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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

gambler’s reward

gambling, on its face value, seems excessive, unnecessary & unnatural. why would someone spend all their life’s fortunes & riches on a roll of a dice (no pun intended). but on a deeper understanding of the subject, it is anything but unnatural. it consists of logic; there is a mathematical system (that has voluminous books […]

the drifter

on a long desert road with no living soul a distant voice is heard of a machine that roars two wheels & black in color unafraid & unrestrained a hopeless lover; that refuses to give up. drifting along the scorching sun brighter than the sunshine darker than the night the drifter has no name & […]

what are we?

what are we? guns in the hands of children instead of pens tears in the eyes of the women instead of dreams hunger pangs in the stomach of youth instead of excitement drugs in the veins of the boys instead of adrenaline graveyards & cremation grounds instead of jungles borders instead of bridges silence instead […]

the times

crumbled on that piece of paper flying away in the wind was a to-do list of dreams once during a sleepless night he had thoughts, ideas and plans to achieve means now as he sits having sold his dreams for alcohol, racetracks, resorts and riches beyond hope he sees the material life, luxury are nothing […]

drug.

words are pouring out through the sieve of silence peace is crawling out from underneath the body count of violence no sound is loud enough to wake up the dreamers from the dreamless sleep the houses are full, contrasted by the empty streets blood, sweat, tears: give without expectations and realise the meaning of life […]

it has been a minute

it has been a minute since the last few people that understood were in the room since the laughters that filled echoed off the walls in my afternoons since the moments of enlightenment tore away the gloom since i was in between maybe & soon. it has been a minute since the team of dozen […]

we; this generation

we are the generation that was promised that will hold our neighbours hands and break bread empower women and redefine the archaic & inane definitions/restrictions of identity & categorisation eschew preaching of tradition & culture that exploits our heartstrings at the price of our rationality & thought burn the books that have discriminated & pitted […]

mujh se hi

mujh me na bachcha mujhsa hi na laut paa raha mujh me hi khaamoshiyon ka sama chalta raha jalta raha khud me hi sulagti ja rahi intezaar ki aag dhua dhua hua mujh sa hi na dilasa, na panah, na jannat, na jahan tanha me bhi, tujh sa hi muqamal na ho jo vo khwahish […]

monsoon

i travelled beyond time saw the day rome crumbled saw the flying cars and men reading thoughts the dinosaurs, the skyscrapers, the plastic, the jungle. i travelled both beyond and through time each memory revisited, each desire resigned i forget the faces but not how they made me feel i left them all behind, giving […]

the chase

raised fists believing in change the dawn of a new world order beaten up and chained bars till older the obliterating catastrophe is the journey to find peace the final conquering is the quest to tame the mind those dancing to a song others can’t hear are insane when thought of like this, lovers and […]

reminder

what i say is new because it is my unique story start writing your own story.

underneath/ over it

a few days have made me older i don’t recognise this place and the nights keep getting colder i do not remember your face stories of how it used to be are told while we lie cold on the grass bleeding they take time to process how it goes the pretenders just watch seething lets […]

h.

raakh ka ubaal hun me vish bimisaal hun me peeth par prahaar hun sher ki dahaad hun shaitaan ki me chaal hun me zindagi ka saar hun. jo ant se bhi dar gaya vo jeete jee hi mar gaya suraj uska dhal gaya chitta sa vo jal gaya vo haarke hi ghar gaya mera ant […]

roads

days (years), events, tears, have buried you silence & finding meaning your home and i will not come to give you a shoulder for we are all on the same ship, soldier. you do not need me anymore just wanting to be heard but not finding the words lost at parties, bored at book clubs […]

no god/all good

once in my mind and on the road, i came across a person (a man!), the story told. he told me to believe and renounce disbelief and take every word he said as truth. first he told how he is actually thirty three described in four books written by deities. it does teach to discriminate […]

imbroglio

expected of the night to play these tricks with me i try to not react and let it be but the night lets everything fall and before i know it the evil stands tall the reality that i can’t save all starts taking a toll and i, i try to fight with all my might […]

