Ye kaisa daur hai zindagi ka?
Na koi achha lagta hai, na koi bura hai,
Har chehra jaise aaina sa dhundhla pada hai.
Muskaanein bhi ab matlab se judi hain,
Baatein ab dil se kam, zarurat se zyada hoti hain.

Kabhi jo apnapan lagta tha aankhon mein,
Ab wahi nazrein sawaalon se bhari lagti hain.
Rishte jaise saudon mein badal gaye hain,
Har lafz ke peeche niyatein taul di gayi hain.

Na khushi saaf dikhti hai, na gham ujala karta hai,
Har jazba ab bas dil mein daba rehta hai.
Bheed mein bhi tanhai ka aalam hai,
Har shakhs yahan kisi aur ka saahil hai.

Ye kaisa daur hai zindagi ka?
Jahan har jawab ke peeche ek dar hai,
Aur har sawaal khud se hi ek jung ka ghar hai.
Phir bhi chalna hai, muskurana hai,
Is dhundh mein bhi
khud ko na kho jaane ka bahaana hai.

-

_The story merchant_

I am a merchant of stories,
At the crossroads, where time and reality meet.
There stands my little shop,
Come visit someday.

I sell tales to match your heart’s desire,
Some displayed in glass, like lucky charms,
Some light as balloons,
Drifting high with joy.

There are stories like colorful candies,
Sweet for comfort,
Sour for fun,
Bitter for truth.

Anger, love, happiness,
Every emotion finds a place here.
Come visit my shop someday,
For I have a story for you...

Your story,
Which someone else is reading,
Believing it to be theirs...

-

All have gone, the ones I held close,
Silent shadows where love once rose.
The voices I trusted, now turned away,
Leaving me to fight, come what may.

But still I stand, though the winds are cold,
Stronger than the stories I've been told.
Alone, yet unbroken, I rise and fight,
A soul that’s weary, but burning bright.

I was ever a fighter, so...one fight more,
The best and the last! I’ll settle the score.
The world can leave, the ties can break,
But I’ll still stand, no matter the stake.

For in my heart, there’s a fire untamed,
A warrior within, who won't be shamed.
So here I am, with scars and might,
Walking forward, through darkest night.

They may leave, but I will remain
A force of will that won’t be slain.

-

The Glass Fortress

The world is heavy, the weight is real,
Yet he must stand, he must not feel.
A silent war, a quiet fight,
A heart that breaks away from sight.

A single word, a fleeting glance,
Can shake his world, can steal his stance.
He builds his walls with quiet pride,
But glass is thin, and cracks inside.

They call him strong, they call him tall,
Yet one wrong step, and he may fall.
Not from the world, but from within,
For strength and doubt are woven thin.

Oh, let him cry, let him be weak,
Let him have space, let him still speak.
For though he stands in armor bright,
His soul still longs for warmth, for light.

-

_Unbidden Love_
Love was never a plan, nor a path I chose,
Yet she arrived, like a whisper in prose.
Tiptoeing softly into my silent space,
Weaving her warmth, leaving no trace.
I willed my heart to turn away,
To guard my soul, to keep at bay.
But fate, relentless, drew me near,
Despite my walls, despite my fear.
I tried to silence the story untold,
To keep my past within its hold.
Yet she, with eyes so kind, so bright,
Unraveled shadows, welcomed light.
Afraid to fall, afraid to break,
I fought the longing, for my own sake.
But some unseen force, some destined thread,
Kept pulling me where she had tread.
And oh, how strange...how bittersweet,
That a heart once lost now feels complete.
For one who sought nothing from the skies,
Now dreams of her wings, watching her rise.

-

Something Holds Me Back

I hesitate, I step behind,
A thousand words locked in my mind.
To share my heart, to show I care,
Yet someone whispers, Don’t you dare.

I want to speak, to let them know,
But doubt and silence start to grow.
What if they laugh, what if they leave?
What if my words make them grieve?

I hold my love within my chest,
Afraid my truth won’t sound the best.
So I smile, I wait, I walk away,
And hide the things I long to say.

But deep inside, I know it's wrong,
This fear has held me back too long.
One day, I'll break, I'll take the chance,
And speak my heart without a glance.

-

My dreams scream loud in restless night,
Yet work restrains my soul in chains so tight.
I chase the clock, not what I crave,
And watch my dreams drift past the grave.

-

_The Man Who Could Not Choose_

They call me wise, they call me strong,
A man who never gets things wrong.
I plan, I build, I set my course,
Yet every choice leads to remorse.

Life gave me all I wished to find,
A path so smooth, a fate so kind.
No hands to blame, no chains to break,
Yet every turn...another mistake.

Comfort knocked, I turned away,
Luxury begged, but I wouldn’t stay.
I left behind what many crave,
To chase the world, to misbehave.

I watched the stars, I watched the crowd,
I listened close, yet thought too loud.
And when the moment came to choose,
I let it slip,I let it lose.

Not fate, not luck, not hands unseen,
The fault was mine, has always been.
For though I walked with steady grace,
I never found my rightful place.

-

_Eternal Whispers of Love_
Where should I start...your eyes, your lips, your face?
You are an angel among the human race.
You speak with elegance, you walk with grace,
I long forever for your warm embrace.
Every expression of yours leaves me spellbound,
You are my muse, in you my dreams are found.
With every glance, my soul takes flight,
Lost in the magic of your light.
Whatever you love, I love the same,
Even my hatred turns to love in your name.
The stars may shine, the moon may glow,
But none compare to the warmth you show.
Like Darcy, whose love stood strong and true,
Like Marvell, I’d give all my time to you.
Like Shakespeare, my heart is an endless shore,
My love, like Keats’, will live evermore.

-

Is she a story or a verse,
A blessing or a haunting curse?
Her wings are as frail as a butterfly,
But her sting is venomous, like a Scorpio's cry.

Her beauty is akin to a butterfly's grace,
And her glow is brighter than a firefly's pace.
Ignored in the light, she shines in the night,
A captivating vision, a pure delight.

Her looks are mesmerizing,
As if taken from poets' writing.
She has nectar in her lips,
And I drowned myself, taking sips.

Little did I know what would come,
My eyes closed, and my mind numb.
In that moment, I saw heaven's bliss,
A glimpse of it, fulfilling my wish.

But suddenly, a blow struck me down,
Pain coursed through me, I wore a frown.
A dagger in my heart, a red stain,
No one around, but that mysterious dame.

Her hand, stained with my blood so red,
And her smile, as heinous as the floods ahead.

-