Filling The Voids

Its new year time, Ringing bells and chimes; Dispel all worries, Let's dance and dine. Thanking for all fortunes That came my way, Sorry for all Mistakes I made, Sweet and sour Memories it gave, 2013 was Unique in a way. Wishing for Better times ahead, Praying for More strength And less regret, Hoping to spread Joy around, In 2014 and The successors it crowns.

I went for a walk, And amazing it was; How wonders of nature, Left me totally startled. The complexity of a flower, The magical fragrance it showers. The current moving in a sparkling stream, Rejuvenating the life around its being. The soft green grass under my feet, That calms and soothens all my worries. Sunshine full of energy, That brings hope, And makes the birds chirpy, Infusing light in the dark canopy. Wonder of the sunset, The pale orange merging Into white and black; Paving way for the Serene beauty of the moon. The huge mountains, Skirting the valleys In between; Speaking the story, Of togetherness and unity. The tall dark woods, Raising their brows to Touch the sky; Though deep rooted in the ground, Speaking the story, Of humility and modesty. The vast blue sky, That gives shelter across; Speaking the story of, Love and care for all. Mesmerizing sight it was, Filling every breath of mine With reverence for the Divine; And here, I bow down In your worshi

ख्वाबों का कारवाँ लिये , हम चल पड़े … दौड़ते कूदते , फ़ासले लाँघते गये … डगमगाये भी हम , लड़खड़ाये भी हम , गिरते हुए करहाये भी हम , पर उठ कर फिर चल पड़े … ख्वाबों को मुक़म्मल करने , कुछ पाने की कशिश से खिंचे , हम फिर चल पड़े … सब्र टूटा , साथ छूटा , बहुत कुछ लुटा , पर अपने ख्वाबों को सीने से लगाये हम फिर चल पड़े … चाहे जो छीन लो मुझसे , मगर छीन न पाओगे , मेरे ख्वाब , मेरे सपने , ख़ुशनुमा यादों के वो लम्हे … हमसफ़र , हमनवाँ , मेरे ख्वाब और ख्वाबों का कारवाँ …

I sit at the window, Staring at the vast blue sky, Sipping my hot coffee, As the cold breeze blows by. The morning mist, Dew drops on the leaves, The fog and clouds, Creating a hazy shroud. The chill that runs Down the spine, And the shivering That makes you whine. Snow flakes Falling all around, Like metal balls Bombarding the ground. Campfires being lit, To get warmth and heat. But the question I ask is, Does it suffice? Does the campfire Really suffice? What about The cold hearts, The frozen blood, The pale faces Devoid of love? When would those melt, When would this cold end, When would winter fade away, Summer of love find its way, And spread the warmth of Care and affection In a gentle tender way.

आज़ाद परिंदे की तरह उड़ने को , गिरने को , गिरकर सँभलने को … आसमान की ऊँचाईयों को छूने को जी चाहता है … अनदेखे अनजाने रास्तों पर चलने को , थमने को , थमकर फिर चलने को … रास्तों के फ़ासले लाँघ कर , नये रास्ते तय करने को जी चाहता है … बहते हुए झरने की तरह , पहाड़ों से खिलखिलाते हुए गुज़रने को … कभी दरिया तो कभी नदियों का वजूद सँवारने को जी चाहता है … कुछ कर गुज़रने को , ज़िन्दगी जीने को , जी चाहता है … अब जी चाहता है …

कहाँ जा  रहे थे , क्यों जा रहे थे… रेत के टीलों पर , बर्फीले पहाड़ों की चोटीयों पर , सागर के किनारे सहमती लहरों पर  … अँगारे बरसाती सुनहली धूप में , आँधी, तूफ़ान व बारिश के पानी में … ठहाके लगाते लोगों की भीड़ में , चीखते चिल्लाते मासूमों के बीच से … घनी काली रात से , सुबह की लाली तक … नहीं थी ख़बर … कहाँ जा रहे थे , क्यों जा रहे थे , बस … हम चलते जा रहे थे … हम चलते जा रहे थे …

यादों के झरोखों में रखेंगे महफूज़ , करेंगे हिफाज़त तेरी मेरी आँख के नूर  … दुनिया भर कि खुशियां तुझ पर कर कुर्बान , मेरे हिस्से  की हँसी भी अमानत तेरी ही मेरी जान  … ग़म हो जो भी तेरे वो मेरे समझ , आंसू तेरी पलकों पे आने न देंगे हम  … ज़िन्दगी में कहीं भी अकेले न होगे तुम , आलम तन्हाई का छाने न देंगे हम  … सौदा न समझना इसे चाहें कुछ भी न हम , बस तेरी एक हँसी पर दिल-ओ-जान न्यौछावर सनम  …

Shining like diamonds, Radiating brightness all around. Reflecting innocence, That's a baby's crown. Blooming like flowers, Spreading the fragrance of joy. With the depth of an ocean, That has a lot to fathom. They convey everything That you feel, Sad, or happy, Or, trying to heal. One look is worth A thousand words. Hidden inside, Are precious pearls; And each pearl in there, Makes it, all the more rare. Pristine and magnificent, I look upto those with reverence; Inspire me to rise heights, Those my dear, are your eyes.

