One Last Time

आज जब पिछले दो सालों को याद करती हूँ, 
हँसते हँसते आँखें हल्की सी नम हो जाती हैं

एक आख़िरी बार आज मन चाहता है कि उन पलों को एक बार और जी लूँ 
जिनसे अच्छे से बात नहीं की, उनसे मन जोड़ लूँ
जिनके साथ बहुत हँसी, थोडा़ और हँस लूँ
जिनसे अनबन हुई थी, उन्हें गले लगाकर नई शुरूआत कर लूँ

एक आख़िरी बार आज मन चाहता है कि उन पलों को एक बार और जी लूँ 
Lectures में सबके साथ थोड़ी और मस्ती कर लूँ
College के canteen में थोडा़ और खा लूँ
Professors की बातें और ध्यान से सुन लूँ

एक आख़िरी बार आज मन चाहता है कि उन पलों को एक बार और जी लूँ 
Hostel में रात भर बैठकर assignment कर लूँ
सबके लिए रात के दो बजे dominos से पाँच large pizza order कर दूँ
Guard से छुपकर boys block में दारू पी लूँ

एक आख़िरी बार आज मन चाहता है कि उन पलों को एक बार और जी लूँ 
Birthday boy पे आटा, बियर, surf, egg, shampoo डाल दूँ
सबके साथ party करने pub जाऊँ और बेसुरे गाने गाऊँ 
रात भर ना सो कर, सुबह college में उबासी लूँ

एक आख़िरी बार आज मन चाहता है कि उन पलों को एक बार और जी लूँ 
Snapchat के map में सबको एक साथ, एक ही जगह(uniworld) पर एक आख़िरी बार देख लूँ
Instagram पे group pics पे senti comments लिख दूँ
Whatsapp group पे आख़िरी बार सबको हँसति हुई emoji भेजते हुए देख लूँ

एक आख़िरी बार आज मन चाहता है कि उन पलों को एक बार और जी लूँ 
सबको हँस कर गले लगा लूँ
सबसे जुड़े रहने का वादा ले लूँ
सबकी हँसती तस्वीर अपने मन में save कर लूँ

आज जब पिछले दो सालों को याद करती हूँ, 
हँसते हँसते आँखें हल्की सी नम हो जाती हैं

© Priyanka Bajaj

तुम मेरे घर हो

जानते हो?
तुम मेरे घर हो।

माना तुम में मेरा पिंक कमरा नहीं है
पर पिंक कमरा तुम्हारे साफ़ दिल जितना सुकून भी नहीं देता।

तुम में मेरी अठखेलियों के लिए बाग़ीचा नहीं है
पर मेरी अठखेलियाँ हैं ही तुमसे।

स्वादिष्ट पकवान बनाने का रसोवड़ा नहीं है
पर तुम्हारी मीठी बातों से पेटभर जाता है।

सुनो,
तुम सिर्फ़ मेरे घर नहीं हो
मेरे घर के आँगन में बने मंदिर भी हो
तुम मुझे और मेरे ख़यालों को पवित्र रखते हो।

सुना है,
माँ के बिना घर, घर नहीं होता
लेकिन लाड़ तो तुम माँ सा ही करते हो।

कहते हैं,
घर हमारी रक्षा करता है
लेकिन तुम दूर रह कर भी मेरा ख़याल रखते हो।

मैं विदाई जैसे रीति रिवाज मानती नहीं
पर कभी हुई, तो चाहूँगी, तुम्हारे द्वारा हो मेरी विदाई।

हाँ, आँखें नम ज़रूर होंगी मेरी
लेकिन तुम वो घर हो जो मेरे पास आ सकता है
और मैं उसके पास जा सकती हूँ।
शायद इसलिए ज़्यादा दुख नहीं होगा।

जानते हो?
तुम मेरे घर हो।
तुम कुछ-कुछ मेरे प्रिय मित्र कृष्ण की तरह हो।

© Priyanka Bajaj

Hues of Blue

I have never lived in this room without you

Never have I ever felt these hues of blue

Like always, your bicycle stands still here

But your towel which hung on it, is not to be seen anywhere near

For the first time, I see your cupboard close

And no pile of shirts to toss

There is lot of space in the room to walk

Gone are your slippers, sports' shoes, formals and crocs

You filled all the water bottles before leaving

But there are no scoldings, which get me that water gulping

Your side of bed is clean like ever

But no sight of you, making hair, in front of mirror

For the first time, there is no movie on download, on my laptop, in forever

I miss your grooving, my crazy dancer

The A.C. is on at the temperature, you set

But nowhere are your hands to muffle me up under the blanket

Your speaker, today, is not playing any song

But my mind is screaming; for you, I long

Never have I felt such emptiness in this room

Never have I felt anything, but love, in this room

I have never lived in this room without you

Never have I ever felt these hues of blue

© Priyanka Bajaj

Un Año Juntos

As I lay here and see you making your hair

I think of our one year of bond and give you an awestruck stare

If this is a dream, I want to be pinched

In every possible world, to you I want to be hitched

From our late night talks

To your never ending dedicating romantic songs stock

From sharing my food out of formality

To "I don't share my food" is reality

We have have known each other, everyday, a little more

Like you take more time to get ready than I, which I adore

Your arms are my perfect snug

And mine for you, when you are scared of a bug

I'd protect you throughout

No matter what

Even at war

I'd take a shot

I'd take a bullet from the enemy's gun

Just to save you, my precious one

You are an epitome of love to me

Your dedication like Krishna's to Rukmini

I will love you today and tomorrow

I will never let you go from my heart

I know nothing can come in between us

Nothing and no one can tear us apart.

© Priyanka Bajaj

Remember Why You Started?

"This is the end",

Yells my mind

The heart whispered to the mind,

"Remember why you started? To end?"

Your jokes became my memes,

In my memories, your laughing face still beams

You were the friend, I never intend to make,

But my fortune had its take

The music is playing on the stereo,

I wish you would bellow

What have I done that, now, you don't care,

I wish, someday you would stop by and clear the air

The cold silence that we share,

It hurts me dearly to know that, you are not there

I hope we reunite before it's too late,

I wish cosmic powers change our friendship's fate

I miss you man, can't you come back,

You were loved, didn't you know that

"This is the end",

Yells my mind

The heart whispered to the mind,

"Remember why you started? To end"

© Priyanka Bajaj

When the dusk falls

Often I am alone with my loneliness

Peeping out of the brown wooden window

A sparrow extracting ice from its nest

Thinking spring is not far behind

An owl sitting on a twig

Waiting for someone to arrive

Beyond the lane, I see woods

And I slip more into our memories

Your footprints on icey pathway are gone

I saw them last, an evening before you left

At the end of the woods the graveyard freshens the scene

I turn away to shudder

And you are there on your couch

I think of you all more

© Priyanka Bajaj

Her Warm Smile

The kid was more hungry,

She hid her hunger behind her warm smile

He was excitedly calling her loser,

She hid her deliberate defeat behind her warm smile

He relished hot chappatis,

She hid the cold ones behind her warm smile

He said, "you are so lucky to rest all day at home",

She hid exertion behind her warm smile

He was congratulated for his promotion,

She hid her efforts of investing her soul, time, life in making his home, behind her warm smile

He teased her in the streets,

On reaching home, she hid her hurt behind her warm smile

She lives more for others,

And burn her desires, hides it behind her warm smile

Her compassion touching sky and is grounded at heart,

Your well being and happiness is the reason behind her warm smile.

© Priyanka Bajaj