tanashah ka takht

mujhe maluum hai ki tanashah takht se chipka hai uske har gulam ke haath me khanjar hai galiyan laal rang ki holi khel chuki hai raatein barood ki khushboo aur bambo ki awaaz ko diwali maanti hai maut ke saayein bhatak rahe hai tanha; utne hi tanha jitne jeevit the nyay mar chuka hai; insaaniyat […]

The Orb

The crystal balls lied. It was dark inside Lack of light. Out of sight. But not out of mind. Still a process to come back to life. High as a kite. Or a cold turkey. Atheist or “my lord have mercy”. We all approach the same demise. It is just that I thought I found […]

versus

it is gonna take a while to re-align to re-focus and stand the test of time. arguments can continue in a respectful form with upper-cuts that cut through words stands are important. stands bring change. reason brings revolution. conversations change culture. remember, in case of an emergency, the fire exit gates are located on the […]

carousel

as i was cleaning my glasses on another quiet day with my solitude the carousel stopped abruptly at your face with you smiling at that restaurant i forget the name of with your eyes on me i forget the eyes too: they were big and contained dreams what was your name again? i do not […]

when the world ends tomorrow

when the world ends tomorrow the question is not of if but when what will be your last mistake, the last attempt to end the sorrow if there is a heart that comes in the way, break it. if there is an infirmary you have to fake, fake it. if there is an ocean to […]

the pursuit of truth

far roamed the wanderer asking questions from others to find answers in self for their sorrow was his own; just as their happiness was his. he found: mountains, beaches & deserts. rats, cats & leopards. students, traitors & teachers murderers, liars & preachers. he found a little of himself in all; and yet all were […]

anon

“tumhare naam pe aayenge gham gusaar chale” if the torn petals were meant to rot where are the bullets that were bought? why are they still unused? why don’t we light the fuse? if you are a charlatan, how am i any less? the keeper of memories; the privileged, the blessed. lucky are those that […]

french restaurant

how soon is now? if i ask for your hand and put in it flight tickets for two to paris then, ask you to get in a tiny car where our feet don’t fit properly and drive, while telling you stories and making you laugh, all the way to french riviera sip on french press […]

blue

how tempest blow the southern winds singing and asking questions; in varied riddles and puzzles, the answers were varied and enumerated as such he spoke candidly as he sipped on the poisonous cup: “he is a mighty aware man; with might lies, his lips speak false; truth in his eyes. he is you if you […]

right here

the scrambled puzzle pieces were right there each complete in itself yet waiting for a fix be it a cocaine shot, a whiskey or a kiss apart a part, together a whole need a bigger view to see the perspective wide, in remembrance of the oak tree the seeds of which were planted a long […]

de gaye

beet gayi so beet gayi, ab baaton se kya? ab milke kya karein, inn fariyaadon se kya? sapne me kyu aane lagte ho, inn raaton se kya? aur saamne hoke bhi chup hi rahte ho to inn yaadon se kya? humne maana faqat kuch hi roz ki hai zindagi aur tujh bin chal rahi hai […]

tu

yes,there were stars shining bright.and i took notice of the moon too.the darkness was vast and definitely nicebut i spent my night in her eyes.consumed on the drinks her dirty brown pouredwas the only thing making this drunken knave go onthe ink that were her lipswere this poet’s only weaponthe butter that was her neckmelted […]

moving on

“this is goodbye, my dear i send my regards as i hold back tears i am glad for the times you were near maybe we will forget about each other in a few years.” and so stated the man, moving on again. mixing the tears in rain. dancing to the crowd of one. leaving behind […]

once and only once

i kissed her once and only once felt the rain once and only once watched the dawn with her once and only once waited for her once and only once tried really hard once and only once gave up on her once and only once made love to her all night once and only once […]

victory

when he walked the line balancing life and death he kept his promises and held on to the words they said climbing the ladder fighting the demons trying; flying; defying finally, he reached the summit he achieved the promised glory finished the story. now, he stands on the top. alone and free. he carries his […]

kashmir

i wake up to the fears, of the drowning of the trembling tears in your eyes; i escape, and re-awake, the monster that had forever stayed inside; awaiting pain, smelling fear, i come near to you and looks you straight in the eyes; and there is no way to go, you give in and are […]

chale jao. ghar banao.

