Raat ke dhaayi baje

kit-kitati sard raat mein
haath jab razai se phisla

thand padh gayi dil ko

jab land woh garma-garam laptop par kiya
corporate zindagi ki dua samjhoon
ya bedard naukri ki vyatha
ek mail send karne ke peechhe,
apna male discard ho gaya
Save now par click karoon,
ya send hi kar doon
raat ke dhaayi baje hain
thhoda sleep mode ka rukh karoon?

Toss

Yeh bistar se fridge ka faasla - mitaoon kaise?
Pet ki iss gurguraahat ka unt- paoon kaise?
Umr ho gayi susti ka mazaa uthhaye huye
Iss midnight pang ko bhulaoon kaise?
Abhi aathh baje hi khaayi makhani daal ke bawajood
Barah baje lagi craving mein logic paoon kaise?
Neend udh jaayegi posture badalte hi
Karwat badal kar uthoon, toh uthh paoon kaise?
Bhookh aur neend ke iss match mein
Toss tak bhi jaoon kaise?

Shehtoot Miyan

लोकल पार्क की बॉउण्ड्री के उस पार 
एक अकेले कोने में 
घर से थोड़ा ही पीछे 
टहनी से लटके पढ़े थे शहतूत मियाँ 
अब मैंने सोचा, खुश ही होंगे 
गाँधी जी वाले हरे-हरे नोट जैसा ही रंग था लगभग 
बढ़े सेठ जी जैसे तने क्यों नहीं हो फिर?
पूछा तो गुस्सा हो कर लाल-पीले होने के बजाये 
लाल-नीले हो गए 
अब सोचती हूँ - 
तोड़कर घर ले जाऊँ तभी मानेंगे। 

Local park ki boundary ke uss paar
Ek akele kone mein
Ghar se thhoda-hi peechhe
Tehni se latke padhe thhe shehtoot miyaan
Ab maine socha, khush hi honge
Gandhi ji ke hare hare note jaisa hi rang thha lugbhug
Badhe seth ji jaise tane kyun nahin ho phir?
Poochha toh gussa ho kar laal-peele honey ke bajaye
Laal-neele ho gaye
Ab sochti hoon-
- todh kar ghar le jaaoon tabhi maanenge.

Baadal

dhundhalaayi shaam mein,
jab saath woh baadal chala,
bijli-paani, sab hawa huye,
chali aisi hawa,
ke pata na chala
gher ke mujhko
lipat kar mujhse
jab gud-guda baadal woh udne laga
boondon ke jhoomar-se

latke armaan bhi udha chala

Kissey

kuchh kissey peechha nahin chhodte...
bhari dopahar, ek badi si chhatri ki tarah thandi hawa jaise gher lete hain
thandi dopaharein, khatte aam, aur kaala namak...
khareede huye nahin, ek raat pehle ki aandhi ke giraaye huye.
aandhi bhi aisi ki usmein mitti ke saath-saath khayal bhi udh chale thhe...
ek dor se baandh kar rakha hai takiye taley.
kahin bhaage toh phat se kheench loongi.
yahi toh swad hai takiye ke neeche rehne waaley kisson ka
khatte aam aur kaale namak jaisa...

The phone rings

4th January, Amar Homeo Clinic, Paschim Vihar, New Delhi
10:30am
The phone rings incessantly as the raagi on ETC Punjabi prays with fervour. For the clinic helper, Trilok Chand the ringing phone is ambient as he goes about looking and noting down details of rows and rows of medicine bottles. The phone rings. Patient number 14, Jasmeet Singh has been up early, the runs didn't really let him have a good snooze last night. Waiting eagerly for Dr.Chawla in the front row, Jasmeet looked rather pro-pah with his freshly fixed beard, almost like an ad for Simco. He is a stickler for perfection, one can see. Not a hair out of place even when he's sick. He couldn't hold it any longer and finally told Trilok, "O yaar, ae photo, tedhi ae". The phone rings. "Aa vekh, left tonh..." Trilok Singh is also a perfectionist, things have to be run properly in this clinic. He gets up to straighten the frame. The phone rings. '"Thhoda jaya left...jara jaya...(the phone rings) ik paisa siraf...haan hun theek hai...(the phone rings)
"Hello? Hello?...haanji kuchh taan bolo...? aiwein?..."
Trilok gets mad at people who don't speak when he answers the phone.