chalta hun"
ghutnon pe hath tikaa ke
ek saans bharke uthe thhe
chaukhat tak chalke gae thhe
phir feetey baandhne ko rukey thhe

hamesha feetey khule chor dete ho na
kisi din gir gae toh?
toh tum ho na…hath badha ke utha dena
ya khud zameen pe utar aana
mere liye, itna toh karogi na tum?

mai toh kabhi aasmaan ki thi hie nahi
Jab tak tum mere aasmaan na baney
mai toh kabhi iss jahaan ki thi hie nahi
jab tak tum mere jahaan na baney

kitni baar bataya tha maathe ko noch ke
jaate waqt hamesha "laut ke aata hun" kaha karte hain
hoge tum befiqr khuda se hum insaan toh befikari se darte hain
ab toh suraj bhi maano ek hie aas mei dhalta hai
suiyaan chubhaata hua sa waqt chalta hai
ki zindagi toh usi din tham gayi thi
jab tumne kaha tha "acha, ab mai chalta hun"

Ma

Hai maayus bada dil
Aaj rone ko ji chaahta hai
Unhi baazuon mei phir sone ko ji chahta hai
Vo jinhe kabhi garmjoshi mei jhatka tha
Bade sard mijaz hoke jinki
Har dua ko bistar pe patka tha
Aaj silvaton se usi bistar ki
Dhul sanjone ko ji chaahta hai
Hai maayus bada dil
Aaj rone ko ji chaahta hai

Thi loriyon ki goonj harr raat mei
Aur harr subah namazon si hoti thi
Phoonk phoonk meri balaaon ko
Apne maathe pe vo sanjhohti thi
Beech raat meri razaai uchkaane ko
Vo aksar neend se jaag jaya karti thi
Mere harr nakhre ko
bade naazon se uthaya karti thi
Mai roz kehti "offo ma deri ho rahi hai hatt bhi ja"
Vo roz kehti "beta naashta toh karti ja"

Mai haar gayi ma ab toh gussa chor de
Itni bhi narazgi yun chal di muh mor ke

Kal imtehaan hai mera dahi nahi chataao gi?
Dekh mai tayyar ho gai ma kaala teeka nahi lagaogi?

Vo jo ghee aur gurh chur ke tu banaya karti thi
Teri ungliyon ki khushbu mei sani
phir vahi churi khaane ko ji chaahta hai
Hai maayus bada dil
Aaj rone ko ji chaahta hai

Missing pieces

In every group of children, there is a weird kid always, the one who had weird choices, whose jokes nobody got, who didn't like the same toys. I was that kid, I found the whole 'ghar-ghar' 'chor police' and the likes really pointless. I never understood why I should listen to Simon's weird third person commands... and hence I was the 'weird kid'.

I always found immense intrigue and poetry in jigsaws, the bigger the better. I simply loved the whole journey. When you start, its always a tossed case, because its such a long long way to the finish that you can't allow yourself to believe you'll be able to finish it at all. Then you start nevertheless, from a corner piece mostly. My first aim used to be to find the four corners always, you know, so you have a frame, then start by finishing the lines between each corner and finally filling the gaps in between.

Jigsaws, they used to be 'my thing' not barbies or doll houses... jigsaws, the one thing I'd rush to right after school, still in my uniform, trying to finish as many pieces as possible before my brother came home with his monster of an appetite.

And Sundays, my whole week used to be filled with daydreams of the beautiful Sunday morning, when Mommy would be home so I'll have all day to myself. I can't even count how many Sundays and how many puzzles I've solved as a child. When eventually, it became boring because I got the hang of it, I could sift the right pieces out with one swooshing glance at the bundle and solve the whole thing in no time at all. I remember the childish irritation then. As if the game had to be blamed for the tricks my mind had learnt with practice. And so I stopped playing it, I 'outgrew' it.

Now life feels like one long jigsaw Sunday. Though there is no picture on a cardboard to refer, there are no visible corner pieces, this is one shapeless jigsaw and all my tricks are either forgotten or failing. Though I've made a few lucky guesses. I don't even know how many pieces I have to find and where to put them when I do. But there is one thing that might help...

You know why they gave you jigsaw puzzles as a kid? so that when you grow up and you can't see the bigger picture taking shape,you'd remember the feeling of finding a missing piece, so that when you have to go by instinct, you'll know... you just...know.

Just like I know... now. :)