Khwabon ka pitara

Suna hai office me bahot naam hai tumhara ..
Har kaam me tez, tum ho manager ka pyara ..
promotion aur appreciation ne tumhe bhaagna sikhaya ..
Ghar aur gadi toh barson pehle hi khareed dala ..

Magar shayad is bhaag dour me kahin
bhool gaye ho ek khazana haseen ..
bachpan me jise bade shoukh se tha bhara ..
khazane ka naam - khwabon ka pitara ..

Sare sapne sare khwaab tumhe the bahot pyaare ..
pacchees ki umar me tumhe chhune the sitaare ..
Magar tumne toh waqt excel aur powerpoint me gawaya ..
Bhool gaye na tum, wo puarana khwabon ka pitara?

Ghar me tumhari huqumat khub chalti thi?
Ek ishare me ghora banna .. papa ko bahot bhata tha..
Ma se, man pasand khana banwana, tumhe zarur ata tha ..
Toh phir ye gulami tumhe kisne sikhaya?

Uthao apni guitar, likho ek geet haseen ..
Bharo rang canvas pe, karo wo jo de khushi ..
Zindagi me shayad mauka mile na doobara ..
Dhundo apni koi purani jeans ..
wahin milegi chabi jisse khulega ..
Woh Bachpan ka khwabon ka pitara .. 

Jeena sikho

Mana zindagi ne dhokha diya..
Aur ek pyara sapna toot gaya..
Magar jo  chhut gaya, use jane do..
Khudko, jeene ke naye bahane do..
Phirse jine ki koshish karo..
In dono aakhon me naye sapne bharo..
Nakamiyon se darkar, mushkilon se ghabrakar..
kab tak aasoon piyoge yoon sir jhukakar..
Asman me pankh phaila kar to dekho..
Badalon ki bahon me khelna seekho..
Aankhein band.. to sab khatam..
Jab tak khuli hai ye aankhein..
Auur jab tak chalti hai ye saasein..
Jeena seekho.. tum phirse jeena seekho..

Is it too Late

Is it too late to speak ..
Or is there still a way ..
Do I have a part of you ..
Or I gave it all away ..

The deepest of secrets about you ..
That my heart has in store ..
Are you still eager to hear them ..
Or you don't bother any more ..

I thought you read my mind ..
And the tale behind my untold stories ..
But silently my silence defined ..
The reason behind your pain and worries ..

The night when the moon and the stars shined
bright on your silken pillow ..
The same night the trickles from your eyes ..
Bore witness to your grief and sorrow ..

Are you too far to decide ..
The fate of my untold stories ..
Do I have a place to run away ..
From the countless memories ..

What Stops You

What stops you?
The dreams you had once nursed,
Are now slowly fading away..
The chances you always waited for,
Had once come your way..
But now they are slipping by
And you give up with a sigh?

What stops you from another try?
The fear of losing what you never had?
Or fooling yourself is not that bad..
With lies.. of happiness you could only get..
if u had tried, but you gave up instead..

What stops you to start again?
The scars from yesterday's defeats
And their unbearable pain?
Those scars will forever remain..
Until you come out and try again..

Dive into the sea..get off the shore..
What stops you from trying once more?

Gratitude

'The shade of a tree' on a summer noon..
On a dark night, 'a half shining moon'..
'Support of a stick' for the weak n the old..
For a helpless person, 'a hand to hold'..
'Someone for company',after you've walked a mile..
For the lonely n the depressed, 'a reason to smile'..
For every lost soul, 'a pole star shining'..
Behind every dark cloud, 'a silver lining'..
God has His little gifts planned for 'tomorrow'..
embrace them with gratitude, come out of your sorrows..

Just Like You

I dreamt yesterday night
That the world has come to know..
About the secret of my life.. 
That I left myself long ago..
In the hands of a girl so cute
But she still has no clue..
A girl who lives down the lane..
A girl who looks..just like you..

The thought gave me a fright..
What If she chose to go..
Now that she knew the secret ..
That i always wanted her to know..
But I decided to let go..
Cos i didn't want to lose..
She's a friend too dear to me..
A girl who looks ..just like you..

My heart throbbed hard as she walked towards me..
And a thousand questions in her eyes i could see..
I chose to answer them all with a smile..
And I realized i was just a smile away..
All these years i was afraid of losing..
Someone whom i had always kept waiting..

