सब

सब उसी का बहीखाता है सब उसी का हिसाब
मैं उसी का सवाल हूँ और मैं उसी का जवाब

चाँद लम्हे भटकूँगा इन अनजान राहों में
ना ही मैं हकीकत हूँ और ना ही कोई खवाब

अंजामें गुलिश्ता

जब हर साख पे उल्लू बैठा था 

हमने अंजामें गुलिश्ता देखा था 

आज तो हर साख पे कई कई उल्लू बैठे हैं......

काहे को फेसबुक बनायीं

काहे बनाया तूने फेसबुक का लॉग इन
चलता रहे ये चाहे रात हो या हो दिन
काहे बनाया तूने "स्टेटस" का खेला
जिसमे लगाया "लाइक, कमेंट्स" का मेला
गुपचुप पैसा कमाए, वाह रे तेरी चतुराई
काहे को फेसबुक बनायीं

फेसबुक बनाने वाले क्या तेरे मन में समाई
काहे को फेसबुक बनायीं
तूने काहे को फेसबुक बनायीं

तू भी तो बैठता होगा फेसबुक पे जाकर
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कोई डाटा तो होगा प्रोफाइल में तेरी
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हमारे डाटा से पैसा कमाए वाह रे तेरी बेशर्मायी
काहे को फेसबुक बनायीं

फेसबुक बनाने वाले क्या तेरे मन में समाई
काहे को फेसबुक बनायीं
तूने काहे को फेसबुक बनायीं

तूने जनता को एक श्वर में कहना सिखाया
साथ मिलना सिखाया, मिलकर लड़ना सिखाया
दुनिया में बड़े बड़े "revolutions" बनाये
"revolutions"  बनाके तूने सपने जगाये
सपने जगाके तूने जीवन भर की नींद उडाई
काहे को फेसबुक बनायीं

फेसबुक बनाने वाले क्या तेरे मन में समाई
काहे को फेसबुक बनायीं
तूने काहे को फेसबुक बनायीं

सजा

अपने गुनाह कुबूल मैं ना भी करूँ तो क्या
तेरी हर सजा तो मैं पहले ही काट चूका हु खुदा

दोस्ती

स्कूल में जब वो पहले दिन आया था
सहमा सा उससे मैंने एक कोने में बैठे पाया था
कपडे उसके बाकी बच्चे जितने साफ़ ना थे
और इसीलिए क्लास के बच्चे उसके पास ना थे
लंच ब्रेक में मैंने उसकी तरफ दोस्ती का हाथ बढाया
और हम दोनों ने मिलकर मेरा लंच खाया

...तब में आठ साल का था और वो सात का


ईद का दिन था आज और उसने था सोचा
अम्मी को दूंगा कुछ अच्चा सा तोहफा
कुल मिलकर हम पर था सिर्फ सोलह रुपैया
कुछ नहीं मिलेगा इतना में बोले दूकान वाले भैया
मैंने कहा एक साल हम खूब पैसे बचायेंगे
और अगली ईद पर तुम्हारी अम्मी के लिए दो तोहफे लायेंगे

...तब मैं बारह साल का था और वो ग्यारह का


अचानक कुछ दिन से जब वो स्कूल नहीं आया
पिताजी गुजर गये थे उसके, किसी ने मुझे बताया
घर की सारी जिम्मेदारी उसके कंधो पर आई थी
उसकी अम्मी तीन महीने से स्कूल की फीस भी नहीं भर पायी थी
मैंने वादा किया तेरी फीस मैं अपनी माँ से लेकर आऊँगा
मुझे क्या मालुम था की मैं अपने घर में ही मार खाऊँगा

.....तब मैं सोलह साल का था और वो पंद्रह का

ना जाने कहाँ से उसने मेरी नौकरी का पता जाना
उसने मुझे लिखा और कहा की मेरी दूकान पर जरुर आना
घर चलाने के लिए उसने चाय का एक छोटा खोखा लगाया था
अमेरिका जाने से पहले मुझे उसने एक बार दूकान पर बुलाया था
उसका घर और खोखा शहर के झोपडी वाले एरिया में पड़ता था
कुछ वक़्त कम था और कुछ वहाँ जाने का मनन ना करता था

.....तब मैं बीस साल का था और वो उन्नीस का

कुछ वक़्त पहले यहाँ अमेरिका में उसका ख़त आया था
शादी कर रहा था और उसने मुझे बुलाया था
और पूछा था की मैं शादी कब करने वाला हु
मजाक मैं बोला भी थी की क्या मैं कवारा ही मरने वाला हु
जो मेरा समाज उचित समझता मैंने वही किया
उससे कैसे कहता की मैंने उससे शादी का निमत्रण नहीं दिया

....तब मैं चौवीस साल का था और वो तेहीस का

जिंदगी की दौड़ में कितना कुछ पा गया मैं
एक एक करके ऐसे कितने वादे भूला गया मैं
वो ईद का तोहफा वो स्कूल की फीस,
आज बनकर रह गयी दिल मैं एक टीस.

