मुकम्मल अटरिया

The recent Coke Studio video ‘Tu Jhoom’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D4vNcK6D38 leaves me with a torrent of unshed tears and मुकम्मल अटरिया is an insignificant personal corollary.

किस आस में बैठे हो

कौन तुम्हे समझाये;

छिन्न-भिन्न सब ताने-बाने,

निष्काम तकली खड़काये।

आँखों का सैलाब बवंडर,

जज़ीरा डूबता  नहीं ।

गला दर्द से रुंध चुका है,

नश्तर चलता नहीं;

ढहता हुआ है खंडर तेरा,

क्यों लीपा-पोती फरमाये।

आस-पास की आस छोड़ रे,

अब दूर-सुदूर भग जाये।

आँख झपक और गांठ खोल,

उड़ डोर कहीं तो जाये।

बंजारों की दुनिया बंजर,

परिजन-साथी बस इक मंज़र।

रैन-बसेरा घर न तेरा,

काहे को तरसाये।

झीना हुआ पुलिन्दा बन्दे,

आसमान दर्शाये।

बहुत हुआ अब छोड़ यह तृष्णा,

मुकम्मल अटरिया न आये।

आश्ना-ए-राज़ ख़ामोशी मेरी,

नाहक जिरह कराये।

The Man with Hollow Knees

It was only very late in life,

he noticed that his hollow knees

were the reason for his strife.

He was different from most other,

and yet, initially his hollow-ness

was of no real bother.

What am I?

“There is a face behind this mask, but it isn’t me. I’m no more that face than I am the muscles beneath it, or the bones beneath that.” – Steve Moore, V for Vendetta

It has been an odd mixture of experiences these past few months….but then, what is new about it?

Something was whispered, nay pointed out. An epiphany!

And, I have no idea what I am writing?

*

I was asked as to how many ‘hits/views’ I get on my posts. My answer was, “Fifteenish.”

“Every day?” came the query.

“No,” said I, “Per week and all could be flukes.”

“Dude!” (I loathe this term), sniggered the individual, “You are not a blogger!”

True.

So, what am I?

*