koi jaata haito jaise
mera ek hissa
bhi saath le
jaata hai

phir aane ke
dilaase bhi
kayi vaade naye
de jaata hai

shaam jo dhale
suraj wo
agle din aata bhi
zaroor hai

aye dost aaj
tum jaate ho
mujhe pataa hai
ki tumhara
koi naya mukaam
bhi aaya hai

khuda haafiz tera
shukriya kehta hoon
zindagi mein
phir milenge
isliye abhi alvida
nahin kaha hai


----zauq

random verses inspired by a farewell party to an office colleague

mujhe jagaane ek sadaa aayiaaj ek anjaane ne awaaz lagayi
kuch sochne pe majboor hua
aye dost ye jo teri sadaa aayi

kaise kahoon anjaan tujhe
kaise maanoo koi ajnabi tujhe
paigham tera pyaar se bharaa tha
usme thodi shikwa aur thoda gila tha

mera zameer ban ke
toone jo awaaz lagayi
teri ye chitthi samanadar par
karke mere paas aayi

sahi karta hoon ya nahin
ye to nahin pata mujhe
tera paigham lagaa pyaara mujhe
jaise mere zameer ne zor se awaaz lagayi

ek dua bhi de dena aye dost
ki sahi raah pe chalna mumkin ho
mera faisla aisa ho ke jaise
khuda ke haathon mohlat paayi

---zauq

indebted to a stranger friend who reached out to me from nowhere and acted as my conscience today....thanks a ton pal for reaching out....your point is well taken...I just hope I end up doing the right thing...

khushnuma tum aaj lage
ye to achhi baat hai

gumshuda tum aaj lage

ye bhi acchi baat hai




khayal kahin to tha

ye ek sacchi baat hai

kuch door raho mujhse

ye bhi acchi baat hai





---zauq
  an awkward moment lasts forever

a prayer goes outfrom my heart
it goes on for you
oh sweetheart



as you groan
when you bear
the agony - now
I am also yr part



there was this time
when love was all around
now only love remains
hidden in your heart


there was a dream
now best wishes stay
for each other - who will
never be too far apart



a prayer goes along
from my heart
it goes on for you
oh sweetheart




---Amit

praying for a friend who is in pain

faisle ki ghadi haiya shaayad nahin
tumko ye pata nahin
faasle zaroor tai kar lena

faisla gar lena ho
to hausla rakhna
chaahe uske baad dil pe
koi pathar rakh lena

hayaat e shareek
hone ka alag nasha hai

kuch ehsaas tum phir bhi
palkon ke saath baandh lena

aye dost ye waqt bhi guzarega
sahar phir se hogi
is ghadi mein tum phir uski
yaad ka daaman thaam lena

wo bhi tadapta hoga
kuch chubhan usko bhi hogi

is dard ke ehsaas ko bhi
saath hee baant lena

zindagi ke aayaam
kayi aur bhi hain
un lamhon ko bhi kabhi
fursat se dhoondh lena

dost milenge kayi tumko
manzilen aur bhi aayengi
kuch pal mere sahaare chalna

kuch meri dua bhi le lena

thoda samajh lena
thoda samjha dena
kuch dard pee lena
kuch gairon se baant lena

dost ban ke milte hain kayi
kabhi mujhko aazma lena
khuda ka ghar hai ye inaayat hai
dosti ko pehchaan lena

kehte hain log ki dard ki
dawa bhi wahi deta hai
mere kandhe par kabhi
do aansoo baha lena

kuch marham wo dega
koi nayi muskaan bhi dekha
is hayaat ke nazaare kayi
thoda tum muskura lena

faisle ki ghadi hai dost
faisla to aasaan nahin
zindagi aasaan ho teri
aisi koshish kar lena


---zauq


p.s. for a friend who is going through a tough phase recently.

wo lamha bhi kya lamha thalakhon ki bheed thi
par main akela tanha tha

kisi ka saath chaaha tha maine
jo mil ke bhi na mila
us khamoshi mein bhi shor tha
wo lamha bhi kya lamha tha

ke jeet ke bhi haar gaya main
shikwa karne ko bhi koi na tha
tu mere saath hoke bhi kahan tha
wo lamha bhi kya lamha tha

kabhi kadam behka bhi mera
tujhse door bhi main gaya
sard sa kar diya us toofan ne
wo lamha bhi kya lamha tha

behka tha mann kabhi
ek baar nahin kayi baar tha main bewafaa
sannata mujhko chubhta tha
wo lamha bhi kya lamha tha

rooh meri kaanp gayi us raat
khuda ne mujhe ek anjaam ki jhalak dikhayi
jeeta tha na marta tha main
wo lamha bhi kya lamha tha

