Hum dono… :)

kabhi kabhi shaam dhale,
jab baithey ho’n hum dono –
kabhi apne din ki baatein doosre ko bataatey hue,
aur kabhi bas aise hi, chup chaap ek doosre ko mehsoos karte –
dono ke haath mein ek beer ka glass,
tumhaare haath mein ek ke baad ek cigarette jalti hui –
tab lagta hai bilkul waisa hi,
jaisa lagta tha tab jab hum miley thay,
aur jaan rahey thay ek doosre ko, dheere dheere.

Yaad hai tumhein woh waqt?
art galleriyaan, starbeans ki coffee,
aur woh cocktail regent blues mein –
woh lambe din aur usse bhi lambi raatein jab sirf phone pe kartey thay baat,
aur shuru mein toh receiving mein bhi hota tha charge.
aur unn lambe din aur lambi raat’on ke beech,
woh lamhe bhar ki shaam
jab hote thay ek saath
hum dono.

kitney saal lage, kitne ghante,
kitne phone call, aur kitni baar hum miley,
aur dheere dheere jaan’ne lagey ek doosre ko itna,
ke vishwaas ho gaya ki yehi toh chahiye tha
zindagi ka jigsaw poora hone ke liye,
aur bas, kar liya tay ke tumse kabhi nahin bhi miley hotey,
phir bhi tumse na milney ka hota pachhtaava –
maaloom hota meri zindagi ko, ke ismein jis zindagi ko milna tha,
woh abhi tak mili nahin.

Tab se abb tak,
kaise aa gaye hum?
Humaare kal ne pauhunchaaya humein
humaare aaj tak.
aur ye aaj raasta bana raha hai
humaare aane waale kal ke liye.
Ye padh kar soch rahe hoge tum – ke kal hoga toh kaisa hoga?
Bas, aisa hi hoga, meri jaan – tum aur main, hum dono, ek saath,
aur humaari banaayi hui ye zindagi.

Office

roz subaah office mein aate hi

jaise alfaaz ruk se jaatey hain,

kal-parson ki kavitaa’ein jaise

mit si gayi ho’n, aur kho gayi ho’n kahiin

dimaag ke kisi koney mein.

.

kal raat tak jaise ek baadh si thi,

aur lafz ruktey nahin thay,

dimaag daud raha tha typing speed se tez,

aur chhooth bhi jaatey thay kuchh shabd

likhey jaaney se pehle hi.

.

aur abb ye haal hai

ki aas-paas dekh kar bhi,

kuchh aisa dihkta nahin, kuchh bhi soojhta nahin,

jispe likhi jaa sakey koi kavita,

ya sirf kuchh hi shabd bhi.

.

theek bhi hai,

office mein office ka kaam hona chahiye

lekin emails ko reply aur forward kar-karke

thak gaye haath, dimaag par chhaa gayi hai susti,

aur kuchh likhney ki chaah toh hai, saamarthya nahin.

.

.

[Cross posted on the new blog.]

Bliss

garmiyo’n ki dopahar,

baahar tez dhoop,

meri khidki mein kabootar yahaan-wahaan dekhta hua,

shaayad paani dhoond raha hai woh.

.

baarish chaar dino’n se hui nahin,

shaayad theek hi hai,

baadh ka keher kar chuka hai beghar kayi’on ko,

nadi ka ye roop magar kitna apna sa lagta hai.

.

main andar, computer par kavitaa’ein likhte hu’e,

nazar uthaa, ungliyo’n ko keyboard par rok kar,

dekh rahi hoon baahar ki duniya,

aur mehsoos kar rahi hoon apney astitva ko.

.

ghar ke andar ki thandak,

aur balcony ke ghaney paudh’on ke beech,

khidki ke neele parde mein se

andar jhaankti dhoop ki kirnein.

.

mere aas-paas, thandey farsh par,

so rahe hain do aise jo kabhi rehtey thay sadko’n par,

aur abb hain iss ghar ke mujh jaise hi hissedaar,

bol nahin saktey, lekin aankho’n mein hai duniya bhar ka pyaar.

.

ghar iss waqt khaali hai,

aur koi nahin hai insaan.

akele toh hoon, lekin akelapan kahaan,

kaafi hain tanhaayi aur ye shabd kahiin andar se nikaltey hu’e.

