जीवन में परिवर्तन | Nikita Gupta

विवाह के पश्चात मेरा जीवन पूर्ण रूप से परिवर्तित हो जाता है, पैर मै छूती हूँ और आशीर्वाद उसकी लंबी उम्र का मिल जाता है।

ये शरीर मेरा होकर भी मेरा नहीं रहता, इसका एक-एक अंग उसके नाम का हो जाता है। जिसे नौ मास तक गर्भ में रख अपने रक्त से सींचती जन्म के पश्चात वो भी उसकी संतान कहलाता है।।

हथेली मेरी और मेहंदी उसके नाम की लग जाती है, ये मांग भी उसके नाम के सिंदूर से भर जाती है।

जहाँ जन्म लिया, जहाँ पली-बढ़ी, जिस आंगन में बचपन गुजरा,वो सब कहीं पीछे छूट जाता है; विवाह के पश्चात मेरा जीवन पूर्ण रूप से परिवर्तित हो जाता है।

कहने को तो विवाह दो मनुष्यो का होता है पर वास्तव में देखें, तो उनमें से केवल एक ही है जो अपना सब कुछ खोता है।

मेरी आदतें, मेरा रहन-सहन, मेरा पहनावा, सब कुछ बदल जाता है; और तो और मेरे नाम की जगह अब उसका नाम लिया जाता है।।

मेरी इच्छाएं, महत्वकांक्षाएं,ये सब कुछ किसी ताले में बंद हो जाती है, जिसकी सुबह दस बजे होती थी, आजकल वो सूरज से पहले उठ जाती है।

किसी की बेटी नहीं, किसी की पत्नी तो किसी की बहु कहलाती हूँ; सबकी जरूरतो, सबकी इच्छाओं का ख्याल रखने में वैस्त मैं स्वयं को कहीं भूल सी जाती हूँ।

घर-बार, रिश्ते-नाते, नाम-पहचान सब कुछ बदल जाता है, जो जन्म से अपना था वो पराया और कोई अजनबी अपना बन जाता है।

कलाईयों में चूड़ियां आ जाती है, सर पे पल्लू डल जाती है, कहा गुजर जाता था दिन यारों के बीच, आज तो रसोई में ही शाम ढल जाती है।

जन्म देनेवाली माँ, लाड़ करने वाले पापा, इन सब को छोड़ आती हूँ; उसके माँ-बाप को अपनाती हूँ फिर भी पराये घर की कहलाती हूँ।

एक मंगलसूत्र और सिंदूर से सब कुछ कितना बदल जाता है; मेरे नाम से नहीं, अब मुझे उसके नाम से पुकारा जाता है।

कभी-कभी दिल करता सब से यह सवाल करू, हर बार बलिदान की अग्नि में मैं ही क्यों जलू?

क्यों जाना पड़ता हैं मुझे छोड़ अपना सब कुछ, मैं क्या चाहती हूँ ऐ दुनिया! कभी मुझसे भी तो पूछ।

सदियों पहले किसी के द्वारा बनाई गई एक प्रथा पर लोग चुंबक की भांति चिपक चुकें हैं; मैं भी एक इंसान हूँ, शायद ये सब भूल चुकें हैं।

कितना अजीब है न दुनिया का ये दस्तूर, ना चाहते हुए भी मुझे कर देते हैं अपनों से दूर।

हाथ में चूड़ी, गले में मंगलसूत्र, सर पे पल्लू और मांग में सिंदूर, ये सब मेरे शरीर का एक हिस्सा बन जाती है; एक गलती पर मेरी सारी अच्छाई भुला दी जाती है।

शरम-लिहाज का ठेकेदार बना दिया जाता है; मेरा रंग उतार मुझे किसी और के रंग में डाल दिया जाता है।

किसी को नहीं खबर कि देखे थे मैंने भी कुछ सपने, मेरी दुनिया सीमित हो जाती है बस बाल-बच्चे और घर में।

क्या जीवन है मेरा, जन्म लिया एक आंगन मे, मरन हुआ दूसरे में; पर इन दोनों के बीच, क्या सफर था! कहीं तो अफसोस होता है ये कहने में।

किसी को रुचि नहीं ये जानने में, मैं क्या चाहती हूँ वो मानने में, सब चाहते हैं जल्दी से डाल दूँ मैं एक लल्ला पालने में।

जिन बहनों से लड़ते-झगड़ते, मस्ती करते, सारा दिन गुजर जाता; आज उनसे ही बात करने को समय नहीं मिल पाता।

उम्मीद है, आज नहीं तो कल ये प्रथा जरूर टूटेगी; फिर ये सारी दुनिया उठ मेरी भी कामना पूछेगी।

ऐ समाज! मुझे परिवर्तित कर तुम्हें क्या मिलता है? विवाह के पश्चात मेरा ही जीवन पूर्ण रूप से क्यों बदलता है?

