Zaroorat Padey, Toh.

Sochta hoon zaroorat na padey.
Thoda teri baahon ki chaadar odhey rehna chaahta hoon.
Gardan par saanson ki dastak,
Kaanon per teri zulfon ki sarsaraahatt,
Teri ungliyon to mere hontho ka raasta naapney dena chaahta hoon.
Aankhein main phir bhi na kholoonga,
Tujhe makhmal ke bistar per pighaltey dekhna chaahta hoon.
Shabd na koi, lekin teri shaitaan hansi,
Teri dabi hansi mein teri sharaarat,
Tere chulbuleypann se teri naraazgi tak,
Teri masoom aah mein simatnaa chaahta hoon.
Aankhein main phir bhi na kholoonga,
Zaroorat padey, toh pukaar lena.
Zaroorat padey, toh jagaa dena.

Don't

Main sadiyaan jee gaya
panna panna calendar chhaant-tey huey
soti aankhon per paani matt daalo.
Mainey sookhi ghaas se resham ka qaaleen buna
mere ghutney harey
tum hansa matt karo.

The End

Bikharr bikharr gaya
titarr bitarr hua
pakdam pakadi chhuppa chhuppi
dil wil chhuaa
Mohabbatt
ikka dukka kshay maat
patta patta jua.

Saham saham gaya
khatam khatam hua
chakku chhuri tamchaa rassi
bin paani kuaa
Dillaggi
ikka dukka kshay maat
patta patta jua.

Ikka dukka kshay maat
patta patta jua
ikka dukka kshay maat
patta patta jua
Zindagi
chauka chhakka bhaagam bhaag
run out hua.

 

Galti Ho Gayi

Aaj subah ek galti ho gayi.
Galti ho gayi ki main uth gaya.
Galti ho gayi,
phir se mainey uss puraani subah mein aankhein khol daali,
jab uth-ta thaa uski aawaaz se.
"College nahin aana kya?
Class shuru honey waali hai."
Galti ho gayi.
Woh aawaaz kaan mein dobaara pad gayi.
Koi gaana dimaag mein kyun nahin aa raha saala!
"Nahin. Aaj attend karne ka mann nahin hai."
Kisko bolun?
Galti ho gayi, aaj usey bolne ka mann kar gaya.
Bhakk saala, radio chalaao.
"Yeh gaana dedicate kiya hai Rahul ne Priya ko...."
Chutiya hai kya!?
Gaana barbaad kar raha hai khud ke liye!
Royega saari zindagi gaana sunkar.
Ek SMS bhejoon?
Nahin. Zor se chillaunga!
Zor se chilaunga nahin aati yaad!
Uskey paas jaake bolunga, nahin aati yaad.
"Soney de yaar aaj, nahin attend karna lecture."
Yaar koi yeh tasveer mitaao dimaag se.

Bik Gaye Kahin

Pata hai kahaan chhupaa rakhaa hai khud ko?
Ya dhoondney ka ab mann nahin karta?
Ya bech diya khud ko bharey baazaar mein?
Chhote chhote sapnon ke keemat badi bhaari,
kaudi kaudi, sikka sikka, umr beetey jaaye saari.
Bech diya re bech diya,
maine hazaar sapnon ko bech diya,
seth ne lagaayi keemat itni pyaari,
uska sapna zara jyada mehenga dikhaai padta hai.
Noton ke beech kahin ek note ban,
pada hoon bandd seth ki tijori mein,
jeb se nikloonga kabhie uska sapna poora karne ko.
Haan bhai, pata hai kahaan chhupa rakhaa hai khud ko.
Bas ab dhoondney ka mann nahin karta.

(Dedicated to all the working class heroes)

Main Chalaa

 

O' sayaane dekh mujhe,

teri bastee mein main baawra sahi.

Tere kad se oonchey tere makaan,

teri viraan galiyon mein main besahaara sahi.

Sikkey sikkey se toli teri kahaani ka bojh,

korey panne ka main koraa afsaanaa sahi.
 

