On the crossroads of life ...

A beautiful city,
a sea of twinkiling lights,
The cobblestone roads,
The stranger I befriended that night.

It was twilight,
even as the stars showered charm,
A prayer of thanks escaped my lips,
as darkness spread its arms.

For the nights are my friends,
they welcome me as old mates do.
I can lose myself and cry,
No more pretences, only what's true.

Words I dare not speak,
for they are songs my heart sings,
The walls of laughter I have built,
to hide the pain that each day brings.

But then, there are times when I wonder,
if 'tis me that's being unfair,
Life brings smiles as well as tears,
All it takes to forget is a silent prayer.

So maybe I should follow,
what they say.
Keep my chin up, and smile
After all, life is a stray.

Bachpan ke vo din

Yaad aate hain vo din, vo saawan ke mahine,
Khelte the dhoop me, jhoomte barasta tha jab paani,
Ret ke teelon par tehelte, ghar banaate,
mitti ke swad se zyada koi mithai na thi humein bhaani.

Dada dikhaate ek nayi duniya suhaani,
Shaant andheri raaton me jab sunate the kisse kahani.
Tha un kahaniyon me pariyon ka dera,
dada ke chehre pe beete saalon ka fera.
Bachpan ki vo athkheliyaan, maa baba ki vo daant,
saawan ke vo jhoole, unchi udti patang ki vo kaat.
holi pe gali koochon me rang le dubak kar baithna,
aate jaate musafiron par barsana rangon se sajaa paani.

Diye baati se sajaa dena ghar ko aaye jo diwali,
bhai ke anar phuljhadi ke liye ladna, apne karke khali.
Vo chhat par let kar taaron se karna hazaron baatein,
Maa baba ki sakhti ki shikayat me kaat dena jaane kitni raatein.
yaad aata hai vo mann marzi zindagi jeene ki tamanna karna,
chupke chupke dada ke kamre se churan ki bheli churana.
khushi se chehekna jhoole jo mil jaayein kahin,
sangi saathiyon ke sang nange per sadakon par tehelna.

Badon sa ban ne ki aarzoo karte the tab,
aaj aarzoo hai ki vo din phir laut aayein.
Phir ho jaayein duniya se befikr hum,
phir se pehli barish me naache gaayein.
Phir daantein humein koi usi tarenh,
phir manaaye dekar vaasta apne pyar ka.
Bekhabar hon phir rishton se hum,
bachpan ki koi shararat phir darwaaze pe dastak de jaye.

Aate hain chale jaate hain ..

Maut nahin cheenti logon ko humse,
zindagi unhein chheen liya karti hai.
Seene me dabaya ek raaz shaam o sehar humne
humaari vafa ki khilli zindagi aaj udaati hai.