Inscrutable Expressions!

[In reply to a friend's poem on the ephemeral nature of clouds...]   कविराज आपकी रचना ने बादलों का क्षणिक रूप है दर्शाया, लेकिन इसी छवि से बादलों ने आसमान को हर तरह से है सजाया | हर मन  की आकृति को सजीव यूँ उकेरा आसमान के दामन में, कि अनजाने ही  जुड़ गया रिश्ता इन मेहमानों से | बादलों से कृपया हों ना यूँ खफा, इन्हें भी खलता है होना यूँ जुदा | तभी तो ये रोते हैं, बरसते हैं,  बारिश के पानी को तो पपीहे भी तरसते हैं | फिर क्यूँ ना हम भी इन्ही के रंग में रंग जाएँ, खुशियाँ और गम के फेर में इनसे मुह ना चुराएँ | प्रकृति के नियमों  की ना कर सका है कोई अवहेलना, परिवर्तन है नियम सदैव, लगा रहता है मिलना-बिछुड़ना | फिर ये कैसा अपवाद ,ये कैसा भेद, कर रहा जो मन भ्रमित, क्या बादल की ही तरह मनुष्य भी नहीं  कुछ  पलों  का मीत?

I walk down the memory lane, Thinking of the good old days in vain; The dancing with the friends in rain, The canteen hang-outs everyday for certain; The bunking classes every now and then, The night-outs during exam strain; The sleeping in the lectures main, The assignments driving us insane; The chatting on messenger till dawn time and again, The petty quarrels with friends so mundane; The answers to questions in exams uncertain, The blabbering during vivas to good marks obtain; The long talks in friends' rooms needing no brain, The being with friends in both pleasure and pain; Ahh!These thoughts agonize so often, Wish I could go back to my college again!!

You entered my life as through the window sunlight; And lit every corner as there was no darkness ever. You revive my disheartened soul as the ground after first showers; And seal the smile on my lips as I had never known what were tears. You guide me through the tough times as the pole star to a lost mariner; And I would emerge victorious as there were no inclement weather. You add joys and colours to my days as the rainbow to the rainy skies; And I seem wearing pink-coloured glasses as I had never known what was shade 'grey'. You teach me and caress me as the mother to her teeny-weeny; And everything seems a cakewalk as I had never known what was adversity. Friend..You're an inevitable part of my life's journey as is the salt to every delicacy; And I confide You'll be with me always as I know my shadow would, till my life's story.

O how famished I feel, Which no victuals can heal; Thy thought hath left me, With longing purging sanity. Thou art my beloved, Whom I most cherish; Like hounds chase hart, Akin,my emotions,my very heart. With thou my days were prismatic, My gloomiest days turned ecstatic; Hath thee stayed a litt'l longer, My fantasies would be canopied with bowers.