बातें तो बहुत थीं, मंज़र भी सही बहुत था, कह कर रुला देने का , मकसद भी जिगर में कहीं बहुत था, बस ना थी मेरे पास वो सब कह पाने की हिम्मत, और ना उसके पास सुन पाने का वक्त ही बहुत था। ~रबी [ There was a lot to say, And it was a perfect time for it, To make them cry, by telling all that, I had this wish also deep inside, But what I didn’t have was the courage to say it, And what they didn’t have was the time to hear it. ] ...

Leave me gasping for breath, Bring me down to the knees, Move me to tears, Rekindle the ache in my guts, Let me hear your voice once. …Just say something. Anything. ~RavS ## Some voices, they are so beautiful, so soulful, you are almost moved to tears hearing them. A tribute to all my favorite singers and friends with a sweet little voice. ##

Long ago there was no existence of you, People of the world were happy then too, But their happiness used to be far and few. So God decided to pay his dues, And take the world by storm, He sent you from heaven, you were born. You opened your eyes, you saw the world in pain. It made you sad, you tried again and again, To make the world a better place, It took efforts, lots of it, several decades, But bit by bit, straw by straw you changed lonely faces , Wherever you went you spread happiness, People got happier, The world got better, ...

हम तो फिरते थे छुप छुप के बदनामी के डर से, और बदनामी है कि हमसे ज्यादा मशहूर हो गई। ~रबी [ I used to remain obscure, to avoid infamy, But look! My infamy has become more popular than me. ]

तू फरवरी की धूप सी, गुनगुनी सी खिली खिली , तू ओस गहरी रात की, जैसे घास पे बिछी सो रही, तू हाथ की लकीर सी, किसी के नसीब में किसी के नहीं, तू दुआ किसी फ़कीर की, वो खुशनसीब जिसे मिल गयी। जिसकी तलब तो है सबको ही , तू चीनी में घुली ऐसी मिठास सी, मगर जो चाह कर भी ना मिल सकी, जैसे हया हो किसी हिजाब की। ...

I dismissed, I prayed, I pleaded, For this day, this time to never come. But it had to eventually, today it finally arrived, It’s time to say the words and be done with, “My friend… For now… Good Bye. ” We can’t hug and cry, of course, That would such a sissy thing to do, (Not to mention ‘gayish’ and awkward too.) So we mask our feelings with a big muffler of smile, But the naked eyes would describe a different sight. ...

As you walk down the memory lanes, Suddenly you hit an epiphany, Brimming, you take out a blank sheet, or a blank screen, And start to scribble little somethings. You write a stanza or three, And then the mind goes blank, You had decided to pour your heart into it, Now, you don’t know what else to yank. You fiddle with the nibble, change ink, change editor, finally get tired of changing, You stare at the blank canvas with rue, And it keeps staring blankly back at you. ...

I was alright, as I laid asleep, Then suddenly the wound ripped, And it started to bleed, First the body dripped in blood, Then the pillow, then the sheet. I was in writhing in pain so much, Tried, I couldn’t even scream, The blood started spilling; drop-by-drop-by-drop, Every ounce wanted to ooze out of my frame. I were to drown in my own pool of blood. And my bed was to become my own grave. ...

वो कोई तो जाना-पहचाना सा शख्स था, जिसका आँखों में आज अक्स था। कुछ धुंधली धुंधली सी उसकी परछाई थी, अचानक ही अहातों में उतर आयी थी। कुछ तो था जो वो कहना चाहता था, पर मेरे इर्द गिर्द तो बस एक घहरा सन्नाटा था, कानो तक पहुँचती उसकी सहमी सहमी सी साँसें थी, छिपी कहीं जिनमे दम तोड़ चुकी कुछ बातें थी। कुछ दूर बढे उसके मेरी तरफ कदम, फिर सिहर गए, हाथ उठे कुछ दिखाने को, पर ठहर गए, “पीछे मत देखना"… बस इतना कहा उसने फिर मुड़ गया, नहीं आया वो साया लौटकर, एक बार जो उड़ गया, धड़कने बढ़ चली, वहीं खड़ा रहा निस्तब्ध सा, मन तो बहुत किया, पर मुड़कर नहीं देखा। ...

क्यों मुस्कुरा कर मेरा वक्त ज़ाया करते हो, तुम्हारी तकलीफों से मेरी रोज बातचीत होती है। ~रबी [ Why do you waste my time by smiling, I chat with your troubles everyday. ]