I woke up and ran down the lane..
To tell you about this dream insane
The secret of my life i can hold no more..
A secret that now you should know..
A secret of which you have no clue..
"That there is no girl..no girl like you"

I'll wait for you

In my sleep when i cry n scream
When am woken up by a scary dream
When I sit right up and try to think
And the dream flashes back in a blink
I realize the gap is so narrow..
between the horrid dreams n the real sorrow..
"In my life..a life without you.."

With you when I walk along..
I feel so proud.. I feel so strong..
But suddenly when i realize..
you've walked ahead..am left behind..
I scream for you..but you can't hear..
Lost in the lonely streets..i shout in fear..
"Can't live a life..a life without you.."

So i'll wait for you
when my life seems so blue..
And when i don't have a clue..
Should I rest or stay awake..
Or how do I move ahead..
Or how should I lead a life without you..

It rained again

Packing belongings and memories in her bag ..
She wiped away tears from her eyes ..
And as she walked towards the door ..
He stood there to bid her a goodbye ..

But goodbyes don't make things easier..
Nor did it matter to her any longer ..
She decided to skip a hug with her dear ..
As she parted from him after five long years..

But the Heavens had other plans in store ..
The next moment the skies burst into tears with a roar..
As she looked up, getting drenched in rain..
Her heart pushed her for a walk down the memory lane..

She had never held him so close before that day..
They had together danced the night away ..
Then they parted with thousand words in their hearts..
Both tried to express.. but neither could say ..

But as she cursed the skies for the unplanned rain..
Soon she realised that her neck missed her chain..
With a worried heart she went back again..
And inside he waited with a smile and her chain..
"Your heart for the chain" He had traded back then..

Years later things had changed and now it rained again..
She cried harder..her tears masked by the thick drops of rain..
And then as she looked towards her neck she realised..
She needed to go back for something precious left behind..

With a hope in her heart she went back again ..
And inside he waited in tears with her chain..
"Your heart for the chain", his voice choked..
"Traded years back .. and forever", she hugged him and broke..

Wrong Cannot Be Right

That night he had to skip his meal, he didn't have a choice ..
In the world designed by fellow humans, he had no voice ..

But as he slept under the open night sky ..
He wondered what separated him from a rich guy ..
Who lived in the same planet, underneath the same sky ..

His doubts were soon answered in a cruel way ..
When in the next moment, death hit him and ran away ..

But his doubts were truly well answered ..
By the countless people who had gathered ..
Not to mourn over his misfortune ..
But to support their 'rich and favorite' actor ..

A blind act of their icon, had made them all go blind ..
None wept for the homeless victim .. but God wept for the disgraced mankind ..

Tu Kahan

Is khushi ke lamhe mein

Jhoom raha sara jahaan
Par is pal me sath mere
Tu kahan .. Tu kahan ..

Ansu bhare ankhon se hum ..
Is din ki rah dekhe the ..
Apni duniya sajane ke ..
Sapne palko pe sajaye the ..

Ab ayi hai wo ghari ..
Jeet liye hai hum ye jahaan ..
Par is pal me sath mere .
Tu kahan .. Tu kahan ..

Har mor pe the tum sath ..
Har kadam pe thame mera hath ..
Pyar karna sikhaya tumne ..
Subah shaam .. din raat ..

Gunj rahi teri awaz ..
Dil me bhi bas tere alfaz ..
ankhein dhunde teri muskan ..
Tu kahan .. Tu kahan ..

Is pal se hai hum khafa ..
Ye jahaan lage suna suna ..
Lauta do wo kal mujhe ..
Tu jaha .. Tu jaha ..

Le chal mujhe apne sath ..
Us pal me jab tum the pas ..
Meri khushi hai bas wahan ..
Tu jaha .. Tu jaha ..

Phir ek baar

Uske piche chalne wale
bheer me ek shaks..main bhi tha ..
Girta sambhalta ghabrata ..
Phir muskurate hue chalta tha ..

Kabhi raste bhatak jate ..
kabhi bheer me hum kho jate ..
Phir uska saya raah dikhata tha ..

Auur phir muskurate hue main chalta tha ..

Na dar tha use khone ka..
Na waqt tha tanhayi me rone ka ..
Bas ummeed thi sath rehne ka..
Auur sapna tha use phir pane ka ..

Phir ek bhayanak Aandhi ayi ..
Bheer me log khub ghabraye ..
Uske chehre me bhi chaya dar ka saya ..
Par main muskurake uske pas chala aya ..

Har raat ke bad din ata hai ..
Har andhere ke bad ujala ..
Ujale me the bas hum do khade ..
Auur maine use tha sambhala ..