Ummeedon ke par hain, woh toh theek hai magar,

chidiya hee jab qaid hai pinjarey mein...

Kaalaapaani sa tera aasmaan,

main inn chhodi galiyon ka aawaara sahi.

Kuchh aatey kandhey, kuchh jaatey kandhey,

thoda bojh udhaar de jaate kandhey,

ek hee raah par chaltey jaatey kandhey,

manzil meri alag mujhey inn andhon se takraana nahin.

O' sayaane tu jee bhar aaj phir dekh mujhe,

teri bastee mein dobaara aanaa nahin.

... कहीं आंसू ना निकल जाएँ

जब भी आइना देखा,

घंटों अपनी आँखों को एकटक घूरा,

कभी इन आँखों में झाँकने की हिम्मत्त ना हुई.

डरता हूँ कहीं आंसू ना निकल जाएँ.

जब भी आँखें बंद कीं,

घंटों जगमगाते उथले सपनों में खोया रहा,

कभी गहरी यादों में डूबने की हिम्मत्त ना हुई.

डरता हूँ कहीं आंसू ना निकल जाएँ.

जब भी किसी से आखिरी बार मिला,

घंटों बेकार की कहानियां सुनता सुनाता रहा,

'मत जाओ', कभी कहने की हिम्मत्त ना हुई.

डरता हूँ कहीं आंसू ना निकल जाएँ.

हाँ, दो आंसूं टपके ज़रूर थे.

उस दिन धूप कुछ ज्यादा ही तेज़ थी.


Jab bhi aaina dekha,
ghanton apni aankhon ko ektak ghoora,
kabhie inn aankhon mein jhaankne ki himmatt na hui.
Darta hoon kahin aansoo na nikal jaaein.

Jab bhi aankhein bandd ki,
ghanton jagmagaate utthle sapnon mein khoya raha,
kabhie geheri yaadon mein doobne ki himmatt na hui.
Darta hoon kahin aansoo na nikal jaaein.

Jab bhi kisi se aakhiri baar mila,
ghanton bekaar ki kahaaniyan sunta sunaata raha,
'mat jaao', kabhie kehne ki himmatt na hui.
Darta hoon kahin aansoo na nikal jaaein.

Haan, do aansoo tapke zaroor they.
Uss din dhoop kuchh jyaada hee tez thee.

यादें

यादें. 

कुछ यादें दिल में रह गयीं, 

कुछ यादें कागजों पर रह गयीं.

कुछ कागज़ डायेरी के पन्ने रह गए, 

कुछ कागज़ मेरी जेब में रह गए.

कल रात एक जेबकतरा,

मेरी कुछ यादों को अपने साथ ले गया.

संभाल के रखना भाई,

थोड़ी नाज़ुक हैं.

वज़न ज्यादा लगे तो,

पानी में बहा देना.

मैं समंदर किनारे रोज़ मिलूंगा,

ढलते सूरज के नीचे,

डूबा हुआ,

इन् यादों में.


Yaadein.
Kuchh yaadein dil mein reh gayin,
kuchh yaadein kaagazon par reh gayin.
Kuchh yaadein diary ke panne reh gaye,
kuchh kaagaz meri jeb mein reh gaye.
Kal raat ek jebkatraa,
meri kuchh yaadon ko apne saath le gaya.
Sambhaal ke rakhna bhai,
thodi naazuk hain.
Vazan jyada lagey toh,
paani mein bahaa dena.
Main samandar kinaare roz miloonga,
dhaltey sooraj ke neeche,
dooba hua,
inn yaadon mein.

I'm Not Meant to be Understood

Nah. I'm not meant to be understood.

I'm meant to be just read. Like a book. Page by page, first word to the last word. Till the words start making any sense. And then to be passed on to some other hands. And some other hands. Till the last page gets stained. Till the jacket refuses to hold my stories together anymore. Till the story becomes a tale told and retold. There. There I'm now. In your kids' bedtime stories. In the screenplay of that mega-hit movie. In the quotes, surrounded by quotes of many unknown, just like me. To be copy pasted. To be twisted. And twisted. And twisted, till the words start making yet another sense.

