तुम

Haven’t written in Hindi for over twenty years now.. yet it came easily today..

तुम्हें ढूँढ रही हूँ शायद

इस अंजान शेहर में

इन अंजानी चेहरों में

तुम, जो मेरी आँखों में देखके

बात को समझ जाओ

तुम, जो चल सको मेरे साथ

थोड़ी सी जो बची है

उस राह पे

जहां हम न समझ पाए

कि तुम कहाँ शुरू होते हो

और मैं कहाँ खतम..

चलो चलते हैं कुछ दूर

कुछ बातें कर लेते हैं

कुछ तुम कहो कुछ अपनी मैं सुनाऊँ

इसी बहाने रूह चल लेंगे

शायद, हाथों में हाथ थामे

अगर मैं फिसल जाऊँ

तुम संभाल लेना

जब तुम भूल जाओगे

तो हक़ीकत मैं याद दिलाऊँगी

चलो चलते हैं कुछ दूर

कुछ पल ख़ैरियत में ही सही

जहां हम न समझ पाए

कि तुम कहाँ शुरू होते हो

और मैं कहाँ खतम..

Seeing her..

I was walking towards the exit after my son’s sports day events. Suddenly, I saw her. She was right in front of me. In the moment of shock, I didn’t even say hello. She didn’t wait either. I saw her smile, not at me. I looked at my wife, she was smiling and saying hello. Oh my God!
After I was out of my bewilderment, I told her, “that’s her”.
“Who?”
“You were saying hello to”
“Who?”
I just looked at her to let it dawn upon her.. and it did.. faster than I thought.
“Ooooooooooh! Oh my God!!! She?? She is the beautiful one? And I knew her all along??”
And she burst into laughter. What was she laughing at?
“I never thought it would be her? I am so happy it’s her. She is not beautiful. I always had this complex that she was more beautiful than me, she is not!!!”
Women, and their silly complexes, I thought.
So I saw her, after many years. She still looked beautiful to me. In another time, in another life,  maybe…