love happened

when we lie shattered in and within ourselves and the silence speaks more words than words ever can can i keep hugging you till sleep takes over? can i turn you into a bead string that i can keep counting? a meditation; a devotion. a childhood’s memory that i am living now. this soft addiction […]

maybe

we are on this swindling terrain created on a perceived facade dancing in defiance of the dark counting those long lost stars trying to understand, waiting to be loved dying away our lives silent to the words melting each day on the candle wax, bright and alone at night rising and falling like waves, broken […]

couplets

mile na mile kya farq hai; anjaan tab the, ajaan ab hai. ranjh-o-gam ki deevare uchchi kar do; javani ki ruhaniyat har manzar mar rahi hai. puchcha jab usne ashiyan kaisa hota hai; le kar usse aine ke saamne dhar diya. maza to talabh ka hai, pyaar to tab hai jab haasil me bhi maza […]

paakiza

ilaaj asaan tha haal puchna tha dil to nadaan tha izhaar sochna tha mehfilen toh aati jaati rahengi dil-e-nakar anjaam sochna tha paani ki chah hi sirf pyaar nahi tha mera pyaar ka guldaston nahi, baag banana tha kitni mohbbat ho gayi thi tumse chila chila kar duniya ko jatana tha sirf paana maqsad nahi […]

The Crowd

Though the long gone ghosts are still fighting for their kings Going out on a limb, cutting through the smoke & finding nothing Their belief in their false gods have not yet died They still have hope inside They keep the weapons high To somehow feel that their deaths mattered They feel alone, all the […]

Quote the Raven,”Nevermore”

When it is time for the world to see Will you come over & be with me? Will your long hair fall on mine as we lie down to sleep? Will your lips taste the same, will your eyes stay petite? Will your cheeks still remind me of the monsoon glow? The dawn of time, […]

One Day

If you try to find hate in the oppressed; Even with words & abuses hurled at the oppressive; You will find an absence of hate. The hate stems from being hated on, The anguish of feeling inferior for variables beyond their control. Variables that were created by the oppressive to stay in the position of […]

The Jungle

Darkness. No sun rays on the ground. Blood. Carcass. Teeth. Sounds. Birds. Jackals. Hunger. Trees. Rain. Gorillas. Sun. Seeds. Survival is the only solution. No handouts, no absolutions “Feeling”, is a concept that does not exist. Raw. Uncensored. Relentless. Raised fists. You eat what you hunt, no knives no guns. It is not about the […]

I am You

Will there be keen ears to hear the lessons by the hair turned grey? The burning candle flickering through & beyond the pages of yesterday. Will my dear wait & anticipate another prose about her lovely smile? Or the kids rejoice to hear my stance on the historical political demise? Will the people hear about […]

9-5

“Kill your masters & run away”, Said the farmer to the slave. “Run, run till your soles cannot anymore Make, make that necessary escape. They will kill you for their empire Till you are a walking corpse, Then feast on your body till dawn, And not pay you what you are worth, exploit you like […]

HR 12

Bring me back to life to those summer times I still live here; in your head These recent times might have made me soft But I ain’t dead. When we ran on those lanes where we belonged And fell together and bled When the coffee tasted sweeter & the movies more intriguing Where waters ran […]

Sidhu Moose Wala

My thoughts I know that burn a hole Through the pages of the time And innocence can’t comprehend The dying of the light All escape to serenade The preachers of the dawn While you sit to wait and contemplate The meaning of the songs By singers long dead and gone While their echoes are still […]

When did we?

All crave & pray to the same evil That will take away their life Conqueror of thought & views Demon of the night All of us will die away Repeat the same mistakes History revisited, no rectification. Same results, same commotion. While the dead wither away from disease & hunger. The prime leader grows in […]

Do you know?

Do you know the peace when love is happy & true? Do you know when you smile at night the moonlight becomes you. The chaos, the disaster, the havoc, the wreck; All in the rear view mirror, forgotten and dead. The only moving parts are the road we are on, our lips when they meet […]

The Driver

A survey was conducted by the Central govt. of India regarding the condition of roads, with emphasis on the National and State highways, and the sample consisted of truck drivers, known to commute & shift load from one state to another. One question stated: “Which road/highway do you consider to be the best?”; this is […]