काफी वक़्त गुजर गया जब उसका आखिरी ख़त आया था
उसने कोशिश तो की थी पर मैं दोस्ती का मतलब न समझ पाया था

....आज मैं अट्ठाईस का हु और वो .....शायद सत्ताईस का!

जाने की बात

मत कर छोड़ कर महखाने को जाने की बात ऐ मेरे दोस्त
पहले ऐसे एक इंसान से तो मिला दे जिसने गम ना पिया हो

शायर...

उन्होंने बुलाया मुझे मुशायरे में जब ख़ास न्योते पर

तब लगा ..
जमाना हर टूटे दिल वाले को शायर समझता है

Red

"Today is the best day to finish Rahim Khan and his family. He comes to home from the shop at 2 pm and stays till 4 pm. I want you to enter his house 30 mins after his arrival and kill complete family and come out of house before 4  pm. There will be six members in the house today, make sure that no one escapes, no one".

After this Ramdhaari Singh gave other details of the plan to his three sons about how to kill, who all will be there in family, how to escape and how to make it a political issue to get support of Hindus.

Just five months had passed since India got freedom and complete country was in riots. Hindus were killing Muslims somewhere because Muslims were killing Hindus somewhere else. Amritsar, being on the border and close to Pakistan was worst effected. Rahim Khan has big cloth business in Amritsar and despite several requests from his family decided against leaving for Pakistan. Ramdhaari Singh was a competitor and despite of more Hindus in the city than Muslims, Rahim Khan has always been more popular and profitable than Ramdhaari Singh.

During "Quit India" movement Ramdhaari Singh left the business to his sons and joined politics and he knew that to achieve his big political dreams he has to do something big to come in to limelight and get support of all Hindus, time can never be better than this. It was a perfect  plan just one day before "Lohri" festival.

"You are eight people, two will stay on the door to  ensure that no one try to help, six will enter house and attack individual family members. Inder beta you will be the last to come out of house after making sure that the work is complete".

Inder was youngest in three sons of Ramdhaari and his father loved him most. Inder's elder brothers are married for more than 10 years but never had children, Doctors declared that they can not become fathers. Ramdhaari was very upset but he knew that he will get grand children from Inder, his last hope.

"I think we should leave for Pakistan Abbu, things here are getting worse day by day. One day someone will attack us, we can no  more trust our Hindu friends", Nusrat was talking to his father when he arrived at home from the shop. She was the youngest daugther, 17 years of age, most beautiful girl in the town. Rahim Khan loved her like anything and she is allowed to talk to him freely.

They were in the hall, her two sisters and brother were studying in one room while her mother was in the kitchen.

"But my child, this is out mother land, we all are born here. Me, my father, his father and so one. How we can leave this".

"But Abbu......"

There was knock  on the door. Rahim Khan felt uneasy as no one comes to his house at this hour. He asked Nusrat to go to her room and opened the door.

Six people with weapons entered his house and locked the door from inside. Rahim Khan was killed in the hall, his wife in kitched, three children in one room, Inder was searching for the sixth member. Nusrat had locked her door from inside she was too scared.

Inder broke the door and entered the room, Nusrat was sitting in a corner covering herself with curtains. He took away the curtains and what he saw was the most beautiful face that God can ever create. He was lost in those beautiful eyes when his brothers entered the room and charged on Nusrat. He stopped them and asked them to go out and stay outside. Anger and rage took over Inder, he raped Nusrat twice but found it difficult to kill such a beautiful girl. He came out of the door and told his brothers to leave as the work is finished.

It was around 5 pm and there was little light he was sitting on the door of Rahim Khan's house, still feeling lost in beauty on Nusrat, lust took over him again and he went inside the room, raped her for the third time. He took her out of the room on her shoulder, and came in to the hall. When she saw the scene in the hall, kitchen and room, she fainted. It was "Red" all over.

All five people were killed in same manner.