Lipat gayi humse bacchi meri ..
Jaise bachpan me lipta karti thi ..
Jab 'Maa' thi uski ek saheli ..
Auur main ek lauta dost tha ..

Auur aj doston ka bheer jab sath na nibhaya ..
Usne phir ek bar mujhe apne sath paya ..

Fear is a choice

With a thoughtful mind and fear in his heart ..
He looked at the sky and aimed at the stars ..
But his spear fell back, his attempt fell apart ..
And he was left in pain with scars ..

He tried again, and again he failed ..
Each time he feared of getting defamed ..

Finally when he had nothing to lose ..
And his face bore scars and deep strains ..
He hoped for nothing, he rubbed his bruises ..
With a fearless heart he shot again ..

This time he struck a shooting star ..
Finally he tasted success and on that hour ..
He rebuked his sincere and thoughtful mind ..
And mocked at the fear, that now he had left behind ..

Ginger Tea

Familiar roads..familiar shops..
He drove past some buildings old and dear ..
With the reunion to start in some hours..
He entered college after five long years..

Nothing had changed..
The library..the canteen.. the ground..
The creaky back gate made as much sound..
And then he saw the same small stall..
The tea seller and his business..still standing tall..

How badly he missed thetea ..
How badly he missed those old days ..
But then as he glanced at the watch he wore..
He remembered someone whom he missed a little more..

Someone with whom he had sung the tunes of friendship..
Someone with whom he had an unnamed relationship ..
Someone who could see his tears behind his smile ..
Someone with whom he had walked many miles..

Someone with whom he always shared his tea ..
Someone with whom he moved around in glee ..
Someone whom he had fought with five years back..
And someone whose memories had brought him back..

He smiled with a hope to have her back ..
"A Ginger Tea" he shouted, 'their' old choice ..
A moment of shiver, thrill and excitement followed as ..
"Make it by two", said a familiar voice ..

Seven Lives

When I look at you ..
And you steal your eyes ..
With a secret smile .. 
And a breath so shy ..
From the sea so deep ..
And the mountains high..
Not a feel so pure ..
Has touched me by..

Oh it feels so good..
To feel to be me..
When i want you to look ..
And you turn and see ..
Your charming smile ..
Then sets me free ..

When I look at you ..
You smile and look away ..
Pulling you close ..
All I want to say ..

"I will see it through..
I will die for you..
And I will live again..
For seven lives.."

"If you hold me close..
Though the Heavens oppose..
We'll be holding close ..
For seven lives.."

Twist in the Tail

On a bright and windy summer day ..
The house of the Stewarts' made way ..
For the new member .. born a day before ..
Whose little eyes and cute nose the family adored ..

He loved to laugh, fight and play ..
With John and Mary .. he lead a life carefree and gay ..
He rejoiced when Mary fed him with her own hands ..
"How she always read his mind?" he failed to understand ..

But he was not the only one who couldn't speak ..
There was a girl so gentle and meek ..
Mary's first child 'Lisa' .. ten years old ..
With whom he built sand castles ..
Played in the mud, jumped and rolled ..

And time brought him and Lisa closer ..
Together they stayed .. tied in a bond tighter ..
Fate had cruelly left the two to mourn ..
As John and Mary had left them alone ..

Together they grieved for the loss ..
And together they faced the hurdles they came across ..
Neither could speak .. yet both understood one another ..
"I will never leave you"
They silently promised each other ..

Then came a day when Lisa found love ..
And as Lisa got married, he decided to leave ..
But he was glad when Lisa blocked his way ..
"Remember we promised?" her eyes seemed to say ..

He smiled and stayed back as he needed Lisa ..
And Lisa needed as much of 'Him' -
'A friend with tiny eyes.. a wet nose ..
And a twist in the tail'.

what keeps you awake

What keeps you awake all night
Those tired eyes have more to say
Of some dream slowly fading away
Or is it some hope for the unborn new day
That keeps your red eyes open wide
And keeps you awake all night..

What keeps you awake all night..
A memory  sweet of someone too dear..
Who is close to your heart but not so near ..
Or the picture of someone special walking away..
Shakes you up with a shiver and a fright..
And the fear of losing keeps you awake all night..

What keeps you awake all night..
Your mind stacked with thoughts grows restless for rest
But busy with thoughts you turn down its request 
To and fro you move between past and future
As you wonder how something meant to last forever
Could end so soon..what is wrong.. what is right
The tantrums in your mind keep you awake all night..

