Triveni

देख उस चाँद को

आसमान में तारे भी आ गए।

हाँ! अमावस उसे और मश-हूर कर गयी!

Kal shaam..daud pada main uskey peechey..

कल शाम..
दौड़ पड़ा मैं
उसके पीछे.

बचपन से देखी है
बदमाशियां उसकी.
हर सुबह..
बत्ती जला देता था
मुझे उठा देता था.

दिन भर..
अम्मा के साथ
गप्पे लड़ाता था.
छत पर बैठा..
कपडे सुखाता था.

शाम होते ही
खिड़की पर
कूद जाता था
और फिर
अचानक..
भाग जाता था.

कल..
पकडा उसे
चौपाटी पर
तो बोला..
'जादू दिखाऊँगा!'
'मैं डूब जाऊँगा'.

पानी में
फिसल गया
बदमाश..
हाथ से
निकल गया.

कल सुबह..
फिर बत्ती जला देगा
मुझे उठा देगा !!

~The Indolent Gulrez.

Yeh Chand mujhey gaadi ki headlight sa lagta hai!..

Peee Peee Peee....Peee Peee Peee!

It was 9:32 pm on a saturday evening. I was in bed playing intimate with my two pillows. Well..they have been such a soothing companion all these years. With open arms they'll welcome you all the time, won't complain even if you are late from office and the best part..they are in your bed all the time :).

Peee Peee Peee....Peee Peee Peee!
Peee Peee Peee....Peee Peee Peee!

The noise was growing louder and LOUDER. I looked outside my window and it was my neighbour's new Honda Civic yelling like a molested woman. It was actually a theft protection alarm. Perhaps a false one this time but loud enough to steal my intimate moments.

My neighbour finally came down and switched off the alarm. The peaceful silence was back now. It was almost night. Black dark night! I wonder how fast is the change. The sky which was in shades of white only a while ago is now all black. And how beautiful is this sudden transition.... gives one ample thoughts to be poetic. A triveni..

"Subah toh safed thi..korey kaagaz si
Raat hotey hi..sab syaah sa lagta hai.

Jaaney kaun dawaat ulat gaya hai aasman main."

A rough english translation would be:

"The morning was all white like a paper blank.
Cometh the night and it's all black.

Heaven knows who spilt the inkpot all over the skies."

While I was still engrossed in the beautiful sky, the Honda Civic was back in action. My neighbour waved at me driving her and with a flash from it's headlight the path was all bright for a moment. He was soon gone but I could still see some light. Searched for the source and it was another headlight flashing at me. This time from the clouds. They call it moon.

"Raat hotey hi jal jaata hai....
Rahain saari roshan kar jaata hai.

Yeh Chand mujhey gaadi ki 'headlight' sa lagta hai."

~The Sleepless Gulrez

Bhaisaab!

It was my first year in the college. After spending a weekend at home, I was going back. My father came to see-off me and we were just ambling in the railway platform of Ratlam Junction. Then suddenly,out of blue I saw a comely, beautiful girl entering the same bogey where we have arranged for the seat. She was accompanied by her father who fortunately turned out to be my father's acquaintance.

He came to us and after the usual salaam-dua asked me if I could accompany her daughter in the journey as she is going alone.

I was delighted.

I could feel a thousand and a hundered flowers blossoming in my heart.

I could hear...the chiming of the winds, the chirping of the birds.

But then I heard a different sound...rather my father's voice. It was his turn now.

He said Bhaisaab! Don't worry. He will take good care.
Listening to this I stood there chin-up but there was more coming.

He said Bhaisaab, Don't worry..dono bhai-behan jaisey chaley jaayenge.

I was dead.

I looked towards my father from top to bottom with chin-up to chin-down and it was all over.
The girl for whom I had soft corner one day became a sister to me :'( .


Seven years later, heading back to US for a project my father came to see me off at the airport and we laugh at the nostalgia.

~The Nostalgic Gulrez.

Ahoy!.........

Here we go...after getting married to the job 24/7 for more than 4 years now, I am back. Back to my old girl friend. I call her love.. I call her expression, I call her creativity,I call her freedom, I call her laughter,I call her everything and anything but not my wife (aka job).

Betraying my girlfriend, I got married to the job four years back. Still cherish those old days of bachelorhood.After completing graduation, I left my gaanv and came to a metro to pursue MBA. Why MBA ? Well, may be within the heart of my heart I knew, with my reportcard no boss would allow her daughter to marry me. But destiny had something else in store for me.

One fine morning, my brother called me...Raju, there is going to be a swayamwar (aka walkin) today near your place. I detested,protested but as always had to buy his arguments. Afterall, he himself was married for two years that time and wanted my hands to get peeley as well.

So we went there and to many more swayamwars later. My girlfriend accompanied me everywhere like a female SRK of Kal ho na ho finding a bride for me. To the surprise of everyone including myself I won four swayamwars getting proposals from 4 leading MNCs. And finally was married to one of them on 14th March 2005. Like a happy family..me, my girlfriend and the new bride had a wonderful honeymoon in the ILP days. But the happiness was short lived and there was often a repurcussion between the two. My project lead like a true saasu maa of Ekta Kapoor's serials threw my girlfriend out of the home and she left me.

I too like a coward saw all this happening but couldn't muster enough strength to stop her.
Then day in day out I worked relegiously like an ideal husband but was often accused of an extra marital affair with my lady love.


Now I feel indespensable to be away from the first love but cannot leave my wife either. Would I be able to balance the two? Can the two co-exist ?


~ The Satirical Gulrez.