हमने चेहरे और फसलें खिलते देखा
प्रेमियों और मोर को नाचते देखा

भीगते हुए मजदूरों को आराम करते नहीं देखा
बेघरों को छत या छतरी के नीचे नहीं देखा

हमने बारिश का दूसरा रूप नहीं देखा !

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प्रेम और प्रार्थना

प्रेम में हम बच्चा बन जाना चाहते हैं
और प्रार्थना हमें बच्चा बना देती है
प्रेमी और ईश्वर के आगे
हम होते हैं निस्वार्थ, सरल और समर्पित

मिलने तक सब्र कहां कर पाते हैं
प्रेम हो या ईश्वर; हमें पहले चंचल बनाते हैं फिर शांत
जब तक विरह के आंसू नहीं आते
जब मिलन की व्याकुलता नहीं आती
कहां मिलता है ईश्वर या प्रेम

जब तक त्याग की भावना न हो
कहां बन पाते हैं हम भक्त या प्रेमी
गोविंद कहां आते हैं जब तक पांचाली
वस्त्र छोड़ कर हाथ न उठाती समर्पण में!

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ବସନ୍ତ

ଆଜିକାଲି ନିଦ ଭାଙ୍ଗେ ଆବର୍ଜନା ଗାଡ଼ି ର ଶବ୍ଦ ରେ । ଆଉ ଶୁଭେନା କୋଇଲି ର କୁହୁ। ପଳାଶ ଘରକୁ ଆସିଲେ ଜାଣୁଥିଲୁ ମାଆ ମଙ୍ଗଳାଙ୍କ ପୂଜା ହବ ବୋଲି...ଏବେ କର୍ମମୟ ଜୀବନ କାହିଁକି ରାସ୍ତା କଡ଼ରେ ଫୁଟିଥିବା ପେନ୍ଥା ପେନ୍ଥା ପଳାଶ ପରି କେବେ ସୁନ୍ଦର ତ କେବେ ବାସ୍ନାହୀନ ଲାଗେ । ମାଆ ଆମ୍ବକଷି ଖାଇବାକୁ ମନା କରେ ବୋଲି ଜାଣୁ ଥିଲୁ ଏ ଯାଏଁ ଦୋଳ ଆସିନି; ଏବେ ବଉଳ ମହକ ବି ଆସେନା ଘର ଅଗଣାକୁ ହେଲେ fridge ରେ ଥାଏ mango juice .. ସୋସିଆଲ ମିଡିଆ ରେ ଫଟୋ ଉଠାଇବାର ବ୍ୟସ୍ତତା ଭିତରେ ଆମେ ଭୁଲି ଯାଇଛୁ ଦୋଳ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣିମା ରେ ରାଧା ମାଧବ ଫଗୁ ଖେଳନ୍ତି ବୋଲି...

ଆଉ ଶୁଭେନା ଅକ୍ଷୟ ମହାନ୍ତିଙ୍କ 'ହେ ଫଗୁଣ ତୁମେ ଗଲା ପରେ ପରେ...'
ସ୍ମାର୍ଟ୍ ସିଟି ରେ ଆଖି ଖୋଜେ ନୂଆ ପତ୍ର ଭରା ଗଛଟେ,
ଆଉ ବେଳ କାହିଁ ବସନ୍ତକୁ ମନଭରି ଉପଭୋଗ କରିବାକୁ !

~ ଶତାବ୍ଦୀ ପ୍ରଧାନ

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अपनी प्रेमीयों के दिल में घर बनाने वाली प्रेमिकाऐं
अक्सर नहीं बसा पाती घर प्रेमियों के साथ,
संघर्ष के दौरान हाथ थामने वाली
सुहाग के नाम पर नहीं थाम पाती हाथ ।

प्रेमी के माथे की शिकन हटाने वाली
प्रेमिकाओं के माथे के हिस्से सिंदूर नहीं आती,
पत्नियां नाम नहीं लेती जिनके
प्रेमिकाएं उनको सौ नामों से बुलाती ।

पत्नियां ले आती हैं दहेज़, मर्यादा और अधिकार
प्रेमिकाएं छोड़ कर जाती हैं तौफे, शिकायतें और अधूरा प्यार,
पत्नियां इंतजार करती हैं जिस चांद को करवाचौथ पे
प्रेमिकाओं को तोला जाता है उसी चांद के साथ  ।

प्रेमिका ख़रीद के ले आती है गुलाब तौफे में
पत्नियां सींचती है पानी, पौधों से घर सजाती,
पत्नियां रुक्मिणी बन जाती हैं विवाह में
प्रेमिकाओं को राधा कह के दुनियां बुलाती ।

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For how long you keep looking them back after they leave
What you give someone before departure
How many times you assure eachother to stay in touch
What you choose to cook for them
The words you tell eachother just before leaving
The amount of helplessness your palm holds just before waving goodbye
Wheather you burst into tears once a while
or pretend to be their strength with a heavy heart
How you tick all your bucket lists as if love is an assignment
How you hold eachother to hold onto time
What you choose to do in their absence

No matter how hard you try, goodbyes are not easy.

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जब तुम्हारे होंठ स्वाभिमान की बातें करता हो,
चूड़ियों से पहले अधिकार थामना जानता हो ।
माथे पे बिंदी के साथ अपनी पहचान भी सजी हो,
जूड़ा से पहले तुम खुद को समेटना जानती हो ।
शृंगार से ज्यादा संघर्ष जो तुम करती हो ।
आत्मविश्वास का दुपट्टा ओढ़े और भी खूबसूरत लगती हो ।।

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Pain is personal. The strength to bear all your pain alone is difficult of course but crying on the wrong pair of shoulders is more painful. No matter what you go through there will always be someone who will invalidate your pain. There will be people who will project their stories as the best ones as everyone wants to be the main character. We can't always expect empathy, we can't expect people to see the world with our lenses; but not everything is a competition. We are not in a race of pain that who's better at shedding tears. Neither you necessarily need to weave a story more pathetic than someone nor I. Somedays we just need an ear. Don't tell me your story when I am telling mine. May be I will listen to you some other day, like our grandmothers used to say, "one story per day." I will listen to you when you will be the main character! May be!
                                                           

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A man, not necessarily...

Pulling chair for me, but pushing my limits

Not opening arms towards me but closing eyes to my insecurities

Not beginning his day with me but always putting an end to every unhealthy arguments between us

A man, not necessarily...

The reason I will give birth to a child but who would help me bury my past...

I will proudly call "My Man"

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You don't feel the butterfly in your stomach again and call it adulting. You get convinced in calm-love that walks into your life silently. No matter how hard you try, you just can't put the effort anymore or may be you put every effort as a responsibility. You just don't feel wings on your shoulders, but keep looking at the feet on the ground. You no more choose to escape reality, but collect every pieces of your heart to face it. Denial becomes acceptance gradually. You build wall around your heart instead of a bridge. May be some emotions are too precious to be felt twice. You save your love in one safe corner of your heart though it's renamed as grief. Love only happens once; just once in a lifetime.

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Ve Kamleya...

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