But finally you listen to your weary heart ..
Just as a night marks the end of a voyage..
A day brings in the promise of a new start..
Secretly you promise to make a better tomorrow..
To lead a life of joy and fight away your sorrows..
And finally at this hour .. to your eyes delight..
You fall asleep ..as you give up to this beautiful night..

Children With Burden

Marching with placards carrying slogans of 'Equality and Education' ..
People had come out of their houses today to promote a mission ..

But as i walked along with peer supporters of the Human rights ..
A lean and thin figure at a corner caught my sight ..

Carrying a bag stuffed with empty bottles and cans ..
His body missed a shirt and his skin bore a deep dark tan ..

His dust covered face could only afford a fake and fragile smile ..
And the deep cracks on his heels suggested he had covered many a miles ..

With an intimidating roughness , his eyes looked old and wise ..
But one could find an adorable innocence behind those young eyes ..

Those eyes had seen lesser days for he was yet to be a teen ..
But they had seen more of this World , than i had seen ..

Handing over few coins to a shopkeeper,he bought a loaf of bread ..
But strangely he didn't eat it full and kept half of it in his bag instead ..

This act of his completely blew me away for now i realized ..
There was something that made him choose this way of life ..

Someone back home waiting for that half crust ..
Someone he had to support, something which made his working a must ..

Seeing this helpless kid i was dawned with a realization ..
That protesting against 'Child Labor' was not the complete solution ..

Stopping them from working was a goal easy to achieve ..
But the bigger challenge was to provide them a better life to live ..

This kid toiled hard to earn his daily bread and butter ..
But by not doing so could his life be any better ? ..

Now that i had seen this guy, i was not sure what's right and what's wrong ..
Whether i should quit the protest or just march along ..

'Stop Child Labor' from the crowd came a sharp and determined voice ..
But i stopped there, wondering what will the kid choose .. if given a choice ..

15 years back - The Last Letter

He tried to hide himself, when he was being chased ..
Taking out a paper from the bag around his waist ..
He scribbled something with shaking hands in a haste ..
He knew his time had come, for he had been traced ..

His mind went back to the summer of the previous year ..
Her picture flashed before his eyes - crystal clear ..
She had said with a smile, hiding her tears ..
"Losing you is my biggest fear" ..
And then he had whispered holding her near ..
"I Promise .. In a few months, i will again be here" ..

And that was the last time he had seen his dear ..

But before the memories of his beloved, his home and his town ..
Could make him weak and break him down ..
He remembered an old promise he had made ..
Even if he had to die , the promise could never fade .. 

He carefully placed the letter beneath a stone ..
And then .. 'Jai Hind' he shouted in an untamed tone ..
Oozing with love for the country, vigor and passion ..
Loading his gun with bullets he charged towards the opposition ..
..............

15 years back - this soldier had paid his last tribute to the nation ..

And .. "Forgive me for I broke my promise , to keep another promise I had made"
 - his last letter to his wife read .. 

When the world goes blind

Cruising through the streets on a winter night ..
A poor homeless kid at the roadside caught her sight ..
Starving and shivering in cold the kid looked for someone so kind ..
To give him a helping hand , but he couldn't find ..
And how could she be that 'someone' when the world had declined ..
Hence to this unfortunate poor being , she chose to be blind ..

Not so far ahead she saw a man weak and old ..
Who waited at the roadside fighting the cold ..
For someone to hold him and take him to the other side ..
He begged for help, but the world was too busy to guide ..
And how could she go against mankind ..
Hence to this weak and shaking being , she chose to be blind ..

Some distance away as she stopped at a red light ..
She saw a man drunk was trying to prove his might ..
As he pulled , slapped,  beat his wife and held her tight ..
The lady helplessly cried , people stopped hearing the noise ..
All paused for a moment but none raised his voice ..
Even she moved at green , leaving the lady behind ..
To this helpless and tortured lady , she chose to be blind ..

Moments later her bike slipped , throwing her on the street ..
With bleeding knees she cried for help as she tried to stand on her feet ..
With a spinning head she could see people look at her and move on ..
At that moment her mind went for a rewind ..
When people needed her help , she had denied ..

And people like her form the world ..
Now she could see them all , but to her pain .. the world was blind ..

He Tried Harder

Every time he tried to score
They asked him to try once more
Next time he tried harder than before
But sadly he was shown the door..

He saw his peers climb up the ladder
He didn't give up ,he tried harder
Finally he succeeded ,caught up with his peers, after trying for years,
And now his peers were yet to learn what he had learnt from his failures..