जी चाहता कभी उससे कहू, कि तुम ये करना अपना सब कुछ छोड़ तुम मेरे साथ चलना, ये सोचने मात्र से ही तुम्हारा कलेजा ना कांप जाए तो फिर तुम कहना।

कब आएगी दोनों में समानता, क्यों जाना पड़ता है मुझे छोड़ अपने माता पिता।

घर-बार सब कुछ बदल जाता है, जनम एक आंगन में तो मरन दूसरे में हो जाता है।

कल जो केश हवाओं से बात करते, आज वही एक-दूसरे में उलझे कंधों पर पड़े रहते; कल जिसे श्रींगार था सबसे प्यारा, आज ना-जाने कहीं तो गुम हो गया है वही बेचारा।

मेरे खिलौने, मेरी किताबें, एक वक्त था जब ये सब मेरे जीवन का हिस्सा हुआ करती; आज तो ये एक कोने में पड़ी मेरा किस्सा कहा करती।

कई सारे नए रिश्ते मिल जाते हैं, पर जो जन्म से थे वो कहीं पीछे रह जाते हैं; मेरे गर्भ से जन्म लेने वाले भी सर्वप्रथम उसके कहलाते हैं।

कल जिस चाट के ठेले को देख, मैं खुद को कभी नहीं रोकती; आज उसे ही देख दस बार हूँ सोचती।

जीवन के एक पड़ाव पर आकर मेरा दो घर हो जाता, एक मायका तो दूसरा ससुराल है कहलाता। पर दोनों में ही मुझे वो स्थान नहीं मिल पाता, एक में पराया धन तो दूसरे मे पराये घर की कह दिया जाता।

जिस घर को अपना माना उसे छोड़ जाना पड़ता है, आज उसी घर में एक रात ठहरने को उससे पूछना पड़ता है।

रिश्तों की प्राथमिकताएं बदल जाती हैं, मायके में तो केवल मेरी कुछ यादें और तस्वीरें ही रह जाती है।

ऐसा नहीं है की नए रिश्तों के मिलने की खुशी नहीं होती है, पर पुराने रिश्तों की कमी कहीं तो खलती है।

विवाह के बाद मेरा ही जीवन सबसे अधिक क्यों बदलता है? मेरे जीवन के प्रत्येक दिन का सूरज उन चार दिवारियों मे ही क्यों ढलता हैं?

क्या मुझे मेरे सवालों का जवाब कभी मिल पाएगा? क्या ये प्रथा कभी बदल पाएगा?

मेरा हृदय तो केवल इतना ही पूछता है, विवाह के पश्चात मेरा ही जीवन पूर्ण रुप से क्यों बदलता हैं?

Ripples of a rainbow | Harshini V.S.

I awake to the pitter patter of raindrops on my floor

Now you may ask, don't you mean your window ma'am?, but I reply:

No sir, my roof will not abide

I grab some stale bread and open the door and ho!

There is a rainbow shining and rippling in the bright sunlight

From the torn pages of my books, I have read

That there is surely a pot of gold ahead!

I weep with joy and dance around

at the prospect of looking for that pot of gold

But suddenly sir comes back and says:

Don't be queer, go clean your household!

I gape with stubborn innocence

Will this day, like all the others, turn out to be just a reminiscence?

No, I refuse to throw away this opportunity,

though I hear sir seething behind

Suddenly, as if on cue, a wasp stings the enemy's nose

He bellows in pain and I,

I make a swift sprint towards the magnificent angel of colours

He roars for me to come back, but I ignore with delight

As I run the wind rushes through my hair

I start imagining the wonderful world and the beckoning pot of gold

Breathless and well away from the beast, I resort to an amble

I look around at the rolling hills and wet earth

Then I look up, at the rainbow, it's colours shining in the sky

And start to notice them

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet

A lovely array of the dispersion of light!

But all of a sudden I am pushed from behind

I land with a thud to find a thug looking down upon me

It's my only silver bracelet that he sees

I notice red liquid trickling from my knee

Perhaps that rock, that scraped my skin free

The gangster lunges to seize my precious metal

I grab some earth and throw it into his face

He bellows with disgrace

And again I run for it, my heart thundering under my chest

I dive into a cave

darkness enclosing me like a sudden wave

I hear the thief grunt in disappointment, then the sound of his footsteps wane

away

I emerge out into the day, and remember my injured leg

I spot a nearby puddle and bend over only to see

the ripples of the rainbow above me

The blood from my knee, turns the rainbow a red hue

O dear angel, was the first colour a warning that I should've knew?

I get up and start to fear

That the rainbow may soon disappear

As in plain sight it is clear

That the pot of gold is nowhere near

As I sprint across rolling hills

I spot a lovely flower bed

and O my, a monarch burying it's head

Deep within a tulip

It fills me with wondrous joy to see its orange wings and mesmerizing beauty

As yonder far far away

Sir would not let a flower bed stay

I tear my eyes away, and look up as the rainbow seems to say

Keep going dear,

For soon I may disappear

I rush ahead waving goodbye to my friends

I pity that they cannot accompany me

As I, I have a whole world to see!