kabhi the to kabhi nahi jaise khuda jo guzar gayi vo guzar gayi sabr karte karte kabr ab kya kahoge yahan? chale jao. ghar banao. rahamat-e-tamaam tabah hai izm ke band-aa-ish main bin kaaran ki khwaahish bin meethe-taqalum ki baatain kaise reh paogi? chale jao. ghar banao. yaha bas ek insaan hai bin samaaj ki […]

revelation

you wake up one morning and everything makes sense you have the answers, in sync with the reality. you understand everything; the angels and the demons. the drive and the reasons. the freedom and the prison. you wake up and you are you again. consumed again. renewed again. letting go. hanging on. with insight. with […]

the book club

it was more than just reading: it was my first hindi literature for you it might be diagon alley, for me it will always be chu mantar gali. it was my first literal crush in hermoine my cramming of stats of professional wrestling my escape into silence the voice to not cause violence it was […]

khidki

betha hai dekh aaj yaar bhi mehfil me talaash me pyaasa tadpa jaaye bas paani ki aas me me khud me gum hun ya gum hun tujhme yehi to sawaal hai aankhein teri hi har paheli ka jawaab hai bheetar ghut ta aasmaan bhi baadalon ke jaal me bin baarish vo bhi sukha fas raha […]

sympathy for the devil

there are tornadoes in wisconsin uprooting trees and stories history remains stoic apathetic to lovers and poets a news flash, a heart attack, a gun clash, a breakdown there are wails that make no sound there are birds in aizwal that fly cascades in the forest that stand dry an old gun slinger that still […]

shikva

har saal pichle saal ki tarah nahi rehta kuch khayal nahi rehte kuch apne nahi rehte har samaa uss samay jaisa nahi hota vo bhi ek pal tha ye bhi ek pal hai aage bhi ek pal aaega shayad iss samay se behtar shayad kharaab shayad hum apne gile shikvo ko bhul ek nayi shuruat […]

therapy

there are birds that do not fly thieves that do not steal liars that preach truth believers that do not kneel there are songs that carry no words no music, no beats and no rhythm songs that carry silence taking a knee equivalent to violence oppressors masquerading as victims priests that commit sin there are […]

the story continues

The words are my escape from you It is a song for the freedom I seek The last call before the bar closes The last glance before we depart These thoughts are my anger at you The antithesis Of my values, principles and definitions Now the days and nights are the same I work hard […]

must be love

For her eyes are the end of me But also the beginning The sip of red wine The blues, soul and rhythm divine Must be love Kyunki harf aur alphabet ka antar bhool jaata hun Har bhasha me pyaar barsata hun Jitna dur jaata hun, utna kareeb tumhe paata hun Must be love For the […]

standing in the dark

When the darkness fights the light And the sun feels betrayed The cascade of bright merging streams All is not what it seems The truth screams The story of the vultures is apparent to all Only those that fight till the end stand tall. The darkness does not discriminate Knows only itself and does not […]

estranged

there are a few things that belong to me still kept in your wardrobe & memories kindly return them back to me let the unsaid still be a mystery a few books, a song or two, a couple of stolen lines, a trip together and the view of early morning sunshine chocolate bars, laughter & […]

no answers

i travelled beyond the time and stood on that spot again where our eyes first met and stared deep and long at her eyes for all i care and tried to unearth the truth the truth of our lives what was the honesty? what caused the delight? what were those fireworks, what were the burning […]

free

once i passed through the prism of me and got torn into different streams each cascade a prisoner in me of thoughts, doubts, emotions and dreams beyond the surface i opened up looked at the life in each layer a reminder of my now a reminder of why i am here the moments lived and […]

aabaad

os pighle, baal bheege, jism tharrae teri tadap me dil aur jaan dono tarsae dekh kahaani ka ye kaisa mod hai tu nahi hai par hai, dil se ye hodd hai tere liye jee ghabrae aa laut ke vaapas aaye ussi gali, ussi sheher, jaha tujhe dekha tha vo aankhein, vo hasi, vo bachche sa […]

tamanna

zindagi tujhe bhi shaunk ho gaya har ghari har mod imtehaan ka hume bhi aadat ho gayi, har waqt, har din intezaar ki wafa ke badle wafa na sahi, chah me rahe uski jo chah na saka dekhe nahi usko jo ruka raha, har masle me humare uljha raha ab dil uss be-dil ko diya […]

the phone

“i have answers now, ask the questions of the reason for the grimace, of the resignation of me losing patience, or the expected Armageddon ask me about the political landscape, i will give predictions or the lasting fragrance still on me of my lover she is sweet, just like lemonade i am the poison, full […]

maaya

jab lage doobne ko hai uski aankhon me, tab uski aankhon ne paar kar diya chaai jab khamoshi aur hone lage beghar uski sargoshi ne amaan kar diya hona hi tha muntjir to hume, yuhi kaatni thi zindagi uss bewafa ne aisa humara intezaam kar diya chalne lage jo hum madhushaala se, pyaase aur akele […]

accumulation/culmination

when he could not get to her he turned around and left but before he departed, he stated what needed to be said: “waited a long time for the flowers to bloom tried to stay dry in this heavy monsoon awaited water from this desert hid tears in this rain longed for your breast on […]

