Friend

Hi X*! How are you? I hope your new life is treating you good. Now it’s ok that me You don’t know. And, there’s no rhyme or reason to write this, Except the fact that Your friend is My friend also. You see I got to know you left our company recently, And also the company of our common friend, more importantly. She has taken your name quite a few times, ever since. She claims, here, you were her best friend, And she does remain sad, without a doubt , The degree it hurts without you, only she can tell. ...

Sir Happy First Birthday Eve, After finally meeting your Eve, Sure you’ll have plans tomorrow Eve, But how about the Eve of that Eve? Even if Putin invades the Kyiv, Modi can ask his fighting Peeps, To stop their army tanks and Jeeps, So his subjects can peacefully Leave . My point is not to write lyrics so Cheap, But can you make a promise you can Keep, Hope tomorrow you will be on Leave, Will you find some time for us Jeeves? ...

प्यारे पापा, कभी कंधे पे खेलती थी आपके, आज कंधे तक आ जाती हूँ। फिर भी कुछ कह देते हो जोर से, मैं अब भी डर जाती हूँ। हो जाता है आपको ज़ुखाम भी , घर सारा सर पे उठा लेती हूँ। कर पाऊं आपकी, कुछ ख्वाहिशें पूरी , थोड़ा बहुत इसलिए कमा लेती हूँ। बेटा तो नहीं मैं आपका, आपने पर, बेटे से कभी खराब ना समझा। आगे भी करने देना मुझे बेटी बन कर , पापा, हर काम जो करता आपका बेटा। ...

A friend in need is a friend indeed, Time and again, they told me. And I took it as gospel truth, Selfish, until I found you. Or rather, the Universe, Conspired to find us. I learned and You taught me, To look through others’ sufferings. Be mediocre; but at the least be. So, now that’s what I always seek, Strive to be that friend in need. In my thoughts and in my deeds. ...

ऐ मेरे यार, कहाँ गया तू, कौन गाँव किस देश, आ देख तुझ बिन क्या हालत मेरी, देख कैसा हुआ मेरा भेष। देख अब सुबह ने भी उठना छोड़ दिया, देख शाम भी बैठी रहती है गम सुम, देख आहटें भी वीरान पड़ी हैं, देख सरगोशियाँ भी रहती हैं चुप चुप। लौट आ, याद। याद तेरी बहुत सी आती है, पत्थर ऑंखें भी, जिनमे डूब। डूब पिघल सी जाती हैं …. ...

उसने कहा, मेरी आँखों में देखो और बताओ क्या दिखता है? मैंने कहा, निहायत ही घटिया ये सवाल कैसा है? उसने कहा बकवास बंद करो मुझे जानना है! मैंने कहा, अच्छा फिर सुनो, तुम्हारी आँखों पर मेरा क्या मानना है। वो सामने बैठी और गौर से सुनने लगी, मैंने गाला साफ़ कर दास्तान-ए-अँखियाँ शुरू की … क्या तुमने किसी बच्चे की आँखों में देखा है ? मासूमियत के सिवा उनमे कुछ और कभी मिलता है ? वो ही मासूमियत दिखती है तुम्हारी आँखों में। एक मासूमियत जो कभी घटती नहीं, एक मासूमियत जो कभी मिटटी नहीं। ...

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, ...

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. ...

Strip me - not just of my clothes, My skin, my flesh, my bones. Look straight into my bare soul, Is it not mirror image of your own? Then what makes you think I am, Any different than who you are? Look closer and you will find, My conscience bears the same invisible scars. Yes, may be the journeys are different, Our destinations are all the same, Stop wearing these shades of prejudiced ignorance, May be I am not your enemy, may be… a friend. ...

मैं करदा रवां इंतज़ार, पर अज्ज मेरा यार नि आया। मैं पट्ट देखां, देखां कई वार, के अज्ज मेरा यार नि आया। कि कित्ता मैं गल कोई खार, जे अज्ज मेरा यार नि आया। लगदा ओंनू देखे दिन हुए हज़ार, ना अज्ज मेरा यार नि आया। आजा, अब ते कंवली होया यार, क्यों अज्ज तू मेरे यार नि आया। मेनू सौ उस दी, मैं छड्ड देना संसार, जो अज्ज मेरा यार नि आया। ...