Haze of Hope

That ray of light ain't that far away, yet really far!

Squint your eyes and you can see it fine,

Open 'em and it's a blur, a haze!

Just like that dark tunnel, a sliver of light piercing through,

Reach the end and you have glazed eyes!

Adhure Ishq ki dastaan

Woh waqt bhi aur tha 

Woh daur bhi aur tha

Khwahishein poori hongi, yeh vishwaas tha

Tasveeron ka kaafila aankhon ke saamne se guzar gaya

Yaadein slideshow bankar guzri.

Har frame mein ek-ek pal tham sa gya

Kuchh pal dil bhi thama

Usme ek chehra saamne aaya

Yaadon ki baadh aayi aur main beh gayi 

unhi haseen lamhon mein

Lamhe bade meethe the, kuchh namkeen,

Yaadon ki baadh mein main beh gayi usme

Woh lamha hai ab bhi qaid!

Aankhon ko ab bhi hain sukoon hai deta,

Jab bhi yaad aata hai woh pehla lamha jab hum mile

Woh shirt ki khushboo, woh mehek, woh muskurahat,

Wo ankhon ka pehli baar milna,

Jaise kuchh bayaan kar rahe the.

Woh thame hue se kuchh pal,

Wo har muskurahat par dhadkano ka ruk jaana,

Baar-baar dil ishaare de raha tha: kuchh toh baat hai usme!

Milne ke hamare wo silsile,

Wo haseen afsaane, 

Wo bheege pal,

Lamhe yunhi tham gaye mere liye.

Waqt guzarta gaya, 

Sheher badal gaye, 

Dooriyan bhi aa gayi.

Par wo coffee shop, wo saanjh, 

wo baatein, wo raatein wahi tham gayi.

Bas reh gayi hain unn dino ki yaadein, 

Wo khaas lamhe, wo ehsaas, 

kuch ankahe lafz, kuchh adhuri baatein,

Aur Hum!

Crosscurrents

So many thoughts engulf me,

Scare me, put my wits on edge.

Fears of the unknown plague a wounded soul,

Hungry, wild thoughts gnaw, threaten to break the mind's equilibrium.

Breathing raggedly, the heart thumps wildly at the doors,

Wet palms, trembling fingers shake a glass of water,

Setting in motion the vibrations at the surface.

Bubbling from within, crosscurrents of feelings

Raising goosebumps,

Frayed nerves reach a boiling point,

Convection currents cause the uppermost calm to sink,

Innermost turmoil bubbles over, spills, scalds the thin skin of emotions

Scarring mind, body and soul!

Years pass by, 

Scars darkened by the volcanic lava of emotional outbursts, turn numb

Dead skin gives way to new skin cells

Ugly, old scars buried.

Happiness resonates in a love-starved soul.

Wind chimes ringing in the chambers of the heart

Soulful music ensconces, encompasses, engulfs the body,

Sweet melody whispers in the ear, 

Passing by like a flutter in the wind, 

A breeze laced with the fragrance of nectar, 

drugs me into a soulless sleep.