And sometimes you wonder,
Are you really broken?
Are you trying to forget the painful memories,
or relive them; just to remind yourself
that you deserve the ache they bring?
Are you truly moving on,
or circling back in a vicious loop,
trapping yourself in the very past you fear?
Are you really devoid of emotion,
or just locking it all away,
like your silent screams for help
that never made it past your lips?
Are you really coming undone,
or quietly undoing the process,
because deep down,
you always knew;
you were never really unbroken?

-

to yet another sunrise,
with stories unfolding
in an unmoving dream.
I wonder what it feels like
to revisit the memories
of moments that
no longer exist;
maybe because they were
hidden under pretence,
or maybe because they are
too real to look in the eye.

-

A Thousand Tides

I am water, you are stone,
I fall over you, again and again,
Curling around your silence,
Hoping you might soften.

They say I shape you over time,
Yet after a thousand tides,
No crack or whisper breaks your stillness,
I remain unseen and untouched,
Like shadows fading in the dark.

Countless waves of unrequited feelings;
I still hold it tight within my heart,
The pain of loving you deeply.
For letting go was never an option.

-

नींद की लोरी

नींद, वक़्त कभी ऐसा भी था,
जहाँ तेरा मेरा कोई वादा था।
साथ निभाने की तड़प में, यकीनन एक ख्वाहिश-भरा नाता था,
शायद कभी पूरा ना हुआ, यह बंधन हमेशा ही अधूरा सा था।
अब वीरान रातों में तेरा ही इंतज़ार आता है,
चाहा तो बस मैंने इतना कि फिर कोई लोरी बन जाए,
जो तेरी यादों से बहकर सुरों में खो जाए,
जैसे मेरा दिलबर मुझे कभी गुनगुनाता था।

-

Some days, I find myself wondering,
What is the purpose behind it all?
Have I truly learned, or is there always more to understand?
Learning isn’t about reaching a destination; it’s about embracing the journey, where every step matters.
I'm still learning how to be true to myself,
Still learning how to express what’s inside,
Still learning how to tend to the
wounds that time has left behind.
And gently, I’m still learning how to love myself -
slowly, but with hope that one day I’ll love myself completely,
For to love myself wholly is to cherish
every single imperfection of mine,
For flaws are not mistakes; they are the
essence of who I am today.

-

And there she was,
Staring into nothingness,
Thinking of all the things
she had to witness.

And there she was,
Believing her choices were valued,
Only to see through the game of lies
that held her faith - she was fooled.

And there she was,
Realizing the unworded truth -
That it wasn’t her dreams they erased,
But her very desire to dream.

-

हम कह तो दें कि वक़्त के साथ
हर ज़ख्म भर जाता है,
और उससे जुड़ा हर दर्द
भी धीरे-धीरे मर जाता है।
लेकिन सच तो ये है कि
दर्द के बिना ज़िंदगी
अधूरी सी लगती है।
दिल अनजान नहीं,
बस थोड़ा हैरान है ये सोचकर,
कि शायद आज पहली बार
खुद से वाक़िफ़ हुए हैं।
महसूस तो हम सिर्फ़ तब करते हैं
जब ज़ख्म हरे और गहरे होते हैं,
क्योंकि खालीपन तो बिना महसूस
किए ही जिंदगी की नींव बन गया है।

-

being the light in others' lives,
even if I belong to the darkness -
because the only way I shine is
through the reflection of light
that bounces back from their
happiness.

-

"Because you seek permission - from others, or maybe from yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"Seeking permission wasn't your biggest mistake. It was staying, even after realizing you weren't needed, just to ask others if it was true."

"I still don't get it. Can you please explain?"

"You already know. It was you who wanted to be seen. Or maybe you'll ask for permission for this as well? You would, wouldn't you?"

-

तुम गलती करते रहे और हम माफ,
क्या करें ऐसी फितरत का, मेरे पिया?

-