Keh lene do aaj!

Kuch rang birangi deewarein hain,

Jo hamesha bachaaya karti hain,

Ek barsaati hai saath,

Baarish mein baithke chai peete, 

ungliyon pe tapkati boondein dekhne ke liye,

Ek khidki se phool dikhte hain,

Dusri se titliyaan,

Darwaaze kee dehleez pe dhoop pighalti hai,

Aur chhat se khulaa aasmaan muskurata hai,

Taare aur chaand aaine mein jhalak dikhaa jaate hain,

Jahan pahuncke sukoon ka ehsaas hai,

Yahan ruk ke manzil ka khayaal hai,

Chamaktee hui raunakein hain,

Tyohaar ho jaise shayad koi,

Inn kuch deewaron, khidkiyon, taaron ke beech,

Woh aashiyana dikhta hai abhi mujhe,

Kya hai yeh sab, aur kaun ho tum?

Gunjaish thee shayad pehle, Ab yaakeen ho mera, 

Keh lene do aaj, Tum Ghar ho mera! 

- Hirinder 17june2022

Two minutes/२ मिनिट

 2 minutes / २ मिनिट ...

Two minutes baby, जब मां मैगी बनाने का promise करके किचन में जाती है,

Two minutes baby, jab woh unse 'call back करती हूं', केहती है,

दो मिनिट में आई, when she tells the सब्जीवाला and goes to fetch his Diwali money,

२ मिनिट देना pls, when Dad tells the child to get ready for taking him out for a bike ride,

Just two mins okay, that's the tenth time she's said it before finally being ready,

Do मिनिट में निकला, जब बच्चे नहाने जाते हैं और हर १० मिनिट में दो मिनिट add करते हैं,

पक्का सिर्फ two minutes, when the family is waiting for dinner and sirji is on a ऑफिस कॉल,

Yaar 2 minutes sachchi, jab dost Ghar ke neeche wait kar rahein ho, aur bhai hamara gf se phone pe video call pe hai,

2 मिनिट देदो mom, jab बिटिया या बेटू, बस वो लास्ट एक पैराग्राफ complete karke, kitchen mein help karne aayegi ya aayega,

Two minutes darling, when she's closing the door and he's honking the horn from the car,

Do मिनिट बेटा, when she's bringing in the hot chapatis from the kitchen and you are banging the थाली at the table,

Bahut se aise दो मिनिट make our lives,

कई दो मिनटों ने बहुत प्यार दिया है,

काफी two minutes में we have our memories,

Yeh two minutes / २ मिनिट, दो साल के कमाए पैसों में नाप नही सकते,

और इन दो मिनटों की खुशियों में, कभी दो घंटे, कभी दो दिन और कभी दो साल के कमाए पैसों की जरूरत पड़ती है।

सबके दो मिनिट, हमेशा दो मिनिट से ज्यादा हुए है, 

और कभी किसीने कम नही किए हैं,

आप सबको आपके दो मिनिट हमेशा खुश रखे,

सभी के दो मिनिट हमेशा सबके साथ रहे।

- Hirinder / हिरिंदर

Love is ...

 Love never signed up for feminism vs patriarchy,

It didn't want pre-nups or contracts,

It didn't ask for wins and losses,

Love didn't ask for one upmanship or to be shown it's place,

It didn't play games of the lust and the wars,

Love never meant to see courtrooms or walls,

It never withheld itself to torture a soul, or fine a kind heart,

Love never lived in denial, nor did it hide under the garb of friendship,

Love never walked with the one who calculated,

It never ran with the one who didn't walk with it,

Love never wanted the glory or the worship,

It never lied to the one it loved, it never hid the truth,

But, love could not for long, all give, and never not ask,

Love is not what you think, it is all that you didn't accept,

It is all that you refuse to see, it is all that you could be,

Love s all that is me and it's all that you could never be!

- Hirinder

The Waiting ... When !

 The waiting ...when....

 A child is promised a toy,

A teacher is promised the results,

A student is promised a career,

An employee is promised a promotion,

A woman is promised fertility,

A man is promised a house,

A pet is promised kindness,

A bride is promised 'her' home,

A groom is promised a family,

A girl is promised forever love,

A boy is promised forever her,

A night is promised a dawn,

A sky is promised a sun,

The puddles are promised a jump,

The bees are promised flowers,

The wings are promised a flight,

The flights are promised a landing,

The giggles are promised a laughter, 

The whispers are promised a talk,

The watch promises time, 

The time promises love,

A new life promises happiness,

A new plant promises fruit,

An old purse promises a lost coin,

An old suit promises memories,

When he promises a ring,

And she promises a life,

The calendar promises a date,

The date promises history,

A life promises a journey,

A journey promises a destination!

