फ़्लैश बैक/3 - गुड्डू भाई

 गुड्डू भाई 

मेरा  फुफेरा  भाई , गुड्डू भाई 

याद आज फिर  उसकी आई 

बचपन में अक्सर गर्मियों की छुट्टियों में 

जाता था जब बड़ी बुआ के घर 

ख़ुशियों को मेरी लग जाते थे पर 

कभी मेला , कभी सिनेमा ,कभी नुमाईश 

होती थी हर रोज़ नई फरमाइश 

कभी जाते थे खेतो की सैर करने 

मिल कर नहाते कभी बम्बों में 

होता था गुड्डू भाई का साथ 

लेता था सर माथे पे मेरी हर बात 

यूँ  रखता था मेरा ख़्याल 

ख़ुद अपना भूल जाता था हाल  

एक दिन बात ही बात में 

हो गयी मुक्का लात मुलाक़ात  में 

मेरे हाथ पर चला दिया ब्लेड उसने 

हाथ से फिसल जांघ पे किया घाव 

पड़ी  थी उस दिन गुड्डू भाई को डाँट बहुत 

सहमा सहमा रहा उस दिन भाई बहुत 

अगले दिन फिर थाम कर मेरा हाथ 

निकल पड़ी थी हमार बात 

हाथ - पैर के ज़ख़्म तो भर गए थे कुछ दिनों में 

लेकिन वो निशान कभी गए ही नहीं 

गुड्डू भाई की यादों की मानिंद 

आज भी हैं ताज़ा , बहुत ताज़ा।   

Flash Back - English - Kaali Masjid

 Kaali masjid

Black Masjid

In old Delhi,

From my grandma's house roof,

Connected are my countless memories.

Evenings often passed on the roof,

And from there, was visible,

The empathetic clinic,

The minarets of Jama Masjid,

The domes of the Gurudwara,

And,

Closest to Turkman Gate,

The Black Mosque,

Whose call to prayer echoed in our home,

Due to their proximity,

I got acquainted with those domes.

In reality, while going to school,

And returning from school,

By the Black Mosque,

Very close, our rickshaw passed,

Just from the corner of the street,

The Black Mosque came into view.

Many times, I felt,

That I should go to that mosque,

And one day, wandering, I reached,

Until the Black Mosque.

But couldn't climb the mosque stairs,

And quietly returned.

If someone stopped me,

I don't even remember that.

Flash Back - English - Kachori

 Kachori

Slice of Gokul Shah's

Corner

That kachori vendor still

I remember today

One rupee for two kachoris

Along with tasty potato curry

Both together, 

Two kachoris

Never satisfying enough

Then two more kachoris eaten

Whenever a guest arrived

Kachoris served

For his sake

The fragrance of those kachoris

And the taste of potato curry

Never left my mouth.

Flash Back - Kabootar/ Pigeon

 Kabootar/ Pigeon

From my balcony,

About ten feet away,

The large roof of the neighboring stride,

Where they used to soar.

Every evening, pigeons,

Colorful pigeons,

A flock of pigeons,

Flying from this direction.

Then another flock of pigeons,

Flying a kilometer away,

In the sky, both flocks,

Blend and merge.

And then begins,

The game of calling back those pigeons,

Loud voices calling out,

Aaoo... Aaoo... Aaoo.

Applauses sound,

And just two minutes later,

The flock of pigeons,

Respond to their owners' voices.

In the direction of their owners' voices,

They return,

As soon as they land on the roof,

Their count begins.

The owner, in a single glance,

Identifies that pigeon,

Belonging to the other flock,

And by mistake,

If it had come with this flock,

Then the real owner 

Of the pigeon,

Had to pay a hefty sum,

As today, if any leader changes parties, 

A hefty price has to be paid.

Flash Back - English - Gazak

 Gazak

From the temple with eighty-four bells,

Three shops were left behind.

The Gazak maker's store,

Who crafted Gazak himself.

Gazak made of gold and silver,

Meaning,

Gazak with jaggery and sugar.

Often enjoyed in the winters,

Jaggery's round, crisp Gazak.

Once witnessed in the workshop,

Gazak being made.

On a wooden peg,

Gazak's mixture being beaten.

With great force,

Since then,

Gazak's fondness for eating

Persisted in the mind.

Flash Back - English - Vaid ji

 Vaid ji

In front of the eighty-four bells,

Ayurvedic pharmacy stands,

And its physician Kailash Chand,

Still fresh in memory today.

Fair complexion, tall stature,

Nehru cap, kurta, and dhoti,

Polite and soft-spoken,

Often went to him,

A pretext for stomach ache made.

He used to write,

A peculiar script on the prescription,

Only his compounder 

Could decipher,

Who then prepared fresh powder,

Which was delightful to taste,

I used to enjoy licking it.

Keeping the powder in my pocket,

I happily returned home.

Flash Back - English - Water Carrier

 Water Carrier

Now, for a while

I haven't seen a water carrier

Around his neck

A leather bag dangling

He cleaned drains diligently

Flowed water effortlessly

Fecal matter stuck in drains

Today, in our society

There's even more filth

In people's minds

Filled with heaps of garbage

But now, water carriers aren't visible

In reality, today, more than ever

There's a greater need for water carriers.

Flash Back _ English - Gangu Teli

 Gangu Teli

Near Ram Babu's chaat shop,

Was Gangu Teli's oil store.

In the Seetaram market,

I felt a kind of magic in it.

On his shop's shelves,

Colorful bottles of oils stood,

From which emanated a mix of scents,

Various types of oils, unfamiliar at the time.

Unfamiliar with the names

Of those colorful oils,

Sesame, peanut,

Castor, flaxseed oil.

Sunflower, jasmine,

Olive, basil, sandalwood oil.

Jasmine, rose,

Almond oil and many more.

Even today, when I use any oil,

I remember

Gangu Teli's shop.