.

.

[Cross posted on the new blog.]

Albums

puraani albums rakhi hain,

rakhi rehti hain,

aaj mein jeene ki zaroorat,

inhein kuchh bhula sa deti hain.

.

kabhi-kabhi padh jaati hai nazar inpe,

aur phir bebas hoke,

haath ruktey nahin,

albums khul hi jaati hain.

.

bachpan ke pal, diwaali, holi,

basant panchami, garmi ki chhuttiyaan,

kabhi aise hi baraamdey mein baithe hue –

tasveer’on se yaad aate hain woh saare din.

.

birthday parties, apni aur dost’on ki,

jinmein thay gubbarey aur streamers,

passing the parcel, musical chairs,

mummy ka banaaya hua cake, chowmein aur ribbon sandwiches.

.

garmi ki chhutiyaan,

dehradun mein naani ka ghar,

kabhi nainital, ek baar shimla,

papa ka birthday june ki garmi mein.

.

mera bachpan, mummy aur papa –

tasveerein puraani lagti hain,

par yaadein taaza hain abb tak,

aur rishta bhi rahega bilkul waisa hi.

.

ek tasveer hai jismein mummy ka hara dupatta hai mere sar par,

aur godi mein hai gaurav, abb saahil –

mummy ki nakal kartey-kartey,

tab se, abb tak aa gaye, aur kuchh badla nahin.

.

mere bachpan ka aadha hissa,

jiskey bina zindagi ka jigsaw adhoora hai.

aur phir hum dono ke bachpan mein ek aur ka judna,

jo abb lagti hai jaisey kabhi alag thi hi nahin.

.

dono door, apney sapno’n ko sach kartey hue,

aagey ki zindagi ki dehleez par khadhey,

phone par rakhtey hue hum sab ko saath,

dikhaatey hue apni nayi duniyaa’ein humein bhi apney saath.

.

meri zindagi ke jigsaw mein ek aur juda,

jo nahin bhi milta, toh zindagi ko hamesha lagta

ke kuchh hai adhoora, jis zindagi ko iss safar mein milna tha,

woh abhi tak mili nahin.

.

unn bhooli hui albums mein,

jud rahi hain humaari nayi yaadein,

digital camera ne kar diya aur bhi aasaan,

chhote-chhote pal, surakshit hain computer mein.

.

facebook par hum sab duniya se baant’tey –

apna rishta, dosti aur beshart pyaar,

humaari khushiyaan, aur ye bejod paagalpan,

albums dikh jaati hain, toh ye saare pal phir se jee lete hain hum.

.

.

[Cross posted on the new blog.]

Career

Sapney kam bhi ho’n,

hain toh sahi.

Log kehtey hain sirf naukri kaafi nahin,

career hona chahiye,

passion zaroori hai,

aagey badhne ki hodh zaroori hai.

Aisa kyun hai lekin?

.

Kyun hai zaroori aage badhna?

Kyun nahin bas zindagi ke saath behtey chalo,

nadi ki taraah.

.

Raastey mein kuchh gaaon milenge,

jo basey hain iss nadi ke liye –

wahaan se shaant ho kar behtey chalo.

.

Milenge kuchh vaadiyaan aur pahaad,

zindagi ke utaar-chadhaav –

wahaan se apna raasta khud banaate hue nikalte chalo.

.

Saath mein hoga waqt khud ko aage badhaane ka,

career mein nahin,

zindagi mein.

.

Ghoomna kitaab’on mein basi duniyaa’on mein,

aur asli duniya ke koney-koney tak.

Rehna kareeb asli zindagi ke,

aur rakhna paas unn logo’n ko jo dilaatey hain yaad ke zindagi kya hai.

.

taraazu mein tola jaaye,

ek taraf career –

museebat’on se joojhta, stress badhaata hua;

aur doosre palrey par zindagi –

jo bula rahi hai hum sab ko,

iss nadi ki har boond ko choos-choos ke peene ke liye –

aur taraazu ke theek beech mein,

naukri se aane waali tankha,

jo deti hai saadhan ye zindagi jeene ke liye,

lekin ijaazat nahin hai isey jeene ke liye.

.

.

[Cross-posted on the new blog.]

