__

-

We both were praying for each other.
But somehow me sitting in a mosque
and she standing in a temple
was problem for our society.
A problem that our love
never understood.

-

The place reeked of perfumes and makeup. My strained body sat on a cozy bed as my birthday gift strolled slowly towards me. My dimwitted friends had dragged me down the street to claim my prize. Bangles clinked, her stench soared and she smiled at me with that fake glossy face. She lauded her teenage body by waving her bright drapes at me. I felt nauseous. In an inquiring tone, she asked "Didn't you like me? What do I lack in comparison with the other girls?" I directed her to the bathroom, while I pushed open the windows when all the fragrance dismantled my senses. Later, she grabbed a chair and positioned herself near the mirror to begin her artistry against reality. "What do I lack, huh?" she asked again looking away from me. I pointed at her mirror reflection that revealed a hesitant being trying to crouch in coyness. "You lack that, that shyness, one of the pivotal characteristics of girls that makes them beautiful." She gazed down, and told me her life's story. After an outpour of tears for a few minutes, I lifted her chin up and stared at those hopeful beady eyes, those dreamy eyes, those detrimental eyes that gleamed with morality and love for the first time in her life.

-

एक अन्जान शहर की गलियों में न जाने वो दोनों कैसे मिल गए
फिर होना क्या था वो चलते चलते बढ़े दूर निकल चले फिर एक दिन कुदरत को ऐसी छिड़ि की दोनों एक दूसरे को अपना हमसफ़र समझ बैठे
पर न जाने खुदा ने क्या थी ठानी दोनों को निकाल दिया उस अंजाने शहर से
फिर होना क्या था दोनों निकल पड़े अपने अपने नए अंजान शहर में
शहर की तरह ही एक ने अपना हमसफ़र भी बदल दिया और फिर दूसरा वो तो पगला दीवाना उन पहले की ही गलियों मैं ही कही गुम गया
और अब वो दोनों एक जाने पहचाने अजनबी हैं।

-

अक्सर देखा करता था उन दोनों को उस चाय की दुकान पर चाय पीते हुए। लड़का चाय सा कड़क, लड़की चाय सी मीठी। रंग भी दोनों का कुछ चाय सा ही था। चाय के साथ साथ दोनों पीते थे एक दूसरे को आँखों ही आँखों से।

बहुत दिनों से लड़का नहीं दिखा। लड़की अब भी आती है चाय पीने, अकेले। पर लगता है जैसे वो अकेली नहीं, बहुत कुछ होता है उसके साथ। सपने, यादें, दर्द, वादे, न जाने क्या क्या। वो चाय पीती है या चाय उसे, पता नहीं चलता।

-

The intensity of the eyes
Was misunderstood
The warmth of the hugs
Were intentionally ignored
Flirty texts
Were misconcepted normal between besties
The flames of the burning passion
Finally licked at their hearts
Making them confess
In a drunken state
A mistake it was
But the aftermath was great
The friendship turned first step to love
As they were going strong for the years to come

-

RAIN

I was standing there in my balcony like any other rainy days,stretching my hand for the drops to touch my soul.My eyes though looking for that one person who loves to kick football in this rain.
Everytime he played in the rains somewhere I got drenched by the water that touched him.But maybe because he plays with the foot,so his eyes weren't strong enough to catch the glimpse of me waiting for him to enter the playground everyday.But that day,I couldn't find him.All of his friends were there playing the same old tricks to catch my attention but the one my thirsty heart was looking was still missing.I somehow got a lame excuse to go out on the roads which were by then deserted and wet.With my umbrella half-tilted I left no single chance for the rain drops to touch me.I headed towards his house which just few more meters from ours.But all trials went in vain when even after ten long minutes,I couldn't find him anywhere.Losing every hope of seeing him I was on my way back.My steps and beats suddenly stopped as I found him just in front of me.He took my umbrella and said"It's not always a great plan to watch other people getting wet in rain.Sometimes,you just got to do the same."

-

दूर भले वो मीलों मुझसे..
फिर क्यों छू कर जाती हैं..
दूसरी दुनिया मे होके भी..
मेरी दुनिया वो बन जाती हैं।

एक बूंद गयी जो आंखों से,
दो लव्ज़ यूँ अब तो निकलेंगे,
होश में ना मिल सकते अब..
चलो ख्वाबों में ही मिल लेंगे।

-

i was
busy
exchanging
vows.

you were
busy
changing
masks.

-

I wrote you a love letter to explain how I felt about us—folded it neatly into a paper plane and threw it off a cliff.
Cause we were two shooting stars that had burned too brightly, leaving behind a trail of sparkling nothingness.

-