Aakhir kya kami hai?

बैंगलोर में रवीवार की छुट्टी मना रहे थे,
इसी बहाने चादार ताने,
भरी दोपहर तक सो रहे थे.

खिड़कियों के परदे लगा रखे थे,
FM पर गाने चला रखे थे,
और उन्ही गानो को मन मे गुनगुना रहे थे

ऐसे दिन मे क्या कमी है? कुछ भी तो नहीं...

आँखे बंद हुई ही थी की कुछ आवाजें आई,
परदो की सुराख से खिड़की के बहार हमने नज़रें दौड़ाई...

निक्कर पहने कुछ बच्चे टायर दौड़ा रहे थे,
तो दूसरी ओर कुछ लोग खुद दौड़ते नज़र आ रहे थे
पास वाली चाची ने अपने बच्चो को आवाज़ लगायी,
बारिश मे भीगे तो होगी पिटाई.

ये बारिश हैं, और उसके आने की हलचल.

आसमान पर बदल ऐसे छाए जैसे बड़े दिनों बाद दोस्तों से मिलने आये हो,
हवाएं इतनी तेज़ मनो बारिश से बचने घर भाग रही हो,
खड़खडाती खिड़कियाँ अपने बंधन का एहसास दिला रही हो,
और पेड़ अपनी चमक से अपने नए जेवर दिखला रहे हो.

इस बारिश मे क्या कमी है? कुछ नहीं.

पर ये बारिश अकेले न आई थी,
साथ बीती यादें और अधूरे सपने भी लायी थी.

बचपन की वो बारिश... कीचड़ से सने कपडे...
और फूटबाल मैच जीतने की ख़ुशी...
इस बारिश मे क्या कमी थी? कुछ नहीं...

कॉलेज की वो बारिश... ब्रिज पर चलती तेज़ हवाएं...
और हवाओं मे गूंजते अन्ताक्षरी के गाने...
इस बारिश मे क्या कमी थी? कुछ नहीं...

साथी के साथ की बारिश... हॉस्टल से क्लास करने पैदल जाना...
एक ही छतरी से एक दुसरे को भीगने से बचाना...
इस बारिश मे क्या कमी थी? कुछ नहीं...

बारिश तो आज भी वही है...
पर वो ख़ुशी क्यूँ नहीं है...
बादलों को देख इश्वर का एहसास क्यूँ नहीं होता...
तेज़ हवाओं से साँसे तेज़ क्यूँ नहीं होती...
पेडो की चमक से आँखों क्यूँ नहीं चमकतीं...
बाहर की हलचल से मन मे हलचल क्यूँ नहीं होती...

बारिश को देख जो मन कभी था नाचता...
अकेला ही नहीं साथ था दूसरो को नचाता...
आज वही मन बारिश को देख क्यूँ होता है बेबस...
खुद की आँखों से होती बारिश को है नहीं रोक पता...

बारिश तो वही है... पर फिर भी कुछ कमी है...
आखिर क्या कमी है? शायद इसका जवाब कभी मिल जाये...
शायद वो जवाब बारिश की परिभाषा बदल पाए...

बारिश तो वही है... पर फिर भी कुछ कमी है...
गर सच मे ये बारिश वही है... तो आखिर क्या कमी है...???

Thanks to RS

Well lets get this straight first, RS is not a who, its a what.

Last Sunday, 3rd of May I met Ramesh & Suresh, two of my school buddies. The occasion was nothing special, it was supposed to be a small drinks party from my side. So there we were sitting in Guru Garden, under a hut like roof, surrounded by greenery, enjoying my new job. To enhance the occasion was a surprise rainfall, It was enough to double the joy of meeting such friends after such a long time.

A quarter of Old Monk for Suresh, a quarter of Royal Stag for Ramesh & a two liters bottle of Pepsi for me, along with half of the entire veg starters menu on our table.

I was enjoying every moment, for the first time I wasn't bothered bout the bill. I didn't know what the real joy was, was it my new job, was it the drinks party or perhaps the rain. The answer was clear by the time I was home.

It all started with discussing about our girl friends, ex or current, didn't matter. Then we went on to all the Devilish things we did in school. The inter school cricket match, the chants of victory, the new website our school has, our favorite black n white uniform, the teachers, the punishments etc etc. We talked bout anything rather everything.

By this time, the OM & RS have started to show their effects, Ramesh had a new avtar, Suresh was looking all sleepy. However he looked bath fresh whenever his cell phone buzzed, with his girl friends msgs.
It was Ramesh who was doing all the talking, he kept claiming of not being drunk at all & that he can take in twice of what he has taken yet. Well, I have only one thing to say bout this... "No comments... "

Ramesh, who was my school buddy, who became just another schoolmate for me due to my lack of initiation for communication was sitting right beside me. With a glass of RS in one hand, and the other on my shoulders, he confessed all the ulterior motives he had in school, all what he thought of me & what he thinks of me now. All the feelings he had n still has for our group of distinct 4.

Each pause Ramesh took was replaced by a punch line by Suresh... "Sandeep, Thanks to RS".

Ramesh, still claimed of being in his complete sense, which I still doubt. His words were going straight to my heart... I was happy to have such friends and at the same time speechless with the guilty for not being in touch with the rest of them.

The small get-together ended with a 'Meetha Pan' And when we dropped Suresh at his place, his good bye followed by a hug followed by the same punch line, "Sandeep, always remember this day... Thanks to RS"


All that I wanna say now is... "Thank you RS"

Note: The names mentioned above are fictitious however the incident isn't. The names have been changed considering their safety from their girl-friends. ;)