muniya re muniya

I jumped into the bus with my elder brother. I did not know where were we going. I did not know how to catch a bus. I still do not know. All I knew was we were going to a place where my elder brother had to work as a mason. The bus was inundated with people of all kinds. I had to be seated somewhere nearby the driver. My brother kept standing. I was not alone attuning.  I wore a dull pajama and a red sweater. That's all I had to bundle up myself against the possibility of cold in the capricious weather of Himachal Pradesh. And God only knows why my hair shone high due to over-oiling. My forehead too. The movement of the bus was incipient. And the eventual trembling. The bus moved through the curves of roads tempestuously as if with a vengeance. I had to make a balance. So with all my innocence I was moving to and fro with the motion. And in that process, my head swayed back and forth and touched a lady's Dupatta who was sitting right behind me. A few times it was not ...

The early cuckoo Cued in my sleep I leaped in my shorts And ran out to the deep. He gave a poor throw I caught it with a brilliance Once the bat had hit it far Saying goodbye & a good riddance. We made the ball From the cloth and socks No windows to break No watches, no clocks. At the tenth ray of the sun We had to run  From our Cricket's street To embrace Amma's soft beat. The days and nights hopped around Those were my lunchbox days As I see back from my window The sea waves are roaring loud, Whispering in is the childhood sound.

It was the winter of November. Muniya had been eagerly waiting for her grandfather to come home. A surprise was being awaited. It was sound of a car applying brakes that she heard and she came to know, it was time. She did not run out of home like any kid would do out of happiness. She was shy and reserved. She silently waited for Amma to recieve her father. Standing in, she waited for her grandfather to appear out of the door left half-opened. He came with a warm greeting and slowly zipped off his jacket. "Look! Look! What do I have? " To her surprise and amazement, a small white puppy tried to show up, its eyes barely opening. A sight never experienced before seemed so cute to the innocence of the little girl. She spread her hands forward to hold the living toy. She had never held one before. Her small hands around the little puppy posed the most sweet moment of the time. Her mouth open with joy and eyes disagreeing to blink. It was a  Pomeranian. The aura had suddenly...

हवाएँ यूँ ही गुज़र गयी , छूके मुझे , भरे अँधेरे में,  नया सा कुछ सांवला है,  चुप है कोई , मैं भी बिलकुल वैसी , कोई आया है , मगर अनकहा है।   एक मोड़ यूँ ही छूट गया , जैसे लूटके मुझे , भरे उजाले में , नया सा कुछ चमकीला है , सुन्न है कोई , मैं भी हूँ उस जैसी,  जो आया है , अनसुना है ।  बरखा भी शोर मचा गयी,  जैसे भिगोके मुझे , भरे मन के खोखले में , नया सा कुछ बाँवला है , गुम है कोई , मैं भी अब हूँ वैसी , कोई आया तो है , मगर अनदेखा है।  ढूंढ रही है नज़रें,  परेशान सीं  ये . जैसे लुका - छुपी की पहेली है , मेरे हर सवाल का जवाब , नाराज़ आया है , खयाल भी कैसा नासाज़ आया है , कोई आया है, चांदनी कहती है , कि ये कोई चोरी नहीं , डकैती है ... । 

मैं चल रहा हूँ जहाँ , सोच रहा हूँ , इस कीचड़ के गड्ढे में , अगर कूदूँ  तो क्या हो.... हरे पेड़ की गोद  में , जहाँ मैना का एक घोंसला है, एक डाली पर चढ़कर , झूल जाऊँ तो क्या हो .... पीछे छोड़ी एक कतार मैंने , मुझसे भी छोटी थीं वो , थकती नहीं चींटियाँ अपने रास्ते पर , उनके साथ मैं भी कदम बढ़ाऊं , तो क्या हो .... मैं चल रहा हूँ जहाँ , मिट्टी  का रास्ता है, गीली मिटटी उठाकर सोच रहा हूँ , अलादीन का महल बनाऊं , तो क्या हो .... ये बड़ा सा जंगल , और बड़े बड़े पेड़ , जहां मुझसे भी छोटे 'लोग' रहते हैं , उन लोगों को देखकर , मैं मुस्कुराऊं  तो क्या हो .... बारिश थम गयी है , अँधेरे से मौसम में , सोच रहा हूँ , मैं बादलों को कोई कहानी सुनाकर , थोड़ी धुप चुरा लाऊँ , तो क्या हो.... मैं चल रहा हूँ जहाँ , सोच रहा हूँ....।

तुम्हें  इत्तला करना चाहे , अपनी बात से , इसलिए हर राह पर ये रुकता है , टुकड़े ही सही , कोई बात नहीं ये, दिल टूट टूट कर जुड़ता है।  कह दूँ कुछ या छोड़ दूँ यूँ ही , खामोश नज़ारा हर बात परखता है , बिखरे पन्ने ज़हनसीब नहीं ये , कदम हर मोड़ पर रुकता है।   रुकी हूँ , इस सवाल पर , कि तुम्हारी हर बात पर , क्युँ मेरा समां झुकता है , समझोगे तुम किसी दिन ये , दिल टूट टूट कर जुड़ता है ।।   Inspired from my friend, and room-mate : Meghna Saha Roy