I'm meant to be heard. Like a tape. Song by song, first note to the last beat. Till the song makes it to the Billboard charts. Till the song finds place in your lover's mind. Till the radio keeps abusing, and abusing, and abusing the soul out of the song. To be forgotten someday. There. There I'm now. In a music store, placed under the classics. In the contests, being hummed, only to be recognised by someone who once heard me. To be played in the nightclubs, when all the hipsters gather around the stereo, smoking, drinking and being merry. To be twisted. And twisted. And twisted till the music inspires another guitar to weep, yet again.

I'm meant to be just watched. Like a circus. Act by act, from a unicycle to the fall of the last trapeze artist. Till the circus is house full. Till the circus remains there for 30 days. Till the circus travels to the last city. Till the last child keeps laughing at the sight of the joker. Till the last tiger dies, dreaming of getting unleashed someday. To be forgotten someday. There. There I'm now. In your favorite movie, where the hero is performing a motorcycle dare, without a double. Only to be revived by a rich goon, who is smuggling the seals, and tigers, and monkeys and girls. Lots of girls. Till the last girl in the village is bought. Till the last elephant kicks the ball, waiting for the promised sugarcane he saw last week for the last time. Till one of the act makes it to the records.

See! There I'm again. To be read. Page by page. Word by word.

And you thought you'll understand me?

-Prateek

Akelapann (अकेलापन)

Sheher ki shehereeyat se duur
anjaan chehron ki bheed se bhaagte hue
aa khada hua main
samandar kinaare
akelapann ehsaas karne.

Kaafi der tak
samandar ne koshish ki
lehron ko baar baar bhej kar
mere kadmon ki taraf
mujhse baat karne ki.
Magar main toh aaya thaa
akelapann ehsaas karne.
Haar kar
lehrein bhi peechhe hat gayi.

Kaafi der tak
sooraj ne koshish ki
kirnon ko baar baar bhej kar
mere chehre ki taraf
mujhse baat karne ki.
Magar main toh aaya thaa
akelapann ehsaas karne.
Haar kar
dhoop bhi sheethal pad gayi.

Kaafi der tak
chaand ne koshish ki
chaandni ko baar baar bhej kar
meri kaaya ki taraf
mujhse baat karne ki.
Magar main toh aaya thaa
akelapann ehsaas karne.
Haar kar
chaandni bhi andhere mein badal gayi.

Jeet gaya, main jeet gaya.
Aaj akelepann ka jashn manaana hai.
Aur phir khoj mein chal pada
kisi yaar ki
jisko sunaa sakoon kahaani
apni jeet ki.
------------------------------------
-Prateek Garg
29/3/2012
https://twitter.com/#!/Scotchaholic

Likhoon Aisi Kavita Kaunsi?

Aaj achaanak se
kisi ne poochh hee liya
"Kya miyaan!
Nahin likh rahe ho aajkal
wohi roz ki kavitaayen tum apni?
Lagta hai,
bahut khush ho in dinon tum"

Daftar se ghar tak ka
dedh ghante ka safar
isi uljhan mein beet gaya....

Kyun koode ke dher se,
khaana chugte bachche ka drishya,
mann mein koi kavita nahin la paaya?

Kyun raste ke ek park mein,
jogging karte uss jodey ka nazaara,
mann mein koi kavita nahin la paaya?

Kyun meri uss dost ka,
apne pyaar ke bichhad jaane ka gam,
mann mein koi kavita nahin la paaya?

Aur isi uljhan ke taane baane ko suljhaate hue,
ghar pahuncha hee thaa,
ki achaanak yaad aayi,
uss shakhs ki baat,
"...Lagta hai,
bahut khush ho in dinon tum"

Chain ki saans lete hue,
mann bola,
"Haan.
Bahut khush hoon, in dinon main"
-----------------------------------
-Prateek
27/2/2012
https://twitter.com/#!/Scotchaholic