All these are one line stories, waiting to be told, waiting to be heard, waiting to be owned!

The waiting when, it's beautiful and not all waiting is a game!

The waiting when, all promises are fulfilled,

And not when it lands up in a game!

- Hirinder

Words !

 Words, 

I leave them on my pillow, 

some I drop near my office desk,

A few I scribble on my mirror,

Some are lining my eyes using that kohl,

Many are on the walls of my heart,

Quite some are scattered outside our room,

Some visit in my dreams to have a conversation in the middle of the night,

They trickle down on the window pane when it rains,

During prayers, some are caught between my folded hands,

Some appear on the food plate, with forks,

In the folds of the clothes he wears, they are hidden,

Holding onto the window curtains, a few are always hanging,

Wrapped in the unused gift papers, a few are waiting to be seen,

Not knowing how they reached there, many are on his lips,

The pen inside my diary, keeps playing with a few,

Wondering why they don't get noticed, some get crushed daily under the rolling pin,

The shopkeeper returns a few to me, with the exact change he sometimes has,

Lost are little of those in the documents I complete everyday,

My son, sends some to me when he smiles during a busy day,

Dancing are a few found inside my friends message,

Words, many are everywhere, from what I chose,

Words, I need to collect them, before I write one of those!!

- © Hirinder

Are they?

Are the erasers and sharpeners, still talking to each other about that child?

Is the tiffin box still waiting for it to be burnt in the morning?

Is the bus seat still wanting to be torn by that compass?

Is the school bell still waiting to hear the roar?

Is the school toilet wall still waiting for that name to be written on it?

Are the cafeteria plates awaiting the next stain on them?

Is that boy in the class still waiting to catch her on the staircase?

Is the playground still waiting for the stampede?

Are the yoga mats awaiting the bum burns?

Is the whiteboard waiting for a date?

Is the desk waiting to be scribbled on?

Are the benches wondering where the gums are being stuck on?

Are the corridors wondering why has it not heard the laughter since long?

The children are waiting and wondering, even if all of them aren't!

- hirinder

The "No Expectations" Parade !

Don't expect me to call back,

As I have presumed, you "expect"  me to disappoint you!

Don't expect me to let you know my plans,

As I don't respect your time, And "expect" you to wait, forever! 

Don't expect me to show up,

As I know, you "expect" me to keep up to my reputation!

Don't expect me to level up,

As I think, you "expect" me to not grow up!

Don't expect me to fund the house,

As I believe, you "expect" me to play dutch here as well!

Don't expect me to make my intent clear,

As I don't think, you "expect" me to speak the truth!

Don't expect me to change my attitude,

As I believe, you are "expected" to accept me as I am,

Don't expect me to stop taking you for granted,

As I am sure, you "expect" to the do the same with me!

Don't expect me to stop abusing your feelings,

As I am aware, you "expect" this to be the norm!

Don't expect me to pamper you,

As you must "expect" to be regular already!

Don't expect me to answer your questions,

As you must know, your questions are "expected" to be intruding!

Don't expect me to make you happy,

As everyone preaches, you are "expected" to make and keep yourself happy,

Don't expect me to buy you flowers,

You should know, you are "expected" to plant your own!

Don't expect me to be kind,

As I thought, you would know you are "expected" to understand my feelings,

Don't expect me to explain,

You are "expected" to know, my zodiac signs don't!

Don't expect me to reach out,

I have been, for far too long been told, to "expect" being on my own!

Don't expect me to die,

As I am "expected" to follow, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!

Don't expect me to show my vulnerabilities,

As I am told, "expect" being exploited!

Don't expect me to understand you,

As I am told, you would "expect" to be misunderstood all your life!

Don't expect me to lay a claim on you,

I have been told, you "expect" to not be owned!

Don't expect me to trust you,

I think, you "expect" you trust to be broken!

Don't expect me to love you,

I am sure, you "expect" to be hang you between being friends and being liked!

 Don't expect me to be there for you, when you need me the most,

I am sure, you "expect" the powers that be to work for you!

Don't expect me to tell the truth,

I am sure, you "expect" me to hide it for your own good!

Don't expect me to show you my emotions,

I was told, you "expect" to meet people living in denials!

Watching a "No Expectations" Parade!

And .... I EXPECT, I still Expect, I always will ! And I Expect, you do too!!