mere kasbe men samandar naheen hai,
kuchh katare paaniyon ke kaid hain,
taalaabon men.
jab bhee ghar jaataa hoo(n),
to ek shaam guzaar detaa hoo(n),
mandir vaale taalaab kee seeDhiyon par.
taalaab kaa paanee badalataa naheen kabhee.
kaid hai, shaayad iseelie pahachaanataa hai mujhe.
jab bhee miloo(n) to kahataa hai-
'achchhaa huaa, too aa gayaa.
bahut see baaten bataanee hai tujhe.'
aur phir shuroo ho jaataa hai,
vo phalaan daadee phaut ho gayee,
alaan ke ghar beTaa huaa hai,
chilaan baaboo kee naukaree chhooT gayee.
magarib kee taraph kaa peepal kaaT diyaa, saḌak banaane vaalon ne,
vagairah vagairah.
phir mujhase mukhaatib hokar,
poochhataa hai-
'achchhaa ye to bataa, shahar ke mijaaz kaise hain.
kaun bataataa hai tujhe, ḳhabaren shahar kee.'
main javaab detaa hoo(n)-
'samandar hai naa, Dher saaraa paanee..'
aur itanaa kahate hee,
ek bagoolaa paanee kaa
gale men aTak jaataa hai.
khudaahaaphiz kah chalaa aataa hoo(n),
vaapas shahar men,
jahaa(n) ek baḌaa saa samandar hai.
roz samandar ke kinaare baiThaa,
dekhataa hoo(n),
kaise saikaḌon gailan paanee,
badal jaate hain, guzar jaate hain.
ekaadh kataraa paanee kaa,
meree taraph bhee uchhaal detaa hai samandar,
bas yoo(n) hee, binaa kisee jaan-pahachaan ke.
ab roz badalate paaniyon vaalaa samandar,
kaise pahachaan paayegaa mujhe.
kaise ummeed karoo(n) usase
ki vo kahe-
'achchhaa huaa too aa gayaa,
bahut see baaten bataanee hain tujhe'.
-
Arvind Kumar
