May be it was...

"Excuse me, Uncle, could you please move a bit. I have to put my bag under the seat."

I was bit puzzled to hear the same voice, I heard long back in my life, long back. The voice I had almost forgotten, the same kiddish tone, soothing pitch and sweetness in every word. Though time had passed like winds in the desert.

I shifted on the next seat of the compartment, moving my legs up to allow her to put her luggage under the seat. My knees, too weak to bend fast, I pulled my legs up with my hands. Age is taking over, being 55, I couldn't help her. She somehow managed to arrange everything and sat on the window seat in front of me.

"Pheww! I almost missed the train. Oh God! Thank you."

A big relief on her face was visible with a broad smile, as sweet as a 5 year old.

I switched on my tablet notebook and started checking some official emails. I heard a suppressed laughter and moved my eyes up my glasses. The girl was trying to stop laughing holding her mouth with her hands. I thought there must be something funny about something in this compartment and moved my eyes back on tablet.

She again giggled, I out of curiosity looked at her. She suddenly stop and said,"Nothing Uncle".

"Did I say something to you?"

"Uncle, What do you do?"

"I work."

"Me too. But What do you do?"

"Software."

"You work Software. "

"No, I build Softwares."

"Hey, my parents were also in Softwares. No offence, but I am fed up of these software jargons I used to hear every now and then in our house."

"I can understand."

She then pulled the upper birth of the train and shifted upstairs. Kind of busy going through her memories and smiling. I could notice the smile which put up going through that memoir.

I had been busy whole day in the conference, so thought of getting some sleep. I put my laptop under my seat and closed my eyes sitting besides the window, the air breeze going through my all white half bald head sent me through another journey of memories, that voice, that smile, those cute long unknown talks which had no meaning still is still saved in my memory.

"Hi, What's up buddy?"

"Busy working or looking at this ugly black screen, my manager thinks that i am working while I don't know what to do with it. I hate this job. I want to go back to my home town. You are lucky, being there still with your family. I miss my mom and brothers."

"hey, hey, hey... put breaks on your train, do you really think I am happy here sitting idle without work smoking cigarettes and doing nothing. Atleast, you are there, working, achieving what you always wanted to do. Enjoy your work boss, otherwise you boss will say she is no good as engineer."

"I know, even I think so, but I am missing the good old days. When you will get a job here in this far far land, you will know the agony I am going through."

"God, listen to her, give me a job, rest we will settle between us."

"Next station is Modern City Junction"  - the train announcement system brought me back to the reality. Between the usual hustle in the train before reaching the station, I looked again towards the innocence this kid had brought along with her and snapshot of some of my memories too.

TBC... 

kya tha ki ab kya ho gaya...

क्या था की अब क्या हो गया,

मुश्किलों का मसीहा हो गया,

बड़ी शिद्दत से  बनाया मेरा नसीब तूने,

क्या लिखा की अब मिटाया हो गया।

waha jarurat nahi

ले जाओ की अब दवाओ की जरुरत नहीं,

ले जाओ की अब दुवाओ की जरुरत नहीं,

यह कफ़न भी क्यों छोड़ के जाते हो मेरे लिए,

ले जाओ की इसकी भी वहाँ जरुरत नहीं।

pyaar na dhundh saka ...

कैसा अनजाना था मैं, जो कुछ न समझ सका,

उनकी कही बातो में इकरार न  ढूंढ़ सका,

यादो के भवंर में कुछ ऐसी डुबोई थी अपनी कश्ती, 

कैसा भोला था मैं, जो वो प्यार न ढूंढ़ सका।

padh daale hai khat jitne tamaam the ...

वो भुला बैठे है उनको, जो थे उनके ही काम के,

हमने संभाले रखे है वो किस्से जो आम थे,

यादो का दोंर कुछ इस तरह चला है मन में फिरसे,

खोल के पढ़ डाले है ख़त जितने तमाम थे।

wo thi to uski yaad nahi aati thi...

वो बारिश की बूंदों सी मिलती थी,

वो बागो में कलियों सी खिलती थी,

वो ठंडी हवा सी मेरे तन को छु जाती थी,

वो थी तो उसकी याद नहीं आती थी।

वो जीवन के पन्नो पे खुशिया ले आती थी,

वो बोले तो कानो को इतना भाती थी,

वो मैना सी मीठी मुझको गीत सुनाती थी,

वो थी तो उसकी याद नहीं आती थी।

वो चिड़िया सी चंचल, कितना चेह्काती थी,

वो आँखों के मोती युही नहीं बहाती थी,

वो मिलने को कहती, पर मिल नहीं पाती थी,

वो थी तो उसकी याद नहीं आती थी।

वो होती तो इस दिल में बहार होनी थी,

वो होती तो हर मौसम में बयार होनी थी,

वो होती तो मेरे जीवन का संसार होनी थी,

वो थी तो उसकी याद नहीं आती थी।

वो इस तरह तो मेरे दिल से दूर न होनी थी,

वो कहती इक दफा तो हमसे भी इनकार न होनी थी,

वो करती वफ़ा तो हमसे भी वो खता न होनी थी,

वो थी तो उसकी याद नहीं आती थी।

kisse ka hissa ...

उस छोटीसी झलक से शुरू हुआ उसका किस्सा,

बन बैठा था वो कुछ इस तरह मेरा हिस्सा,

बदल गए चेहरे बदलते मौसमो की तरह,

बदल गए जीवन कहानियो की तरह,

रूठे वो भी कुछ इस तरह हमसे,

तोड़ के ले गए उस किस्से से अपना हिस्सा।