रातें कुछ कम काली लगने लगी थी
जुगनू कुछ ज़्यादा चमक उठा था
बारिश कुछ ज़्यादा भिगाने लगी थी
गुलाब कुछ ज़्यादा महकने लगा था

दुआ तेरे लिए होने लगी थी
सजदों में जगह तू पाने लगा था
कोहरे की तरह तू छाने लगा था
धङकन की रिदम तू चलाने लगा था

पर फिर ओस हटने लगी थी
तेरा असली चेहरा नज़र आने लगा था
तू मेरा पहला प्यार होने लगा था
तू धीरे-धीरे मुझे दीमक बन खाने लगा था

-Khushi Bhargava خوشی

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That was the first time she drank, just not from the glass this time.

Call it a French Peg.

Where one takes a sip and distributes it equally with a kiss.

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नज़्म(दर्द की बारात):-
मुझे मरने का ख़ौफ नहीं न ही जीने 
की तलब रही अब,
मैं वो पत्थर हूँ जो अश्क़ों में तबस्सुम 
घोल के हँसता है।

(** Performance link is in Bio**)
(**पूर्ण कविता अनुशीर्षक में**)

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14th Feb
9 a.m.(In the garden of my house)

He: "Do you know what is marriage?"
Me:"Nah...what is it?"
He: "If you take 7 rounds around fire with your partner..then you can stay with him always"
Me:"Let's do this..than we can play all day!"
In the garden..lighting a candle..we took 7 rounds around it ..
Me:"Mommy, look I'm married to him..now we can play all day na.."

Today, 25 yr old us is sitting here again.. discussing marriage plans ...when those cherished memories were flashing in my mind..

He: "Where r u lost sweetheart?U reliving some memories..?"
Me: "How do you always know what's going on in my mind?"
He: " 'Cause practically I have been your hubby since 20 years.."
Me: " So that means 20 valentine's day..20 gifts..and..."
He laughed and said " And? and..what more?"
Me: "20 kisses.."
I winked. He blushed.

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// It was a school reunion party.
It's been 5 years since they last met!

He checked his hair and tie in the rear-view mirror for one last time before stepping out of his car. He still found formals uncomfortable.

Everyone was busy playing truth and dare game. But her eyes frantically searched for someone.

Meanwhile the bottle pointed towards her. She chose 'truth' and her friends threw a question at her "So..what qualities do you want your soulmate to have? Someone hot or someone cute?"

He was finally here..eyes met..his smile still made her heart beat at an unusual pace.
Her friends pestered, "Answer!!"
"Someone perfectly imperfect! Someone...like him" She replied drowning into his eyes.

That's how she proposed her first love! And That's how their journey together for eternity started!!

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We were performing an experiment in Physics lab alone.
Everyone was attending the theory class.

For the first time we are alone. He was my first crush.
My heartbeats were fast.
He was busy with the experiment and was humming a romantic song.
I just wanted to kiss him at that moment.
And suddenly he held my hand in excitement "Hey, we did it, the readings are exact!"

For 2 minutes I went numb. He was holding my hand when I was trying to regain my consciousness.
Next moment, without a second thought I kissed him.
My first love, my first kiss.

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आज-कल मैं करना काम भूल जाता हूँ ,
लेता हूँ , पर पीना मैं जाम भूल जाता हूँ ,

चलती हैं इस दिमाग में बातें जब इश्क़ की ,
तब कौन अल्लाह कौन राम भूल जाता हूँ ,

लिखता हूँ तेरा नाम मैं अपनी ग़ज़लों में ,
लिखते लिखते अपना नाम भूल जाता हूँ ,

बस फ़ोन पे बातें होती रहें तुझसे रात भर ,
फिर क्या सुबह , क्या शाम भूल जाता हूँ ,

देख कर तेरे चहरे पर बस मुस्कुराहट इक ,
मैं अपनी मुश्किलें भी तमाम भूल जाता हूँ ।

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