The end of the rainbow seems quite far, but to my surprise

I spot a yellow shine only away by a few yards

With a cry of delight I run to dig up the gold

The filth soils my white dress

But then again I am accustomed to looking like a mess

The cry of delight turns to one of disappointment

As I dig, I find that the pot of gold

Is nothing but amber stone

I slip it into my torn dress seam

Woe is me, was I an imbecile to dream?

I trudge on not letting the rainbow out of my sight

Past magnificent trees that seem to dance in the breeze

Thankful perhaps for the rain and shine

At the same time

At last, I come across a glorious village

With its lovely marble architecture and glistening white stone

Being alien to this new world,

I was reluctant to make an approach

But beyond the pretty walls, what caught my eye

Was the sight of a joyous girl

Magnificent robes and flowing hair

Her guardians near with protective glares

I turned green with envy

As green as the lush grass

Alas!

I catch ahold of my vicious feelings

And trudge on ahead

What would my pot of gold have said?

I hear a sudden rumble

It's not thunder, but my insides that tumble

A stale bread would not keep me fed

At last I spot a clearing with bushes and thickets

I hasten to the undergrowth

And start to eat

Blueberries ever so sweet!

As it continues to rain, dew drops slowly fall away

They curve across the berry

And at once I am reminded,

Of the way I cried without a sound

And of the tears I shed, when I was bound

Satisfied but not fully fed,

I continue my journey ahead

Not knowing where it would end

The pot of gold nowhere near

I start to fear, that the rainbow may soon disappear

A puddle babbles from the raindrops

The rainbow ripples in the water

Suddenly the ripples fade into a splash

And I find a fair women standing aghast

“Dear me, you must be tired,

Let me help you find your squire”

I protest but agree to rest in the Lady's lovely home

My journey surprises her as she sees I'm torn......

Storms turn course and winds blow the clouds away

Now I am a florist at a store

Where violets and lavenders sway!

The pot of gold was never found

But perhaps what I was truly looking for,

was the door to freedom forever more

******************fin*******************

Interpretation:

The poem is set in the 18th or 19th century in England. The narrator is a woman

from a low income household. “Sir” refers to a patriarchal figure who denies the

narrator her freedom. In Irish literature it is said that there is a pot of gold at the

end of a rainbow. The narrator goes looking for this pot of gold but realises that

freedom and independence is what she actually seeks. In her journey she comes

across various situations each referring to a colour and an associated emotion.

She sees the ripples of the rainbow as a reflection of the rainbow in puddles,

where the water ripples when rain drops fall in it. This poem is about finding

one’s passion and being independent. It also throws light on the horrible male

dominated patriarchal society that existed and still exists in our world.

Falling with the rain | Sristi Pramanik

Romanticizing rain is something

I happened to always refuse.

Rather, I remained as a bystander

to how it always found its place

in rhythms, quills, paintbrushes

and people's reminiscent muse,

or in resonating with every unfallen teardrop

as a grieving soul silently frays.

Then why did today's afternoon drizzle

evoke thoughts I'm supposed to betray?

Why did last night's sudden storm

nettle the void obscured in fret?

The very void that has buried much more

than what it loses everyday;

memories that birthed a heartbroken love,

debatably labelled as "regret".

When I have never associated myself

or my emotions with nature's brilliant ways,

why has it chosen to embrace me

and empathize with my unsettling pain?

Is it because the last remaining way out

of the rubbles of our mutual disgrace,

is to retrace every precarious step of yours

mimicking the unpredictability of rain?

The clouds growl with their thundering scowl

and remind me of the depth of your promises.

The lightning splits the cascading canvas

and sparks endless anecdotes of our tale.

A tale - where we try to stay afar

pained from each other until one of us notices,

that it's worth knotting an already knotted bond

yet again, because "maybe this time, we won't fail."

Well then, is this the time we fail?

For the rain seems ever so eloquent

in showing that its uncertain arrival is why

your constant "come and go" now makes sense.

Yet I pine for you, I pine for the clouded sky,

regardless of destructive or pleasant,

but dare I ask you as I ask the erratic downpour -

Is this your anger, or your sheer indifference?

The Outcast'e'd | Mohammed Ayesha Salma Kousar

I'm locked in a dungeon

of your mind

and all day

inhere I rot

my skin stinks

of your dogmatic logic

that never fades

though a million times

I scour

for your privileged mind

prejudiced

by the myths of past

deprived I live off

a glimpse of lord

you gaurd shrines

and not daughters

sisters of ours

and never you realise

the agony of my heart

my touch you loathe

my presence you abhor

and yet you conveniently

fit me into your world

also you refuse

to acknowledge

the lines of distinction

those grew deeper now

into our systems

and when

I struggle to liberate,

to seek a change

for a society

balanced on equality,

and acceptance,

for I read, I write,

comprehend my rights,

to expunge

grooves of disorder

those lurking in

I uproar, in all might

and despite

for all the times

I couldn't redraft

this cruel fate of mine

cause

I'm still lockedup in the sewer

of your mind

and trust me

there ain't any spiritual serenity

in being here..

