धुंद ...

ये नूर, ये जुस्तजू, ये कैफियत किस खुदा की है,
रास्ते ही रास्ते हैं अब, मंजिलें गुमशुदा सी हैं ।

बेबाक निगाहों मे सिर्फ खौफ़ दिखाई देता है,
नींद भी पलकों से कुछ जुदा सी है।

लहू की तासीर नम हो चली है,
दिल की तबियत भी अब ग़म ज़दाह सी है।

ज़िन्दगी की जूस्तजू भी फंना हो गई,
शमा की रौशनी भी अब धुआं सी है।

आयना केह रहा मेरे अक्स से,
आज फिर से तेरी आँखें क्यूँ रुआँ सी हैं।

किस बुत को सुनाऊँ ये दास्ताँ, किस से फ़रियाद करूँ,
लोग कहते थे की ये हैसियत तो बस उस खुदा की है।

...and I learn

After a while I learnt the subtle difference between being strong in this world and being insensitive to it, and I learnt that love doesn't mean leaning and company doesn't always mean security. Though I had to be through many barbed wires, scorching suns, torrential rains, burning alleys and blizzards but I began to learn that presents aren't promises and I began to accept my defeats with my head up and eyes open, with the grace of a man, not the grief of a child. After a leap of faith I realized that even sunshine burns if you have too much, so I planted my own garden instead of waiting for someone to bring me flowers...
But even after this the road ahead was never easy and with every step I took, it challenged my faith and crippled my hope. Walking some miles down this lane I felt that at times hope seemed delusive, nothing more than a distraction and I learnt that to see beyond the mist I need to abondon HOPE...I turned cold to my surroundings and this is where I found the silver lining between my crust and my soul. Lost as I was without hope but then only I realized that I really can endure and I do have worth because I learn and I learn. I learn with evry single person I meet, I learn with every friend or lover, I learn with every single kiss and I learn with every good bye.
And this learning somewhere kindles the flame in me, stirs it and brings the song of Pippin form with in me....

Home is behind, the world ahead
there are many paths to tread.
Through shadow to the edge of night,
until the stars are all alight.
Mist and shadow, cloud and shade
all shall fade, all shall fade.............