ek din sakaare
ghar par hamaare
mach gaya hangaama
kahane lagee bachcho kee maa-
“rakhana yaad
das din baad
yaanee ek april ko
apanee varshagaanth manaoongee
mithaee baazaar se aaegee
namakeen ghar mein banaoongee
aur suno!
hamaare bhaiya ko de do taar
ve chaar din pahale aaen
bhaabhee va amma ko saath laen
sukh-dukh mein
apane hee saath na denge
to ghar grhasthee ke kaam kaise chalenge
pappoo kee bua ko
ek din pahale patr daalana
aur likhana-
“akasmaat
kal raat
varshagaanth manaane kee baat
ho gaee hai
tum na aa sakogee
is baat ka dukh hai
tumhee socho!
unako bulaakar bhee kya karoge
is dadabe mein
kis-kis ko bharoge
ve aaengee
to bachcho ko bhee laengee
aur suno,
edavaans kee arzee de aana
logon ka kya hai
kahate hai-“daaroo peeta hai.
magar ledeez kapade to gazab ke seeta hai
pachaas baras kee budhiya
dikhane lagatee hai gudiya
ab tak khoob banee
aage nahin banoongee
sari aur bluz nahin pahanoongee
yug badal gaya hai
phaishan chal gaya hai
tang salavaar ho
rang white ho
sleeveless kurta ho
neecha aur tight ho
chotiyo ka rivaaz bhee ho gaya puraana
aajkal hai judo ka zamaana
baazaar mein bikate hai
naqalee bhee asalee dikhate hai
ek tum bhee le aana
taiyaar na mile to aardar de aana
kapade bachcho ke lie silenge
varna puraane kapado mein
apane nahin, parae dikhenge.”
ham chupachaap sun rahe the
choolhe mein pade bhutto kee tarah bhun rahe the
tadatadaakar bole-“kya kahatee ho
ik umr mein harakat
azab karatee ho
are, varshagaanth manaanee hai
to bachcho kee manao
apane aap ka tamaasha na banao
log mazaak udaenge
tumhaara kya bigadega
mujhe chidhaenge
mujhe gyaat hai
san chhayaalees kee baat hai
tum janmee theen maarch mein
tumhaare baap the jel mein
aur tum varshagaanth mana rahee ho april mein
phir tang kapado mein, umr
bachchee nahin ho jaatee
nakhare dikhaane se budhiya
bachchee nahin ho jaatee.”
ve bandook se nikalee golee kee tarah
chhooteen
vietnam par
amerikee bam-see phooteen-
“tum bhee koee aadamee ho
mera mazaaq udaate ho
apanee hee aurat ko
budhiya bulaate ho
are, auro ko dekho
shaadee ke baad
daalakar haatho mein haath
maze se ghoomatee hain
sadako par
baagon mein
cycle par
taangon mein
magar yahaan
aise bhaagy kahaan
padaus ke gupta jee ke bachche hain
magar tumase achchhe hain
mazaal hai jo kah den
aurat se aadhee baat
palako par bithaaye rahate hain
din-raat
aur ek tum ho
jab dekho
mere maike vaalo kee pagadee uchhaalate ho
saaree duniya mein
tumheen to saakh vaale ho
badee naak vaale ho
baakee sab to nakate hain
jab hamaare baap jel mein the
to tum vaheen the na
jelar tumhee the na
nabz pahachaanatee hoon
achchhe, achchhon kee
khoob chup rahee, ab bataoongee
dekhatee hoon kaun rokata hai
varshagaanth aprel mein
manaoongee, manaoongee
zaroor-zaroor manaoongee.
ham turup se kate nahale kee tarah
khade-khade kaamp rahe the
apana paurush naap rahe the
apanee shaktee jaan gae
varshagaanth manaane kee baat
chupachaap maan gae
taar de diya poona
salahaj, saas aur saale
jaan-pahachaan vaale
laga gae choona
paanch sau ka maal uda gae
haathee chavannee ka
das paise ka sugga
athannee ka damaroo
paanch paise ka phugga
tohafe mein pakada gae
ummeed thee angoothee kee
angootha dikha gae
hamaaree unaka paara hee chadha gae
boleen-“bhukkhad hain bhukkhad
chane bechate hain
chane
zara-sa munh chhua
aur daud pade khaane
are, aadamee ho
to eteeket jaanen
ab ham bhee ukhad gae
aakhir aadamee hain
bigad hae-
“card pappoo ne chhapave the
tumane bantvae the.”
tabhee munna hamaare haath ka fugga le gaya
nimantran-patr haathon mein de gaya
padhate hee card
samajh mein aa gaee saaree baat
chhapana chahie tha-“janm-divas hai devee ka.”
magar chhap gaya tha-“bebee ka.”
doosare kamare mein
shreematee jee
pappoo ko peet raheen theen
betahasha cheekh raheen theen-
“skool jaata hai, skool.”
bachche chilla rahen the-
“april phool, april phool.”
aur chunnoo damaroo bajaakar
munnee ko nacha raha tha
varshagaanth ke laddoo pacha raha tha.