by Jafar Rehman
Jab maine tumhe pehli baar dekhaTum beech chaurahe mainRickshaw mai thiTum apne baalon se aur duppate se ladh rahi thiMaano ki hawa tumhari dushman thiKalkatte (Kolkata) ki us sardi ki dophar mainMain toh kisi aur taraf jaa raha thaMain jis gaadi mai thaWoh tezi se dusri taraf chali gayiTum - tum shayad wahi reh gayiHawa… Continue reading Jab
It was the evening of a big festival and I was out in the market alone. As luck would have it I was there a day before and the market was bustling with people but now it was silent and deserted. A couple of roadside stall vendors were still trying to sell something but I… Continue reading The bench
The candle is not going to last long! These were his thoughts as he sat on the chair staring at the wall. Through his window, he could hear his neighbours in the opposite building arguing about something as simple as why didn't one of them close the fan when they left the room. The argument… Continue reading The crawler
The faucet in the bathroom had been leaking for over two months now. Today he got up and took a wrench and wrestled with it. It didn't budge. A year ago the painter who did a shady job painted the whole tap. The paint dried off and acted like super glue. There was no way… Continue reading Cigarette
A flag on the top floorA pigeon in the small opening of a wallAnd an absence The newspaper on the tableAn open windowAnd an uncapped pen A cup with stainsCoffee that is dryAnd a lampAnd an absence A single bedWrinkled sheetsA pillow on the floorAnd an absence An ashtray on the corner tableUnlit cigaratteAnd an… Continue reading Absence
Dark dingy hallA guard sits outside the entryI gather the courage to go aheadThere are large hallsOn each side of the corridorA light so lowThat I can't even read my watchI walk and cross about10 rooms before finally turning left On the left the same thingA light which is lowI must keep on walkingI pass… Continue reading The Hall
Part 1: Six feet down A grave a sound A crying woman A mother maybe? Or a wife? Who else would grieve At this time? Who would remember This unmarked grave? Part 2: Wind blows with a hint of raindrops Enough to let you feel the water Leaves move away The veil has been lifted… Continue reading The end
Kuch tasveere mez par bikhri thi, Diary ke panno par Kuch alfaaz bhi usi tarah bikhre thePiyali bhari thi, Main bhi bhara sa thaTum kaha they, mujhe pata na thaThandi chai, thanda mausam Aur ek naya khali pannaMeri umeed ban gaye…
Raat ke kuch 11 baje honge use yaad aaya ki gaadi bahar khadi hai aur choriyaan badhti jaa rhi thi. Neend main behaal woh utha, chappal pehni aur chabhi utha kar bahar nikla. Darwaze ke us par ek choti si CFL jal rahi thi aur mausam thanda sa tha. Sardi ke aasar in dino ke… Continue reading Gullad ka Ped
Tumhare chehre par hasi to thi Par tumhari aankhen kuch Aur keh rahi thi Shayad kuch thaki si thi Tumhara chehre par hasi to thi Par tumhare andaz Kuch alag se the Aaj tum chup se the Aaj tum- tum se na the Waqt ke saat Raasta beet ta gaya Main chalta raha Tu bhi… Continue reading Hasi
Thoughts of a Crooked Mind 