Weekends

Kal shaam ko socha ke bauhat ho gaya

zaroorat hai aaraam ki,

theek usee taraah jaise ek khaali canvas

jo hota hai ekdum kora

usey zaroorat hoti hai rang’on mein lath-path hone ki.

.

Rang – kabhi surkh laal, toh kabhi shaant neela,

sooraj se bhi peela, ya phir naani ke baageechey sa hara –

ya shaayad satrangi.

.

Haftey bhar office ka kaam,

aur kaam hi nahin, politics bhi.

Jo raajneeti chalaati hai desh ko,

office mein aa jaaye toh kar deti waisa hi bawaal,

jaisa hota hai jab gir jaata hai raaton-raat bana foot-bridge.

.

Kaam ka phal, miley ya na mile,

tankha toh mil hi jaayegi –

yeh keh kar apne aap ko saantvana do bhi toh kab tak?

.

Shaayad theek hi hai –

paanch din ka kaam, robot ki taraah,

aur robot bhi rajnikant waaala nahin –

woh toh hero hai, hum kahaan.

.

Paanch din ka kaam, aur phir do din ki zindagi –

Khud ke liye ye do din, bina salary ke

kitney zyaada achhe hain unn paanch dino’n se.

.

“Choose a job you love, and you won’t have to work a day in your life” –

yehi kiya tha, lekin phir kya hua?

.

.

[Cross-posted on the new blog.]

Conversation with my hairdresser – every blahdy time!

[Cross-posted on the new blog.]

So, what is it about hair-dressers all over that makes them want to do stuff to your hair which you most definitely don’t want done.

I’ve had the same conversation with almost every woman or man who has cut my hair in the last few years. And, it goes a little like this…

Me: (Getting hair cut in silence. Maybe browsing through a magazine. Mostly suppressing the crazy urge to make faces at the mirror.)
Hair Dresser: Why don’t you get your hair coloured?
Me: No, thanks.
HD: No, it’ll look nice.
Me: No, it’s okay. I like it all black.
HD: It’s dark brown, actually.
Me: Haan, and I like it the way it is.
HD: Just a few streaks. It’ll look nice.
Me: !!!!! No! I’m okay with it the way it is!
HD: Deep red streaks. Or maybe golden.
Me:: Listen, I don’t want any streaks, okay? Nothing. No colour, thankyouverymuch.
HD: But why, madam?
Me: Because-I-don’t-want-it-and-I-like-my-hair-the-way-it-is!!!!!!

And, no – I don’t have a single gray strand of hair. At least, that might’ve maybe slightly warranted such a conversation. I have straight, reasonably thick, shiny, healthy dark-brown hair. And, I swear – I still need to have this conversation each and every time I go for a haircut. Why, I ask?!

The other thing that has to happen is for the hair-dresser to ask –
HD: Which shampoo-conditioner do you use, madam?
Me: [Insert name of products currently in use]
HD: Hmmm…okay….

And, that’s it. Nothing else – no, good-product, bad-product, don’t-use-this-one, use-that-one-instead advice. Is this some sort of a conversation starter they’re trying out? Are they collecting data for some research? I’d really like to know.

Also, speaking of hair dressers, here’s a nice post about scenes from a beauty parlour.

It’s been too long…

…and this blog seems like a chore to be completed; and among all the chores to be completed every day, this one seems like the most do-away-able.

So, I figured it might help if I move to someplace else.

Of course, the rest of this blog will be there as well, but it’ll be a new address, a new home, with a new look.

I might move back here again, who knows – but for now, I think I need a change.

See you all there!

A sonnet of cats and dogs

Dedicated to Gabriel and Brandy. 🙂

 

 

A cat has grace that is envied by all,

Dogs, though, are “man’s best friends” by far.

We know dogs from feline grace do but fall,

Because cats do believe in being the czar.

 

We know a cat as dainty, proud and sly,

And also, as curiosity exemplified.

Dogs are playful, happy and the best ally,

And to stop wagging their tail, can’t decide.

 

But, to earn the trust of a cat is hard,

And, when done, is a feat well accomplished.

A happy dog is not tho’ such a reward,

But that doesn’t stop it from being cherished.

 

Never the twain shall meet, is often said-

Still, both of mine, each-other do sure dread.

© Aanchal Tyagi, 2010