kya sahi kya galat ye pata nahin
aaj bhi bemaani khayal guzarte hain
wo lamha lekin surkh rooh hai
wo lamha bhi kya lamha tha

zauq shaayad kabhi aazad na hoga
sukoon to kabhi nahin mila kisi ko
dozakh ka munh dekha tha maine
wo lamha bhi kya lamha tha

khuda reham kar is bande par
tu hee maalik tu hee raah dikhaane waala
tere sadke jeena chaahata hoon
wo lamha bhi kya lamha tha

shaitan sekoi vaasta na ho kabhi
peer ban ke main jee loon thoda
har shirkat mein teri shifaa rahe
wo lamha bhi kya lamha tha

tera paigham aaya tha shaayad
toone mujhe jagaaya tha
ab andhere na chhayen kabhi
wo lamha bhi kya lamha tha

ek sard sirhan si guzar jaati hai
jab yaad us lamhe ki aati hai
mar mar ke jiya tha main
wo lamha bhi kya lamha tha

----zauq

a poem of guilt and awakening
a prayer of hope that one stays away from temptation to do wrong
a realisation that has thankfully stayed
----and should stay forever....

I recently relocated to delhi - a city where I had done my graduation. Graduation was a very defining moment of my life where I learnt a lot. Had awesome fun with friends and life taught me in all possible ways. I really treasure those times.So when I got some time to sneak out to the college on a saturday I took the chance and went along.Went by college classes, chapel, cafetaria and met up a prof who taught at my time - exchanged pleasantries, etc. and emails and a promise to figure how can alumni add value back to college.
On the way out, we bumped into a boy who was looking closely at me. He asked me "aap amit bhaiya hain na"......A flood of emotions and thoughts crossed my mind.

We had a social initiatives society in my college and one of the initiatives was to tutor children of menial/sub staff people. These kids went to municipal schools but did not have a learning environment at home and thus needed someone's help. This initiative (evening classes) was dead for some reason. Me and a couple of friends of mine took up the bait and decided to re-start the whole evening school thing.
We went out to request people to send schildren to the evening classes - we promised to sustain the effort for the whole year. The thing worked out wonderfully and together we ran the show for almost 2 years of my balance college life. We played with the kids and also taught them everyday. It was self actualization of sorts and a very satisfying thing. What would help even more was the selfless love these kids (age 3-18) would shower on me :)
Pratap was my student then and now he took his father"s job as a sub-staff. His smile and exchange of pleasantries made my day. It was still that same selfless love. I had not changed his life in any way, he would have probably still got the job without my help - and he was not the brightest student whom I taught - but he remembered me despite all these years!

[Since college I have got busier and philanthropy is limited to a few donations here and there and miniscule lil tasks once in a while in everyday life.]

Coming back to the moment,

A huge smile spread on my face as I recounted all these memories of my college years.

Thank you Pratap for making my day!

1
jaate huey kadmon ko roka usne
main itna ehsaan faramosh bhi nahin
ke shukriya na kehta


2

rukna chaaha par ruk na sake
zamaane ne kaha ki mujh par sirf uska hee haq hai
kaise maan leta main....aakhir roka tha usne
maine bhi waada  nibhaane ko socha


3

jaane nahin diya usne, abhi kehna karna tha bahut kuch,
nahin jaan paaya main ki mujhe kisne sataaya hai

ye zamaana bade sang e dil thehra, zauq to murjha gaye
wo to teri har muskurahat pe qurban hai


4

kya khabar thi ki aisa bhi hoga
humara kaatil hee humaara maseeha hoga

humne jise chaaha hai khud se zyaada
wo aaina humaara aks hoga

kya kameen thi humko, humne khuda se usse maang liya
khuda ne usse kya diya, mera to sab kuch le liya

zauq ne khud ko bhool kar pehchaana unhe
jo pehchaana, to wallah khud to guma diya





p.s. I take a break now, will post more of this stuff soon :)
Oh man - what memories from 10 years ago.....phew!

unhone anjaane mein hee kiya wo sab
dil zaar zaar hai to zauq kya kare


unke pehlu mein jaana kahan aasaan hai
unki muskurahat pe zauq ka dil qurban hai




nahin jaante the ki aise bhi mukaam aayenge
unki yaad aayegi aur hum tanha ho jaayenge

nahin jaante the ki aisa bhi hoga
unki baat chhidegi aur hum aur bhi tanha ho jaayenge

humen intezaar hai ki kab unse milna hoga
khuda kare ke koi ek khwab to haqiqat ho aur wo aayen





phir na jaane kab bahaar aaye
phir na jaane kab unse milna ho