बचपन | Triasha Das

बचपन के वो दिन भी क्या खुभ थे।

ना कोई चिंता, ना कोई डर।।

बेफिक्र होकर रहा करते थे,

घर से बहाना बनाकर खेलने चले जाते थे।

हर किसी के साथ घुल-मिल जाया करते थे।।

बचपन के ख्याल जिद्दी थे बहुत।

ना किसी के आने का खुशी, ना किसी के जाने का गम।।

झूठ बोलते थे फिर भी कितने सच्चे थे हम।

ये उन दिनों की बात हैँ, जब बच्चे थे हम।।

अब तो समय के साथ-साथ, बचपन के यादो भी ढूंडला सा हो गया।।

बड़े होते होते छोड़ आये वो बचपन।

बीत गए वो बचपन के दिन,

अब तो वो बचपन लोठने से रहा।।

The Heavy Glass | Tushar Gupta

A young and innocent boy, trapped in web of thought.

To give up his habit of thinking, to places he wandered a lot.

Many sleepless nights, his eyes won’t blink.

One over another piled up, he used to think and think.

His fury kept on growing, frustration inside he filled.

This wrath costed him much, so many relations he killed.

No work could please his heart, friends and relatives left him apart.

To rise above happenings and ongoings he had to forge his path.

He heard beyond the forest dark, in hills a monk dwell,

Answer to my problems, this deity of peace could tell.

Every bit of story, he gave to the sage.

Listened calmly, then went to the hut, the boy felt quite strange.

In a while he came, a glass of clay in hand.

Came near the boy asked him to stand.

As soon as he stood, handed the glass to him,

The only thing it had was water filled to rim.

Monk now spoke with voice little loud,” Careful don’t let it spill, this is your thought’s cloud”.

Hold it straight for some time, he said with a smile.

All your queries be solved, just wait a while.

Quite a while passed, no more could he hold,

The saint said with laughter”O younger one, I am the one who is old.

You can’t have it more, sounds to me so strange.

For you hold the same glass, the weight hasn’t changed.”

“O innocent believer, the truth now be told.

For the weight of the glass changes not,

It’s matter of the time you hold.

Same is with your thoughts, don’t hold just drop them down.

Lighter than flowers you will be, gone will be all the frown.”

But Do You Like Me? | Mridula Vijayarangakumar

[lowercase intended]

i have amma saved as eomma on my phone,

just cause,

she fits eomma more i think.

i grew up :

choosing her as my favourite parent,

when kids asked silly questions like that at the age of seven;

snapping at her, because her oldest daughter inherited her husband's temper;

hating her, because she saw my dreams turn to dust,

before i ever could.

the truth is that,

she was my favourite parent because,

i wasn't afraid of her, even though

she was leagues taller and older.

(i'm still not afraid, even though i'm taller now)

i snapped at her,

because i couldn't snap at my father.

i hated her,

because i hated myself.

when i touched twenty,

anger turned to sadness,

which turned into understanding,

because mothers and daughters,

we're so intimately tied and woven,

because we're women.

we are women.

and i suddenly began to wonder…

if my mother had to overcompensate,

because even though she lost her dad at thirteen,

she knew dads weren't supposed to be this angry.

if she let me use her as a punching bag,

because she knew i would watch my father,

do the same,

and realise,

what kind of monster,

i could turn into.

(that monsters didn't just exist under the bed)

or was it because i was her punching bag too?

(in the way she would tell me twisted,

conversations and thoughts.

the reason i haven't div —

your grandmother —

because it felt like i was taking the hits anyway,

a little girl's world twisting to show the real one,

she'd been hiding me away from.)

and maybe she's never hated me,

or my dreams,

but she too, hated herself,

because she never got to chase hers

and her mother's choices,

built into resentment,

that bled into anger,

but then, she saw me bundled in her arms,

and the inherent need to protect took over.

until,

i started making choices,

that would grant me freedom,

but it was also where,

she couldn't reach me.

so her big heart with all that love,

smothered me instead.

but we're both older now,

and we're both women,

so i understand,

i have to.

(i think daughters inherit all that twistedness,

from their mothers because,

that's all the world lets you carry of them.)

it's easy to love men,

we make a hundred thousand excuses for them.

but women, we find it harder, to love, to forgive,

right when the strongest of them all,

is standing resiliently, right before you.

loving you amma, is so hard.

loving myself, is even harder.

i wish someone could have taught you,

someone could have shown you,

that loving you is easy, that love itself is easy

so you could have loved me easier too.

because you love me, but i don't think you like me.

Young Man, Rise | Varun Sam

Broken, disheartened, desolate,

Up, down, rocking side to side,

Aimlessly adrift in the ether of despair,

The shadow; warm, the body; cold.

I am not dead but, I am alive no longer.

Consumption, the sole recourse to ablate

The pain and suffering of existence.

Bouts of mindless consumption spaced

by pain-laden moments of insurmountable unrest.