face off

pieces to the puzzle. the white canvas splattered with grotesque colors mixed, unique and alone. listening to empty words & emptier songs promises? more like sausages stuffed and dying on fat and oil & living off fake acknowledgments no offence but i got no defence and i might just throw you over the fence for […]

jaade ki thand

dekh to phir fuul khilne lage hai tu aur mai phir milne lage hai phir shikvoń aur giloń ki raat so rahi hai jaade ki thand khatam ho rahi hai kis muh se keh de tumhe ki tumse mohabbat nahi karte apne hi jahaan-e-ilm se nafrat ho rahi hai dekh to ki ab bhi tere […]

jwala

jo haala na jhalke to kya khaak peene vala aur jo sabke saath ho le to kya khaak vo matvala apna rasta khud bana tu; chalta ja rah paa jaega tapta jaa bas, rukna mat, ban jaega tu jwala. jhuka jo sar, gaya jo ghar, kabhi nahi uth paega vahi paata hai manzil apni jo […]

hubli 30th december 16:08

un/intentionally harrowing & bewildering the charades of the charlatans the escape of the convicts the ink of the writers the voice of the voiceless the hunger of the urchins the straits that lead home what is the homecoming that is often evoked: in words, in dreams and in hope. it is the last breath that […]

the truth of an incorrigible liar

Who killed the truth? Did it die with us growing up? When we realize that it is a friend too true and we don’t deserve it? Did we bully it into submission? Tormented it with us in its dreams? Did we leave it far behind because we accepted the reality as the new vehicle to […]

in the middle

we entered in the middle when the lives we lived had been there for a while when maybe what was the void in me was your smile and your void was the same though you didn’t know you were too scared to show and now shall i make my escape for i fear i have […]

the sky

labyrinth. an elaborate, unplanned maze that is life. with each passing sunset, with each passing night. ask yourself: where is the light? did it go down with the dusk on that playground you played when you were young did it pass out with your friends when we partied till dawn? did it fall with the […]

vo

khabar be-khabar thi zinda laasho ke vyaapar ki ankahi, ansuni, bikhari hui, lachaar si tanhai ke aalam me ghut-ti khushi andhere se lipti, bujhti roshni aakhir hua kya? sawaal reh gaye bas; zanjeero se bandhe kuch uske, kuch apne. sapne. sapne jo banaye the, uske bachchon ke saath khelne ke jaise usne hume bada kiya, […]

iss baar dilli

iss baar dilli murjha gayi hai vahi thand hai vahi saal hai vahi din hai vahi raat hai par iss baar; sawaalo ke jaal me dilli aa gayi hai pehle hasti thi, iss baar dilli murjha gayi hai dekhe jab aansu dilli ke to dil aisa toota ki jud na sake dekhi darti dilli jab […]

pehle mahila, phir maa.

jab bhi neend me koi purani baat satati hai ya koi na samjhe mujhe to koi baat adhuri reh jaati hai tab mujhe meri maa yaad aati hai jab kisi roothe ko mana na ho ya kahi apna sar jhukana ho to uski taakat ke liye jo angaar andar jalati hai vo bachpan ki naitik […]

baap

iss se takatvar koi ni iske barabar koi nahi neev bhi chaaya bhi iss se badhkar koi nahi balidaan deta garv se bachaav bhale hi chhal se mare kabhi na, maare das iski shiksha me jeevan ka ras durr hai khada ubaal se bhara zameen se juda hua aasmaan ko choota hua badi mahan chahvi […]

khamoshi

jabse paani se pyaas bujhi hai na jaane kaisi aag lagi hai chahiye aur nahin bhi mil jaye to tabah na mile to tadap dikh jaye to khuda chup jaye to chubhan aakhir ye khel hai kaisa sadiyon ke andher ke jaisa ki roshni hone par bhi andhere ko kaat ti nahi hai aur kitni […]

anon.

through the defeat of the righteousness and the burning of humanity by humans when the oppressed is conquered by the demons masquerading as gods when the earth is destroyed in the name of religion will you still care? or will you just stare? through following & joining groups just to feel like we belong and […]

final verdict

there is a maddening trance out in the air everyone is high and free dancing the nights away worries forgotten & promises betrayed out by the windy sea boarded on the ship that travels on, smoking strong and takes you nowhere and there is wisp of smoke on the hilly terrain its been years since […]

the train

each plank is a year visible at the break of dawn a curved turn and it disappears the path goes on. stones; laid out all over sharp enough to break skulls stones; creating foundation & segregation stones; that will lead home two endless parallel rails the necessary medium for the train the arrival creates reverbation […]

the song

i lost the song i used to get lost in i forget the words & what they stood for the roads that were reminiscent with the song are lost too maybe, just maybe, i took far too long and now i am a prisoner of my ways and i have to go on, though i […]