KASHMIR.....

एक जन्नत थी धरती के एक कोने में
himalaya के आँचल में छुपी थी एक वादी
एक नीले आसमान के नीचे
पंछियों की सरसराहट से गूंजती हुई
क्या सरहद और क्या धर्म
जिन्दगी यहाँ पानी में बहते शिकारों की तरह ही तोह थी ...

फीर एक दिन सब बदल गया
कइसी ने आग जैसे डाल दी हो
नर्म नर्म घास पर
वक्त की लड़ाई ने
लीख दी ज़िंदगी हर एक लाश पर ...
नज़र लग गयी शायद इस धरती को
अपने ही आसमान की ...

क्या गलती थी उन पंछियों की
जो हर बरस आते थे यहाँ?
मासूम थे वो ...
उन्हें क्या पता था
एक दीन उनके पंख ही काट दिए जायेंगे
जीन घरो की तलाश में वो आए थे
वह घर ही खत्म हो जायेंगे ...
जीन सरहदों का उन्हें होश ही नही था
वोही सरहद खून बनके यहाँ सबकी रगों में दौड़ेगी ...
उन्हें क्या पता था ...
की उनका आकाश ही उनसे छीन जायेगा ...

क्या गलती थी उन चीनार के पेडो की
जो खुले आसमान के नीचे अपने रंग बरसाते थे ...
मासूम थे वह...
उन्हें क्या पता था
एक दिन गोलिईओं की बरसात उन्हें छलनी कर देगी
जइस आसमान में वो साँस लेते थे
वहीं से बरसेगी खून की बारिश
कहाँ जाते वो चीनार
जो सरहद पर ही उग आए थे ...

क्या गलती थी उन छोटे बच्चों की
जीन्होने इसी धरती पर चलना सीखा था?
मासूम थे वह...
उन्हें क्या पता था...
की एक दिन जीन्होने उन्हें राह दिखाई थी
वो ख़ुद ही भटक जायेंगे?
उन्हें क्या पता था
जीन नकली बंदूकों से वह खेला करते थे
एक दीन उन्ही की गर्गराहट से वह कापेंगे ?

क्या येही था उनका jihaad ?
एक सरहद की खातीर अनदेखी कुछ लकीरों की नुमाईश
या दूर उड़ते परिन्दे को मार गीरा देने का एहसास ?
खील्खिलाते एक शेहेर को शमशान बना देने का एहसास ?

क्या येही था उनका शौर्य ?
देवताओं की इस ज़मीन को लहू लुहान कर देने का एहसास ?
या कुर्सियों की लड़ाई की खातीर धर्म का खेल खेलने की साजइश ?
सहमें हुए दीलो के दरमियाँ लकीरें खीच देने की हीम्मत ...

हान येही था उनका धर्म
जीसने शंखों की आवाज़ छीन ली ...
जो खून की नदी में कहीं डूब के रेह गया ....

DREAMS...

I dont really know what it means when we dream about something and I've never even tried ... there are so many things that've just kept on running again and again like a tape in my head since god knows when..... but then I also know they've always signified my deepest fears and worries ,only in my dreams theyve always culminated in different forms...
This is what came up when I tried to figure out what really they mean....

It was an apple that fell from a tree
I heard something hitting the ground with a thud...
Thats when I opened my eyes( or did I),
as I sat on a nearby bench , letting time pass by me,
content with the sound of the rustling autumn leaves as the rolled past my feet....

I was a bit unfortunate ,
having been brought into this world ages after Newton was...
the bastard discovered gravity first , else today twud've bin in my name....
my apple ,my gravity...
Bt all dreams cant be realised,n so i went back to my slumber...

I opened my eyes after a while(or did I?)
and watched a beautiful butterfly flap its wings out of its chrysalis...
preparing to take its first flight into this big brave world...
I tried to run after it ...i wanted to share this creature's beauty
i wanted to fill the sky with its colour...
but the soft earth beneath my feet gave way...
and I was falling into an inescapable ravine....
falling ...

Falling still.... till I opened my eyes and found myself on the bench...
with the fallen apple lying a few steps away...
I tried to gather myself... Maybe I was dreaming...
but ...but ...the chrysalis was still there,
and the butterfly..still struggling to come out...
I looked away ,not trying to believe my dream could come true...

I stood up and started walking towards a small lake
the blue water reflecting the sunlight and giving sanctuary to frogs ambling about frantically... I noticed another moat nearby...
with a shinier ,blue water ,and small lotuses growing out ...
I was thirsty ,I wondered where to drink from...
I had to make a choice,
and I took the moat 'coz it looked more appealing from the outside...
maybe its water was more enriching ,maybe it'd be more fulfilling....
maybe....

I bent down and took a sip ...
it was only then that I saw the weeds inside ,
and thats when I realised why it was a shinier colour...
I watched as my hands and feet disappeared into droplets of water,
and I rained down slowly into the moat....
my body became one with it ,
and the weeds were now my own to bear...
I tried to hold ... but it didnt stop...

I was slipping away still....
until I opened my eyes and found myself on the bench...
The apple was still hanging from the tree,
The chrysalis rested peacefully in one of its branches..

I looked away ,not trying to believe my dream could come true...
I looked at the lake behind me,looking as beautiful as before...
The moat lay still beside it....
I knew what to do this time....I had learned my lessons....
It was then that I realised...
All that we see or seem is
but a dream within a dream...