Old is Gold

aise hi bethe bethe dimag mein ek khayal aya,
aur is baar humne kafila chidiya-ghar ki taraf badhaya,

bas pahunch gaye, par wahan dekhkar ticket ki lambi katar,

laga kahin yahin na baj jayein char,

par waqt par hi tickets mil gaye,

aur sabke thake hue chehre fir se khil gaye,

to ab hua hamari chidiya-ghar ki yatra ka agaaz,

aur ghuste hi dikhe khuda ke na jane kitne i'jaaz,(miracle)

duniya bhar ke hiran, giraaf, bandar, sher

chote bade rang birange panchiyon ke dher,

chalte chalte raaste mein achanak gaya dhyan,

wahan tha paani ke kinare ek khubsoorat sa budha machan,

likha tha 'upar chadhna mana hai',

par aaj tak kabhi kisi ka kaha suna hai...

bas uske khambon ki daraaron ko andekha kar chad gaye upar,

raaste se jane walon ne bacchon ko kaha wo dekho beta hum jaise char aur janwar,

par shayad use hamara sar chadna pasand nahi aya,

to usne apne kamjor khambon ko jara sa hilaya,

humne socha isse pehle ki ye yahin dum tod de,

behtar hai hum ise akela chod de,

utare, aage badhe kuch thake thode bhuke,

dheere dheere thoda chale thoda ruke,

fir jo mila thoda bahut khaya,

aur apne alsaaye josh ko jagaya,

ab purane kile ki baari thi,

aur sabki palkein bhi kuch bhari thi,

socha chalo khandaron mein chalkar thoda sustayein,

aur kahin bethkar thoda araam farmayein,

par andar ghuste hi ek alag hi mausam tha,

gazab ka khubsoorat aur angrezi mein kahein to 'awesome' tha,

charon taraf ghaas ke hare kaaleen, phulon se bhare baag, lambe khajoor,

jannat ke is nazare ko dekhkar neend ne choda saath aur chada ek naya suroor,

ab to sone ka koi iraada na tha,

aur hamare paas waqt bhi jyada na tha,

waise to wo pandawon ka kila tha,par jaise wahan mughalon ka kabza tha,

itne saare anarkali aur shah-jahan ek sath dekhne ka aur hi maza tha,

in khandaron ko dekhkar laga, kon kehta hai budhapa haseen nahi hota,

waqt ki maar khayi aisi barkarar khubsooorti dekhkar armano ko rokna mumkin nahi hota,

tabhi thodi door kuch chote dikhe jinki chat par chadna bhi asaan tha,

aur bas upar pahunchte hi jaise haathon mein sara aasman tha,

tabhi chaukidar ne awaz lagayi aur waqt yaad dilaya,

jab ek baar mein nahi suna to chillakar neeche bulaya,

humne thodi aur mohalat mangi to usne ghadi dikha di,

bas fir un imaaraton se dobara milne ka wada kar humne wida li,

ab to na aankhon mein door tak neend thi na koi thakawat thi,

laut-te hue dimag mein bas angrezi ki wo kahawat thi,

"Old is Gold"