It came like, A poisonous arrow; And struck me, When i had no shield To borrow. It pierced in the Soft corner; I bleeded, Not coz of pain, But sorrow. But when I now Look at it, My wound will Definitely heal; Let me tell you though, For me, you mean no more.

It was dark, Thick clouds looming, Through the mists of the past; Thundering voices, Threatening noises, Made me stand aghast. Trapped I was, Unable to walk, And afraid to stop. The fear had engulfed me, Like a bitter enmity. I took a pause, Closed my eyes; A deep breath, To calm my mind. Ignited a thought, In my mind; "Everything is ok, I am gonna be fine". I created this aura, And I believed in it; My faith grew stronger, With every heartbeat. And here I was, Standing at the other end, Completing my journey, That was full of bends. This I call, The power of faith; When you truly believe in something, The universe conspires to make it your way. What wins always over fear, Is the faith, steering you clear.

A spring of joy, That washes away All my grief. A source of inspiration, That sucks away All my depression. A ray of hope, That drives away All despair. A fountain of peace, That calms down All my turmoils. A recipe of Innocence and genuineness; Cooked with Care and affection; Garnished with A dash of warm shyness. The genesis of pure bliss, Nothing else it is, But your Euphoric smile.

A flickering thought, Like a lightning stroke; Fuels the mind Igniting its grind. A flickering thought, Like a dash of spray; Adds color To the otherwise grey. A flickering thought, Like a note of music; Adds beats To the voices monotonic. A flickering thought, Like a wink of an eye; Exudes charm From otherwise lonely eyes. The flickering thought Comes momentarily, Disrupting the continuity; But opening new horizons Of ponderability.

An endless blue sky, Like the vast expanse Of life; A patch of clouds Scattered far and wide; When the noises Ignored in the Maddening rush of the day, Touch our ears Soft and clear; When the moonlight Appears so pure and pristine, Soothes the burns, And calms down the turmoil; When it shares a hope Always Of the rising sun; And fades away gradually, Kissing goodbye with humility, Promising a comeback, Ushering in the daylight; That's the beauty Of the night.

My perspective on the Shiva Trilogy: Amazing work of today's literature. It has everything - love, respect, justice, vengeance, evils of society and the fight for truth. It touches the deepest chords of heart and is an inspiring piece of art. The way Amish has connected the dots from mythology to today's world is worth appreciating. And the best part, it has no signs of being inclined towards any particular religion. As Amish puts it, "Har Har Mahadev All of us are Mahadevs, All of us are Gods For His most magnificient temple, finest mosque and greatest church exist within our souls." I am not debating on the story being true or not, I just want to believe it. With a deep respect for the book, appreciation for the author and faith in the Almighty, I feel privileged to have read this.

Showers of blessings Is what the Flower is looking for. Scorching heat and burns Is all that's coming now. Seasons all - dry and rainy Is what it has seen. Shrivelled and gloomy It looks now, In this phase of lean. Pour some gentle drops Is what it pleads for; Help it bloom and flourish By your mercy showers.

What makes a rainbow? A color? No, my dear friend, Its the amalgamation of seven different colors; That come together Merging their boundaries. What makes the sky look beautiful? A star? No, my dear friend, Its the combination of stars, planets, moons; Objects of all shapes and sizes That move in harmony Around each other. What makes the atmosphere? A gas? No, my dear friend, Its the mixture of various gases Along with right amount of water vapor That keeps us alive. These are facts Which we all know. I wonder then, Why have we not Drawn inspiration from nature? Why are we not ready To break the shackles Of caste, creed, race Religion and place? We talk to "them", But we don't gel with them. We cling on to these barriers; Thinking - I am a Rose While he is a Tulip And she a Daffodil. Friends, Think - What a lovely bouquet It would be, If we forget these differences And spread around The fragrance of Harmony.

Calm and composed Was the sea, With the waves Playing smoothly. When came a maelstrom To break the peace, And suck away all goodness By its tweak. Cruel and ruthless Is what i can say For the one who came To destroy the day. Devastated it looks now, Dejected i feel To stand at the shore And look at the sea. I like to believe though And would love to see The sea regain its tranquility. As, it is And would always be -  The oasis of serenity.

I thought it would be A clean slate, With clear instructions In black and white. But it came Instead, As a crumpled paper. I still thought, I will unfold it, And read. But then I discovered, It had a thousand ways To be unfolded; And each one Completely different from the other. I still thought, I will be lucky To get the right fold; And then - just read. But when I opened it I found, Nothing in black and white; It was all - in grey. I thought - Never mind the color, Who needs color coding When I know how to read. But then As I started reading, I could not identify A single word. Such is the Language of Life; You never know how to read and predict; You never know what is green and red. Such is Life - How much ever You want to be prepared, It throws surprises at you. All that I do now is, Hope that the surprises are good.