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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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.

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 […]

Awaaz do

Dhima ho chala hai waqt ka bahav Isse ab jazbaat aansuon se kehne do Rok lo bikharte rishte ko Iss anjuman ko aaj me hi rehne do Khol do darvaja, paar kar lo kivaad Baaton ko aaj jaam ki tarah behne do Mehsoos karo iss lamhe ko, Aaj aur ab me hi jeevan ka saar […]

Hosh me aane do

Hosh me aane do samjha dunga Insaan ujaad veeraniyan Ankahi ansuni kahaniyan Jab aayi aakhir milne Soch ke lagi khilne Kis tarah izhaar karegi Samay lekar thi nikli Jaise ho fuul par titli Chodd ke aayi thi bandhan saare Sanket the tootte taare Jab pahochi manzil par Toh insaan nahi mazar tha Par phir bhi […]