The shadow; warm, the body; cold.

I am not dead but, I am alive no longer.

Deep in the trenches of my own sanity,

I question the bounds of vanity unfettered,

Drenched in sin a broken soul,

Dearth of hope for weeping kin.

The shadow; warm, the body; cold.

I am not dead but, I am alive no longer.

Life has become a meaningless endurance,

Days spent yearning for this pain to subside,

Each night grows darker than the night before,

Darker grows the abyss that sunders my will from my endeavours

The shadow; warm, the body; cold.

I am not dead but, I am alive no longer.

Blinded by the woes of this merciless world,

Upon the canvas of this broken conscience I am,

Ready to splash my crimson paint,

The shadow; warm, the body; cold.

I am not dead but, I am alive no longer.

Panting as I lay contemplating the deed,

I heard the gentle whisper of his voice in my heart:

"I have called you by your name, you are mine, you are precious"

The shadow; cold, the body; warm.

I am alive, I am dead no longer.

I was dead for I had forgotten him who breathed life into me.

In my darkest hour he said,

"Young man, rise"

And I was aware of the purpose of my existence.

The shadow cold, the body; warm.

I am alive, I am dead no longer.

Prashn-jaanki | Shubham Mishra

हे राम मुझसे क्यों मिले तुम,नील-नीरज क्यों खिले तुम

क्यों अभागी मैं,धरा के सर्वश्रेष्ठ नर की भागी

क्यों न तुम सामान्य होते,सबके न बस मेरे होते

सौंपने सुख भक्षक जगत को,वियोग वरके हम यूँ न रोते |1|

प्रिये अनुजों के संग तुम,जब जनकपुर में आये थे

निहारते नाना नपुंसक नेत्र निर्लज्जता से ,बस वीर तुम ही सम्मान से लजाये थे

बल भुजाएं क्रीड़ा बस थी,तुम मुझे बस भाव से जीत पाए थे

हाँ फिर बतादो अन्तर्यामी,सूक्ष्म-श्रेष्ठ सबके स्वामी

जब किया स्पर्श शिवधनुर का,सौगंध तुमको तेरे प्यारे 'शुभम' का

तुम उसी क्षण बाण एक,मेरे हृदय में भेंध देते

कम से कम हम वचनों के,वैतरणी में ऐसे न डूबे उतरते|2|

हे राम मुझसे क्यों मिले तुम,तब मिले तो अब क्यों गुम

छोड़ जनक स्नेह की डगरी,आयी नाथ मैं तेरे नगरी

अवधपुरी के अवैध अहम से,मैं तो जी अनजानी थी

सत्ता से सत्य पराजित न होगा,सम्भवतः मैं अर्धज्ञ अभिमानी थी

मुझको कहाँ पता था श्वेत सरयू कृष्ण हो जाएगी

बाहर के प्रपंच के लिए भीतर कलह मचाएगी

सप्त-जन्म और सप्त-वचन पर एक-नियम भारी होगा

निर्बल नारी के निर्वासन से ही नारायण सिद्ध न्यायकारी होगा|3|

क्या तुम सँग मैं न त्याग भवन को भुवन भर में भटकी थी

या प्रभु त्याग मेरा अभाग बस,काटों सी मैं, तेरे धर्मचरण में अटकी थी

क्या पंचवटी के अंधे वन में भी,एक पल को मैं पथराई थी

या प्रभु तुम्हारी सेवा से सीता कभी कतराई थी।

भूखें साधू के श्रापित-स्वर से,तेरे अहित को घबरायी थी

भहरूपीए को भिक्षा देने, मैं द्वार पार तभी आयी थी

उस कपटी ने तुझ संग,मेरे एकांत-सुख को छीन लिया

मुझ वनवासन के इकलौते शासन,स्वाभिमान से हीन किया

पर झूठी-मर्यादा की रेखा से,धर्म-भरण कब तक होता

सौप अगर धनुष जाते तुम,तो सीता-हरण नही होता|4|

कैसे बल मैं दिखलाती , नरत्व को धुंधलाती

कोमलता परिभाषा मेरी जग ने दी

अकेली मैं पूरे जग को कैसे झुठलाती

कौन संत और कौन हन्त स्वाभाविक मैं होगी भ्रंत

भीतर की वेदी में सीमित क्या जानूँ बाह्य-लोक कितना ज्वलंत

एक छली पर मैं लूटि थी , एक छली ने मुझको लूटा

दोनों कठोर दोनों हठी , बस मेरा ही भंगुर उर टूटा|5|

सत्य कह रही जिस पल उसने मेरे हारे-हाथ छुए थे

खींच पुष्पी-केशों को मेरे उसके पुष्पक-विमान उड़े थे

जंजीरों में जकड़ी जनकसुता के भाल पे भगवा राम बसे थे

पर जान लो तुम मैं खुदकी रक्षा को न 'राम नाम' चिल्लाई थी

उस निर्मम की निर्ममता से तेरी हानि को घबराई थी

नियम की नथुनी, कर्म के कुंडल कुमार्ग में गिराई थी

