अंधेरा अंधेरे से जब टकरायेगा,
बन फुटकर उजाले वो नज़र आएगा।

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उसकी आँखों को अपनी आँखों मे बसाये रहता हूँ।
लोग मुझे शराब के नशे मे डूबा हुआ समझते हैं।

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ये जो आज का दिन था,
वो बड़ा ही सुहाना था,
थोड़ी तो परेशानी हुई,
क्योंकि सुबह स्कूल जो जाना था,
मिले मुद्दतों बाद अपनी सखियों से,
उनको अपना अनुभव भी तो सुनना था,
ऐसे ही बीत गया ये दिन,जो इतना सुहाना था।।
#Aastha Shukla91🖋️

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अफसोस होता है उस पल ,
जब आपकी पसंद कोई और चुरा ले,
ख्वाब देखे हैं आप वह किसी और की हो गए।

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I think I am slowly moving on. For the past 24 hours, I have not searched your name on Instagram. The top searched name has changed, starts with an A now. I had met her briefly when I was in Delhi. Twice, actually. The conversation was fluid but superficial. The tension, a palpable undercurrent. Aren't there some who take a long time to open up? She is one.

I await her writings nowadays. The captions on her pictures speak of loss. The occasional Facebook posts talk of the love for the mountains and books. I had invited her to write on YourQuote. She came & disappeared. She's not a social media writer, I suppose. Like you, she seems to be the one who writes when words gush out of her. When not writing is not an option. When writing substitutes for the quietude of the mountains that she craves but cannot find in the artificiality of the architecture of where she stays. A private residential university.

Every letter that I write from the balcony, I share on FB. She 'loved' the last one I had shared. I cannot dare sharing this one, though. She'd know it's about her. I fear losing those that don't yet belong to me. It's the worst kind of fear. Especially when I want her to know.

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पड़ी है बेड़ियां जीवन में संस्कार की।
निभाती है हर नारी इसे जी जान से।
नन्ही टहनी सी हूँ मैं इस संसार रूपी
विशालकाय पेड़ की।।
ना मैं नाज़ुक ना ही गुलाब हूं मैं कहीं
की ना अफताब हूं ना मैं चाॅंद हूं।।
स्त्री हूं मैं, मैं नारी हूं अतीत के पन्नों की
भी एक कहानी हूं।

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Embracing silence bathed promises and duende feelings,
their conversation denied to end
as entangled words continued their fight.
With the souvenir of dreams in the dark sky,
somewhere unknowingly,
love brimmed in the chest of night.

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Her life is like that magical book.
Always opened for viewing.....
Yet, hard to read.....
If read, hard to understand....
Because, a whole life
might not be enough
to learn how she
lived by hiding
her pains......

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Naina

"Excuse me",these words stopped me again from having my peaceful time.What was his problem? He wouldn't leave, he wouldn't stay quiet,I mean was he deaf or something?I took a deep breath and counted till ten to calm myself down before I could hammer him to death. Literally, he seemed like a jerk and if he was looking for a catch, he would have to run for his life. He committed the biggest crime by interrupting me in my guitar time. I plastered the fakest smile I could muster and replied, "yes?". "You cant stay here. It is my place".I clenched my fists at his reply and placed my guitar down.I cracked my knuckles and looked up to see a glint of fear in his eyes.Good Going naina.You can do this."Is your name written here? Carved on the tree?" He opened his mouth to say something probably but I cut him off as I rambled ahead with my eyes closed without thinking."I dont care of your dad is a politician or at a big position or something" I open my eyes to continue when I saw his jaw clenched and eyes squinted in anger.Mumma's voice rang in my head, "learn to speak only after you think. You dont have a filter and that will land you in serious trouble". I almost cried out in fear

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If only,
you had left
your sweater behind,
I'd have a reason
compelling enough
to reach you out
this cold winter.

If only
my love for you
were a reason enough,
winter would not have
been so cold
this time.

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