Kitaab ( Life. Love. Books.) : My first full-length poetic expression

While turning pages of Gulzar’s ‘Selected Poems’ , I came across a poem ‘Kitaabein’ which inspired me to write something about my love, my best friend and mate, ‘Books’.

KITAAB ( Life. Love. Books.)

Thaka hua aaya tha kaam se garmi mein. Apne A.C. room mein laptop par duniya se roobaroo ho raha tha.  Achaanak arse se band padi us almaari se awaaz ayi kisi ke haafne ki.

Main ‘busy’ tha….isliye ‘ignore’ kar diya. “Ajkal to ignore karna fashion sa ban gaya hai, tum kab se itna fashion karne lage”, phir awaaz ayi.

 

 

Gussate hue maine khola darwaza to dekha ‘woh’ adhmari si baki saaman ke neeche dabi  hui padi thi. “Dam ghutta hai mera yahaan pade pade. Chhod aao mujhe vapas”.

Use to main Daryaganj se laya tha, bargaining karke. Bheed bhari tang galiyo mein ek-ek dukaan pe jake dhoonda tha. Tab jakar mili thi wo.

 

Uski jaisi kai sari mehbooba dulhan ki tarah saji baithi hain shelf me.  Kisi ko school ki library se churaya tha to koi tohfe mein mili thi.

Ajkal zara busy rehta hu, to flipkart se mangwa leta hu. Kehte hain discount bhi deta hai. Par daryaganj wali baat kahaan. Wo sab Intezar kar rahi thi mera .

 

Dhool se sane uske jism ko ek arse ke baad chhoo raha tha. Dhool ke hatte hi Chehre par wohi chamak wapas aagayi, mano khilkhila kar hans rahi ho.

Uski bheeni si khushboo mujhe zindagi ke kuchh panne peecchhe le gayi . Us waqt, jab main uspe mara karta tha.

 

Subah-Sham sath baith ke, duniya-jahaan ki baatein karte the.  ‘ Chehre ki us kitaab‘ se kahin zyada samajhdar thi ‘woh’.

Aur raat ko kabhi chhati se laga ke to kabhi sirhane ke bagal mein rakhke so jaya karta tha. Taki jab neend khule to sabse pehle usi ka chehra dekhu.

 

Beete waqt se laut kar vaapas aya to dekha uski aankhein thoda nam thi. “Time ki zara kami thi. Main ab ‘social’ ban gaya hu. Blog likha karta hu ajkal” Maine use samjhaya.

Wo palke jhuka kar rone lagi. Kas ke use maine gale se laga liya.

 

Baitha hu phir se lekar kitaab hath mein. Panne palat raha hu… kuchh pade, pehlu kuchh anchhue, koi bhuli purani dastaan.

Kahin kahin pen se underline bhi kar leta hu. Itna kuchh hai, sab yad nahi rehta. Sab bhool jane ka man karta hai.

 

Kaash in kitaabon mein bhi ‘edit’ ka option hota. Jo achha nahi lagta use delete kar dete aur jo cheez pasand aati use copy karke paste.

Koi panna khali nahi rehta. Sabhi mein rang bhare hote, apni pasand ke.  Jaisi chahte vaise chalti Zindagi, vaise chalet hum. Zindagi bhi to kitaab hi hai!

 

–         Dedicated to Gulzar