घृणा-प्रेम-युद्ध विजय की कूटनीति बतलायी थी

अंधकार में कर प्रकाश तो कीटभृंग तो जलते ही हैं

और धर्म विजय के मार्ग में कुछ अनियम चलते ही हैं।

जैसे तोड़ी रावण की नाभि रीति वैसे इक तोड़ देते

मृत्युदंड भले दे देते बस अग्नि परीक्षा छोड़ देते

पर क्यूँ हरि तुम सुनते सबकी बस मेरी ही न सुनते हो

तुम मैं हूँ और तुम में मैं हूँ तुम तुमको ही क्यों हंते हो|6|

क्या तुम न जानों मैं क्या तुम्हें मानूँ

अपने कजरे का कंज प्रभु,अपने गजरे का रंग प्रभु

अपने यौवन का यश तुमको,अपने मन का शशि तुमको

मुझमे तू तुझमे मैं ओतप्रोत

तू ही रतिश्री है स्रोत

मेरी नटखट मुस्कान का

मेरी अठखेलियों के प्राख्यान का

मुझ अज्ञानी के ज्ञान का

मेरे प्रेम का मेरे नेह का

मेरे प्राण का मेरे देह का

जानते हो शीत पवन भी चुभता मुझको

उपहाषित कर उत्तेजना से कहता मुझको

क्यों तू पागल प्रेम में उसके

प्रेमी अनंत है जग में जिसके

सह न पाती प्रभु ताने मैं

प्रत्युत्तर लगी बखाने मैं

ऐ पगले पवन मैं न पागल हूँ

बिखरी हूँ बस थोड़ी सी थोड़ी सी शायद घायल हूँ

जग को मैं न जानूँ मैं बस उनको अपना मानूँ

वो सौंपे सबकुछ जगको मेरा सब उनको कायल है

राम स्वंम जिसके घुंघरू सीता पगले वो पायल है

पर क्या प्रभु मेरा कथन कहीं बस एक कोरी अतिश्योक्ति है

या सच में उतना ही व्याकुल शिव भी जितना उसकी शक्ति है|7|

मैं जानूँ तुम एश्वर्यनाथ,काम तेरे सम्मुख विनाथ

कितनी सीता सी सी कर तेरे पादमृदा में मिल जाती

फिर भी तुम जिस खातिर भटके,सिय वो,फूली क्यों न समाती

पर इतने पावन प्रेम के पग में पाखंड का क्यों प्रवेश हो गया

सीता ही अग्नि में क्यों जली और राम का जलना शेष रह गया..|8|

बीज हूं मैं | Shubhangi Tripathi

बिखरा हूं मैं पर रेत नही,

दफन हूं मैं पर शव नही,

मौन हूं मैं पर मूर्ख नही,

छोटा हूं मैं पर निर्बल नही,

धरती मे समाया बीज हूं मैं,

धरती मे समाया भविष्य हूं मैं।

धरा के भीतर अस्तित्व खोकर,

अस्तित्व का भाग बनना है मुझे।

अंधेरे , एकाकी को टटोल,

उजालों को पाना है मुझे।

आज नही दृष्टि मे जिनकी,

कल खोजेंगे सहारा मुझमे ही।

वक़्त लेके पनपना है मुझे,

आँधियों मे तटस्थ रहने के लिए।

She Became Mine | Avani Dasani

Once I met a girl

Having soul of an angel;

In her so beautiful eyes and smile,

I found my tears vanishing away.

Soon we started sharing our secrets;

She became my star of hope

in the darkest night;

She became core of my strength.

Her caring and loving nature,

Made me feel real warmth…

She made me believe in myself.

Meeting her I found my lost part

And that’s how we initiated the most beautiful bond ever…

Walking with her while sun shines and

Talking to her till the star night;

became the new hobby of mine.

After a day full of work,

Her arms became my comfort.

It’s her eye to eye smile,

That made my heart fly.

She filled the void;

I never knew existed.

When her hands get locked in mine

I feel butterflies arousing inside.

I know I didn’t tell her till this time

But she become the love of mine…

Destiny decided to play her game

Compelled her to move away

Just the thought of not seeing her;

Made shiver ran down my spine.

Because I know,

Her presence, the only thing I crave foremost…

And the time came which I never wished…

It was hard to say goodbye

I tried to smile while tears streamed continuous from my eyes;

She hugged me tight and her touch got trapped in my heart…

The urge to meet her once get dense after every passing day…

My life became blank canvas;

which wanted her love’s colourful stroke.

Slowly loosing hope, I decided to never miss her again…

But fate has decided something else;

In the very next moment I found her merely a next door distance away.

