वज़ह (Reason)

कभी मैने किस्मत को
तो कभी किस्मत ने मुझे आज़माया
जो मिला उसका हिसाब नहीं
जो खोया, वो आज बहुत याद आया।

वह भी दिन थे
जब होठों से बस हँसी छलकती थी
वो दिन याद करके
आज मैं मुदत्तों बाद फिर मुस्कुराया।

ज़िन्दगी की दौड़ में जो मै भागा
तो सबको पीछे छोड़ आया
अब शौहरत के इस मुक़ा पर
मैंने खुदको अकेला पाया

दोस्त तब भी थे और अब भी हैं
पर ज़माने को मैंने बदला पाया
अकेला हूँ इस शहर की भीड़ मे
इसकी वज़ह मै समझ ना पाया

~ Translation ~
At times I tested fate,
while at times fate tested me.
I have lost count of what I got,
yet, today I recall what I lost.

Those were the days,
when only smile ran on my face.
Remembering those days again,
I smiled after an era of time gone by.

I ran in the race of life,
and left everyone behind.
And yet at the zenith of my success,
I found myself alone.

Friends I had then and I have them now,
yet, I found the times have changes.
I am alone in the crowd of the city,
and unable to comprehend the reason why.

© 2018 Rara Amicus / Atria May

 

 

Anuj Vytha (Younger brother’s lament)

Background:
For often the silence is louder than words between the two who love.

Some of our strongest bonds originate at birth. Those with our parents, siblings, relatives are bonds forged by blood, a common factor that courses through the veins of the cohort. Then there are bonds forged by destiny; bonds of amity and commonality of thoughts.

This piece in Hindi commemorates one such amicable relationship with my mentor and friend with whom I had to part company due to circumstances within my control but outside my domain of influence.

I received a text in Hindi on 8th December 2017 at 6:24 pm which read:

कौन कहता है
आसुंओं मैं वजन नहीं होते

एक आसूं भी छलक जाता है तो
मन हल्का हो जाता है…

 ~ Translation ~

Who says
Tears have no weight in them

Even if one drop is spent
The mind becomes light...

In response to the above, these following lines were texted on 9th December 2017 at 8:35 am to convey my turbulent feeling at the upcoming loss of rare company afforded to me.

धन्य हुआ, मै धनी हुआ
अचरज मुझको पानी पर…
मैं रोया तो खारा सागर
जब वो रोए तो मोती थे…

मन की बात सुने जो साथी
बिन बोले जो घाव भरे…
आसूं पोंछें मेरे हॅंसकर
उनके मैंने भाव पड़े…

रोया तो मैं सिसक सिसकर
व्यथा अपनी मैं बहा गया…
अनुज पीड़ा देख जो मन में रोया
उसके आँसूं ना मैं पौंछ सका…

 ~ Translation ~

Bless'ed Me; I feel rich
Stupified I am with water though...
When I cry, it was a sea of salt
When they cried, it was nothing but pearls...

A friend who listens to one's mind
One who heals wounds without saying words...
One who wiped my tears while smiling
His mind I was able to read...

While I cried my eyes out
And let my anguish flow out of me...
One who cried inside watching his younger brother's lament
His tears I could not dry...