us ne jun-tun paDha
pas bhi ho gai
kuchh dinon ke liye nowelon hindi filmon chalittar saheli ki baaton
mazedar sapnon mein bhi kho gai
KHud-baKHud apne har shauq se aashna ho gai
aur phir ek itwar ko
us ke donon baDe bhaiyon bhabiyon ne
hisab aur chulhe alag jab kiye
us ne amman ko KHud-e’timadi se dekha
ki ab us ke apne dupaTTe qamis aur shalwar chappal ke joDe
namak mirch aalu maTar pyaz lahsan chuqandar TamaTar
podina, kaDhi pat zira, masale,
chune mung mash aur masur, sari dalen
mahine mein do bar qima ya murghi ka salan
chhaTi class mein paDhne wale ghabi chhoTe bhai ki Tuition
kitabon ka KHarcha
ye sab us akeli ki hai zimmedari
so jab naukri DhunDte DhunDte arziyan dete dete
kai din hue
to use yuni-centre mein ek aam si naukri mil gai
jab sawere naha kar chamakdar aaankhon mein kajal labon par lipstick
laga kar
wo ghar se nikalti
ghane gile baalon se aati hui garm KHushbu se
kitnon ke dil Dol jate
qadam Dagmagate
wahan kaam zyaada tha lekin sab afsar
use dekh kar muskuraate aur izzat se har baat karte
na be-kar mein DanTte aur na fazil sawalat karte
jo ek mehrbani mein tha sab se baDh kar
baDi tar nigahon se us ki taraf dekhta
par kabhi kuchh na kahta
ki is mehrban narm-guftar afsar pe biwi ki baaton ka
ek bar rahta
jise wo baDi jaan-fishani se sahta
magar wo koi mah-ru bhi nahi thi
so thoDe bahut khate-pite gharon se
jo aate to bejoD ranDuon ke rishte hi aate
koi ittifaqan jo kam-umr hota
to KHwahish bahut kulbulati
magar kya wo karti
ki aison ki tanKHwah bhi kam nikalti
jo hoti wo aadhi to pahle hi bisi mein Dalti
so shadi jo karti to amman ko kyunkar khilati
wo chhoTe ko kaise paDhati
ye sab soch kar aap hi aap wo muskuraati
baDi KHush-lihazi se inkar mein sar hilati
chhapar-khaT pe amman ke panw dabaati
wahin baiThe baiThe hue ungh jati