The moment my eyes met hers;

Both’s heart skipped a beat…

This time taking a step ahead

We chose to reunite…

Took an oath to never part away

and that’s how,

I became her’s and she became mine

For forever…

an inquiry in notes | Chinmaya Puri

List of things I want to talk to my lover about.

i. His favourite colour (I want to paint myself in it.)

ii. If he liked his school. (I want to memorise him like I did back then.)

iii. How otters hold hands as they fall asleep so they don’t drift apart. (I think when I got one as my patronus there was a connection made I hadn’t quite realised yet.)

iv. If he thinks god is real. (I think there must be something up there pulling strings because to say this was a random sequence of events sounds so dull. Or beautiful, if you’d rather believe in fate. I wonder if he knows how long I waited for him.)

v. What kind of home he’d like to build. (I want to tell him for so long all I wanted was to run away and make a home for myself but these days I spend time on my knees next to my bed praying to gods I don’t quite believe in and thank them for bringing home to me. I promise this time I won’t run.)

vi. If he likes mountains or beaches. (I remember him telling me how he loves the water. I want to tell him how I think his eyes look like a lake I saw once, I was too afraid to step in then. His smile is like a river but I feel like I’m standing entirely still as it pulls me down unto itself.)

vii. If he has been in love before. (I can’t say for sure I have. Or maybe I can. I think all I really do know is that my hands feel like glitter when I touch him. Or like putting your hands in the bags of rice at supermarkets, touching things feeling grainy and insurmountable and comforting, knowing it sustains you. When you smile at me I remember falling into the pool like I did that one time. There is a complete stillness around, the light drifting in through waves. You are so heavy. You are so light. I feel myself going deeper and the peace that comes with it makes me lie there and listen in contentedness. It surrounds me and I let it. I feel myself running out of breath and I would rather lose it than leave. I feel my eyes close and I no longer kick, I smile. It’s blue. I want to drift in you forever.)

viii. Where he feels. (I want to kiss away the sadness in his body. I want to hold the anger and see if it stings. Run my fingers over the fear. Lay with grief. I want to live where joy is. If you point it out, I will be with you. I will let you wash over mine too.)

ix. About his firsts. (I want to know who came before me. I let his tone pierce me as I listen. I keep my smile small and listen as if I don’t want to touch him everywhere she did and replace the stains she has left behind like a shabby cover-up at the scene of the crime. I know the outline of the body will remain anyway so I hold back. I sit with the feeling for a while and thank her. I am at my pettiest when I grin Cheshire and say I hope she likes her decision to leave as much as I do. I revel in the feeling of knowing how both our heartaches have led to everything we have wanted. I hope I am everything you want.)

Childhood Syndrome | Grinith M Marak

I have drowned in the river of sadness once!

The unbearable pain I've felt

And was heavy to lift up;

Why no one came to picked me up?

Abandoned like the trashy cans!

I've felt lonely and sick,why don't you rescued me darling?

The questions stuck for decades

Does world knows the true pain?

But then slowly it dissolve my affection

For I was forgotten once!

Then,so I've concealed myself

And carried all the suffering by myself

Sufferings teach us the true pain.

For I know the pain of forsaken;

It developed hatred towards others.

Hatred will not cease from me,I know!

But I'm learning to silent the fire in me;

Sometimes,we “Must Hurt In Order To Know”

To provide kindly nature towards others.

Remember even the most ignorant, innocent child will eventually grow up

Every human has it flaws so do I!

United Yet Divided | Nissi Shelke

The world is a community ,

Where there is absence of unity ,

Where the truth is blindfolded with lies ,

And the falseness cannot be fathomed ,

Where there are inapt fights ,

Rather than talking about rights ,

It's so sad that the world is a captive of exploitation ,

Where we see human trafficking for profit .

Human beings are not for sale ,

So stop trading them ,

You trade them for cash ,

And hand to them abuse and labour ,

You snatch their education and their dreams ,

You snatch their liberty to live .

Instead of being a part of the transformation of the world ,

People choose to destroy the world by their very actions .

But remember You and I ,

We are not slaves in this world ,

Neither we are powerless ,

But we are powerful in our oneness .

But yet we are divided by our selfish mind-set ,

Have we forgotten the language of humanity ?

Humanity which means dwelling in loving kindness ,

The utmost respect towards every person ,

Humanity is not discrimination ,

It is not division ,

And certainly it isn't differentiation .

I wonder ,

Is it that difficult to walk in generosity ?

The Creator said there is no commandment greater than love ,

Humanity is love ,

Love breaks barriers ,

Barriers of selfishness and wickedness ,

Love does not involve harmfulness but humbleness .

We are the art of the Creator,

The very eternal plan of God is to project equality and not division ,

So choose to love and convey kindness to everyone ,

As God loves us ,

Remember God made all of us unique ,

Yet equal in perfection

As I aged | Sapna Adhikari

As I aged

As I aged, I saw the time grow younger

The aroma of the fresh pages of a book replaced by the screen,

The long walks with cheerful talks,

Lost in the mist of vehicles evergreen.

As I aged, I saw my parents grow older

Their love remained the same

But the time we used to spend together reduced,

The games, the laughter and the eating dinner together

Nothing compares to the food my mother used to prepare

Oh, how I refused to eat, how she used to run behind me

Even the thought of losing them is excruciating,

Like needles being hammered to my heart.

