Thursday, 26 January 2012

CHANGE- PAINFUL YET NEEDFUL AND HOPEFUL

मेरा शहर 

ये मेरा शहर ,
रैनबसेरों का शहर 
इस शहर की इक सड़क से जाती चौड़ी इक गली 
जहाँ चप्पे-चप्पे पर है हर सुबह की शाम ढली .
बसा कभी था सपनों के गाँव में इक छोटा सा घर 
आज बहुमंजिली इमारतों पर कहीं जा गया है ठहर 
उतरती प्लास्तरों से बिसूरती झांकती कुछ मूक ईटें
बयां कर जाती कैसे पल क्ष्रण आये, क्यूँ कैसे बीते .
थी उमगती सीने में धड़कन औ' सांसों में थिरकन 
पर आज जाने कहाँ जा थमा है जीवन का कम्पन .
वो सुनहली धुप का कतरा भी जा रूठा है जमीं से
आज हवा का झोंका भी जा बना है अजनबी हमीं से  
बंद दरवाजे के पीछे से झांकती गिल्लौरी आँखे
बेबस सी है बांहें थामे जंगले की तंग सलाखें    
पुराने पहचाने चेहरे आज बन चले है बेरंग लिफाफे
गंदे दिखने लगे तो एक पे एक चढ़ा डाली नयी गिलाफें  
फिर भी -
इस शहर, गली से जाने है कैसा रिश्ता-नाता 
जहाँ की हर इक ईट करती है हम से बाता
बारिश की दो बूंद ही सही,
मन के भावों को भींगा अभी भी जाती है 
धूप का वो कतरा ही सही,
मन की चाहत को कहीं सुलगा जाती है
हवा के दो झोंके ही सही,
कानो में कोई गीत गुनगुना जाते हैं
वो दूर टुकड़ा सा ही नीला आसमां
सपनों को फिर से इक उड़ान दे जाता है .
  

Wednesday, 25 January 2012

TRIP TO SOLAPUR

In the past two years I have developed a penchant for travelling and when I was asked to escort back the two girls of kho-kho team from KV Solapur, I just could not hold back my childlike excitement as for the first time I was making such a long trip by train and that too all by myself. While packing I didn't forget to keep Maugham's Cakes and Ale, drawing pencils, a notebook and my Sony digital camera. Boarded Patna-Pune Exp. at 10.45 PM on 13 Jan. I got settled in my lower side berth.


 The ragged, torn curtains seemed to have never been changed since the day the train made its maiden journey. The futile veil of secrecy provided by these curtains reminded me the life inside the refugee camp in the story 'THE ULTIMATE SAFARI' in class X by where such secrecy was feigned by sacks and card board walls but one could easily peek into other's place just by bending a little right or left. 
My co-passengers were good fellows but with their curtains pulled for most of the time, I remained as like an outcast. Well... that gave me time to revel in my solitude and do a few sketches.
Once, when I asked a vendor for a bottle of water, he failed to understand and like an expertise, commented on my speaking," Sound bahut slow hai, agar kuch saman kharidne jayengee to sound to hona chahiye, nahi to samajh mein nahi aayega, so thoda sound ucha rakhiye." Hmmm...here was a lesson for me which left me musing at the thought of speaking to a class of 50-54 students where my voice is quite audible even to the last row. 
Reached Pune timely on15th and from there to Solapur by SUR INTERCITY. Its a nice town and the Kendriya Vidyalaya looked well maintained with children's park, basketball ground, playground, parking shed and trees planted along the boundary walls. 
The return journey was equally comfortable and enjoyable.