नफरत से मुहब्बत

मेरा और नफरत का हुआ सामना ,

मैंने बड़ी नफरत से देख उसे बोला,
ऐ नफरत मुझे नफरत है तुझसे |
अंजाम ये कि इस नफरत से भी नफरत है ||

मैं चाहूँ तो भी ये नफरत नहीं मिटती,
मिटाने वाले मिट जाते हैं ये नहीं घटती |
नफरत, जो दिलों के बीच इमारत है ,
नफरत, जो अज सबसे बड़ी तिजारत है,
क्या उसकी इतनी बड़ी रियासत है ?

मुझे नफरत को जहाँ से मिटाना है,
इसकी रियासत को गिराना है,
ये नफरत मिट जाए खुदा से यही इबादत है,
नफरत ना हो तो ये जहाँ ही जन्नत है |

अपने लिए इतनी नफरत देख नफरत बोली,
" जीवन तो दिया नहीं जाता किसी को,
गम तो बांटे नहीं जाते किसी के,
आंसू तो पोंछे नहीं जाते किसी के,
ऐ क्षितिज! कैसी ये तेरी फितरत है !!

ये ना कह कि किसी से नफरत है,
कह हर उस चीज़ से मुहब्बत है,
जो इस कायनात में खुदा की कुदरत है,
और नफरत भी इस दुनिया में उसी की रहमत है || "

एक मौत और.....

बजी शहनायियाँ, तबले भी करने लगे थे शोर,
शादी का दिन था, थिरक रहे थे लोग |
खुश थे सब, आनंद से थे भोर विभोर ,
दुल्हन की सहेलियां नाचती थीं मनो मोर |
खुशियाँ ही खुशियाँ हर तरफ़ दिखती थीं चारों ओर,
सुख का माहौल था, दुःख का था न कोई ज़ोर |

माँ बाप ने सोचा आखिर उनकी मेहनत रंग लायी |
आज उनकी बेटी दुल्हन बनकर घर से लेगी विदाई |
सपना एक तो हुआ पूरा दूसरे की आस जताई |
किंतु यह क्या? गरीबी उनके बीच में आई |
वर पक्ष ने जो रखी मांग, असमर्थता जताई |
दुल्हन के दरवाजे से बारात लौट कर आई |

पल में सब खत्म हुआ, हो गए चूर सब सपने,
देखे थे जो ख्वाब, हो सके वो न अपने |
गरीबी पर था आक्रोश, किंतु बेगाने तो बेगाने,
हो कर भी जो न हो सके, उस ब्याह को कौन माने?
ऐसे समाज में जीने से तो मर जाना अच्छा,
जिस समाज में जान कर भी कोई न जाने |

थोड़ी देर पहले जिस लड़की को मिलने वाला था 'साथी',
उसी का 'साथ' न पाकर , दे दी अपनी आहुति |
खुशी का माहौल सारा मातम में बदला,
कौन सुनेगा री तुझे बावरी तू तो ठहरी अबला |
जाने कब तक छाया रहेगा अँधियारा, जाने कब होगी भोर |
इस दहेज़ की सेज पर एक मौत और, बस एक मौत और | |

..... and you wish me to smile !!!

I started a journey all alone, with my soul.
I wished I could complete it without a foul.
The journey is long and the path is rough.
I never realized it would be so tough.

The more I proceed, the more I discover.
There are many mistakes that I should cover.
There are many sins that I should commit.
It is no longer the same Kshitiz, God forbid.

I had taken vows to protect the weak.
These are the days my promises tweak.
I could not keep the promises I made.
One more Kshitiz begins to fade.

My path is now lost, all my destinations gone.
I left my original path, that cannot be now undone.
I wish if I could return, I wish if I could be the same.
But now I am 'smart' enough to call it a part of the game.

People now ask me why do you cry.
You did your best, whatever you could try.
There is no reason you should be ashamed.
For there is no reason should your soul be blamed.

I told my soul the same, "there are no reasons to be sad".
It replied, you deceived me lad, and said,
" you could not keep the promises even for a while.

... And you wish me to find reasons to smile!!! "

Goddess of Love...

She never created a human labeled with any of the labels we have managed to put on our foreheads. She never wanted the communal segregation based on whatsoever qualities. We have deceived her. We humans, have managed to deceive God by dividing ourselves in countless islands on this earth with no boats to connect, more importantly, no hearts that would like to connect. The more the wit she gave us, the more destructive we are.

National boundaries serve to let you know where not to attack. Religious boundaries tell you what the national boundaries couldn't, they tell you where could you attack inside the Nation. We were not satisfied with all above we kept on creating, castes, creeds, color, race, ethnicity, language, belief, age, and many more. All these may have positive points too but they collectively pose problems to the one common victim, Love. Love among human beings, love for the earth, love for each other, love for beloved... and the list goes on.

"सिर्फ़ एहसास है ये रूह से महसूस करो, प्यार को प्यार ही रहने दो कोई नाम ना दो।"
-- Gulzar.

Above lines are probably the closest to the "definition" of love. Other conditions are imposed by me because to err is humane, and I am a human being. For those who do not understand Hindi/Urdu, it translates to (probably I should not try to extract out its meaning! ) "Its only a feeling, feel it in your soul, let the love be just love, do not try to name it. " Though I would like to say that in this context "name" means the kind of relationship. What I do is probably very much against it.

I expect in love, I always expect things to go my way. I always expect my beloved to behave in a manner that would please me. Not meeting the expectations mean that she (I am a male) does not love me the same anymore. It immediately implies that I put further restrictions and conditions when I say I love her. I expect my parents to always, support, and care for me. I always expect, always!!

We, humans, have made a mess of what the God wanted us to do. We, I think should reconsider the way we think. We should at least try not to hurt others if we cannot help them heal their wounds. There should be no day when we have communal violence anywhere in the world, particularly in the name of religion. It is then we would stand apart from any other living beings.

Do we indeed want to stand apart? That is the real question!