As I aged, I saw my siblings

Become my best friends from my best enemies

Why don't they understand me I used to think then,

Now they are my comfort in tumult, in storm they are the ease.

As I aged, I saw my friend decrease

They used to be plenty once and now they are just three.

I trust less than I used to, even if I want to.

As I aged, I felt loneliness,

As a disease conquering my soul

And the harsh lie comes out of my mouth,

I say just leave me alone.

As I aged, I saw the colours fade

And the world turned darker,

No more fairytales, ice creams or chocolates.

As I aged, my stark belief

That everyone is good at heart and everyone just wants to be happy

Shattered when I saw people celebrating other's grief.

As I aged, I saw myself tearing me apart for the so called victory,

Alas it was always for others to clap at, not a muse to my heart,

Not a journey to my destiny.

As I aged, my thoughts became adulterated,

By the dilemma of right or wrong

Maybe I became less pious or I totally failed to protect my morals,

The pain erupted like fire and diffused along the flames.

As I aged, I lost a lot

My jubilant childhood, my exhilarating teenage,

And one day I will lose my youth and my life too,

But what I gained in the way is precious,

The wisdom unparalleled and the courage undefeated,

The trust of loved ones and so many dreams,

Few but true friends who would never leave me,

I learnt the art of ignoring idiocy

And taking responsibilities.

Calming my agony, soothing my rage,

By leaving a lot I became whole again.

To try and not stop trying and go all the way.

It was the invigorating happiness I felt as I aged.

Entwined | Astha Basak

A journey about love and loss, here is a poetry piece closest to my heart:

Entwined in our bittersweet story

Is a ray of hope.

Hope that we tangle,

Not by hatred but by love.

By the fraction of moments when we smiled together.

Smiled 'cause of each other.

Entwined in our bittersweet story

Is a finicky mind.

Mind that's indecisive.

Indecisive 'bout whether to stay or to let go.

Entwined in our bittersweet story

Is a myriad obsession.

Obsession that hurts.

Hurts hurts hurts.

Entwined in our bittersweet story

Is a lie.

Lie that is profound.

Profound way more than the truth.

Entwined in our bittersweet story

Is you and i.

You and I burning in the sands of time.

Time that deepens the scar.

Entwined in our bittersweet story

Is me.

Me who wants to keep us alive.

Entwined in our bittersweet story is... my heart that doesn't want this to die.

Oh Child! | Faren Fernandes

Oh Child!

The Smile that Smiled, The Eyes that Shined;

Had No Idea Would Walk a Long Way.

An Angry Bird to an Adorable Child!

From Percieving You To Be a Rude One, To a Cute One!

The Path was a Spunky One..

You Bombarding with Facts, Was always a Legit Moment.

Disagreeing on things with you was always fun!

Because I knew, Victory would always be Ours!

So Soothing, That I Plunged into;

The Soul Tickling Voice of Yours, The Best One So Far;

Car Rides are Incomplete, Without Your Covers Sparkling!

Midnight Texting Existed, Never Existed for Longer;

But Ever Since It’s You, Good Night Begins at 2!

Not Just On Your Birthday !

But I Love You Everyday !

A Place to Stay | Shaivya Srivastava

Fathomless eyes, a burning heart

Entangled limbs refusing to part

So I sigh, a cynic, snort and say

'Is this all? Your love to stay?'

'My love to stay?' a raised brow

'Does it stay? You tell me how'

The whispers in my hair tell a sweet tale

'A singular ivory mermaid's scale

In Pacific's pit, place sunlight can't breach

That is where my love could reach

And it glows, ignites the silent waves

It flows from the depths of darkness's caves

If that is where an atheist would pray

That is where my love would stay

A formless cloud in an ashen sky

Heavy with drops yearning to fly

Longing to fly so they could touch

The wisps of the wind they could clutch

Hold eternity a moment, then disappear

That is where my love would appear

And it would set fire to the sun

Tangerine shades in azure to stun

If that is where the devil won't play

That is where my love would stay

Pearly drops on writhing grass

A hint of green in a field of brass

Aching, arching for the rain to come

Waiting some more then waiting some

Where there is but a boundless dearth

That is where my love would take birth

And it would flood the waiting field

The lifeless spirit of death would yield

If that is where a reaper would pay

That is where my love would stay

A  speckled trout in a silver river

Plunging, rising so silver would quiver

Sieving sun streaming through canopies great

Hoping then urging the trout to wait

But on it goes pickled with passion

That is where my love would reveal compassion

And it would follow the turnt trout

Then fuel it some more with cheers stout

If that is where the sun would sway

That is where my love would stay

Fierce eyes or pools of glamour

Skin sweet where a heart would stammer

Wild ringlets weaving a vivid plot

Pulling a little, then pulling a lot

Freckles, stars, sepals of calendula

That is where my love would be a nebula

It would end and begin, a luminous charm

An entire universe in a dainty palm

If that is where you choose to lay

That is where my love would stay'.