"Heads were separated from the bodies".

Three months had passed since that day, Ramdhaari Singh took full benefit of the event and became the talking point of the town. He led the riots against Muslims after that day and was sure that he will definitely get a big political post for his "contribution".

Nusrat had lost everything on that day,she tried to kill herself but Inder did not let that happen. He kept her at a secret place under the close surveillance of a guard. He will come there once in two days, stay there for a night and satisfy his physical needs. Nusrat surrendered herself to the world and never opposed or demanded anything that came her way. She had accepted her detiny "a life without purpose".

It was raining outside on that day, she was lying on the bed and just had a bad dream. She closed her eyes again and what she saw is red. This has torturing her since last three months, when ever she closed her eyes she saw red, not the black. Her past is chasing her. She had lost all mental peace, she wanted to get rid of this red.

Today Inder will come, the thought of Inder made her more sick. He will abuse her body wholenight and then he will go in the morning. She hated this but never opposed Inder, she knew she can do anything. She got up from the bed but felt sick, she had strong cough and vomiting.

She realized that she is  missing her mensuration cycle for last two months.

"Inder, I am pregnant", for the first time she spoke to him when he came in the evening.

It was getting dark outside, Inder was looking at the sun which is about to set, he did not reply her but was thinking about her. When he was not with her he thought about her and today he realized that he is in love with Nusrat.

They both were lying on the bed, today he did not touch her, both did not sleep whole night, sun was back on the sky.

Inder got up and asked Nusrat "Will you maryy me?".

She saw a ray of hope, a purpose of life.

"Yes, I will. But what about your father?"

"I will convince my father, you dont bother about it. We dont have to tell public that you are Nusrat, your identity will be kept secret and we will change your name, how is Meera?".

"Its Ok", name was immaterial for her, she had something else in mind.

"Why the fuck you did not kill that Girl Haraami?", Inder was listening to his father when he told him about Nusrat in the evening.

"If people learn about that girl and your fucking drama, they will kill me and finish the family. You can't even understand where it can go. We all will be finished by our own community, by our own Hindu people".

"But father, no one will know about this. We will tell people that she is a Hindu who came from Pakistan and her family was killed in riots, her name is Meera. I will marry her next week, it will be a big function and we can have it as a big political gathering".

"Bastard, you want your father to die this way, you know what that political gathering can do to us, even a small hint, just a small hint and its over"

"Babu ji, she is pregnant", Inder put his trump card, he knew how desperately his father wants to be grand father.

"Pregnant, that means.......", you go to your room, we will talk in the morning. Ramdhaari was calmed down when he heard that someone in his family can "produce".

Next day he called Inder and asked him to bring Nusrat to house in the night. Ramdhaari has planned everything, marriage will be next sunday and all big shots of the city will be invited and he will convert the function to a stage for his political career. He was so excited.

Everything went as per plan, it was Sunday evening and Inder's house was full of all big shots of the cities ranging from businessmen, politicians, government employees and congress leaders.

Nusrat was getting ready when Ramdhaari Singh entered her room.

"Dear Child, I feel sorry for what happened to your family. I regret my decision to do so, that is why now I want to apologize and give you new life. I welcome you to family".

Ramdhaari Singh looked in to eyes of Nusrat and smiled and felt proud that everything is as per his plan. Nusrat looked in to eyes of Ramdhaari Singh and smiled back and felt happy that everything is as per plan.

After sometime both Inder and Nusrat cam to stage, it was ring ceremony first. Nusrat face was covered with saree to hide her actual identity. Inder was looking very happy, his father and family were standing close to stage. Ramdhaari Singh was a proud man today, he looked at crowd and then at stage. It was perfect.

Inder bent down on his knees.

"Dear Meera, will you marry me".

"Yes", Nusrat replied.

Inder put a ring on her finger. This is the moment for which a girl wait all her life. This is the moment....not for her.

"Inder I have some surprise for you, please close your eyes", Nusrat asked Inder.

It was perfect. Inder was on his knees, she knew it is the moment she waited so badly. she touched her belly, felt the child, then she touched the steel, gripped the knife and closed her eyes. What she saw was red and shouted "Yaa Allaah", uncovered her face and hit the target.

Head has been separated from the body.

She opened her eyes, it was red everywhere on the stage.

Ramdhaari was shocked to see what has just happened, crowd was in anger. Nusrat knew she did her part, rest will be done by Hindus. She closed her eyes......she did not see red anymore.

She slit one more throat. It was her own.